Professor Graeme Atherton Featured on Conversations4Citizenship Podcast
23 Dec 2025Professor Graeme Atherton, Director of the World Access to Higher Education Network (WAHEN) and the Ruskin Institute for Social Equity, recently joined the Conversations4Citizenship podcast to discuss the evolving challenges of global higher education access.
In this insightful episode, Professor Atherton reflects on his personal journey from a council estate in Blackpool to Oxford University, sharing how this experience shaped his lifelong commitment to widening participation. He explores pressing issues such as economic constraints, rising populism, and the structural barriers that threaten educational equity worldwide, particularly in the Global South. The conversation also examines the fairness of international university partnerships, the risks of quality assurance, and the urgent need for curricula to adapt to AI while ensuring marginalized voices remain central to policy.
This episode offers a thought-provoking look at how global systems must respond to protect critical thinking and inclusivity for displaced and underrepresented communities.
The episode and transcript is available here. You can also listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or Audible.
For more information about the Ruskin Institute for Social Equity (RISE) and to check out his new book, ‘Making Equal’:
- Atherton, G., & John, P. (Eds.). (2025). Making Equal: New Visions for Opportunity and Growth. Emerald Publishing Limited.
- Ruskin Institute for Social Equity (RISE)