In this episode we pay tribute to Professor Susan Sell. Professor Sell died unexpectedly in December 2023. In re-releasing this conversation from August 2023 about 21st Century Capitalism, we honour her intellectual rigour and the enormous contribution of her research. Professor Sell’s work was theoretically ground-breaking and an exemplary example of the careful research that contributes to our understanding of the nature of power and what this means for societies, for equity and for justice. Those who knew Susan remember her as full of life, full of generosity and someone who genuinely car ..read more

On this special episode of Policy Forum Pod the Rt Hon Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand and former UNDP Administrator, joins Professor Sharon Friel and Professor Bina d’Costa to discuss policy, politics and governing human future. This event was hosted by ANU College of Health and Medicine with the Australian Global Health Alliance. It was recorded live at The Australian National University and the conversation was facilitated by Dr Arnagretta Hunter. If this episode captured your interest, The Rt Hon Helen Clark will address the World Health Summit 2024 Regional Meetin ..read more

Professor Janine O’Flynn joins us for the first episode of Policy Forum Pod for 2024! In conversation, the Director of the Crawford School of Public Policy talks about the obligation and position of the school, and other universities, to exercise a ‘convening power' and bring together a range of different actors and views in our complex public policy systems.   Professor O’Flynn also talks about the catalytic power of government and the opportunity to reimagine the story of the state through a framework of public value. Janine also speaks about the idea of humility and humble government ..read more

In the final episode for 2023 we speak to John Falzon and Thomas Mayo about the year that was. We reflect on the challenges that we have faced from the cost of living, the Voice to Parliament referendum, and discuss the latest industrial relations bill. --- John Falzon is a sociologist, poet and social justice advocate and is a senior fellow at Per Capita and a visiting fellow at RegNet here at the ANU. He was CEO of the St Vincent de Paul Society from 2006 to 2018 and in 2015 received an Order of Australia Medal for services to the community through social welfare organisations.  ..read more

In this episode, we speak to Professor Carolyn Hendriks about democracy, representation, political trust and decision making and what's happening in local communities.   Democracy is under strain as the legitimacy of representatives is questioned and public trust declines. The rise of populism is changing the way many think about democracy and democratic representation, while new forms of leadership emerge. --- Professor Carolyn Hendriks is one of the leading thinkers on democracy and governance, including participatory democracy, public deliberation, and representation. Her most re ..read more

Australia is facing another tough summer. Natural disasters are occurring more frequently than ever, so this week on the Podcast, we talk about what care looks like in times of crisis. We speak to Dr Millie Rooney from Australia ReMADE and Amanda Kelly, the CEO of Women’s Health Goulburn North East, about a joint project called ‘Care through Disaster’ that looks at what would happen if we put care at the centre of disaster decision making.  People want to be seen, be safe, and be supported, with people in the community best placed to know how that looks. Amanda Kelly says if you know on ..read more

In the final episode of our mini-series on housing, we speak to Emeritus Professor Barbara Norman about planning issues and, particularly, the way we need to rethink housing, land use and urban policy in the context of climate emergency and extreme weather events. --- Barbara Norman is Emeritus Professor of Urban & Regional Planning at the University of Canberra and an Honorary Professor at the Australian National University. Barbara is also the Director of the Urban Climate Change Research Network Oceania Hub (Columbia University, USA) and co-chair of Planners for Climate Action (UN Habi ..read more

Australia’s housing crisis: Housing is one of the biggest drivers of our economy, but it is also at the core of the biggest financial hardships people are facing. Dr Nicholas Frank lays out why house prices skyrocketed in the 1980s and how the availability of credit became vital for families to survive with rising costs of living. The consumption aspect of the economy currently depends on the wealth generated by increasing house prices. While this has led to wealth inequality, it has also contributed to rising income inequality. Additionally, it poses environmental concerns, as there is ofte ..read more

In this special episode of the pod, we discuss the importance of music and creativity. Professor Kim Cunio and Professor Lane Gabora talk about why the creative arts are more important now than ever before, how music makes you feel seen. They also discuss how artificial intelligence is changing, and threatening, creativity.   Professor Liane Gabora is an Interdisciplinary cognitive scientist at the University of British Columbia and is currently a visiting scholar at the ANU School of Music. She has more than 200 scholarly publications in diverse journals that span psychology, cognitive ..read more

In this episode, the Director of the Crawford School of Public Policy, Professor Janine O’Flynn, takes stock of the Voice to Parliament referendum result. She, along with Sharon Bessell and Arnagretta Hunter make some initial reflections and begin to work through where we now need to go as a nation. --- Professor Janine O’Flynn is the Director of the Crawford School of Public Policy. Her research interests are in public management, especially reform and relationships.   Sharon Bessell is a Professor of Public Policy and Director of both the Children’s Policy Centre and the Poverty and I ..read more