Alumni Voices

Lionel Barber, editor of the Financial Times (St Edmund Hall, 1974)

Lionel Barber discusses the changing media landscape, the impact of social media, and how the award-winning Financial Times continues to respond to the digital age. The FT's editor warns about fake news and refers to past propaganda - subjects he will address on Saturday 16 September 2017 at the Alumni Weekend in Oxford (book online to secure your place at this session). In this wide-ranging podcast interview, Barber gives his perspective on current affairs, from the Europeans having the upper hand in Brexit negotiations to the theatre of Donald Trump's presidency. He explains how studying German and Modern History at Oxford prepared him for his international career in journalism. Barber also describes the highlight of his student days - playing rugby alongside Blues rugby players during Cuppers.

Dr Desirée Cox, stem cell and regenerative medicine expert, and artist (Pembroke, 1987)

Dr Desirée Cox describes her extraordinary journey from growing up in a tough urban area in the Bahamas to becoming a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford. She focuses on her medical studies at Oxford and her pioneering work to establish a regulatory framework for stem cell research in her home country. In this podcast interview, Dr Cox also explains her love of painting, and her efforts to ensure others reach their potential. Referring to advice she shared at a lecture at Pembroke in June 2017, she highlights the importance of hope, resilience, authentic conversations and harnessing your own personal story in an age of short attention spans and technological disruption.

Dr Tom Crawford, mathematician and presenter (St John's College, 2008)

Dr Tom Crawford, also known as the Naked Mathematician, shares his love of Maths and describes how he is dispelling stereotypes to explain Maths to teenagers. Dr Tom Crawford, also known as the Naked Mathematician, shares his love of Maths and describes how he is dispelling stereotypes to explain Maths to teenagers. He speaks about his new Naked Maths video series, in which he explores mathematical patterns in an entertaining and hands-on way, from the formation of ocean waves to hexagonal honeycombs. Dr Crawford talks about how his mission to popularise Maths began with his work for The Naked Scientists - a weekly podcast with about one million listeners. He also explains his own mathematical tattoos, his undergraduate days studying Maths at Oxford, and the creative insights gained from completing his PhD in Maths at Cambridge about fluid dynamics.

Sir Roger Bannister, athlete and neurologist (Exeter College, 1946)

Sir Roger Bannister relives running the first sub-four-minute mile in a special podcast to mark the anniversary of his extraordinary achievement in May 1954. Sir Roger Bannister relives running the first sub-four-minute mile in a special podcast to mark the anniversary of his extraordinary achievement in May 1954. He describes his training and how the record-breaking run (3 minutes 59.4 seconds) unfolded at the Iffley Road track in Oxford. Sir Roger mentions other highlights from his athletic career, and explains how he developed as a runner while studying at Oxford, where he read medicine at Exeter and Merton. After retiring from running, Sir Roger focussed on his medical and academic career. He talks about his research interests and varied experiences, including his pioneering work on the autonomic nervous system, and focusing on heat illness when he was on army service in Aden. From 1985 to 1993, Sir Roger was Master of Pembroke in Oxford. As well as inspiring generations of runners, Sir Roger has also had a wider impact upon sport. When he was chairman of the Sports Council in the 1970s he introduced the first anabolic steroid tests for athletes. In 2017, Sir Roger was made a Companion of Honour for his services to sport.

Leading businesswoman Grace Sai describes how disruptive technology, including virtual and augmented reality, are changing how consumers interact with products.

Leading businesswoman Grace Sai describes how disruptive technology, including virtual and augmented reality, are changing how consumers interact with products. She also explains how the millennial generation is re-shaping the world of work because of its idealism, global connections and impatience. In this podcast, Sai shares examples from the Impact Hub – a co-working space and community she co-founded to develop start-ups and entrepreneurs in Singapore. Her success is in part due to what she learned at Oxford, where she won a Skoll scholarship to study an MBA at the Saïd Business School. This interview was recorded in Singapore during the Alumni Weekend in Asia in March 2017. Series: Alumni Voices People: Grace Sai Oxford Unit: Alumni Office Keywords: Entrepreneurship, technology, business, MBA, Saïd Business School, Singapore [Grace Sai has approved the recording over email. I will forward her signed podcast contribution form to you as soon as I receive it. Many thanks].