Best EXALT Initiative Podcasts (2024)

1
Rubén Vezzoni - Are "green" hydrogen plans just outsourcing emissions to the Global South? 56:40

17h ago56:40

56:40

This month we are really excited to have a conversation with Rubén Vezzoni, who is one of our University of Helsinki colleagues from the Doctoral Programme in Political, Societal and Regional Change. His work looks at different aspects of the political economy of the EU’s green transition, with case studies on solar panels, hydrogen, and post-grow…

1
Xander Dunlap - How is this system killing us and what can we do? 55:40

29d ago55:40

55:40

This month on the EXALT podcast we are super excited to be joined by Xander Dunlap for a precedent-breaking third conversation. Xander is a research fellow at the Institute for Global Sustainability at Boston University and a visiting research fellow at Global Develop Studies at University of Helsinki. Xander talks to us about his new book from Plu…

1
TreesForDev - Ossi Ollinaho & Máriam Abbas - Are tree planting schemes in Mozambique stealing carbon credits from the poor to give to the rich? 32:26

1M ago32:26

32:26

In this episode we are joined by Ossi Ollinaho and Máriam Abbas. Ossi is a project researcher from the TreesForDev project leading the work package that is looking at Mozambique. Máriam is a researcher from Observatório do Meio Rural (OMR), in Mozambique, who is coordinating the research line “Environment and Rural Areas”, which explores, among oth…

1
TreesForDev - Maria Ehrnström-Fuentes & Markus Kröger - Can tree planting schemes tackle climate change? 44:37

2M ago44:37

44:37

Welcome to the debut episode of the limited series TreesForDev project podcast. In this episode we are honored to be joined by the project principal investigators, Maria Ehrnström-Fuentes and Markus Kröger, from Hanken School of Economics and University of Helsinki respectively. In this conversation, they introduce us to who they are and what types…

1
Martta Kaskinen - How are radical feminists in Kenya making their voices heard? 37:42

2M ago37:42

37:42

This month we are overjoyed to be joined by fellow University of Helsinki Global Development Studies doctoral researcher, Martta Kaskien. Martta is currently working with the project Citizenship Utopias in the Global South: The Pursuit of Transformative Alternatives in Times of Civic Disillusionment. Her research is centred on feminist activist nar…

1
Avi KBH - Why do we need to break away from a war narrative with "pests"? 59:20

3M ago59:20

59:20

This month we have a deeply interesting conversation with social anthropologist, Dr. Avi KBH, who is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the project Animal Crosslocations, which is resourced through the Resilient and Just Systems (RESET) Network at University of Helsinki. We talked about his new project, “Mosquito Crosslocations and Participatory Evaluati…

1
Joonatan Ala-Könni - What can microclimates tell us about climate change? 44:04

3M ago44:04

44:04

This month we were absolutely delighted to be joined by Joonatan Ala-Könni, for a super interesting conversation that connects natural sciences and extractivisms. Joonatan Ala-Könni is a doctoral researcher in Atmospheric Science at the Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR) at the University of Helsinki. Joonatan’s work is all …

1
(Belated) 4th Anniversary and a Look Forward at 2024 8:31

4M ago8:31

8:31

To round out 2023, we wanted to release a brief episode tocelebrate (over) four years of the EXALT Podcast and give a sneak peak at some exciting new happenings in 2024! We apologize for not being able to get a full anniversary special to you this year. We have had a lot on our plates with our respective research, as well as some major (positive) l…

1
From the Cubby (pt. 2) - Why is inclusivity important for systems to work? 36:28

4M ago36:28

36:28

This month we are ecstatic to bring you the second part of our conversation with the creators of From the Cubby. We are once again joined by the same wonderful trio of guests, Joe Spence, Nick Chamberlain, and Avi Betz-Heinemann. From the Cubby, is a three-part documentary film series, which draws on six years of ethnographic fieldwork in Canterbur…

1
"From the Cubby" (Pt. 1) - What tales are coming from the modern streets of Canterbury? 47:59

5M ago47:59

47:59

This month we were delighted to be joined by three amazing guests, Joe Spence, Nick Chamberlain, and Avi Betz-Heinemann (whose name you might recognize from last month’s episode). All three of our guests have been involved with the documentary film series From the Cubby, which draws on six years of ethnographic fieldwork in Canterbury, England. The…

