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Why small presses are vital for local knowledge production in Africa

The winner of the 2024 Nobel Prize for Literature should draw our attention to the often-forgotten power of marginal publishing outlets in the Global South. As The Guardian put it, Han Kang’s Nobel win was ‘a triumph not only for Korean literature but also a reminder of the huge reach and influence of small press […]

Are AI models as divided as we are?

Elections often reveal how deeply divided humanity can be. This year, as increasing polarisation continued to shape our world, we asked: Does this division transfer to our AI? Our journey to answer this question began in 2022, when we started our PhDs as Gates Cambridge Scholars. Two concurrent events captured this moment in history: the […]

Why we must respond differently to the next pandemic

“Lani, are you guys still being paid?” I asked. Lani’s omnipresent smile froze on her face. Her eyes flicked back and forth as though scanning the empty room for people listening in. “Who told you?” she whispered. “I’ve heard rumours,” I said, now whispering like her. Her voice lowered still further, “No, we haven’t been […]

Has Covid boosted some children’s sense of wellbeing?

The common narrative that the pandemic has had overwhelmingly negative effects on the lives of children and young people might not tell the full story. In fact, it seems as though a sizeable number of children and young people may have experienced what they felt was improved wellbeing during the first national lockdown of 2020. […]