Knowledge on the Nordics

Listen to a podcast about the landscapes of Estonia and how phases in history have left their mark, from old nineteenth-century German manors to sparsely populated ex-Soviet training areas. Hannes Palang from Tallinn University talks to editor of nordics.info, Nicola Witcombe, and explains his research on landscapes and how it reveals the fascinating history of Estonia and the Baltic Sea Region as a whole.Hannes Palang from Tallinn University talks to editor of nordics.info, Nicola Witcombe. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Listen to a podcast that uncovers the different layers of the Estonian coastline from a human geography perspective. Estonian seascapes range from beaches to waterfalls and have historically supported people in a range of industries from tourism to fishing to the production of cosmetics. Seascapes also ignite energy debates about oil shale and wind farms against the backdrop of being Russia's neighbour today.Anu Printsmann from Tallinn University talks to editor of nordics.info, Nicola Witcombe. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Listen to a podcast about the northeastern region of Estonia and how research can uncover different layers of a landscape.  Hear about oil shale production, the influx of people during Soviet times, contemporary outdoor adventure in the forest, and learn about the concept heritscape.Saara Mildeberg from Tallinn University talks to editor of nordics.info, Nicola Witcombe. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Listen to a podcast about when and why states in and around the Baltic Sea have worked together for economic, social or geopolitical reasons, with a focus on Poland. After the end of the Cold War, regional initiatives like the Council of the Baltic Sea States sprung up to keep Russia around the table and as a vehicle to work collectively towards common aims, inspired at least in part by Nordic regional institutions. But are such initiatives still as important now Russia no longer plays a part in them? Nicola Witcombe, editor of nordics.info, talks to researchers Damian Szacawa and Jakub Olchowski political scientists at the Department of International Relations, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, Poland. It was recorded in September 2023.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Listen to a whistlestop tour covering the last 14 podcasts, touching down in Aarhus, Stockholm, Oslo, and Helsinki, and featuring clips from podcasts where young people put questions to researchers on topics of the day, including the consequences of the invasion of Ukraine, gender, and the climate. Nicola Witcombe, who is the editor of nordics.info, and Daniela Lange Andersen, a student from Aarhus University, discuss the series and recount views of the other students and researchers that have been involved. This podcast was made possible by funding from the A.P. Moller Foundation.Sound credits: Summer by tictac9 from freesound.org.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Listen to a discussion on how Nordic public and voluntary organisations - particularly in Denmark, Sweden and Finland - responded to the famine which ensued when Biafra attempted to secede from Nigeria in the 1960s.In the fourteenth episode for the New Nordic Lexicon, students Gaëtan Gamba and Agata Pyka speak to three researchers about their research project on Nordic relief efforts during the Biafra Crisis: Norbert Götz and Carl Marklund from Södertörn University, and Susan Lindholm, from Stockholm University. Sound credits: Summer by tictac9 from freesound.org.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Listen to a discussion on how the use of English in the Nordic countries, with a focus on Finland and Sweden, and the consequences of this on immigration populations and identity.In the thirteen episode, students Gaëtan Gamba and Essi Turva speak mainly to Elizabeth Peterson from the University of Helsinki. Nina Carlsson from Uppsala University, Tuire Liimatainen from the Migration Institute of Finland, and Nicola Witcombe, editor of nordics.info, also join the discussion. This podcast was made possible by funding from the A.P. Moller Foundation.Sound credits: Summer by tictac9 from freesound.org.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Listen to a discussion on the diversity of the languages in the Nordic countries, focusing on how bi- and multulingualism functions in practice, and the history, framework and importance of minority and heritage languages and their status in Sweden and Finland (... mins, in English).In the twelfth podcast for the New Nordic Lexicon, students from Aarhus and Helsinki Universities, Gaëtan Gamba and Sóley Eliasdottir, speak to Nina Carlsson from the University of Uppsala, and Tuire Liimatainen from the Migration Institute of Finland. This podcast was made possible by funding from the A.P. Moller Foundation.Sound credits: Summer by tictac9 from freesound.org.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Listen to an interview in Swedish and Norwegian on the gap between talk and action when it comes to climate change. In the eleventh podcast for the New Nordic Lexicon, students from Bergen and Lund speak to Maria Wolrath-Söderberg from Södertörn University. This podcast was made possible by funding from the A.P. Moller Foundation.Sound credits: Summer by tictac9 from freesound.org.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Listen to an interview in Swedish and Norwegian on how people's use of language and their thoughts have a direct effect on their level of emissions. Research into how people reason and think about climate change is crucial to the debate on climate change.In the tenth podcast for the New Nordic Lexicon, students from Bergen and Lund, speak to Maria Wolrath-Söderberg from Södertörn University. This podcast was made possible by funding from the A.P. Moller Foundation.Sound credits: Summer by tictac9 from freesound.org.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Listen to an interview in Danish on the changing political landscape since the invasion of Ukraine, both in Russia, Europe and Norden with two researchers from Aarhus University.Daniela Lange Andersen and Mattias Carlberg, students from Aarhus and Lund Universities, speak again to Thorsten Borring Olesen and Birgitte Beck Pristed, both from Aarhus University, this time about security issues, both in and outside of Russia and Ukraine. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Listen to an interview in Danish on the changing cultural landscape within both politics and literature since the invasion of Ukraine, both in Russia, Europe and Norden, with two researchers from Aarhus University.In the eigth podcast for the New Nordic Lexicon, students from Aarhus and Lund Universities, Daniela Lange Andersen and Mattias Carlberg, speak to Thorsten Borring Olesen and Birgitte Beck Pristed, both from Aarhus University, about international political culture, and literature and reading in Russia. They also discuss recommendations of books to read and music to listen to about what is going on in Ukraine and Russia. This podcast was made possible by funding from the A.P. Moller Foundation.Sound credits: Summer by tictac9 from freesound.org.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