1
Niti Bhan - How can trans-disciplinary innovation bridge knowledge systems around the world? 1:03:32

7M ago1:03:32

1:03:32

This month we were delighted to be joined by Niti Bhan, who is a part-time doctoral researcher focusing on trans-disciplinary innovation at Aalto University in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Niti came to research after almost 30 years of situated practice. Niti specializes in human-centered design/innovation planning. This field asks que…

1
Ossi Ollinaho - How do you make destructive global patterns as relevant for people as a paycheck? 48:56

8M ago48:56

48:56

This month we are happy to welcome Ossi Ollinaho, a lecturer in Global Development Studies at University of Helsinki, on the podcast. In the conversation, we talk with Ossi about his journey from studying math and physics, to a Doctorate in Industrial Engineering and Management, to the experiences and questions which brought him to work in Global D…

1
Eija Ranta - When Indigenous movements lead governments, what space do they take outside government? 34:40

9M ago34:40

34:40

This month we are thrilled to be joined by Eija Ranta, University Lecturer at University of Helsinki in Global Development Studies. Eija leads two Academy of Finland research projects, 'Social Justice and Raciality in Latin America’ (2021-2026) and 'Citizenship Utopias in the Global South: The Pursuit of Transformative Alternatives in Times of Disi…

1
Toni Ruuska - Is utopian degrowth a silver bullet for dystopian capitalism? 54:28

10M ago54:28

54:28

This month we were honored to be joined by Toni Ruuska, who is a University Researcher and Adjunct Professor of Sustainable Economy at the University of Helsinki. His research focuses generally on alternatives to capitalism, agrarian political economy, and the skills of self-provisioning. In this captivating conversation, Toni lays out some of the …

1
Kumbutso Phiri - What pushes (and pulls) 30,000+ kids to live on the streets of Lusaka? 52:15

11M ago52:15

52:15

This month we go back to Zambia for an enlightening conversation with Kumbutso Phiri, a development specialist. Kumbutso works with a wide range of topics, but in this conversation, we explore the topic of street kids who live on the streets of Lusaka, Zambia’s capital city. Kumbutso gives us insight into the demographics and societal infrastructur…

1
FLASHBACK - Maria Ehrnström-Fuentes - Exploring the Pluriverse 40:29

1y ago40:29

40:29

This month on the podcast we are really excited to try something new…by revisiting something old! Christopher and I open the podcast with a short chat and some life updates. Then we turn our attention to one of the first EXALT podcasts, “Exploring the Pluriverse” featuring Maria Ehrnstrom-Fuentes, an associate professor at Hanken School of Business…

1
Patience Mususa - Why did flourishing communities start to crumble in the Zambian Copper Belt? 46:03

1y ago46:03

46:03

This month we are delighted to be joined by Patience Mususa from The Nordic Africa Institute. She is an anthropologist with a background in architecture working on mining and urbanization in Southern Africa. She is particularly interested in place and the ways in which people interact in the face of the large scale mining industry and the influence…

1
Mariam Khawar - What voices have been overlooked in Islamic economic philosophy? 1:05:17

1y ago1:05:17

1:05:17

This month we are thrilled to be joined by University of Helsinki doctoral researcher Mariam Khawar. Mariam is in the Doctoral Programme in Political, Societal and Regional Change, which is part of the Faculty of Social Sciences and is affiliated with Helsinki Centre for Global Political Economy. Mariam’s work focuses on Islamic economic philosoph…

1
Barış Can Sever - Can human-scale agriculture make Anatolia a breadbasket again? 49:31

1y ago49:31

49:31

This month we are delighted to be joined by Barış Can Sever who is Ph.D. candidate at the Department of Sociology at Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey. He is currently doing a 9-month research period at Global Development Studies at the University of Helsinki. Barış gives us an exciting insight into the agricultural geography in Turk…

1
Mariko Frame - What is ecological imperialism? (And why is it a dirty word in some of US academia?) 55:40

1+ y ago55:40

55:40

This month on the pod we are delighted to be joined by Mariko Frame, who is Assistant Professor of Economics at Merrimack College in Massachusetts. Dr. Frame is a political economist who focuses on ecological imperialism, which occurs when one country subjugates another country by controlling the resources, politics, labour, military, and the very …

