We're back - and there is so much to catch up on. We're beginning season 4 with some updates on important conversations we began in previous seasons. In this episode, we welcome back Iranian poet and TLU Research Assistant Mal Keshmiri to open up about the massive protests and brutal crackdowns rocking Iran this month. As mentioned in the episode, you can follow Mal's organization here https://www.facebook.com/isoestonia/ .

This is an emotional conversation that gives important context and understanding to this issue and the world today. After so long on pause, we're grateful to be back with such an important conversation.

The Tallinn University Podcast is brought to you by the Tallinn University School of Governance, Law, and Society ( https://www.tlu.ee/en/yti ) and the Baltic Film and Media School ( https://www.tlu.ee/en/bfm ) , is produced by Tanel Kadalipp, and and is written and hosted by Terry McDonald.

After a two year sick leave, we just wan to say that it's good to be back, and thank you for sticking with us.

In our annual Pride episode, comedian and TLU alumni Jana Levitina joins our host Terry McDonald to discuss the role humour plays in activism. Jana has co-founded a FLINTA (female, lesbian, intersex, non-binary, trans, agender) comedy club in Estonia, and in this episode enlightens Terry on the importance of political humour, how is feminism related to LGBTQ+ rights, and the ongoing importance of Pride in 2023.

For more info on Baltic Pride:

https://www.balticpride.ee/

Jana is also an editor at Feministeerium:

https://feministeerium.ee/

Thank you for 3 great seasons - see you in season 4!

The reconstruction of Ukraine is going to be one of the biggest international development projects in history. Many partners - governments, NGOs, and in the private sector - will have a role to play. 

As in the war itself, the US government will have a leading role in these efforts. As the development arm of the US government, USAid will likely be at the helm. In this episode of the Tallinn University Podcast, Patrick J. Wilson - Senior Advisor on Ukraine Recovery and Reconstruction for USAid, joins our host Terry McDonald in a unique episode format. 

As Terry is a Lecturer of International Relations in Tallinn University, this conversation takes place in Terry’s Global Development course lecture. Mr. Wilson joined Terry’s class via Zoom from Washington, taking questions from Terry and then from the students of the class. 

In the conversation, they first discuss the lessons learned since the Marshall Plan and through 70 years of success and failure in global development projects. Then, the topic moves to the reconstruction of Ukraine - the hopes, the challenges, who should bear the cost and how they will pay it, and what a potential US administration change might mean for the effort. 

As this was a ‘live’  episode, the usual studio perfection audio quality is not quite there - nonetheless, the opportunity to have one of the architects of Ukraine’s reconstruction in conversation makes the episode a must-listen.