In this episode, Victoria Austveg, a Master's student from the University of Oslo, speaks to Mari Teigen, Professor at the Institute for Social Research in Norway. This episode builds on the last two, but focuses more on Norway's policies, including board membership requirements placed on companies, the gender segregated labour market, how wages are set, and equal pay.  It is in Norwegian and Danish.Go to The New Nordic Lexicon for further reading on this and many more subjects!Sound credits: Summer by tictac9 from freesound.org. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Listen to a discussion on policymaking, gender segregation and equal pay.In this, the sixth podcast for the New Nordic Lexicon, where students Emma Healey from the University of Helsinki and Victoria Austveg from the University of Oslo speak to Cathrine Holst, Professor in Philosophy of Science and Democracy at Oslo University. Nicola Witcombe, who is editor of nordics.info based at Aarhus University, also joins the discussion. This podcast was made possible by funding from the A.P. Moller Foundation.Sound credits: Summer by tictac9 from freesound.org.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Listen to a discussion on the Nordic equality model, whether its reputation holds up to scrutiny, and differences between the Nordic countries (particularly Norway and Sweden) when it comes to gender issues.In this episode, students Emma Healey from the University of Helsinki and Victoria Austveg from the University of Oslo speak to Cathrine Holst, Professor in Philosophy of Science and Democracy at the University of Oslo. This podcast was made possible by funding from the A.P. Moller Foundation.Go to The New Nordic Lexicon for further reading on this and many more subjects!Sound credits: Summer by tictac9 from freesound.org. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Listen to how cities have developed historically and about different urban approaches to sustainability and inclusivity. In this episode, students from Helsinki and Södertörn Universities, Gaëtan Gamba and Jasmin Adolph speak to two Romina Rodela from Södertörn University, and Natalie Gulsrud from the University of Copenhagen. This podcast was made possible by funding from the A.P. Moller Foundation.Go to The New Nordic Lexicon for further reading on this and many more subjects!Sound credits: Summer by tictac9 from freesound.org. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