1
Alexander Dunlap - Until You Become Ungovernable, Why Would Anyone Listen to You? 1:13:32

1+ y ago1:13:32

1:13:32

This month we are super excited to be joined again by friend of the podcast Alexander Dunlap, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Centre for Development and the Environment, University of Oslo. This conversation is a high energy journey through Alexander’s own trajectory into academic spaces, and the realities on the ground he has encountered in th…

1
Ksenija Hanaček - How does resistance to extractivism turn out in the arctic? 32:37

1+ y ago32:37

32:37

Ksenija Hanaček is a researcher at the Autonomous University of Barcelona’s Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA, UAB), Spain. Ksenija works for the Global Atlas of Environmental Justice (EJAtlas). Recently, she has collaborated with Markus Kröger at the University of Helsinki, looking at extractive projects and resistance to ext…

1
3rd Anniversary BONUS - Extractivism in Pop Culture - Lord Of The Rings (Feat. Jesse Barber) 54:39

1+ y ago54:39

54:39

This bonus episode of extractivism in pop culture is in honour of the three-year anniversary of the EXALT podcast. We are very excited to be joined again by Jesse Barber from the University of Helsinki Folklore Studies. In this bonus episode we explore J. R. R. Tolkien’s series, Lord of the Rings (LoTR) and how it relates to themes like modernity, …

1
Jesse Barber - Why would Christians write pagan sagas in Scandinavia? 1:08:22

1+ y ago1:08:22

1:08:22

This month on the podcast we are excited to present a conversation that is a bit outside our normal topics! This conversation is with Jesse Barber, a doctoral researcher in Folklore Studies in the Department of Cultures at the University of Helsinki. His research explores the continuity between pre-Christian Scandinavian religions and the folklore …

1
Usman Ashraf - Who could lose from planting billions of trees in Pakistan? 58:41

1+ y ago58:41

58:41

This month we were delighted to be joined by fellow University of Helsinki, Global Development Studies doctoral researcher, Usman Ashraf. Usman moved from the natural sciences to the social sciences and his research focuses on Chinese investment in Pakistan’s forestry sector. In particular we talked about the Billion Tree Tsunami Afforestation proj…

1
Sérgio Sauer - How have land struggles shaped social conflicts and extractivism in Brazil? 57:12

1+ y ago57:12

57:12

This month we are excited to present an in-depth conversation with Professor Sérgio Sauer, who works at University of Brasilia in Brazil and is a visiting scholar at University of Helsinki in Finland. We explored the landscape of land struggles in Brazil and how extractivism and social conflict has shaped Brazil. He started his career on the ground…

1
Syed Mustafa Ali and Dan McQuillan - Does Luddism hold lessons for resisting harmful tech paradigms? 1:17:11

2y ago1:17:11

1:17:11

This month we were joined by two exciting guests, Syed Mustafa Ali from The Open University in the UK and Dan McQuillan from Goldsmiths, University of London. They are both interested in AI, technology, and applying a critical lens to the development of digital infrastructures and applications. They met at the Histories of AI Seminar at Cambridge U…

1
Tim Oakes - How do big Chinese infrastructure projects impact people in China and around the world? 1:12:28

2y ago1:12:28

1:12:28

This month we are thrilled to be joined by Tim Oakes, who is a Professor of Geography at the University of Colorado Boulder. He is a human, social, and cultural geographer and his research focuses on Southwest China and the techno-political effects of infrastructural urbanism in China’s ‘new area’ urban zones. Needless to say, there have been a lot…

1
Gediminas Lesutis - How do people cope with precarity pushed by extractivism? 54:28

2y ago54:28

54:28

This month we are joined by Gediminas Lesutis, a Marie Curie Fellow at University of Amsterdam. This rich and wide-ranging conversation starts with how Gedis got started in fieldwork driven research in Sub-Saharan Africa, and especially in Mozambique. We discussed land-grabbing, precarity, and the destructive, real-life impacts of dispossession in …

