In this exclusive interview, we speak to Ingrid Newkirk (Co-Founder and President of PETA - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). We discuss the relationship of our species with the animal kingdom. We look at issues ranging from animal rights, to the use of animals for food, clothing, entertainment experimentation and more. -------------------------------------------------- Vikas Shah, Thought Economics, May 2012 "...In 2009 alone, more than 60 billion land animals - nearly nine...

In this exclusive interview, we speak to Yury Fedotov (Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC). We discuss the scale of global crime looking at issues ranging from drugs and drug trafficking to money laundering, corruption, violence and even the illegal trade in human beings themselves. -------------------------------------------------- Vikas Shah, Thought Economics, April 2012 Extreme poverty and hunger are two of the world’s most (seemingly)...

In these exclusive interviews we speak to Prof. Jacques Attali (Former adviser to President François Mitterrand, first president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and ranked as one of the top 100 public intellectuals in the world) and Dr. Tilman Ehrbeck (CEO of the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor - CGAP). We discuss the state of financial inclusion globally and look deeper into how microfinance, technology and other instruments are working to eradicate poverty...

In these exclusive interviews, we speak to Professor Philip Kotler (S.C. Johnson & Son Distinguished Professor of International Marketing at the Northwestern University Kellogg Graduate School of Management and described as 'the most influential marketer of all time') and Martin Lindstrom (Chairman and founder of Buyology Inc, who was voted one of the World's 100 Most Influential people by Time magazine). We discuss the nature of 'brand' and 'branding' together with the role branding...

In this exclusive interview, we speak to Professor Griffith Edwards, CBE (A world expert in alcohol and drug addiction) who founded the National Addiction Centre, served as Editor in Chief of the Addiction journal and is Professor Emeritus of Addiction Behaviour at Kings College London. We discuss the role of drugs in society, and examine the social, economic and political implications of drugs use for the future of our world. -------------------------------------------------- Vikas Shah,...

In this exclusive interview we talk to Dr. Vint Cerf (Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist for Google, widely known as one of the "Fathers of the Internet"). We discuss the growth of the Internet, together with its role in human culture and society. We then look at the state of the Internet now, and what to expect from the future of this profoundly important technology. -------------------------------------------------- Vikas Shah, Thought Economics, December 2011 There are many...

In this exclusive interview we talk to Professor Sir John Beddington (the UK Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser) and Sir Crispin Tickell (former diplomat and advisor to successive UK Prime Ministers, who is regarded as the world’s foremost authority on climate change and environmental issues). We tackle the question of how vulnerable our species really is and explore threats ranging from climate change and natural disasters to food, energy and water security, viruses, near earth objects...

In this article we talk to Frank Willem (FW) de Klerk (Former President of South Africa and Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize), Prof. Githu Muigai (Attorney General of Kenya and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance) and Dr. Nils Muiznieks (Chair of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance 'ECRI'). We discuss the impact of racism, discrimination and intolerance on our society and explore...

In this exclusive interview, we speak to Nobel Prize Winning Economist, Edmund Phelps (Director of the Columbia University Center on Capitalism & Society and the McVickar Professor of Political Economy at Columbia University). We look at the story of modern capitalism, the benefits it has brought, and the challenges it has created. We explore the 'post crisis' economy, the role of government in society, the relationship between capitalism and conflict, the role of oil in our society and...

In this exclusive interview, we speak to Celso Amorim (Foreign Minister of Brazil from 2003-2011, and current Minister of Defence), a man who has been described as having "...masterminded a transformation of Brazil's role in the world that is almost unprecedented in modern history..." We look at what it takes to build a great country exploring areas including economics, politics, society and culture. -------------------------------------------------- Vikas Shah, Thought Economics, August...