It is not always easy for children and young people to get their voices heard when it comes to the planning of the cities they live in. But their input is important for a whole range of reasons including that cities need to be fit for purpose, young people's health and counteracting climate change.In this third episode, a student from Helsinki University, Gaëtan Gamba, and a recent alumni of Södertörn University, Jasmin Adolph, speak to two researchers, Romina Rodela from Södertörn University, and Natalie Gulsrud from the University of Copenhagen, about urban planning and youth involvement.  This podcast was made possible by funding from the A.P. Moller Foundation.Go to The New Nordic Lexicon for further reading on this and many more subjects!Sound credits: Summer by tictac9 from freesound.org.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Pan-national regions – like the Nordics or the Baltic Sea region - can give us an alternative perspective to the nation state. What are the benefits and challenges of these pan-national regions and have feelings of identity changed since the Russian invasion of Ukraine?This is the second of our podcasts for the New Nordic Lexicon where students get the chance to put questions to researchers. In this episode, students from Aarhus University, Chance Dorland and Sóley Eliasdottir, speak to Kazimierz Musiał from the University of Gdansk Scandinavian Studies and Finnish department and Alexander Drost from the Interdiscipliary Centre for Baltic Sea Region Research at Griefswald University in Germany.  This podcast was made possible by funding from the A.P. Moller Foundation.Sound credits: Summer by tictac9 from freesound.org.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

The Nordic Region is part of the Baltic Sea Region, connected in historical, cultural and economic ways. Listen to a podcast about what has changed in the Baltic Sea Region since the invasion of Ukraine, and about how regions are not static and change over time, much like our affiliation for them.Students from Aarhus University, Chance Dorland and Sóley Eliasdottir, get answers to their questions from two scholars, Kazimierz Musiał from the University of Gdansk's Scandinavian and Finnish Studies department and Alexander Drost from the Interdiscipliary Centre for Baltic Sea Region Research at Greifswald University.  This podcast was made possible by funding from the A.P. Moller Foundation.Sound credits: Summer by tictac9 from freesound.org.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Engelskkundskaberne er både udbredte og på højt niveau i de nordiske lande, og det er der legitime historiske og sociopolitiske årsager til. Men man bør ikke gå ud fra, at alle er lige dygtige til sproget, eller at der ikke sættes spørgsmålstegn ved sprogets magt og udbredelse. Lyt til denne podcast for at høre mere om det engelske sprog i Norden i dag.Podcasten er skrevet af Eeva Sippola og Elizabeth Peterson, oplæst af Caroline Vogt Hansen og produceret af Nicola Witcombe. Du kan også lytte til den podcast på engelsk eller læse den på engelsk på nordics.info.Lydeffekter fra freesound.org, inklusive talking.wav af ondrosik pg Piano Solo 01 by BergsteinProd (med ændringer i lydstyrke og fading).

Proficiency in English is widespread in the Nordic countries, but not everyone is good at English and the language's dominance is often questioned. Listen to this podcast to find out more about the English language in the Nordic region today.The podcast is written by Eeva Sippola and Elizabeth Peterson, and read out and produced by Nicola Witcombe. You can also read this podcast as an article on nordics.info or listen to it in Danish.Sounds from freesound.org including talking.wav by ondrosik and Piano Solo 01 by BergsteinProd (fading/volume changes/overlay to both tracks).

Lyt til denne podcast for at finde ud af hvad et arvesprog er, og hvordan tilstanden af arvesprog i den nordiske region er i dag.Podcasten er skrevet af Eeva Sippola og Elizabeth Peterson, oplæst af Caroline Vogt Hansen og produceret af Nicola Witcombe. Du kan også lytte til den podcast på engelsk eller læse den på engelsk på nordics.info.Lydeffekter fra freesound.org, inklusive talking.wav af ondrosik pg Piano Solo 01 by BergsteinProd (med ændringer i lydstyrke og fading).

Find out what a heritage language is, and what the state of heritage languages in the Nordic region is today in this podcast written by Eeva Sippola and Elizabeth Peterson from the University of Helsinki.It is read out and produced by Nicola Witcombe. You can also read this podcast as an article on nordics.info or listen to it in Danish.Sounds from freesound.org including talking.wav by ondrosik and Piano Solo 01 by BergsteinProd (fading/volume changes/overlay to both tracks).

Listen to a dialogue between three environmental scientists about how nature-based solutions are used in the Nordics, their benefits and their downsides.  Editor of nordics.info, Nicola Witcombe, talks to Isabel Seifert-Dähnn, an environmental economist from the Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Johanna Alkan-Olsson, a Social Environmental Scientist, and Helena Hanson, an Environmental Scientist, both from the Centre for Environmental and Climate Science at Lund University in Sweden. All three scholars are part of S-ITUATION: Nature-Based Solutions in the Nordics. Find out more on nordics.info.Sound credits include Heavy Rain by lebaston100 (some changes made e.g. cutting & changes to volume) on freesound.org.

This podcast is about how large organisations, like companies and trade unions, can learn from social movements such as Pride. While some of it may be lip service, the hope is that some elements stick, resulting in more diverse and inclusive workplaces across the Nordics and beyond. Jannick Friis Christensen from Copenhagen Business School is interviewed by Nicola Witcombe, editor of the research dissemination website nordics.info. Go to nordics.info for links to literature and events mentioned in this podcast.Sound credits: Manifestation by barcelonetasonora (CC BY 4.0) and demonstration screams by chazam (CC BY 4.0).

Listen to global historian Annette Skovsted Hansen from Aarhus University and legal expert Ellen Eftestöl from the University of Helsinki, amongst others, on climate issues, research and  the latest currents in the green transition and shipping.  This is the second of two podcast on The Maritime Nordics.For further reading and links, go to nordics.info.

Editor of nordics.info Nicola Witcombe looks into why the Nordic countries are seen – and see themselves – as maritime nations, and how this has connected them with the rest of the world. To help her, she speaks to global historian Annette Skovsted Hansen from Aarhus University and legal expert Ellen Eftestöl from the University of Helsinki. This is the first of two podcast on The Maritime Nordics.For further reading & links, go to nordics.info.

Listen to a podcast about the Women's International Democratic Federation during the  Cold War period and why is was important to women from the Nordic region to be involved. With Yulia Gradskova Associate Professor at Södertörn University and Nicola Witcombe, editor of nordics.info.Read more on nordics.info.

The Nordics are often seen as ethical countries because they have a reputation for being environmentally friendly and for giving a lot in development aid. Listen to a podcast on how Nordic cooperation works through politicians, civil servants and civil society, and how it is often more driven by self-interest than at first appears.Editor of nordics.info Nicola Witcombe speaks to Sunniva Engh who has researched development aid in the Nordics and its interplay with other policy areas, and Melina Antonia Buns, an international environmental historian who researched environmental cooperation in the Nordics.Sound credits from freesound.org including kalimba1.wav by reimsamba (CC BY 3.0) and traffic in town.WAV by inchadney (C BY-NC 3.0) (changes made to length and volume in both).

Listen to an interview with indigenous arctic archeologist Kirstine Eiby Møller and hear about the Qilakitsoq mummies and how they have informed her work.Read more on nordics.info. This is the latest in the podcast series 'The Nordics Uncovered: Critical Voices from Greenland' about Greenland's history and art.Sound credits from freesound.org including "Noir" Reel by Hainbach by makenoisemusic, loneliness by rashta and The Plan - Upbeat Loop by ispeakwaves.  

Listen to an interview with PhD in Arctic Studies Rosannguaq Rossen, and hear about the history of the West Greenlandic dress and a picture from 1862 showing two women wearing pearl beads round the neck for the first time.Read more on nordics.info. This is the latest in the podcast series 'The Nordics Uncovered: Critical Voices from Greenland' about Greenland's history and art.Sound credits from freesound.org including "Noir" Reel by Hainbach by makenoisemusic, loneliness by rashta and The Plan - Upbeat Loop by ispeakwaves. 

Listen to an interview with Director of Nuuk Art Museum Nivi Christensen and hear about how two key Greenlandic artists - Pia Arke and Anne-Birthe Hove - have informed her own work.Read more on nordics.info. This is the latest in the podcast series 'The Nordics Uncovered: Critical Voices from Greenland' about Greenland's history and art.Sound credits from freesound.org including "Noir" Reel by Hainbach by makenoisemusic, loneliness by rashta and The Plan - Upbeat Loop by ispeakwaves. 

