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Ideas Matter | WashU

Ideas Matter | WashU

By: Sandro Galea
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Hosted by WashU’s Sandro Galea, the Ideas Matter podcast is a space for thoughtful, informed conversations about the forces shaping our lives and institutions. In a time when public debate often generates more heat than light, Ideas Matter provides expert perspectives that deepen understanding and inform a better conversation about what matters most in the moment. We hope you find the dialogue responsive to topics of the day and yet evergreen in its focus on the issues that shape our world. From immigration, global trade, and public health to AI, creativity, and the future of democracy, we hope you will join the conversation. About the host: Sandro Galea is a physician, epidemiologist, and author, and serves as dean of the Bursky School of Public Health and vice provost for interdisciplinary initiatives at WashU. He was named one of Time magazine’s epidemiology innovators and has been listed as one of the “World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds.”© Washington University in St. Louis Social Sciences
Episodes
  • E10: Caste: A Global Story

    E10: Caste: A Global Story
    Jun 16 2026

    How can India’s caste system inform our efforts to address racism and injustice globally?

    In this episode of Ideas Matter WashU’s Sandro Galea, dean of the Bursky School of Public Health, and the University of Pennsylvania’s Suraj Yengde explore the historical foundations of caste and the ways in which it mirrors the social dynamics of our world today.

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    36 mins
  • E9: The Future of Journalism

    E9: The Future of Journalism
    Jun 2 2026

    Journalism’s role in our daily lives has shifted dramatically in recent decades, so how can it best engage the public in this moment?

    For this episode of Ideas Matter, WashU’s Sandro Galea, dean of the Bursky School of Public Health and vice provost for interdisciplinary studies, and Lisa Gibbs, president and CEO of the Pulitzer Center, discuss what it takes for a news outlet to maintain public trust and adapt to new reporting methods.
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    23 mins
  • E8: The Future of Higher Education

    E8: The Future of Higher Education
    May 26 2026

    As AI ushers in a fourth industrial revolution and universities face the onset of the demographic cliff, what does the future of higher education look like?

    In this episode of Ideas Matter, WashU’s Sandro Galea, dean of the Bursky School of Public Health, and Stanford University’s Mitchell Stevens discuss how higher education reached this crossroads and what kinds of institutional changes need to take place in order to create a more equitable society.

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    39 mins
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