A container ship

Investment in languages education could return double for UK economy

22 February 2022

An increase in secondary school pupils learning Arabic, Mandarin, French or Spanish could boost the UK economy by billions of pounds over 30 years, according to new research. The study warns that the ongoing decline in language learning in UK schools is undermining the country's ability to compete internationally.

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History reveals the hazards of dismantling trade protection

31 January 2017

As the UK prepares to leave the EU, trade regimes are being reconfigured. Research into 19th-century trade regulations by Carolyn Cobbold, historian of science, shows that scientific claims play a significant role in shaping international trade. She urges us to heed the lessons of the past.

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Ship loading at the Cargill Elevator

Agricultural markets and the Great Depression: lessons from the past

07 May 2014

Seventy five years ago, the publication of John Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath shocked the world with its description of starvation in the midst of plenty. PhD candidate Rasheed Saleuddin is re-evaluating established views of the causes of the Great Depression and argues that there are lessons to be learned today. 

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Christos Tsirogiannis

The dark side of the art world

20 March 2012

Looting of antiquities from archaeological sites is a serious crime. A fully-booked talk at Cambridge Science Festival on Thursday will unearth some of the dirty secrets of the illicit trade in precious objects and ask tricky questions about the relationships between looters, dealers and museums.

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Flag of the United Nations.

Global politics on the agenda at Hay

22 May 2011

Ahead of her talk at the Hay Festival, Dr Amrita Narlikar, Director of the University of Cambridge's new Centre for Rising Powers, discusses how countries like Brazil and China are changing the shape of global politics.

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