Lyt til et historisk overblik over mennesker med handicap: aktivisme og politiske strømninger i Norden siden 1945. Artiklen er originalt skrevet på engelsk af Anna Derksen og oplæst af Kieu Anh Nguyen fra nordics.info.Du kan lytte til podcasten på engelsk her, eller læs artiklen på engelsk her.#nordicsinfo #ReNEWHub

Listen to an historical overview of disability policies and movements in the Nordic countries since 1945. You can also listen to this podcast in Danish by clicking here. You can also read the podcast as an article, which is by Anna Derksen, here.#nordicsinfo #ReNEWHub

Lyt til historien om Islands historie. Artiklen fra danmarkshistorien.dk om Islands historie  er oplæst af Kieu Anh Nguyen fra nordics.info. Læs artiklen på dansk her eller på engelsk her.#nordicsinfo #ReNEWHub

Listen to a potted history of Iceland from the Viking Age to today. It is an article found on nordics.info in English and on danmarkshistorien.dk in Danish. It is read by editor of nordics.info, Nicola Witcombe. You can read the article in English here and in Danish here.#nordicsinfo #ReNEWHubSound credits from freesound.org including Flock of seagulls.wav by juskiddink and bricks hitting by Robinhood76.

Hot topics in current academic research on the Nordic region today include welfare, colonialism and heterogeneity. These – as well as a host of other issues - form the content of this podcast, the last in the series ‘The Nordics Uncovered: Critical Voices from the Region'. Editor of nordics.info, Nicola Witcombe, is joined by Mary Hilson Professor of History at Aarhus University in Denmark and  Peter Stadius Research Director at the Centre for Nordic Studies at Helsinki University. Their conversation also takes in: Traditional histories versus new perspectives.A Europe of Regions e.g. the Oresund.The rise of nationalism.Finnish colonialism.Find out more on nordics.info.Sound credits from freesound.org including "Noir" Reel by Hainbach by makenoisemusic, loneliness by rashta and The Plan - Upbeat Loop by ispeakwaves.

Listen to this podcast if you are interested in how Sweden's policymaking successes and failures since the Cold War have been perceived domestically and outside the region, including: Sweden's early involvement in humanitarianism;The ‘utopian trap';Sweden-bashing;Perspectives on social engineering. Carl Marklund is a researcher and Research Director at the Institute of Contemporary History at Södertörn University,  and he talks to Nicola Witcombe, editor of nordics.info. This is the tenth virtual visit around the Nordic countries in the podcast series 'The Nordics Uncovered: Critical Voices from the Region' and was recorded in May 2021.Find out more on nordics.info.

Listen to this podcast if you are interested in: Women's role in business from around 1900 to today.The Norwegian gender quota system on business boards.Why we should question our love of ‘quick fix' global indexes which often place the Nordics at the top. The fact that there is usually a host of other political reasons for gender-positive action that have nothing to do with equality.Eirinn Larsen, Professor in History at the Department of Archaeology, Conservation and History at the University of Oslo, and editor of Gender Equality and Nation Branding in the Nordic Region , helps editor of nordics.info Nicola Witcombe understand why and how gender is used as a tool for branding the Nordics. This is the ninth virtual visit around the Nordic countries in the podcast series 'The Nordics Uncovered: Critical Voices from the Region' and was recorded in May 2021.Find out more on nordics.info.

This nordics.info podcast will be about the practicalities of history-making and how commercial and non-commercial organisations use history to sell tickets or a particular version of the past.Listen to this podcast if you want to hear more about:What role do museums play?The specific heritage portrayed by country houses in and outside the Nordics.What we forget is just as important as what we remember: mobilising the past for the future.The tradition for folk and open air museums in the Nordics.How can negative histories be useful?Tourism and national heritage: The Little Mermaid.What are the responsibilities of commercial and non-commercial history-makers?The editor of nordics.info and Danish history student Vibeke Sandager Rønnedal interview two historians from Aarhus University and the Danish Centre for Urban History.Find out more on nordics.info. Sounds from freesound.org including All I Did Was Wait For You by kjartan_abel and Scene Change Music by dominictreis.

Listen to this podcast if you are interested in finding out more about:Minorities in Finland;Myths  of homogeneity in the Nordics;The politicising and categorising of minorities and migrants; History-writing.Miika Tervonen, Senior Research Fellow at the Migration Institute of Finland and Docent at the Centre for Nordic Studies at the University of Helsinki, helps editor of nordics.info Nicola Witcombe examine these issues, challenging commonly held assumptions about state, homogeneity and migration.Learn more about the peoples, historians and other things mentioned this podcast by going to nordics.info. This is the eighth virtual visit around the Nordic countries in the podcast series 'The Nordics Uncovered: Critical Voices from the Region'. Sounds from freesound.org including big_lorry_engine.aif by jacobsteel.

Listen to this podcast if you want to hear more about:Memory studies.Why is our relationship with the past so important for society?How do we deal with different versions of the past?Scandinavian memory culture: the dangers of complacency.The editor of nordics.info and Danish history student Vibeke Sandager Rønnedal interview two historians from Aarhus University and the Danish Centre for Urban History.Read more about the podcast and what is mentioned in it by going to nordics.info. Sounds from freesound.org including All I Did Was Wait For You by kjartan_abel and Scene Change Music by dominictreis.

Listen to this nordics.info podcast if you are interested in finding out more about:The traits of the Nordic Model;Examples of policy successes and policy challenges in the Nordics;The relationship between the Nordics and the EU;The provision of universal services, like early years childcare in Denmark and Sweden.Editor of nordics.info Nicola Witcombe interviews Caroline de la Porte, a European political economist and Professor at the Department of International Economics, Government and Business at Copenhagen Business School. This is the seventh virtual visit around the Nordic countries in the podcast series 'The Nordics Uncovered: Critical Voices from the Region' and was recorded in April 2021.

Listen to this podcast if you are interested in :How a collective mindset has been discernable in Denmark and the Nordic countries at points in history – and whether this still applies today;Mass education in the nineteenth century in Denmark and greater emphasis on vocational training;Labour market relations;Neoliberalism and threats to collectivism.Join the editor of nordics.info, Nicola Witcombe, on her sixth virtual visit around the Nordic countries in the podcast series 'The Nordics Uncovered: Critical Voices from the Region'. Cathie and Nicola spoke over Zoom in March 2021.Sound credits : freesound.org, including Lapping Waves.wav by Benboncan, and Short dance by szegvari.Visit nordics.info for more information on this podcast.

The interplay between popular culture and the 'real' world is an interesting one: Can cultural products really have an effect on geopolitics? And can geopolitical actors learn from them? Robert Saunders thinks so. He is Professor in the Department of History, Politics and Geography the State University of New York and is interviewed by editor of nordics.info Nicola Witcombe. Find out more about how TV can be a tool in explaining geopolitics and historical events; and, how it is experimental ground for imagining how to deal with the uncertainty of future events, including relationships between countries and regions – and pandemics! Sound credits: freesound.org e.g. bigmanjoe (Suspenceful Creepy Music.wav).Visit nordics.info for more information on the works mentioned in the podcast!

Listen to this podcast if you want to hear more about:The North Atlantic Islands of Greenland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands;Denmark-Norway colonialism in the modern-day Caribbean and Ghana and its legacies;The Greenlandic flag, 'Erfalasorput', and how it is used to respond to the Danish flag, the 'Dannebrog';Contemporary cultural and political debates on racism, including about: Is Scandinavian ‘colourblindness' a good thing?;Breaking down the perception of the Nordics as innocent or exceptional.Join the editor of nordics.info, Nicola Witcombe on her fifth virtual visit around the Nordic countries in the podcast series The Nordics Uncovered: Critical Voices from the Region. The sixth in the series is with  Cathie Jo Martin, Professor in Political Science at the Boston University.More information about the podcast can be found on nordics.info.Sound credits : freesound.org, including Lapping Waves.wav by Benboncan, and Short dance by szegvari.

Listen to this nordics.info podcast on the social, political and literary movement from around 1870 to 1900 in Scandinavia! Dubbed the Modern Breakthrough, it was a backlash against conservatism, both culturally and politically, and led to countless challenging and fascinating pieces of fictional and non-fictional literature and art. Authors were like celebrities, propounding social justice for the poor, emancipation and rights for women, taking up naturalist ideas post-Darwin, and kicking against the overriding religion. Spoiler alert!: If you listen to this podcast, several endings of famous Scandinavian novels will be disclosed!Sound credits from freesound.org including oboe horn tune & audience r.aif by IEDlabs and Historical Museum lounge area ambience.wav by Halfofthesky.  

Listen to this podcast if you are interested in finding out more about:Contemporary Icelandic literature to read in English translation;Currents in Icelandic and Nordic literature on rewriting the past;The exoticising of Iceland and the North; and,Nordic noir as a category in literature and film.Join the editor of nordics.info, Nicola Witcombe on her fourth virtual visit around the Nordic countries in the podcast series The Nordics Uncovered: Critical Voices from the Region. Gunnþórunn and Nicola spoke on 24th February 2021 when they were frequently interrupted by earthquakes.The 5th in the series is with  Lill-Ann Körber, Professor at the School of Communication and Culture, Aarhus University in Denmark about Nordic postcolonialism, amongst other things.Find out more on nordics.info. Sound credits : freesound.org.  

Children being exposed to a certain level of risk is not always seen as a bad thing in the Nordics; exposure can give children the tools to deal with risk and help them to become resilient and independent. The attitude of caregivers, teachers and children in the Nordics to online risk also reflects this approach - while elsewhere in the world a more stringent view is often taken. How we tackle children's online lives and behaviours is rather complex and is influenced by the cultural norms of where you live, the role of schools, as well as how policymakers and classification institutions decide to regulate in the area.This podcast addresses everything to do with children's online behaviour, taking Norway and a range of other Nordic and non-Nordic countries as examples. On the way, it answers the following questions: - Is screen time harmful per se? - How do we protect children from online harm? - How has Covid-19 and online teaching affected children's online lives? - And what approaches are prevalent in the Nordic countries?Join the editor of nordics.info, Nicola Witcombe, on her virtual visit around the Nordic countries, this time to Elisabeth Staksrud, Professor in the Department of Media and Communication at the University of Oslo to discover the answer to these questions. This podcast was recorded in February 2021 and is the third in the series: The Nordics Uncovered: Critical Voices from the Region. The fourth in the series is an interview with      Gunnþórunn Guðmundsdóttir, Professor in the Department of Comparative Literature at the University of Iceland. She will be talking about Icelandic literature, Nordic Noir and how writers and cultural commentators frame the past - and how they help people to digest global crises. Sound credits from freesound.org including mechanical keyboard sound by TolerableDruid6. 

This podcast tackles a wide-range of factors about the educational systems of the Nordic countries, focusing primarily on Sweden and comparisons with Finland. On the way, it answers the following questions: Why does the Finnish education system have such a good reputation around the world? After decades of reform, is the Swedish education system in crisis? How does decision-making and the politics around education in Finland and Sweden differ and how is it similar?  What role do schools and teachers play in the creation of our 'mental maps'? A term usually used by cultural geographers, mental maps encompass many different dimensions of our world view: from an awareness of our country and region's place in the world, to our view of history and where we sit on an imaginary timeline.How is all of this influenced by national politicians and institutional systems, and even the international dimension? Join the editor of nordics.info, Nicola Witcombe, on her virtual visit around the Nordic countries, this time to Janne Holmén, Associate Professor in the Department of Education at Uppsala University to discover the answer to these questions. Janne is from the Åland Islands and this has influenced his research interests. This podcast was recorded in February 2021 and is the second in the series: The Nordics Uncovered: Critical Voices from the Region. The third in the series is an interview with Elisabeth Staksrud, Professor in the Department of Education and Media at Oslo University in Norway. She will be talking about childhood in the Nordics and the online lives of children and young people. Sound credits from freesound.org including school break noise outdoor.wav by Libra222.

This is extra material on the The Nordics and Small State Theory  from the nordics.info podcast with Janne Holmén, 'Sweden: Uncovering Nordic Education and Society with Janne Holmén' from February 2021.