The Forum, the BBC World Service's flagship discussion programme, brings together prominent thinkers from different disciplines and different parts of the world with the aim of creating stimulating discussion informed by highly distinct academic, artistic, and cultural perspectives.

A typical line-up might include a scientist, a writer or other artist, and a philosopher or cultural thinker.

Each guest is questioned by the presenter about their latest big idea, a topic area that is of particular interest to them and in which they are a particular expert.

Each week one of the guests is invited to present an idea in sixty seconds that they believe will make the world a better place.

[2][3][4] The programme's presenter, who has been part of the show since its inception, is former BBC diplomatic correspondent Bridget Kendall.