Global South Series: In conversation with Jyoti Mhapsekar

Can the insights and solutions to some of the issues in the Global South help Scotland to recover and rebuild differently in a post-pandemic era?

Jyoti Mhapsekar is one of the founding members of Street Mukti Sanghatana, an NGO that works in Mumbai in India and has been actively involved in the women’s movement since 1975. Through her work, Jyoti has highlighted the connection between recycling work done by waste pickers and climate change in various national and international forums, which includes United Nations conventions at Bonn and Copenhagen in 2009.

Martin Johnstone (WEvolution) joins Jyoti in this online conversation as part of the Global South Series.

International Insights from Salomon Raydan - part of the Global South Series in partnership with WEvolution

Can the insights and solutions to some of the issues in the Global South help Scotland to recover and rebuild differently in a post-pandemic era?

Based in Venezula, Salomon Raydan is a specialist in alternative financial models, founder and president of the Foundation for Rural Finance (FUNDEFIR), and an Ashoka Fellow since 2001. Salomon holds an MA from the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is co-author of “The Other Microfinance” (2011) book. He has written an article as a Thought Leader of the G2012 Mexico Financial Inclusion competition.

Talking Tech with Steven Drost and Chris Yiu

DHI brings you a virtual fireside conversation with Steven Drost and Chris Yiu. 

Steven is a trustee of the David Hume Institute, as well as being Chief Strategy Officer at CodeBase. He also runs a regular technology podcast, Startupification. 

Chris is based in Edinburgh and works internationally on technology and public policy for the Institute for Global Change. He has a special interest in tech, education and change.

This event was also featured on the Startupification podcast.

International Insights from Catherine Wanjohi - part of the Global South Series in partnership with WEvolution

We are delighted to be working with WEvolution to bring you a series of international insights.  This is an opportunity to hear about system changing programmes and movements from their inspirational founders in the Global South. Can insights and solutions to some of the issues in the Global South help Scotland to recover and rebuild post-Covid? 

The first speaker in the Global South Series was Catherine Wanjohi, the Founder and Executive Director of Life Bloom Services International Kenya. Life Bloom Services supports women and girls trapped in prostitution, poverty and violence, through individual interventions, group development and economic empowerment.  Life Bloom have now helped more than 10,600 people.  

Talking Tax with Dr Arun Advani, Dr Andrew Summers and Charlotte Barbour

The authors of recently published research discussed their findings with Charlotte Barbour, Director of Tax for ICAS and Susan Murray, Director of the David Hume Institute to reflect on the implications for Scotland.

The researchers from LSE and Warwick presented new findings from analysing anonymised HMRC data of the taxes paid by the UK's top 1% and explored the relationship of headline tax rates with capital gains, total income and tax reliefs. They suggested putting a floor on the lowest tax rates with an Alternative Minimum Tax.

ICAS has called for more "honest public debate about who should pay tax and how much they should pay". Often in Scotland discussion on tax focuses only on the powers at Holyrood. However this research shows when considering total income, there is a complex relationship of different tax rates for people that are able to restructure their earnings.

As the post Corona virus economy emerges, focus will undoubtedly turn to tax and paying for public services. This session was an honest conversation to think about the complex interplay of rates and reliefs. Should a post-pandemic UK consider an alternative minimum tax threshold?

Click here to download the presentation slides.

International Insights from Olli-Pekka Heinonen

Olli-Pekka Heinonen shared his insights into the Finnish approach to learning systems and lifelong learning for a skilled labour market.

Olli-Pekka Heinonen is the Former Minister of Education for Finland and is currently the Director General at the Finnish National Agency for Education. 

Before joining the Prime Minister’s Office in March 2012, he worked for 10 years as a Director in the Finnish Broadcasting Company. Before that he had an active career in politics between 1994 and 2002, serving as the Minister of Transport and Communications 1999-2002, Minister of Education 1994-1999 and Member of the Parliament of Finland 1995-2002.

A copy of Olli-Pekka Heinonen’s presentation is available for download here:

Olli-Pekka Heinonen was interviewed for ITV News Representing Border. The interview can be viewed in this clip from 17 minutes 30 seconds into the video.

Listen the the Scottish Parliament Podcast of Olli-Pekka Heninonen’s seminar in partnership with Scotland’s Futures Forum.

