Meliora: a podcast from the Sustainability & Resilience Institute

University of Southampton
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Welcome to the Green Gown Award winning Meliora Podcast from the Sustainability and Resilience Institute at the University of Southampton! This podcast  explores the greatest and most wicked problem that is sustainability, whilst looking at how we are collectively addressing this critical global challenge. Sustainability needs to be addressed by understanding how the economy, society, culture, politics and environment intersect, and this is the focus that informs each episode of the Meliora podcast. In each episode, host Professor Simon Kemp and guest hosts are joined by a variety of guests, including academics, students, staff, researchers, alumni, community groups and business leaders. The aim of the podcast is to shine a light on the vast range of topics surrounding sustainability and to allow listeners to learn about the critical challenges we face, as well as how they can be part of the solution. We also ensure our fantastic students have the opportunity to share their brilliant work with the world. Podcast host: Professor Simon Kemp, Deputy Director of the Sustainability & Resilience Institute, University of SouthamptonPodcast editors: Jack Dinham, Ellie Howell, Mya Harvey, Lily Killner, Sophie Green, Libby Kale, School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton Podcast communications: Tyler Domone-Hollands, Hannah Parish, Alexander Ayerst, Maya Stevens, University of SouthamptonPlease do get in touch to discuss this podcast and any of the issues we raise by emailing sri@soton.ac.ukFollow us on instagram and X: @meliorapodcast 

  1. Social Impact Lab: The journey of Kick4Life F.C. and co-founder Steve Fleming MBE

    FEB 25

    Social Impact Lab: The journey of Kick4Life F.C. and co-founder Steve Fleming MBE

    The Social Impact Lab, hosted by the Meliora podcast, is delighted to be joined by Steve Fleming MBE to discuss the inspirational work of Kick4Life F.C., a football club dedicated to social change.  Kick4Life is a multi-award-winning charity and social enterprise using the power of sport to transform the lives of vulnerable children and young people in Lesotho, helping to promote long-term sustainable development in the Mountain Kingdom. https://www.kick4life.org/ Episode guest: Steve Fleming MBE, Kick4Life F.C. Episode host: David Light, Social Impact Lab Director University of Southampton Episode producer: Ali Walker, Digital Media Developer, Faculty of Social Sciences Episode editor: Jack Dinham, Meliora podcast intern

    40 min
  2. Introducing the Social Impact Lab and Director David Light

    FEB 16

    Introducing the Social Impact Lab and Director David Light

    The Meliora podcast is delighted to share that we have partnered with the Social Impact Lab (SIL) at the University of Southampton to release episodes all about their wonderfully transformative work.  In this introductory episode we chat with the SIL Director David Light to find out all about their work, the history of SIL from its formation by our much missed friend Prof Pathik Pathak, and David's fascinating career journey. Join us for future SIL episodes, starting with an episode all about the inspirational Kick4Life progamme. Guest: David Light, Director of the Social Impact Lab University of Southampton Host: Prof Simon Kemp, Deputy Director of the Sustainability and Resilience Institute, University of Southampton Producer: Ali Walker, Digital Media Developer Faculty of Social Sciences Editor: Jack Dinham, Meliora podcast Intern

    39 min

  3. JAN 30

    Southampton Climate Action Network (SoCAN) and the work of Rebecca Kinge & Izzy Sargent

    We are delighted to be joined by the brilliant Rebecca Kinge and Izzy Sargent of the Southampton Climate Action Network (SoCAN) to discuss the crucial work they and community collective colleagues are conducting across the city of Southampton. Although climate focused in the name, their work addresses all the different dimensions of sustainability and this episode explores this through a local community action group. We also get to learn about the sustainability journeys of both Rebecca and Izzy, showing how different peoples paths can be, but how they can end at a convergence point that makes the best of personal skills and experience. If you would like to learn more, please visit these pages: Local is the New Global film - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOs5T-R2p8k Southampton National Park City - https://southampton-national-park.com So Collective Climate Futures - http://www.socollective.org.uk/Imagine-Climate-Friendly-Futures SoCAN calendar of events - https://www.sotoncan.org.uk/calendar/ Transition Southampton Repair Café - https://transitionsouthampton.org/projects-repair-cafe/ Episode Guests: Rebecca Kinge and Izzy Sargent Episode Host: Simon Kemp Episode Producer and Editor: Eleanor Howell