1
Tania Li - Why are plantations so destructive? 45:15

2y ago45:15

45:15

This month we were delighted to be joined on the podcast by Tania Murray Li. Dr. Li is Professor of Anthropology at the University of Toronto (). Her work explores questions of land, labor, class, capitalism, development, resources, and indigeneity. In this episode she gave us insight into her most recent co-authored book, Plantation Life: Corporat…

1
Teivo Teivainen - Do Finnish companies act like colonial powers in Uruguay? 1:05:01

2y ago1:05:01

1:05:01

This month we are super excited to be joined by University of Helsinki World Politics professor Teivo Teivainen (researchportal.helsinki.fi/en/persons/…i-teivainen). In this vibrant and wide-ranging conversation, we talked with Teivo about his recent turn as a documentary film maker. Teivo has recently been in the Finnish Arctic and in Uruguay trav…

1
Janne Salovaara - What is "sustainability" trying to sustain? 54:31

2y ago54:31

54:31

This month on the EXALT podcast we were joined by Janne Salovaara from the Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies Programme (DENVI) at University of Helsinki. His research looks at the discipline of sustainability science from the perspective of how it is educated at the University level. Janne’s first degree is in graphic design and his idea of d…

1
Anna Marjaana Heikkinen - Can traditional livelihoods survive climate change & mining in the Peruvian Andes? 51:16

2+ y ago51:16

51:16

This month the EXALT podcast was delighted to welcome University of Helsinki, Global Development Studies doctoral researcher Anna Marjaana Heikkinen. In her doctorate Anna Marjaana focuses on the role of water and climate change in the Peruvian Andes. She works with communities of peasant farmers, who are trying to hold onto traditional ways of wor…

1
Antti Tarvainen - Is settler colonialism at the heart of the US and Israeli tech sectors? 1:01:23

2+ y ago1:01:23

1:01:23

This month we were delighted to be joined by Antti Tarvainen, a fellow doctoral candidate in Global Development Studies at University of Helsinki. His work examines the innovation economy (think Steve Jobs, apps, smart everything, etc.) and the colonial violence that that underpins its expansions. We started the discussion talking about the colonia…

1
2 Year Anniversary - Barry K Gills - How has the world changed since EXALT began? 1:04:46

2+ y ago1:04:46

1:04:46

In honour of the 2-year anniversary of the EXALT podcast we brought back our very first guest, Professor Barry Gills from Global Development Studies at the University of Helsinki. We talk about the development and activities of the EXALT Initiative over the last few years. We touch on how the COVID crisis has raised awareness of the global system a…

1
BONUS - Extractivism in Pop Culture - Dune: Part 1 (Two Year Anniversary Bonus Episode) 46:44

2+ y ago46:44

46:44

In honor of the TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY (!) of the EXALT Podcast (and also the release of Dune: Part 1 in the US), we decided to do a special bonus episode in a new format! Rather than an interview, Sophia (a Dune neophyte) and Christopher (a self-proclaimed Dune nerd) decided to sit down and talk about the expressions and examples of extractivism(s) …

1
Robin Broad and John Cavanagh - Can local movements beat big companies? 1:00:18

2+ y ago1:00:18

1:00:18

This month we were very fortunate to be joined by Robin Broad and John Cavanagh. Robin is a professor at the School of International Service at American University and John is a senior advisor and the former director of the Institute for Policy Studies. They joined us to talk about their recent released book The Water Defenders: How Ordinary People…

1
Victoria Kiechel - How has extractivism become intertwined in our built environment? 57:12

2+ y ago57:12

57:12

In this episode we talk to Victoria Kiechel, a professor from American University. She is an architect and teaches in the School of International Service. Her focus is on the relationship between the built environment and extractivism. This conversation is premised on Victoria’s contribution to the open access book Our Extractive Age (link below). …

1
Mira Käkönen - How do dams impact climate change? 56:13

2+ y ago56:13

56:13

Mira Käkönen is currently a post-doctoral researcher in Global Development Studies at University of Helsinki. She is an environmental social scientist with a focus in political ecology and water infrastructures through the lens of infrastructural politics and the intersection of water and climate. Her work focuses on the Mekong region and the impac…

