SSE in the Media and beyond: May - June 2026
SSE's academics regularly contribute to global discussions, shaping narratives and providing expert insight to the press, new media, and at academic and non-academic events, . Read a selection of what they have been saying, writing, and talking about this month.
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Image from Guardian article: Ebola and hantavirus outbreaks prompt raft of conspiracy theories in divided US
Thomas Asbridge
Interviewed by the Gardian for ‘Ebola and hantavirus outbreaks prompt raft of conspiracy theories in divided US’
Interviewed in the History Extra Podcast for the episode ‘History Extra: The Black Death’
Philip Cowley
Author of the piece ‘Professor Will See You Now: Sleep,’ for The Conversation
Thomas Chidwick
Provided research and other content for the Times article ‘Heath was a closed book’
Interviewed for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s podcast episode ‘Is Scottish independence once again in play?’
David Geiringer
Interviewed for the Mirror piece ‘ Inside the exhibition delighting film fans as it unearths long- forgotten movies ‘
Richard Johnson
Richard Johnson wrote an article in the New Statesman about Neil Kinnock's begrudging support for Tony Benn's return to Parliament in the 1984 Chesterfield by-election.
Richard appeared on Matt Chorley's show on BBC Radio 5 Live to talk about Labour leadership challenges.
Richard was interviewed twice on CNN about Labour leadership challenges.
Richard was interviewed by News Nation about the King's visit to the United States.
Richard was interviewed by the Guardian about Labour leadership election rules.
Richard was quoted in Time about Wes Streeting and Newsweek about Congressman Thomas Massie's primary loss.
Richard Johnson delivered a lecture at the Senate House on 'The Origins and Meaning of the Declaration of Independence' to mark the document's 250th anniversary.
Robert Saunders
What Has Labour Actually Achieved?, Interview in the Financial
Interviewed for ‘The Starmer Crisis in Historical Perspective’ in the Podcast ‘Past Present Future Ideas’
Interviewed for ‘The General Strike @100’ in the Podcast ‘Past Present Future Ideas’
Elke Schwarz
I was on stage with the German philosopher Eva von Redecker at the Hamburger Schauspielhaus for the Maschinenraum der Zukunft event on May 8
I was also a panellist at UN Civilian Protection Week side event on military AI (hosted by the Permanent Mission of Austria in NYC)
I was on the Legal Podcast 'Asymmetrical Haircuts' together with my colleague Jessica Dorsey
I published a short piece for Stop Killer Robots Campaign on Palantir's manifesto
And an episode of BBC Radio 4's The Artificial Human on military AI for which I was interviewed just aired today as well
Richard's podcast 'Since Attlee & Churchill' will be at the Manchester Histories Festival on Saturday, 6th June. They will also be recording a live Q&A later that day at the Wharf in Manchester. Tickets are available here.
Lasse Thomassen
Public lecture ‘Deconstructing Political Concepts: Articulation, Discourse, Hegemony’, University of Würzburg, 21 May 2026, and workshop on Derrida, Deconstruction and Political Theory, University of Würzburg, 22 May 2026.
Public lecture, St. Gallen Derrida Lectures, ‘Deconstruction as Political Theory’, University of St. Gallen, 26 May 2026.
Georgios Varouxakis
Interview published in the Greek Sunday newspaper "To Vima"
"Why the West? An Exchange", New York Review of Books, 23 April 2026
Review of "The West: The History of an Idea", by Anthony Pagden, Literary Review, May 2026, pp. 17-18
Review of "The West: The History of an Idea", The Political Quarterly
Commentaire [France], 12 March 2026, reviewed by Michel Bourdeau (‘L’idée d’Occident, de Comte à Tramp’)"
Haaretz [Israel], interviewed by Etan Nechin, published 21 March 2026