"What's the big idea?" podcast

In the award-winning What’s the Big Idea? podcast, President and Vice-Chancellor Michael Benarroch talks with leading thinkers and researchers from the UM community about their big questions, bold ideas and research making an impact in our world. 

In 2027, the University of Manitoba marks UM150. It's a year to celebrate and commemorate 150 years of ideas, discovery and community—including the difficult parts of our history—and to think about where we go from here. Season 5 looks at the UM ideas and discoveries that have shaped our world and the work making a difference right now. 

And we’re asking the question that started it all: What’s the big idea? 

All episodes
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Latest episode

Leslie Roos.

Parenting is Public Health: Rethinking How We Support Families

Parenting has never come with an instruction manual, but today’s families are navigating new pressures, from screens and social media to AI. Psychologist Dr. Leslie Roos talks with UM President Michael Benarroch about why families need more than social media advice, why supporting parents should be a public health priority and how evidence-based programs like BEAM are helping shift care from responding to crises to preventing them.

Listen now on UMToday

As UM president, I want to invite our community to think big, and support the big ideas that move us forward. In my podcast, we explore what ignites a big idea and the courage to act upon it.
Michael Benarroch University of Manitoba

Awards and recognition

  • CCAE Gold · Best Podcast

    2026, 2024
    Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education

  • CASE Bronze · Circle of Excellence

    2026, 2024 - Podcasts (Occasional)
    Council for the Advancement and Support of Education

  • Top 1% globally

    Episodes rank in the top 1% for first-week downloads

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