    1h 9m

  4. 12/19/2025

    DRAGON-Mekong Institute and the Sustainability & Resilience Institute Research Exchange Programme - episode 3

    In the summer of 2025 the DRAGON-Mekong Institute at Can Tho University Viet Nam and the Sustainability & Resilience Institute at the University of Southampton UK worked together on a research exchange programme for undergraduates, masters students, postgraduate research students, and early career academics.  This programme is all about transformative impact in the broadest fields of sustainability centred around the climate change and adaptation challenges facing communities along the Mekong River Delta.  In episode 3 we address the visit of four sustainability researchers from the DRAGON-Mekong Institute at Can Tho University Viet Nam to the University of Southampton to continue the collaboration on climate change and adaptation research projects. Episode host: Prof Simon Kemp  Episode guests: Phan Ky Trung, Le Kim Ngan, Nguyễn Kiểu Điểm, Nguyễn Tan Loi Episode producer: Libby Kale Episode editor: Ellie Howell

    51 min

  5. 12/18/2025

    DRAGON-Mekong Institute and the Sustainability & Resilience Institute Research Exchange Programme - episode 2

    In the summer of 2025 the DRAGON-Mekong Institute at Can Tho University Viet Nam and the Sustainability & Resilience Institute at the University of Southampton UK worked together on a research exchange programme for undergraduates, masters students, postgraduate research students, and early career academics.  This programme is all about transformative impact in the broadest fields of sustainability centred around the climate change and adaptation challenges facing communities along the Mekong River Delta.  In episode 2 we continue to discuss  the opening visit where nine students and researchers from the University of Southampton visited the DRAGON-Mekong Institute at Can Tho University Viet Nam to collaborate on climate change research projects and undertake cultural exchange activities to develop an understanding of the people and the environment of the region. We recognise that some may feel flying to a region to collaborate on climate and sustainability research is counterintuitive, possibly even hypocritical. However, conducting partnership research on these crucial challenges can only be authentic if it is achieved by understanding the real-life complexities facing people and working with these communities, and not by researchers stating what the possible solutions may be from a wholly different part of the world. Episode host: Prof Simon Kemp  Episode guests: Angelina Spilnyk, Daniel Locke, Irene Ruiz Espejo, Jamie Robinson, Lily Rudduck, Massimo Risoli, Samuel Inkster, Stefania-Myrto Staiculescu Episode producer: Jack Dinham Episode editor: Ellie Howell

    1h 3m

  6. 12/16/2025

    DRAGON-Mekong Institute and the Sustainability & Resilience Institute Research Exchange Programme - episode 1

    In the summer of 2025 the DRAGON-Mekong Institute at Can Tho University Viet Nam and the Sustainability & Resilience Institute at the University of Southampton UK worked together on a research exchange programme for undergraduates, masters students, postgraduate research students, and early career academics.  This programme is all about transformative impact in the broadest fields of sustainability centred around the climate change and adaptation challenges facing communities along the Mekong River Delta.  In episode 1 we address the opening visit where nine students and researchers from the University of Southampton visited the DRAGON-Mekong Institute at Can Tho University Viet Nam to collaborate on climate change research projects and undertake cultural exchange activities to develop an understanding of the people and the environment of the region. We recognise that some may feel flying to a region to collaborate on climate and sustainability research is counterintuitive, possibly even hypocritical. However, conducting partnership research on these crucial challenges can only be authentic if it is achieved by understanding the real-life complexities facing people and working with these communities, and not by researchers stating what the possible solutions may be from a wholly different part of the world. Episode host: Prof Simon Kemp  Episode guests: Angelina Spilnyk, Daniel Locke, Irene Ruiz Espejo, Jamie Robinson, Lily Rudduck, Massimo Risoli, Samuel Inkster, Stefania-Myrto Staiculescu Episode producer: Jack Dinham Episode editor: Ellie Howell

    43 min

  7. 11/28/2025

    Team Meliora at the Green Gown Awards 2025, Reflections & Ramblings

    This is just a bit of fun. Not a serious sustainability research, education or careers episode, this is an informal recording of some of the Meliora team chatting before, during and after the 2025 Green Gown Awards.   We reflect on the podcast journey to this point, discuss our favourite episodes to date & the 2024 awards in the pub before the awards, attend the 2025 ceremony, chat to one of the co-chairs of the EAUC who run the GGA the brilliant Prof Zoe Robinson, the announcement of the Next Generation Learning & Skills award, the thoughts of the production and editing team after the awards (I'm not really 'that' competitive honest), and a closing reflection at a horribly early time the morning after at Birmingham New Street Railway Station. We recognise this episode may be seen as a little self-indulgent, but we thought some people may enjoy a light-hearted insight into the more informal celebratory side of sustainability in the HE sector.  We hope you enjoy it :) Episode hosts: Prof Simon Kemp, Jack Dinham, Libby Kale, Ellie Howell Episode guests: Prof Zoe Robinson and the background comments of the Green Gown Award guests Episode editor: Ellie Howell

    23 min

  8. 11/21/2025

    Prof Denise Baden: sustainability academic, fiction author, leader and innovator

    We are delighted to welcome the inspirational and all round wonderful sustainability expert Professor Denise Baden to what is now the 'Green Gown Award Winning' Meliora podcast from the Sustainability and Resilience Institute at the University of Southampton. Denise continues to innovate in her approach to maximising the sustainability impact of her work.  We chat about her journey to sustainability, her academic expertise and teaching, creativity leading to research awards, and her current work as a sustainability fiction author.   Links to Denise's highly recommended brilliant work are below: https://www.dabaden.com/ https://www.greenstories.org.uk/ https://habitatpress.com/ linkedin.com/in/denise-baden-3742793 https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/creative-climate-communication-7300475505529540608 https://bsky.app/profile/dabaden.bsky.social https://www.southampton.ac.uk/people/5wzjrb/professor-denise-baden Episode guest: Professor Denise Baden, University of Southampton Episode host: Professor Simon Kemp Episode producer and editor: Jack Dinham

    53 min
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Welcome to the Green Gown Award winning Meliora Podcast from the Sustainability and Resilience Institute at the University of Southampton! This podcast  explores the greatest and most wicked problem that is sustainability, whilst looking at how we are collectively addressing this critical global challenge. Sustainability needs to be addressed by understanding how the economy, society, culture, politics and environment intersect, and this is the focus that informs each episode of the Meliora podcast. In each episode, host Professor Simon Kemp and guest hosts are joined by a variety of guests, including academics, students, staff, researchers, alumni, community groups and business leaders. The aim of the podcast is to shine a light on the vast range of topics surrounding sustainability and to allow listeners to learn about the critical challenges we face, as well as how they can be part of the solution. We also ensure our fantastic students have the opportunity to share their brilliant work with the world. Podcast host: Professor Simon Kemp, Deputy Director of the Sustainability & Resilience Institute, University of SouthamptonPodcast editors: Jack Dinham, Ellie Howell, Mya Harvey, Lily Killner, Sophie Green, Libby Kale, School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton Podcast communications: Tyler Domone-Hollands, Hannah Parish, Alexander Ayerst, Maya Stevens, University of SouthamptonPlease do get in touch to discuss this podcast and any of the issues we raise by emailing sri@soton.ac.ukFollow us on instagram and X: @meliorapodcast 

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