Half Time Scholars

On this episode we speak with Arnela Colic who is a doctoral fellow (PhD) in International and Comparative Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. She examines education’s role in nation building in multiethnic, post-conflict contexts and the influence of international organizations on national education policies and systems. Her current work is focused on countries of the former Yugoslavia in Eastern Europe. The intent of her research is to explore how political and social forces shape education and contribute to or hinder the peacebuilding and nation (re)building efforts in states emerging from conflict. Arnela’s broader research interests include education in emergencies and education for peacebuilding. Prior to pursuing doctoral studies, Arnela completed her masters in International Education Policy Analysis at Stanford University and served as a Peace Corps volunteer teaching English in Kosovo. She also holds a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley in Political Science with studies in Peace and Conflict and Russian Language, Literature, and Culture. You can find her online at linkedin.com/in/arnelacolic or on Twitter @arnelacolic

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On this episode we speak with Giuliano Sansone who holds a PhD in Management from Politecnico di Torino. He has been visiting Ph.D. Student at the MIT Sloan School of Management under the supervision of Fiona Murray in 2018.  Broadly, Guiliano's work focuses on working on Entrepreneurship in three distinct areas:
1. Organizations that support the creation and the development of startups (e.g., Incubators, Accelerators, Startup Studios, Science Parks, etc)
2. Social entrepreneurship (e.g., for-profit organizations with strong positive social/environmental aims)
3. Entrepreneurship education and student entrepreneurship. 

Currently, Guiliano is a post-doc researcher at Prague University of Economics and Business in the Department of Entrepreneurship under the supervision of Martin Lukeš. Giuliano’s research is dedicated to entrepreneurial creation and development and social entrepreneurship. His research was published in international journals such as Technological Forecasting and Social Change and International Entrepreneurship. His research was presented at more than 10 international conferences such as R&D, IPDMC and CINet. Giuliano also worked for the European+ project named Entrepreneurship Education Ecosystems in Engineering and Technology (E4T) and he is working for an international research team named Social Innovation Monitor (SIM).

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Melissa Vasi is a doctoral candidate in Business Administration at Uninettuno University under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Vincent English.  
Her research focuses on the influence of open innovation and dynamic capabilities on the resilience of small and medium-sized enterprises during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study involves the implementation of a practical framework that supports firms in preparing for, during and recovering from an economic crisis caused by exogenous factors like pandemics, climate emergency, trade wars.

Melissa received her B.Sc. in Computer Science in 2015 from University of Milano-Bicocca with a thesis on IT architectures that enable marketing communications and CRM development. She obtained her MBA in Business Administration and Digital Technologies (summa cum laude) in 2020 from Uninettuno University with a thesis on digital innovations and business models applied to insurance processes. Please follow Melissa’s interesting work on Twitter: @melissavasi or visit her website Website: www.melissavasi.com

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On this episode we feature the work of Myuri Komaragiri (she/her) who is a first-generation Canadian, who is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE). From field experience in Guatemala, Morocco, and Jordan, as well as her MA dissertation on higher education pathways for refugees, Myuri is interested in the intersections between forced migration, higher education, conflict and peace. Though previously focusing on access to quality higher education for forcibly displaced populations, she is now increasingly interested in how targeted attacks on education during times of conflict act as drivers for migration, particularly for students and academics. Myuri works as an Education Policy Analyst at Global Affairs Canada (GAC), and is a lecturer at the University of Toronto, teaching a course on the role of education in (re)producing and transforming inequities. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/suren-ladd/message

Chronic respiratory disorders like asthma affect around 600 million people worldwide. although these illnesses are widespread, they can have several different underlying causes, making them difficult to treat. On this episode we chat with William Reay a researcher from the University of Newcastle, School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, whose work focuses on integrating statistical genetics with systems biology to further our knowledge of the biological processes involved in complex disorders and how this could be leveraged for treatment in the future. William is particularly passionate about the application of this approach to psychiatry, as novel interventions remain urgently required to improve patient outcomes.  His research has thus far been published in prestigious journals including Molecular Psychiatry and Brain, Behaviour, and Immunity and presented at conferences including the World Congress of Psychiatric Genetics and Schizophrenia International Research Society. Follow William’s interesting work on Twitter @williamreay96 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/suren-ladd/message

On this episode we explore how recently, governments have shown significant interest in disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI). For example, recently launched national strategic AI plans. However, AI adoption in the public sector is an emerging trend, hence, there is enormous ambiguity about the optimal deployment.

Our guest is Samar Fatima is a Ph.D. scholar in the Queensland University of Technology Business School. Her research interest focuses on exploring the role of artificial intelligence in the public sector. Through her research, she aspires to explain the role of technology in societal development initiatives. The first study identifies what approach each country is adopting towards AI through national strategic plans. The second study explores why the countries approached AI in a certain way. The third study focuses on how public agencies develop the readiness to design and deliver AI-enabled public services. The third study presents renovation in business models of public agencies for such disruptive transformation.

