16. Preparing for new educational futures on & offline, w/Prof. Susan Robertson

20. Podcasting and the post-coronial University, w/Simone Eringfeld

This is the final episode of Cambridge Quaranchats. This time, Simone Eringfeld is the one being interviewed! Guest host Eleanor Ryan asks Simone everything about Cambridge Quaranchats, how the podcast developed and what she has learnt along the way. Simone talks about her research on post-Covid futures of Higher Education, her use of podcasting as a research method and what the future will bring! Watch this space: a new podcast by Simone Eringfeld will soon be launched! 

19. Collaborating our way out of the Ivory Tower, w/BlueSci Pod (Part 2)

PODCAST SPECIAL, Part 2 (of 2): Today, we continue the conversation we started last week, about the connection between the sciences and humanities. Ruby Coates and Simone Eizagirre are the hosts of the BlueSci Podcast for the Cambridge University Science Magazine, and have recently released a series of episodes on some of the science behind COVID-19. In this second joint episode, we talk about how collaboration can help us get out of the Ivory Tower. Examining our own biases and motivations in our research is crucial for making academia more equitable, as well as improving the quality and impact of research. We also talk about some of the similarities in the issues faced by both the sciences and humanities, such as ownership of knowledge and ideas, the challenges of building up a career in academia, and the constant pressure to be productive and a ground-breaking 'genius'. What can the current situation teach us about the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration? How can we make research accessible to everyone? This episode offers plenty of laughs, and lots of food for thought!

You can listen to the BlueSci Podcast on all major digital platforms via: https://anchor.fm/bluesci-podcast and follow them on Twitter for updates (@BlueSciPod). Follow Cambridge Quaranchats on Twitter (@CamQuaranchats) and leave a review on Apple Podcasts if you like what you hear.

18. Pandemic Partners: Sciences & Humanities link up, w/BlueSci Pod (part 1)

PODCAST SPECIAL, Part 1 (of 2): Ruby Coates and Simone Eizagirre are the hosts of The BlueSci Podcast for the Cambridge University Science Magazine, and have recently released a series of episodes on some of the science behind COVID-19, interviewing scientists researching different aspects of the pandemic. In this collaborative podcast special, we bring some of the best fragments from both of our podcasts, connecting to the central theme: 'How can the sciences and humanities come together to address the societal issues caused by Covid-19?' We also talk about how collaboration and communication between the sciences and the humanities can be more effective, and we examine how power structures within academia and prejudices across disciplines affect society as a whole. We continue this conversation next week, in part 2 of this special episode!

You can listen to the BlueSci Podcast on all major digital platforms via: https://anchor.fm/bluesci-podcast and follow them on Twitter for updates (@BlueSciPod). Follow Cambridge Quaranchats on Twitter (@CamQuaranchats)

17. Transforming toxic masculinity through Poetry, w/Will McInerney

Will McInerney is a Gates Scholar and PhD Candidate at the Cambridge Faculty of Education. His research focuses on gender equality, masculinity and men's violence against women. Will is also an award-winning and highly talented poet, who has been using poetry as a vehicle for transformation in violence-prevention programs working with young men. In this episode, he shares his insights from years of experience as a peace practitioner and as a researcher, as he looks for new ways to engage men in working towards gender equality. He also brought along some of his own spoken word poetry to perform for us! I ask Will all kinds of questions, like: Why are men generally more violent than women, and is it true that 'boys will be boys', or can this be changed? Why do some men feel alienated from feminism, and how can we move from 'patriarchal' or toxic masculinity towards more healthy, peaceful conceptions of masculinity? Is violence against women a 'women's issue' only, or does it involve men too? Will powerfully makes the case for poetry, arts and community-based approaches to build trust, create space for vulnerability and to radically redefine what it means to be strong, courageous and brave, whilst also (in the words of bell hooks) being 'disloyal to patriarchy'. 

16. Preparing for new educational futures on & offline, w/Prof. Susan Robertson

Professor Susan Robertson is the Head of Faculty of Education, at Cambridge University. She is currently leading the Faculty in its transition to online education as a consequence of Covid-19. She is also a Professor of Sociology of Education, and her work explores themes around global governance and political economies underpinning education systems around the world. In this interview, we discuss some of the challenges as well as opportunities that the Faculty has encountered during its shift to online teaching and learning, including connected issues like communicating clearly in times of uncertainty, recruiting new Faculty members remotely, and expanding digital and tech literacy amongst students and staff. Questions such as 'How can we move examinations online whilst maintaining fairness and integrity?' and 'Should the University reconsider its commercialized business model?' are also addressed. Professor Robertson explains why, for her, the saying 'Never waste a good crisis' has been informing her approach to the Covid-19 pandemic both practically and intellectually. She reflects on possibilities to work towards a 'mixed economy' of both on & offline education, whilst preparing for the upcoming academic year at Cambridge University. Follow us @CamQuaranchats on Facebook and Twitter and leave us a review on Apple podcasts.