Meet the new Beverage Report Podcast team!
This year Sarah Wang (third-year BSc Economics) is leading a team of five who share the same goal and passion - bringing forward intellectually-stimulating conversations with economists from the top of their fields, from within LSE and beyond. What really differentiates us from other podcasts is that you really get to explore far more than a specific field of study.
Here, we have the answer to these questions: what motivated him/her to pursue his/her field of economics? How was working at the Oval Office? What are their favourite books? What gives them hope in a world with some pressing issues unsolved? Let’s find out together.
Sarah Xingyuan
Hey everyone, my name is Sarah Xingyuan, and I’m a third-year Economics student. I’m beyond thrilled to be leading this amazing team of five, and one more joining later this year! Having survived the lockdowns by creating new recipes in my free time, it’s safe to say I’m now a not-so-bad self-made cook. I enjoy going for a stroll alone or with friends around Lincoln's Inn Fields or by the Thames whenever I need a break from studying. I can be very biased...but isn’t 32LIF, home to the Department of Economics, the most aesthetically pleasing building on campus?
Raza Rasool
My name is Raza Rasool, and I am a second-year Economics student. I am a big fan of Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad and The Office. Also, I support Mercedes-AMG in Formula1. I am also quite interested in photography and podcasts.
Yunqing Huang
Hi! I am Yunqing Huang (aka Clara), full-time third-year Economics student, part-time dancer, gamer and movie lover. I give myself an excuse to go out every day as I consider a day not stepping out of the room is not counted. I am new to the podcast team so nice to meet all of you!
Rida Samreen
Hi everyone! I'm Rida Samreen, and I'm a second-year BSc Economics student here. I enjoy dancing, working out and learning obscure skills.
Sanjana Chanda
Hi everyone! My name is Sanjana Chanda and I am a second-year Economics student. In my spare time I enjoy singing and I love going out to try new food. Favourite cuisine is Italian – I could eat pasta all my life if I had to!
Annie Wang
Hello everyone! I’m Annie Wang, a second-year BSc Economics student. In my free time, I enjoy doing puzzle hunts, escape rooms (either in-person or online ones) and running marathons. I am also a huge fan of bubble tea and Kpop. My favourite things to do in London are visiting museums and exploring places with decent dessert, especially bubble tea!
The Beverage Report Podcast was founded by two second-year BSc Economics students with the aim of sharing the pioneering work of the LSE Department of Economics to the wider LSE community and beyond.
Founders Matthew and Tommy share a passion for economics and a curiosity in exploring contemporary policy debates. They realised a great way to do this would be to engage with the experts working down the corridor: people who have changed the world through their policy work for institutions like the World Bank and Bank of England; or whose research has been so impactful that they have they been awarded the Nobel Prize. And with just a short trip to Westminster they could discuss key issues with politicians - leaders of political parties and former Chancellors of the Exchequer - and delve deeper into their role in shaping the economy. Supported by the LSE Department of Economics, the Podcast serves to spread the wisdom of these figures far and wide, in an accessible way. We hope you enjoy it!
Subscribe to the mailing list.
Season 1: The 2008 Financial Crisis
Part 1: The Response to the Crisis
Lord Alistair Darling speaks about the response from within the Treasury; Professor Sir Charles Bean discusses the response from inside the Bank of England; and Professor Wouter Den Haan discusses how teaching economics has changed since the financial crisis.
In Episode 1, Matthew speaks to Lord Alistair Darling about the response to the financial crisis from his perspective at the heart of government.
Alistair Darling was a Member of Parliament from 1987 to 2015 (most recently for Edinburgh South West) and Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2007 to 2010. Lord Darling served continuously in the Labour government’s cabinet from 1997 to 2010.
Listen here.
In the second episode, Matthew speaks to Professor Sir Charles Bean - former Chief Economist and Deputy Governor of the Bank of England - about the response from inside the Bank.
Charles Bean is Professor of Economics at LSE.
Listen here.
During a visit to LSE, the Queen famously asked why no one saw the 2008 financial crisis coming. Here, Professor Wouter Den Haan, a prestigious macroeconomist- co-director of the Centre for Macroeconomics and key figure within the LSE Department of Economics (Deputy Head of Department (Education))- discusses how macroeconomics has changed as a response to the crisis, and where he thinks it should have changed further. Interviewed by Tommy Sharpe.
Listen here.
Part 2: In the wake of the Crisis
An interview with Professor Ricardo Reis- one of the most eminent macroeconomists working in the UK- where we pick up from the previous discussion with Professor Wouter den Haan by discussing the role of macroeconomists, then launching into a discussion of the Eurozone Crisis, and what the Eurozone needs to become if it is to continue into its third decade.
Ricardo Reis is A W Phillips Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics.
Listen here.
