Students in the Lower Sixth were fortunate to have a thought provoking session on ‘Population’ as part of our This Will Be Your World series. On Monday 19^th May, we were joined by our two expert speakers:

Professor Francisca Mutapi, global health strategist and population scientist from the University of Edinburgh with honorary positions at the University of Oxford and at the University of Ghana.  Her work bridges research and policy across continents.

Giuseppe Zampaglione, development economist with an international career spanning the World Bank and teaching roles at top universities including World Bank and teaching roles at some of the world’s top universities including Princeton, LSE, and WU Vienna. His insights are as global as they are practical.

Our staff chair was Ms Markantonis, teacher of Maths and Assistant Houseparent in College East.

Our student chair was Lower Sixth Geography student, Chloe M. 

Professor Mutapi began by asking students what they knew about doomsday, the day when the earth’s population is too large for the resources for life.  She showcased the Doomsday Publication, Science, Vol. 132, 4^th November 1960. Asking students to think about how to evaluate it? Who wrote it? Where was it published? What influence did it have? The resulting effect of this study was population control, including mass sterilizations in some countries.  Professor Mutapi made students really think about why or how scientists got this population interpretation wrong. 

Giuseppe Zampaglione worked at the World Bank for 25 years.  With huge evidential experience, he provided a clear overview of the global population today and the regional shifts in population growth. He then focussed on the year 2050, when the students present will be in their early forties. Students could see the future global shift in prime-age populations, the growth, location and role of migration. The location and scale of reduction in world poverty.

The Q&A was very insightful with students and staff asking a huge range of questions. A podcast recording of the session is available on the Fettes Community podcast. Search ‘Fettes Community podcast’ on your usual podcast provider.  You can also listen by clicking here.