Professor Samer Abboud from Villanova University is an expert on Syrian politics. He joins us to discuss the intricacies of Syria's political history from 1946 to the present, including the impact of French colonial rule, frequent coups, the United Arab Republic, the rise and governance of the Ba'ath Party, and the shift towards crony capitalism in the 2000s ... Show More
Feb 9
The Science of Teaching: Addressing the Global Education Crisis | Dr Asyia Kazmi
We delve into the stark realities of learning inequality, the crucial role of the science of teaching, and the transformative power of education, even in the face of conflict. Dr. Asyia Kazmi, CEO of WISE (World Innovation Summit for Education), an organization that is part of th ... Show More
48m 31s
Feb 4
Innovation Rooted in Culture: On Deep Tech, Brain Drain & Impact | Rama Chakaki
The president of the Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP), discusses her unique vision for innovation in the Arab world, emphasizing the crucial need to tie technological advancement to our roots, culture, heritage, and fundamental needs. Rama Chakaki shares insights from her ... Show More
57m 18s
Jan 19
Founder of Mille World Sofia Guellaty | Fashion, Soft Power & the New Arab Identity
The unifying youth culture across the Arab region is characterized by a proud new Arab identity and the changing standards of beauty with the rise of "Arab beauty" (A beauty), which celebrates Arab features and aesthetics. The founder of Mille World and Mille Creative, Sofia Guel ... Show More
1h 5m
Feb 2025
Season 4, Episode 5: Eugene Rogan, The Arabs: A History
Send us a textJoin Professor Jeffrey Sachs and historian Eugene Rogan, professor of Modern Middle Eastern History at Oxford, as they delve into the complex history of the Arab world, from the Ottoman conquest in 1516 to today’s geopolitical crises of the modern Middle East. Throu ... Show More
52m 39s
Jul 2025
Ihsan Abdel Quddous's Enduring 20th-Century Legacy | Jonathan Smolin
Professor of Middle Eastern Studies at Dartmouth College, Jonathan Smolin, discusses his book "The Politics of Melodrama: The Cultural and Political Lives of Ihsan Abdel Kouddous and Gamal Abdel Nasser," which examines the life and work of Ihsan Abdel Quddous who played an immens ... Show More
56m 27s
Jul 2025
Charles Glass, "Syria: Civil War to Holy War?" (OR Books, 2024)
In December 2024, the long and bloody stalemate in Syria broke down. In a transformation breathtaking for its suddenness and speed, President Bashar al-Assad, the beating heart of Arab authoritarianism, fled to Russia, his dungeons emptying as rebels overcame the Syrian army with ... Show More
40m 2s
Dec 2024
Conflicted Community: Aaron Zelin – Assad’s Fall and the Future of Syria
ANOTHER EMERGENCY EPISODE Things are, as ever, moving at lightning speed in the Middle East, as last weekend on December 8th, Bashar al-Assad and his Syrian regime fell. After 13 years of civil war, and more than 50 years of his family’s rule, in an extraordinary turn of events r ... Show More
41m 18s
Sep 2025
Dr. Rania Masri: Zionism, Ecocide & the Mother Tree | Sumud Podcast
🎙️ This week on the Sumud Podcast, Dr. Rania Masri joins us to speak on liberation, land, and the interconnected struggles for justice. An environmental scientist and long-time activist, Rania brings decades of experience in organizing to the fight against colonialism and ecocid ... Show More
52m 29s
Nov 6
The Origins of the Syrian Crisis
The Syrian Civil War didn’t begin in 2011; it began centuries earlier. Dr. Roy explores how the legacy of empire, the carving up of the Middle East after World War I, and repeated Western interference destabilized Syria and Iraq long before the Arab Spring. Along the way, Dr. Roy ... Show More
1h 50m