John Kampfner | Braver New World: the countries daring to do what others won’t
Fri 24 Apr 2026 | 8:00pm - 9:00pm
Award-winning broadcaster and journalist John Kampfner has had a front-row seat at some of the most seismic turning points in modern history, from the fall of the Berlin Wall to the collapse of communism in Moscow. Now, at a time when it can feel as though the world is falling apart, he sets out in search of something rarer than outrage: solutions.
In Braver New World: The Countries Daring to Do Things Others Won’t, Kampfner reports from ten nations confronting shared challenges with courage and imagination. He visits Japan’s intergenerational care homes, Vienna’s century-old housing projects, and Taiwan’s health system, which achieves remarkable satisfaction at a fraction of the cost of the NHS. From Moroccan solar power in the Sahara to Finnish classrooms preparing children for an uncertain future, he shows that progress is possible, and already happening.
These aren’t utopias. But what unites them is a refusal to accept that difficult problems are unsolvable. Join John for an urgent, invigorating discussion and a bracing reminder that we should never despair, because the answers are out there if we’re brave enough to look.
Venue: Old Divinity School
Duration: 1 hour
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Author Biography
John Kampfner is an award-winning author, broadcaster, foreign-affairs commentator and conference speaker. He began his career reporting from East Berlin (during the fall of the Wall) and Moscow (during the collapse of communism) for the Telegraph. After covering British politics for the FT and BBC, he edited the New Statesman. He has been Chair of several organizations. He is a regular TV and radio pundit, documentary maker and author of seven previous books, including the bestselling Blair’s Wars. Why the Germans Do it Better, published in 2020 was a Top 10 bestseller and Book of the Year in the Guardian, Economist and New Statesman, and sold over 150,000 copies in all editions. His most recent book, In Search of Berlin, was longlisted for the Ondaatje Prize.
