Shows
Its a bit AcademicalThe Gulf Equation: Balancing Tradition and TransformationSend us a textIn this wide-ranging conversation, Dr. Emilie Rutledge—Senior Lecturer in Economics and Head of Discipline at The Open University—shares her fascinating, unconventional career journey from the Midlands to the Middle East and back again. With decades of experience across academia, government, and industry, Emilie opens up about her deep interest in Gulf economies, economic diversification, and the often invisible forces shaping policy and people's lives.She discusses what it means to be an applied economist, the socio-political structures of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and how living and working across dive...2025-07-1759 minIts a bit AcademicalThe Gulf Equation: Balancing Tradition and TransformationSend us a textIn this wide-ranging conversation, Dr. Emilie Rutledge—Senior Lecturer in Economics and Head of Discipline at The Open University—shares her fascinating, unconventional career journey from the Midlands to the Middle East and back again. With decades of experience across academia, government, and industry, Emilie opens up about her deep interest in Gulf economies, economic diversification, and the often invisible forces shaping policy and people's lives.She discusses what it means to be an applied economist, the socio-political structures of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and how living and working across dive...2025-07-1759 minIts a bit AcademicalPowering the Future: Breakthroughs in Energy Storage and Material Science with Dr. Sam CooperSend us a textIn this episode, we are joined by Dr. Sam Cooper, a leading researcher at the Dyson School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London. Dr. Cooper shares his journey from studying mechanical engineering to focusing on material science and energy storage technologies. We dive deep into his research, exploring next-generation energy solutions, computational methods for material design, and the exciting future of battery and fuel cell technologies.Key Takeaways:The integration of computational methods with material design is critical in solving energy storage challenges.Understanding the microstructure of materials...2024-11-1852 minIts a bit AcademicalCalming the Storm: Mindfulness for a More Human LeadershipSend us a textEpisode Summary:In today’s episode, we sit down with Dr Jutta Tobias Mortlock, a renowned researcher in mindfulness, leadership, and decision-making from City, University of London. With a fascinating journey from IT consulting to academia, Dr Tobias Mortlock explores how mindfulness can transform individual and team performance, especially in high-stress environments. We delve into the science of mindfulness, its practical applications in leadership, and the importance of collective mindfulness in creating resilient teams.Key Quotes:“Mindfulness is not just an individual practice; it’s a so...2024-11-071h 07Its a bit AcademicalCan Technology Make Us Happier? Exploring Positive Computing with Professor Rafael CalvoSend us a textIn today’s episode, we dive deep into the world of affective computing, learning technologies, and positive computing with Professor Rafael Calvo, a distinguished academic currently based at the Dyson School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London. Professor Calvo discusses his impressive journey across various disciplines and countries, the integration of technology with mental well-being, and how his work aims to improve human lives.Introduction:Professor Rafael Calvo, a leading expert in affective computing and positive computing, has made substantial contributions to human-computer interaction, well-being technology, and de...2024-10-3155 minIts a bit AcademicalPixels, Neurons, and Caffeine: The Life of a Computer Vision WizardSend us a textGuests:Dr. Tolga Birdal, Assistant Professor at Imperial College LondonHosts: Alex, ShiroshEpisode Summary:This episode dives into the fascinating world of artificial intelligence with Dr. Tolga Birdal, a leading researcher in computer vision, 3D geometry, and machine learning. Dr. Birdal shares his inspiring journey from engineer to academic, exploring his groundbreaking research in 3D object recognition, neural networks, and the emerging field of topological deep learning.Dr Birdal recently won the prestigious UKRI Future Leaders fellowship.Listeners will learn...2024-10-0958 minIts a bit AcademicalWe Are Back and We Have an Announcement!Send us a textEpisode Description:In this exciting return episode, the hosts dive into the original intent behind the podcast—speaking with experts across diverse fields to understand their success stories and journeys. Throughout their journey, the hosts have built relationships with various academics and industry professionals. Through these experiences, they've recognized a significant area in need of disruption: the academic research and publishing landscape. In this episode, they share their mission to elevate and empower researchers, while shaking up the traditional methods of academic publishing. They will not only continue interviewing industry experts bu...2024-10-0225 minIts a bit Academical#012 -The Enigma Within: Navigating the Intricacies of the Brain's ComplexitySend us a textJoin us in this fascinating episode as we delve into the intricate realm of brain connectivity and cognition with our esteemed guest. A true visionary in the field of cognitive neuroscience, Professor Uddin brings a wealth of knowledge to our conversation. Professor Uddin, is the Professor-in-Residence, Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles. She is a world-leading expert in this subject and has published multiple books and hundreds of scientific publications and more than 36000 citations. In this thought-provoking discussion, Professor Uddin