How do teachers, students and researchers carry on in a time of war. In February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, and life changed overnight.

Dniprotech University, in Dnipro, is in an area that has experienced power outages, bombing, drones and jets flying over. Yet, they have maintained a full education programme – utilising blended learning – and continue to build relationships with business and with international partners.

We spoke to Kseniia Tiukhmenova, Olena Krasovska and Tetiana Kuvaieva, from Dniprotech, in late 2025 about how they are operating in such a difficult situation.

Lancaster is twinned with Dniprotech as part of Universities UK’s Twin for Hope initiative, supporting Ukrainian universities through the crisis in matters relating to the brain drain, resilience, research, skills and knowledge exchange. We learn how this works, and the benefits both sides are gaining from the new relationship – even if our guests are too polite to admit they had not heard of Lancaster before the partnership started!

We find out about how a university in the industrial heart of Ukraine has grown and developed, how it has built expertise around sustainability, the enthusiasm of students for these topics, and the setting up a new rival (or partner) to the Pentland Centre.

Kseniia, Olena and Tetiana tell us about the power of universities in uniting people in a time of war, the importance of relationships with business, and the strength they gain from their endeavours now as they plan for post-war recovery.

Plus, Paul finds something positive to say about rankings, Jan smiles as the word benchmarking comes up unprompted, and there is talk of the legendary status of Ukrainian soil.

Find out more about the Twin for Hope initiative here: https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/what-we-do/creating-voice-our-members/campaigns/twinforhope-uk-universities-standing

What do you think of the economy? What would you do if you couldn’t afford insurance? What does a thriving community look like? And how can economic policy help that flourishing? These are all key questions when it comes to addressing societal equality and resilience.

Susan Murray is Director of the David Hume Institute, an Edinburgh-based economics-focused thinktank – despite not classing herself as an economist.

She joins us to talk about the importance of diversity in economic thinking, how resources are allocated across society, the changing nature of migration over the last 40 years, and three major projects the David Hume Institute is involved in.

We discuss the importance of local communities and place in contributing to shaping action and policy, how to reach and include ‘normal people’ in otherwise ignored places, the importance of recognising what we all have in common, and what it actually means to be thriving.

Susan introduces us to the Great Risk Transfer, how people consider risk in their own lives, the importance of having resources to manage those risks, and why people don’t always trust organisations such as insurance providers.

We look at public attitudes towards the economy and how they change; what people wanting to save rather than spend can tell us; and how economic and sustainability issues tie in with politics at a national level.

Plus, we discover how sustainability became a part of Susan’s life when she was young – via the media of Blue Peter and Raymond Briggs, the cause of Save the Whales, and under the threat of nuclear war.

And finally, we ask the important questions: When is an economist not an economist? What’s the difference between an accountant and an economist? Do accountants and economists ever walk into bars together? To hear if we ever get to the punchlines of these and other bad economics jokes, listen in.

To find out more about the David Hume Institute, visit: https://davidhumeinstitute.org/

We talk to a lot of researchers and businesspeople about sustainability, now bring on the politician!

On our 100th episode, we welcome Nik Nazmi bin Nik Ahmad, the former Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability in the Malaysian government, to tell us about his career, and how he has seen governments around the world tackle sustainability challenges.

Nik has gone from the self-professed school geek to being an elected legislator in his homeland, a minister in government, and a part of major international climate meetings such as COP. Now he gets to take part in our podcast centenary celebrations.

Discover how the environment sits in the political world; how the youth voice and voters can be influential on politicians – and the risk for government of ignoring them and climate change issues; and the power of the people in making an impact in saving the planet.

Niks tells us about the major issue of waste – both plastic and electronic – in Malaysia, and how the world contributes to the issue; the attitudes across ASEAN to waste, and the challenges of finding a common voice; and his views of the attitudes of some leading global politicians that climate change is hokum.

We discuss whether Jan is the Kevin Bacon of the sustainability world – and discover Jan’s shocking lack of knowledge of Mr Bacon’s career; the parallels between BBC sitcom Yes Minister and real life; and how Nik has learned a lot from groundbreaking politicians from around the world.

Discover Nik’s book Saving the Planet here: https://www.penguin.sg/book/saving-the-planet/

And Nik even has his own Wikipedia page, so you can find out more about him here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nik_Nazmi