Jonathan Taylor in conversation with Fran van Dijk

In partnership with EICC Live, we were delighted to welcome Jonathan Taylor to discuss his experience of leading a mission-led bank as Vice President of Environment and Climate Change at the European Investment bank. The discussion has particular relevance for the new Scottish National Investment Bank and the next COP, as Jonathan has previously contributed to 6 COPs as the European Investment Bank’s lead on climate action.

The European Investment Bank is the world’s largest international public bank. Jonathan had lead oversight of the Bank’s activities in the UK, Ireland, the Nordic countries, Greece, Cyprus and Asia (including China), and led the Bank’s work globally in its climate action and environmental lending policies. He was previously Director General of Financial Services and Stability at HM Treasury. He has held a range of posts in both the private and public sectors. To find out more about Jonathan see this link for a video of an interview with him. 

Jonathan was joined in conversation by Fran van Dijk.

Fran van Dijk is a founding partner of One Stone Advisors Ltd, a global strategy and communications team which helps companies become more effective sustainability leaders. Clients include Carlsberg Group, Electrolux, Ericsson, Sydney Opera House, Tetra Pak and TUI Group.  She is co-author of Creating a Culture of Integrity: Business Ethics for the 21st Century. Fran serves on the Board of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the Advisory Committee of Montanaro Asset Management’s Better World Fund and is Chair of the Macaulay Development Trust.

A recording of the event can be viewed below, with thanks to EICC Live.

Scotland’s populations: regional variations and implications

The David Hume Institute, in partnership with National Records of Scotland, welcomed Professor Michael Anderson, Dr Esther Roughsedge and Rannvá Danielsen from Seafish to discuss regional variations and trends that exist within Scotland’s populations, and what they mean for Scotland and Scottish policy. 

Professor Michael Anderson is Emeritus Professor of Economic History, University of Edinburgh, and an expert on Scottish demography. Last year, Oxford University Press published ‘Scotland's Populations: from the 1850s to Today’, which, using a comparative framework both internationally and across Scotland, explores population growths and declines, rural settlement and depopulation, and migration and emigration.

Dr Esther Roughsedge is a statistician at the National Records of Scotland (NRS), with 15 years’ experience of demographic statistics. She now leads the Statistical Promotion and Analysis team, focussing on talking to a wider audience about the implications of statistical trends. Before moving to NRS, she worked as a statistician in the Scottish Government.

Rannvá Danielsen is an economist at Seafish, a public body that supports the UK seafood industry. Her expertise is in fisheries economics and policy. Seafish collects extensive data on the seafood industry and has written a series of reports on the impact of migration policy on labour availability and recruitment in the seafood processing sector.

A copy of the slides from each presentation is available for download here:

Michael Anderson and Graeme Roy on Scotland's Populations

Professors Michael Anderson and Graeme Roy spoke at the David Hume Institute on “Scotland’s Populations”. They discussed how our demographics have shaped our country, and the challenges they present in the future. 

Professor Michael Anderson is Emeritus Professor of Economic History, University of Edinburgh, and an expert on Scottish demography. Last year, Oxford University Press published ‘Scotland's Populations: from the 1850s to Today’, which explores population growth and decline, rural settlement and depopulation, and migration and emigration.  

Professor Graeme Roy is Director of the Fraser of Allander Institute and Head of Economics at the University of Strathclyde. Prior to joining Strathclyde University he was head of the First Minister’s Policy Unit. 

A copy of the slides from each presentation is available for download here:

Please see below for the audio recording of this event.

Jonathan Portes on Immigration policy: challenges for the UK and Scotland

Professor Jonathan Portes spoke at the David Hume Institute on “Immigration policy: challenges for the UK and Scotland”.

Professor Jonathan Portes is a Senior Fellow of the Economic and Social Research Council's "UK in a Changing Europe" initiative, based at King’s College London, which promotes high quality research into the complex and changing relationship between the UK and the European Union. His current research concentrates on issues related to immigration and labour mobility, both within the European Union and outside; and the economic implications of Brexit. Jonathan's latest book is called 'What Do we Know and What Should We Do About Immigration?'.

He has spent most of his career working as a civil servant, serving as Chief Economist at the Department for Work and Pensions from 2002 to 2008 and Chief Economist at the Cabinet Office from 2008 to 2011. He led the Cabinet Office’s economic analysis and economic policy work during the financial crisis and on the G20 London Summit in April 2009. From 2011 to 2015, he was Director of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research.

A copy of the slides from Jonathan’s presentation is available for download here: