logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2025
20m 43s

Gown and out: are British universities b...

The Economist
About this episode
tail spinning
Up next
Yesterday
Working memory: the surprising decline of dementia
A dive into the data reveals that, despite dire past predictions, the prevalence of dementia is actually waning. We take a look at Pix, a beloved Brazilian digital-payments system, and why it so bothers President Donald Trump. And we attend one of the concerts that reveals how th ... Show More
25m 8s
Jul 29
Brave New whirl: Turkey’s opposition overhaul
An ousted former opposition leader started a new party—called the New Party. We assess its chances at the ballot box, and under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s thumb. A surrogacy scandal in Germany has prompted a government reshuffle, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz left holding ... Show More
20m 27s
Jul 28
Burning questions: a more fire-prone world
Wildfires in France and Spain are only growing worse by the day. We examine what can be done as a future of more fires, and worse ones, becomes more assured. A dig into data on women at work shows several indicators starting to move in the wrong direction. And the American cities ... Show More
24m 17s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2024
#513 | The UK University Crisis
The UK is home to some of the best universities in the world, but there is a growing crisis happening at British universities In this episode, we'll explain what this crisis is, why British universities are in this unusual position, and learn about the key challenges facing the B ... Show More
22m 39s
Aug 2024
Can universities make their sums work?
Can universities make their sums work?   As students nervously receive their A-level results, many of the universities they'll enrol in are facing their own concerns over what's next...       Academics have warned that years of underfunding and a lack of lucrative international s ... Show More
19m 32s
Jan 2023
Degrees, Debt, Despair: uni students in 2023
In our 100th episode, are students the forgotten part of our society? They're facing the cost of living crisis, a now near-permanent graduate tax, and many complain about the quality of their courses.On this episode Lewis spends time with a group of Manchester students whose hall ... Show More
43 m
Apr 2025
London School Of Economics President Talks University Funding
President and Vice-chancellor of London School of Economics Larry Kramer discusses the impact of President Trump on US universities as the "effective dismantling" of American higher education. On the UK university funding crisis, Kramer tells Bloomberg's Caroline Hepker and Steph ... Show More
14m 2s
Oct 2023
Invaluable bonds: rising borrowing costs
America may have avoided a government shutdown last month but its fiscal worries are far from over. And unease in bond markets will spill over into the rest of the world. What can governments do to stave off the financial blow? The Chinese Communist Party’s youth wing is using ra ... Show More
25m 4s
Jun 2025
Improve English: Oxford Cambridge & Red Brick Unis Ep 815
Did you know that over 680,000 international students chose UK universities in just one year? Or that some British https://adeptenglish.com/ universities still require students to wear formal gowns, just like in Harry Potter?Welcome to Adept English, the podcast where you learn h ... Show More
13m 58s
Feb 2025
Listen & Learn English | How Much Does University Cost in the UK? Ep 796
Are British universities losing their charm? Join me, Hilary, on the Adept English podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/7ixeOS7ezPTZSaISIx2TTw as we explore how rising tuition fees, growing student debt, and a changing job market are reshaping higher education in the UK. You’ll ... Show More
13m 34s
Mar 2018
What Are Universities For?
Almost half of the UK's school leavers are now going to university. But the university sector is under more scrutiny than ever before. Sonia Sodha argues that it's time to take a profound look at what universities are really for. Should we be spending vast amounts of public money ... Show More
28m 28s
Jun 2025
I’d like not to thank the academy: graduates’ fortunes slip
The workplace wisdom that a university degree is a sure-fire key to success is very much in question—and the trend started long before AI began eating jobs. Russia has launched yet another summer offensive in Ukraine, and appears to be going for broke. And our journalists share t ... Show More
23m 14s
Feb 2025
Get your Strait facts: China’s quiet Taiwan push
We investigate China’s under-the-radar push to get other countries to change their official language on Taiwan’s independence. Would it make a difference in a bid to reunify by force? The case of a nurse jailed for killing babies exposes deep problems with British justice (10:10) ... Show More
22m 41s