In an episode we recorded before COVID-19 escalated, we sat down to record an episode with Professor Silvana Tenreyro about how the Financial Crisis has changed the operation of Central Banks, followed by a discussion on women in economics. Silvana is Professor of Economics at LSE and an external member of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC).
Listen here.
Season 2: Policy, COVID-19 and the role of Economists
Professor the Lord Mervyn King discusses all things monetary policy, Lord Nick Macpherson discusses fiscal policy and the changing role of the Treasury and Professor Sir Tim Besley speaks about how to design policies to fight back and why this might be easier in some places, rather than others.
Matthew Bradbury discusses all things monetary policy with Professor the Lord Mervyn King.
Mervyn King was Governor of the Bank of England from 2003 to 2013 and is currently Professor of Economics and Law at New York University and School Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Listen here.
Matthew Bradbury speaks to Lord Nick Macpherson - former Permanent Secretary to the Treasury - about his time under successive governments, what he has learnt from it and advice that he would pass on to his sucessors today.
Listen here.
Matthew Bradbury speaks to Professor Sir Tim Besley about COVID-19 in the developing world.
Professor Sir Tim Besley is School Professor of Economics of Political Science and W. Arthur Lewis Professor of Development Economics in the Department of Economics at LSE.
Listen here.
Summer Special Edition
In this summer special edition of The Beverage Report, Tommy Sharpe interviews Kevin Watkins on how COVID-19 is impacting the world's poorest children, the need for educational reform, and whether charities are paternalistic.
Kevin Watkins is Chief Executive of Save the Children UK. He was previously Head of Research at Oxfam and has directed three Human Development Reports for the United Nations Development Program.
Listen here.
(Photo credit: Africa Progress Panel)
Season 3: COVID-19, the policy response
Matthew Bradbury sits down with Dr Anneliese Dodds, Labour Shadow Chancellor, to discuss COVID-19, the Labour Party and being the first female Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Listen now.
Lord David Willetts discusses his work on Intergenerational Fairness and the impact of his policies as Universities Minister, and how both of those are affected by COVID-19.
Listen now.
Podcast host Matthew Bradbury interviews Martin Wolf CBE, to discuss the role of economists and the UK economy - then both in light of COVID-19.
Listen now.
Podcast host Matthew Bradbury speaks to Professor Linda Yueh about her work as Chair of the LSE Economic Diplomacy Commission.
Listen now.
Dr Rachel Glennerster discusses Development Economics and her experience at the forefront of both the academic and policy worlds.
Listen now.
In part 1 of this 2-part episode, Matthew Bradbury speaks to Lord Adair Turner about his work as former Chairman of the Financial Services Authority and his hand in rebuilding the financial sector in the wake of the 2008 Financial Crisis.
Listen now
In part 2 Matthew speaks to Lord Adair Turner about his work as former Chairman of the Committee on Climate Change and his current role as Chairman of the Energy Transitions Commission.
Listen now
Podcast host Matthew Bradbury speaks to Melissa Dell about the economics of institutions, and what economists can learn from other disciplines.
Listen now
Sami Petersen speaks to Danny Quah about the economic modelling of international relations, COVID-19 in Southeast Asia, and the post-pandemic world.
Listen now
Sami Petersen speaks to Dr Swati Dhingra about COVID-19 in India, the pandemic’s effect on globalisation, and the updated economic effects of Brexit.
Listen now
Sami Petersen speaks to Professor Janet Hunter about economic history as a discipline, Japanese history, and the effects of COVID-19 on Japan.
Listen now
Matthew Bradbury sits down to discuss with Professor Justin Yifu Lin his work as Chief Economist at the World Bank, the reform and opening up of China and what the objectives should be of development policy going forwards.
Listen now
Summer Special Edition
Matthew Bradbury interviews the CEO of the Competition and Markets Authority, Dr Andrea Coscelli, to discuss the triple challenges he has faced navigating Brexit, COVID-19 and regulation of the digital monopolies.
Listen now
In the podcast’s second Summer Special, Matthew Bradbury sits down with former Home Secretary and former Chancellor of the Exchequer Kenneth Clarke to discuss his life and times at the frontier of politics.
Listen now
Season 4
In this Beverage Report episode, Sarah Wang, the new host, speaks with LSE alumnus Dr Flavio Toxvaerd from Cambridge University on economic epidemiology.
Listen now
Special Edition: 10 years of Christopher Pissarides' Nobel Prize
Christopher Pissarides was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 2010, jointly with Peter Diamond from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Dale Mortensen from Northwestern University for their work on the economics of unemployment, especially job flows and the effects of being out of work.
10 years on, Matthew Bradbury interviews Christopher Pissarides about his Nobel Prize, life at LSE before and after this event, and his work with the Greek government, defining Greek economic policy going forwards.
Listen now