takes us on a journey through her...2024-09-2853 minIts a bit Academical#011 - Leveling the Playing Field: Inside the World of Anti-Doping ResearchSend us a text#011 Leveling the Playing Field: Inside the World of Anti-Doping Research with Dr Shobha AhiStep into the fascinating world of anti-doping testing in international sports, where the Drug Control Centre takes centre stage, ensuring fairness and integrity in events like the Olympics and the Paralympics. But how does this all work? Let's take a thrilling journey from the athlete's participation in a sporting event to the publication of their test results!In this episode, our guest is the deputy director of the Drug Control Centre or DCC...2023-07-2645 minIts a bit Academical#009 - How to build a smart wound dressingSend us a textIn this episode, Professor Akbari is an Associate Professor, at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Victoria.In addition, he is an entrepreneur and Chief Scientific Officer at 4M Biotech Ltd and a Senior board member at the Canadian Biomaterials Society, and Board Member Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering (CSME).Previously, Professor Akbari was a research fellow at Harvard medical school. Today we will discuss how it all started and how Professor Akbari fell in love with, science and engineering. In addition, Professor Akbari will share with us some...2023-03-111h 08Its a bit Academical#007 - The Accidental ProfessorSend us a textIn this episode, we are chatting with Professor Loredana Padurean. She is a professor at D'Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University and a lecturer at MIT Sloan. In addition, she is a former Senior Associate Dean at Asia School of Business in collaboration with MIT Sloan. Professor Loredana is an author, entrepreneur, Ted speaker and so much more. We discuss how it all started and how Professor Padurean fell in love with, teaching and research by doing. In addition, Professor Padurean will share with us some of the books that h...2023-02-121h 11Its a bit Academical#006 - The emperor's new clothesSend us a textIn this episode, we are chatting with fashion consultant, costume designer, Writer, Curator, and Archivist Rebecca Pietri. She has been delivering design projects for over 20 years. Her clients include A-list celebrities such as Questlove, The Roots, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Beyoncé, Coldplay, Justin Timberlake, U2, corporate giants, leading editorial voices, studios, museums, and corporate executives. African and American traditions and designs highly influenced her work. Rebecca shares with us how it all started, how she fell in love with design and fashion and how she entered the field via a path less travelled. 2023-01-2258 minIts a bit Academical#005 - How to build a spinal cordSend us a textIn this episode, we are chatting with Professor Stephanie Willerth. She is a Full Professor and Canada Research Chair in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Victoria. Over the years Professor Willerth has held many distinguished positions. This includes being the President Canadian Biomaterials Society.Professor Willerth did her undergraduate at MIT and completed her Phd at Washington University in St. Louis. She is a published author and has over 4500 citations. In addition to sharing her experiences, Professor Willerth will share with us some of her favourite books and w...2023-01-1556 minIts a bit Academical#004 - Greater foolsSend us a text#004 - Greater foolsIn this episode, we are chatting with Economist, Lecturer, Analyst, Researcher, and Consultant Dr. Frédéric Schneider. Dr Schneider completed his PhD at the University of Zurich and has held posts at the University of Cambridge, Yale University, and the University of California at Berkeley. Furthermore, he has been cited more than 700 times. Dr. Schneider shares with us how he fell in love with behavioural psychology. In addition to sharing his experiences as a researcher and an economist, Dr Schneider shares with us some of his f...2023-01-091h 01Its a bit Academical#003 - Legal eagle to the starsSend us a textIn this episode, we are chatting with Isi Casas del Valle PachecoShe is a lawyer, lecturer and Space leader. She talks to us about Space law. Just like general international law, Space law comprises of a variety of international agreements, treaties, conventions, and United Nations General Assembly resolutions and rules and regulations of international organizations. She trained as a lawyer and now focusing exclusively on Space law while working as a community manager with the European Southern Observatory (ESO)The interesting thing of t...2022-11-201h 01Its a bit Academical#002 Stop the pressesSend us a textIn this episode, we are chatting with journalist and political scientist Marcos Lema. He has contributed to many news publications over the years, including El País, and El Confidencial and today we will discuss how it all started and why being a journalist is his vocation. In addition to sharing his experiences as a journalist, Marcos will share with us some of his favourite books and why they made an impact on his life.We talked about life in A Coruna to the current development in news and publishing. In a...2022-10-191h 12Its a bit AcademicalWe have a brand new podcastSend us a textWe have a brand-new podcast and I am really excited about this new project. Podcast will consist of three main parts. The interesting thing about the episode: We will try to cover something that interesting. This would typically be about something related to creators or professionals. We really want this to be a collaboration. So please send us your question, projects you have done or interesting ideas you may have had. Simply get in touch and we would love to hear about an interesting project you are doing and how y...2022-10-0713 min