By using a combination of data sources (primary and secondary) and employing a set of methodologies such as content analysis, fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis and design science research methodology, the dissertation covers a variety of theoretical and empirical avenues. The dissertation answers the what, why and how affairs of AI in countries. Besides extending knowledge on strategic planning of governments, the dissertation sheds light on various societal (e.g. ethics) and practical (policy implication) issues related to AI adoption and anticipates future of AI in countries. Follow Samar’s interesting work @ Twitter: https://twitter.com/samarfhatimaand LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samar-fatima

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On this episode we speak with Sudhir Selvaraj of King’s College London about his research study looking at religious freedoms for minorities in India. Article 25 of the Indian Constitution provides for the 'Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion'. However, in the recent past there has been an increase of violence against religious minorities.

Sudhir’s study adopts Norwegian political scientist Johan Galtung's framework which advocates for a broad conception of violence which includes direct, structural and cultural factors. Galtung also suggests a causal flow of violence from its cultural forms to its structural forms and finally to its direct forms. Sudhir’s study argues that both structural and physical violence are rooted in and justified using the Hindutva ideology which portrays Christians as "foreigners" intent on destroying the integrity of the Hindu nation through religious conversions.

Mainly, conversions are portrayed as a threat to the "Hindu State" in two ways. The first is its role in targeting "vulnerable" Hindu populations, particularly Dalits and Tribals. Secondly, conversions are presented as a tool of "foreigners" to influence India's politics. This broader conception of violence facilitates a challenge to existing notions that violence against Christians in the country began its proliferation in the late 1990s. Follow Sudhir’s work on Twitter @SudhirSelvaraj and also @ https://www.sudhirselvaraj.com/. Programming note: The Episode was recorded under available internet connection

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On this episode we explore how emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence offer great opportunities, but also pose existential threats to humanity and the natural world.

Our guest is Rebecca Johnson a PhD researcher from the University of Sydney, Faculty of Sciences. Rebecca’s work specifically looks at the ethics of artificial neural networks; the deep learning side of AI with a view to contribute to experts making better choices when deploying these new technologies into our world.

Tools such as AI have no capacity for a sense of morality and values, yet we increasingly permit artificial agents to make choices and decisions for us. From autonomous vehicles to recidivism risk algorithms, distribution of health care services to algorithmically adjusted school grades, hiring of new employees to management of non-renewable sources; we have given huge amounts of agency to our artificial agents.

Rebecca has long been fascinated by the interplay between humans and technology - sociotechnical systems. Sociotechnical systems (STS) approaches help us to better understand relationships between technologies, social structures, and the emergent phenomena that arise from those relationships.

Follow Rebecca’s fascinating work at @https://sts4ir.com/, or Twitter: @VoxBec

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In this episode we speak with Dr Amanda Källstig who did her PhD in Politics at the University of Manchester, whose research explored what stand-up comedy in Zimbabwe can tell us about resistance and subjectivity. Amanda's research interests include comedy, postcolonial international relations theory, resistance, and subjectivity particularly in the context of the African continent.

Amanda’s research deals with what stand-up comedy in Zimbabwe can tell us about resistance and subjectivity. Through a fieldwork-based approach she looks at how stand-up comedy intervenes politically exploring how the genre interrupts the way both state and society constructs 'Zimbabwean-ness'. Follow Amanda’s work on twitter @DrKällstig. Amanda joined the Stockholm University in August 2021 as a lecturer in International Relations.

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In this episode, we explore how women pursuing flexible education frame their narratives of self-fulfillment in Chennai, India. My guest is researcher Meenakshi Krishnaraj from the University of Sydney, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Meenakshi’s study explores the relationship between women’s pursuit of flexible education frames their narratives of self-fulfillment and analyzes the perceived efficacy of flexible education in supporting the roles, aspirations, and capacities of women. The education of women in India has focussed on collective identities, resulting in the marginalization of individual identities, beliefs, and notions of fulfillment. The study acknowledges the diversity of lived experiences and moves away from a homogenous collective representation of ‘women.' Further, education systems often legitimized certain aspirations and values over others, and also acted as instruments for gender regulation. Flexible education on the other hand is said to be learner-centered. Furthermore, the study explores the extent to which flexible education supports individual learners, particularly women, with respect to their idea of self-fulfillment. Content Warning This episode contains content that may be alarming to some listeners.  Mentions of violence against women. An acid attack incident and descriptions of its aftermath from 28min09sec to 31min50Ssec. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/suren-ladd/message