Category: Public Affairs

Women's Work in the World Economy: A Personal & Political Perspective

8232Economic growth around the world is influenced by who is in the workforce and what they, male or female, are paid.

In 2003, UC Berkeley Professor Laura Tyson was asked by the World Economic Forum to put together a rigorous analysis of how countries were doing on gender parity, or diversity, using a number of different dimensions, and then see how those countries’ gender parity affected its economic performance.

This analysis came to be called the Global Gender Gap Report, and ultimately it showed that those countries with greater gender parity over time performed better economically.

Professor Tyson shares some of her own experiences, observations, and analysis as she makes a case for greater gender parity for economic growth, including how economic policy can influence the recruitment and retention of women in workplaces worldwide.

Watch Women’s Work in the World Economy now.

The Jewish Experience Explored at UC Santa Barbara

8232The Middle East has been in our headlines a great deal lately with the recent elections in Israel and the on-going talks about Iran.

Go beyond the news with three new programs that feature writers who are exploring the Jewish experience from biblical times through to today.


From ancient history explore the perplexing and enigmatic David:

29249David: The Divided Heart
“If you read through the bible you read about Moses and you read about Abraham but then you come to David and you say: this is a human being, this is a full-blooded portrait of a person.”
– Rabbi David Wolpe, Sinai Temple in Los Angeles

From more recent history learn about nine Holocaust survivors who went on to change the course of the 20th century:

29236The Great Escape: Nine Jews Who Fled Hitler
and Changed the World
“They had started life on a calm and prosperous voyage and then things changed very quickly. After they were uprooted for the crime of being Jews from their native Budapest they never felt really at home anywhere else.”
– Kati Marton, Hungarian-American author and journalist

From the present, a discussion on contemporary Israel:

2925021st Century Zion: America, Israel, and
the Challenges of a New Era
“It’s so needed to have a candid, intelligent, civilized discussion about Israel, about the Middle East and about the Israeli-American relationship.”
– Ari Shavit, Israeli reporter and columnist

The programs are presented by Herman P. and Sophia Taubman Foundation Endowed Symposia in Jewish Studies at UC Santa Barbara. The entire archive of past talks is available here.

What's Wrong with Racial Profiling?

8232Talk about timely.

The Suspect Race edition of “In the Living Room” jumps right into this taut and emotionally charged issue with social psychologist Jack Glaser and Oakland Assistant Police Chief Paul Figueroa.

“The problem with profiling, or using stereotypes to make judgments,” says Glaser, “is that it can have a self-fulfilling effect.”

Glaser presents research backing this claim while Figueroa responds with insight on how police officers feel in a climate where many sense that law enforcement is under attack. The erudite Henry E. Brady, dean of the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley, hosts this candid and provocative conversation.

Watch more programs on The UC Public Policy Channel.

New Programs from the UC Public Policy Channel

8232Does gender equity matter? UC Berkeley grad student Suzanne Merkelson thinks so, especially when considering the 1 in 5 ratio of women to men representing us in Congress. She’s the first from the Goldman School to step before the UCTV cameras and deliver a commentary for the UC Public Policy Channel. We’re proud to provide this platform for her and plan to bring other student voices to this channel in the months ahead.

Watch 104 Women in Congress? That’s Not Enough! Commentary by Suzanne Merkelson.

And coming soon, racial profiling, as seen by UC Berkeley’s Jack Glaser and Paul Figueroa, Assistant Chief of the Oakland Police Department. Watch for “In the Living Room with Henry E. Brady” Monday, Feb 2nd.

Find more programs on The UC Public Policy Channel.

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Understanding and Protecting the Planet, Enriching Human Life and Society — UC San Diego Founders Symposium 2014

8232This annual celebration of UC San Diego’s founding in 1960 highlights guest speakers showcasing the knowledge and innovation originating on this dynamic campus.

Areas of research cover various topics, from air quality and the environment, economics of energy costs and climate change, to personalized cancer treatment and big data.

The 2014 Founders Symposium features top UC San Diego faculty presenting their latest research, including:

Matthew Alford of Scripps Institution of Oceanography on “Chasing Waves: Measuring Skyscraper-High Waves Beneath the Sea and Their Importance for Submarines, Coastal Ecosystems and Climate”

Eugene Pawlak from the Dept. of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering on “Turbulence: Chicken Soup for the Coral Reef Soul”

Economist Richard Carson on “China: Consumption, CO2 and Climate Change”

Dr. Razelle Kurzrock of the Moores Cancer Center on “Personalized Cancer Therapy: Promise and Challenge”

William Griswold of Computer Science and Engineering on “Pervasive Air-Quality Monitoring via the Crowd”

Dr. Lucila Ohno-Machado, associate dean for Informatics and Technology on “Big Data: What it Means To You“

Watch this program online or browse more programs from The UC San Diego Founders’ Symposium.