1
Arturo Escobar - Why are communities key to transforming the world? 52:29

3y ago52:29

52:29

Arturo Escobar is a Professor emeritus of Anthropology at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. He also works in Colombia as a Research Associate with the Culture, Memory, and Nation group at Universidad del Valle in Cali and the Cultural Studies groups at Universidad Javeriana in Bogota. He has published widely on political ecology, ont…

1
mirko nikolić - How do we dismantle our connections to extractivism? 1:01:26

3y ago1:01:26

1:01:26

The May podcast is a delightful dive into looks at extractivisms through an artist lens. We were joined by mirko nikolić, an artist and post-doctoral researcher in the Department of Culture and Society (IKOS) at Linköping University (LIU). mirko’s work occupies a post-disciplinary space that falls between art and environmental humanities and explor…

1
Saskia Sassen - Why are there so many everyday miseries in big cities? 1:00:32

3y ago1:00:32

1:00:32

This month on the podcast we were honored to spend some time with the renowned Saskia Sassen, who is the Robert S. Lynd Professor of Sociology at Columbia University in New York City. Her research and writings focus on globalization, global cities, states in the world economy, and international human migration. The three key variables that have run…

1
Beril Ocaklı - How has extractivism played out in Soviet and post-Soviet Kyrgyzstan? 1:06:20

3y ago1:06:20

1:06:20

This month on the podcast we were joined by Beril Ocaklı to discuss extractivisms through the lens of post-soviet spaces. Beril is a critical institutional economist and commons researcher with a track record of leading international transdisciplinary cooperation projects in resource governance. Challenged by the realities on the ground, she has re…

1
Yafa El Masri - How can refugees save the world? 57:05

3y ago57:05

57:05

This month we talked with Yafa El Masri, who is getting a doctorate in Geography in a joint research program between the University of Padova, University of Venice, and University of Verona. She was also a visiting researcher at the Global Development Studies Unit at the Social Sciences Faculty of the University of Helsinki. Yafa is also a stateles…

1
BONUS - Alexander Dunlap - What is the "World Eater"? 31:52

3y ago31:52

31:52

We have a treat for you! Our conversation with Alexander Dunlap was so wide-ranging and entertaining that we ended up talking a little longer than normal, which means you get a bonus episode!! This extension of our discussion further explores the violent technology of extraction, total extractivism, and the major systemic issues that plague our wor…

1
Alexander Dunlap - Is "green energy" really that green (and is it better called "fossil fuel plus")? 47:37

3y ago47:37

47:37

This month on the podcast we were joined by Alexander Dunlap. Alexander is a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Oslo, Centre for Development and Environment. His body of work tackles critical examinations of police-military transformations, market-based conservation, wind energy development and extractive projects, including coal mining in G…

1
Josua Mata - How can labor movements help improve the environment? 1:07:38

3+ y ago1:07:38

1:07:38

This month we talked with Josua Mata, the Secretary General of SENTRO (Co-operative and Progressive Workers' Center) in the Manila, Philippines. He shared with us his on the ground experiences at the forefront of the labor movement in the Philippines. Globalization has had a massive impact on the labor market in the Philippines, partially due to th…

1
Katherine Trebeck - Should the economy work for society and the environment? 45:39

3+ y ago45:39

45:39

This month we talk with Katherine Trebeck, the Advocacy and Influencing Lead for the Wellbeing Economy Alliance (WEAll), Co-founder of the Wellbeing Economy Governments partnership (WEGo), Senior Visiting Researcher University of Strathclyde, and Honorary Professor University of the West of Scotland. She is an advocate and pioneer for the wellbeing…

1
Markus Kröger - What is the best way to push for change? 35:43

3+ y ago35:43

35:43

This month we talk to Markus Kröger, Associate Professor in Development Studies at the University of Helsinki, an Academy of Finland research fellow, and one of the founding members of the EXALT Initiative. His work looks at political/economic analysis to explain the where we are in the development of systems, and where we are going. He has focused…

1
BONUS Year 1 Retrospective (and Outtakes) 15:19

3+ y ago15:19

15:19

October 2020 is the FIRST ANNIVERSARY of the EXALT Podcast! So, we decided to commemorate it with a quick bonus episode. We sit down and look back on how we got here, the great guests we've had, what's coming ahead for year/season two, and a few outtakes from our first year. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/exalt…

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EXALT Initiative Podcasts

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