Our World, Connected

What role can education play in times of war, displacement, and uncertainty? And how can schools and universities provide not just learning, but hope, courage, and resilience for communities in crisis?In this bonus episode of Our World, Connected, host Christine Wilson reflects on her conversation with Professor ‘Funmi Olonisakin, Vice President at King’s College London and founder of the African Leadership Centre. Drawing on her own experiences of conflict in Nigeria and her career at the UN, ‘Funmi shares why she sees education as central to rebuilding societies — from restoring institutions after war, to forging equitable partnerships that transcend borders.We also hear from Nigerian activist Wadi Ben-Hirki, who has spent nearly a decade advocating for marginalised girls, and from Dr Koula Charitonos of the Open University, who explores how EdTech can offer opportunities for refugees, but also how it has the potential to exacerbateinequalities, and most fundamentally, to lose that human aspect of education.Together, these voices reveal how, even in the face of violence and instability, education can act as a lifeline — shaping futures, strengthening communities, and creating the possibility of lasting peace.Listen to Our World, Connected, brought to you by the British Council. Subscribe and follow for more global stories on culture, connection, and the power of education.Additional Resources and Links:Episode 8 Season 1 | Culture and education: Seeds of hope in times of conflicthttps://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/our-world-connected-podcast/culture-education-hope Teaching for peace - British Councilhttps://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/teaching-for-peaceTransnational education: students from conflict-affected regions opting for UK universitieshttps://www.britishcouncil.org/about/press/students-conflict-affected-regions-opting-uk-universities International higher education partnerships and the Sustainable Development GoalsInternational higher education partnerships and the Sustainable Development Goals | British CouncilResearch in the midst of conflict: New perspectives on peacebuilding in Sudan and Ethiopiahttps://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/research-in-conflict Follow British Council Research and Insight:Newsletter - https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/subscribe Twitter - https://twitter.com/InsightBritish Website - https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight

What does it mean to tell stories through the spaces we live in? And how can architecture be a source of memory and repair?In this bonus episode of Our World, Connected, host Christine Wilson revisits a powerful conversation with Kabage Karanja, architect, researcher, and co-founder of Nairobi-based design studio Cave_bureau.A leading voice in rethinking architecture through the lens of ecology, memory, and justice, Kabage shares his reflections on vernacular architecture, the legacy of British colonialism, and the importance of caves as spaces of cultural knowledge. His work, including the groundbreaking UK-Kenya collaboration Geology of Britannic Repair, exhibited at the Venice Architecture Biennale, asks urgent questions about how we live, what we build, and what we choose to remember.Christine also draws on insights from other voices featured in Season 2 — including artist Rosie Olang’ Odhiambo and filmmaker Noé Mendelle — to explore how storytelling takes many forms, from exhibitions and documentaries to the natural world around us. Together, these creative practitioners show how the stories we choose to tell can become tools for connection, repair, and collective healing.Listen to Our World, Connected, brought to you by the British Council. Subscribe and follow for more thought-provoking conversations on culture, communication, and the power of storytelling.Additional Resources & Links:Digital Cultural Heritage: Imagination, innovation and opportunityhttps://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/digital-cultural-heritageUK Arts, Culture and Young People: Innovative practice and trendshttps://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/UK-arts-young-peopleOFF/TRACK Collective: Imagining New forms of Cultural Productionhttps://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/new-cultural-productionFocus on Ukraine – Supporting Decolonisation in Museumshttps://arts.britishcouncil.org/resources/focus-ukraine-supporting-decolonisation-museumsFollow British Council Research and Insight:Newsletter - https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/subscribe Twitter - https://twitter.com/InsightBritish Website - https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight

Join Beeban Kidron, a crossbench peer and founder of the 5Rights Foundation, as she dives into the urgent need for better technology design for young users. She discusses the responsibilities of governments and tech companies in ensuring online safety. The conversation touches on global efforts like the UK's age-appropriate design code aimed at protecting children. Kidron emphasizes the importance of empowering youth with education that promotes healthy tech interactions, challenging the status quo of corporate influence in digital landscapes.

How do we really listen — to each other, and to the world around us?In this final episode of season two, host Christine Wilson explores the practice of deep listening — a powerful communication method rooted in empathy, openness, and the desire to understand across divides.Christine is joined by journalist, media executive and author Emily Kasriel, who developed the Deep Listening methodology. Drawing on her work from across news, conflict resolution and academia, Emily’s new book Deep Listening: Transform Your Relationships with Family, Friends, and Foes offers a practical guide to navigating disagreement and building connection in a noisy, polarised world.We also hear from Hawraa Ghandour, an English teacher, educational trainer and founder of Media Literacy Lebanon. Hawraa took part in the BBC and British Council’s Crossing Divides deep listening project in Lebanon, an experience that continues to shape her work with students and communities, using media and dialogue to foster understanding.Together, Emily and Hawraa reflect on the challenges of truly hearing another’s perspectives, and how slowing down, staying curious, and practising empathy, can create the space we need to leave aside our assumptions and bring about positive change.Listen to Our World, Connected, brought to you by the British Council. Subscribe and follow for more thought-provoking conversations on culture, communication, and the power of education.Additional Resources & Links:Deep Listening: A Transformative Experience - By Tiba Khalifa, 90 Youth Voices Participant, British Councilhttps://www.britishcouncil.org/voices-magazine/deep-listening-transformative-experienceDeep listening as an approach to tackle polarisationhttps://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/deep-listening-approach-tackle-polarisationCrossing Divides with Deep Listening for BBC100https://www.bbc.com/news/world-61984236Follow British Council Research and Insight:Newsletter – https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/subscribe Twitter – https://twitter.com/InsightBritish Website – https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight

What does the future hold for the English language? And how is technology transforming the way we speak, write and connect across borders?In this episode of Our World, Connected, host Christine Wilson explores how digital culture is reshaping the English language, from the rise of internet slang to the impact of AI, social media, and globalisation on how we communicate.Christine is joined by renowned linguist and author David Crystal, one of the world’s leading experts on the English language. With more than 100 books to his name – including the landmark Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language – David reflects on how English has evolved over centuries, and what its future might look like in an increasingly digital world.We also hear from César Bizetto, an English teacher, teacher trainer, and academic director based in São Paulo. With over 20 years of classroom experience, César shares how English language instruction has changed in Brazil, and why he believes teaching English is about more than grammar, it’s about opening doors.Together, David and César explore how English is shifting across contexts, continents, and generations, and what that means for education, culture, and connection.Listen to Our World, Connected, brought to you by the British Council. Subscribe and follow for more global stories on culture, connection, and the power of education.Additional Resources & Links:The Future of English research programme: https://www.britishcouncil.org/future-of-english The Future of English: in conversation with David Crystal (March 2025) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64HRT797Lsc Follow British Council Research and Insight:Newsletter – https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/subscribe Twitter – https://twitter.com/InsightBritish Website - https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight

When girls are educated, communities thrive – but how do we make that a global reality in the digital age?In this episode of Our World, Connected, host Christine Wilson explores the urgent issue of girls’ education in a rapidly changing world – where access to schooling, digital literacy, and life skills can transform futures and communities.Christine speaks with Wadi Ben-Hirki, a Nigerian activist and founder of the Wadi Ben-Hirki Foundation, who has spent nearly a decade advocating for marginalised girls across Nigeria. From addressing early marriage to supporting school re-entry, Wadi shares how her youth-led organisation empowers young women through education, equality, and opportunity.We also hear from Diana, an EDGE trainer working under a pseudonym in Myanmar, who was inspired by her mother to pursue a career in education. Through the British Council’s English and Digital for Girls’ Education programme (EDGE), Diana teaches English, life skills and digital literacy to girls from displaced and marginalised communities – helping them rebuild confidence and resilience in the face of conflict and multiple crises.Together, Wadi and Diana reflect on the power of education to reshape not only individual lives, but entire societies, and what it takes to make that vision a reality.Listen to Our World, Connected, brought to you by the British Council. Subscribe and follow for more global stories on culture, connection, and the power of education.Additional Resources & Links:The Wadi Ben-Hirki Foundationhttps://www.instagram.com/wadibenhirkifoundation/EDGE Programmehttps://www.britishcouncil.org/english-assessment/english-programmes/english-language-empowerment/english-digital-girls-educationSchools Connect report: Status of Gender Responsive Inclusive School Practiceshttps://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/status-gender-responsive-inclusive-school-practices-ethiopian-primary-schools-focusSchools Connect report: Creating more inclusive schoolinghttps://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/creating-more-inclusive-schooling Schools Connect report: Barriers to girls’ education – A synthesis of British Council research in Africahttps://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/schools-connect-barriers-girls-education Follow British Council Research and Insight:Newsletter – https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/subscribe Twitter – https://twitter.com/InsightBritish Website - https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight

Can art be a tool for repair? And what happens when exhibitions themselves move across borders?In this episode of Our World, Connected, host Christine Wilson dives into the relationship between art, architecture, and place — and how both disciplines are being used to challenge colonial narratives, spark dialogue, and imagine alternative futures.Christine is joined by writer, artist and curator Rosie Olang’ Odhiambo, who speaks about her collaborative, cross-disciplinary practice and her recent exhibition, In Transit: Under Another Sky, which she co-curated with E.N. Mirembe. First shown in Kampala and Nairobi, and soon opening at the Africa Centre in London, the exhibition weaves together sound, image, and text to explore transience, marginal identities, and shifting geographies.We also hear from Kabage Karanja, an architect and co-founder of Nairobi’s cave_bureau. Speaking from the British Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale, Kabage reflects on using caves as sites of cultural memory and of decolonial storytelling and his bold vision for architecture as a force of geological repair.Together, Rosie and Kabage explore what it means to tell stories of place, migration, and resistance — and how visual arts and architecture can both reflect and reshape the world we live in.Listen to Our World, Connected, brought to you by the British Council. Subscribe and follow for more thought-provoking discussions on culture, connection, and the power of education.Additional Resources & Links:British Council Artshttps://arts.britishcouncil.org/UK at the Venice Biennalehttps://venicebiennale.britishcouncil.org/cave_bureauhttps://www.cave.co.ke/Follow British Council Research and Insight:Newsletter – https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/subscribe Twitter – https://twitter.com/InsightBritish Website - https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight

What are the benefits — and the ethical challenges — of relying on EdTech in crisis environments? Can technology offer true educational equality when access is still uneven?For many children around the world, the start of the learning day is marked not by the opening of a classroom door, but of a laptop. As education increasingly moves online, technology has become both a bridge and a barrier — especially for young learners living through conflict.In this episode of Our World, Connected, we explore the transformative role of educational technology in some of the world's most challenging environments. With millions of children living in conflict zones today—almost double the number from just a few decades ago—access to education has taken on new urgency and new forms. Host Christine Wilson speaks with Dr. Koula Charitonos, Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Educational Technology at the Open University, to unpack the promises, limitations, and ethical complexities of EdTech, particularly for learners facing extraordinary hardships.We also hear from Olga Pavlenko, a senior teacher and teacher trainer based in Kyiv, Ukraine, who shares her first-hand experiences teaching through a full-scale invasion — and how technology became her students' lifeline to learning. Together, Olga and Koula unpack the realities of digital education in conflict zones and refugee camps, from resilience and connection to the risks of surveillance and digital colonialism.Listen to Our World, Connected, brought to you by the British Council. Subscribe and follow for more thought-provoking discussions on culture, connection, and the power of education.Additional Resources & Links:English and Empowermenthttps://www.britishcouncil.org/english-assessment/english-programmes/english-language-empowerment Supporting schools and teachers teaching refugee children https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/publications/case-studies-insights-and-research/supporting-schools-and-teachers-teaching-refugee Understanding Ukrainian young people’s current concerns, needs, and hopes: Looking ahead to a future rebuilding of Ukrainehttps://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/concerns-needs-hopes-ukraine Understanding the effectiveness of professional development opportunities for teachers delivered remotelyhttps://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/publications/case-studies-insights-and-research/understanding-effectiveness-professional https://www.open.edu/openlearn/education-development/learning/the-open-sanctuary-hubFollow British Council Research and Insight:Newsletter – https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/subscribe Twitter – https://twitter.com/InsightBritish Website - https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight

How do we protect young people in a digital-first world? And who’s responsible for protecting kids online?From social media to AI, technology is evolving faster than policy, and young people are at the center of this digital revolution. While the internet offers incredible opportunities for learning, creativity, and connection, it also exposes children to risks that we are still learning to navigate. So how can we ensure young people develop the digital skills they need, whilst staying safe online?In this episode of Our World, Connected, host Christine Wilson delves into the complexities of growing up in an era of screen ubiquity. She is joined by Baroness Beeban Kidron, a leading advocate for children’s digital rights, crossbench peer in the House of Lords, and founder of the 5Rights Foundation. