Reimagining Soviet Georgia  cover image

Reimagining Soviet Georgia

Episode 1, Part II - Academic and Political Freedom in Georgia with Beka Natsvlishvili

Apr 27, 2021
Beka Natsvlishvili, professor and former MP in Georgia, discusses the use of anti-Soviet memory politics and its impact on political development. Topics include academic freedom, normalization of hostility towards differing viewpoints, challenges faced by academics, political culture, labeling young advocates as communists, and manipulation of anti-Soviet sentiments in Georgian politics.
01:01:16

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Teaching social science and discussing social policies in Georgia is challenging due to the restrictive environment that labels any mention of social issues as communism, hindering open dialogue and critical thinking.
  • The implementation of extreme neoliberal policies in Georgia, influenced by the Washington consensus, has resulted in skewed socioeconomic disparities and hindered the development of a coherent left or social political agenda.

Deep dives

Geopolitical module at DCU receives international criticism

The module in geopolitical conflicts at DCU has faced backlash from the Ukrainian and Georgian embassies, as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with accusations of brainwashing and Russian propaganda. Despite allocating 13 hours to Georgian perspectives and only one hour to a Russian scholar, the embassies and members of parliament condemn the intervention as unprecedented. The module's creator argues that the criticism raises questions about the balance of perspectives and the ability to present multiple sides. This incident highlights the challenges faced in creating a space for diverse thoughts and perspectives, even when they do not align with our personal beliefs.

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode