What? Why? When?

Jesus College Access

Education Kids & Family

Latest episode

14 episodes

Why Are There Countries?
26/1/2026 | 35 mins.
In this episode, Dr Matt Williams speaks to Oxford students Shorief and Skye to unpack the question of 'why countries exist', from a politics, history and law perspective. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Amazing You
19/1/2026 | 32 mins.
Welcome to season 2 of the What? Why? When? Podcast from Oxford University hosted by Dr Matt Williams!

In this podcast we aim to discuss a range of interesting topics in the format of an Oxford University tutorial to give you a taste of Oxbridge teaching.

This episode is all about 'The Amazing You', featuring 2 of our students at Jesus College, Oxford.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Human Progress
21/7/2025 | 41 mins.
In this episode of the What? Why? When? Podcast, Dr. Matt Williams is joined by Jesus College students Lara (Law, 2nd year) and Charlie (History, 3rd year) for conversation on Human Progress — from pre-civilization societies to the age of AI.

From Mesopotamian farming to ChatGPT, this episode dives into philosophy, history, law, and even space exploration in an attempt to answer the question: Have we truly moved forward?
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
License to Kill
14/7/2025 | 34 mins.
In this episode Dr. Matt Williams is joined by first-year PPE student Angus McIntyre for a deep-dive discussion that blends philosophy, politics, law, and a touch of pop culture.

Does James Bond really have a license to kill? — listen on for an exploration of state power, natural vs. positive law, morality, policing, and the legitimate use of violence by governments.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Medical Ethics
07/7/2025 | 30 mins.
In this episode of the What? Why? When? podcast, Dr Matt Williams is joined by Jesus College Oxford students Becky (Medicine) and Joel (PPE) for a deep dive into medical ethics.

Starting with a real Oxford interview question — who should receive a life-saving kidney transplant — the conversation explores pressing ethical frameworks: consequentialism, deontology, virtue ethics, and more.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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About What? Why? When?

The 'What, Why, When' Podcast is produced by the Access Team of Jesus College at the University of Oxford and hosted by Dr Matt Williams, who is the Access Fellow at Jesus College and Tutor in Politics at Oxford.The aim of this podcast is to recreate Oxford tutorials - the primary teaching method at Oxford consisting of small group conversations around difficult problems. Whether you like thinking about complicated topics, are considering applying to highly competitive universities like Oxford or you want to know about the skills that highly competitive universities look for, this podcast is for you!This podcast was produced in the SOUTHWORKS Digital Media Lab at Jesus College Oxford, with thanks to, and in partnership with, SOUTHWORKS. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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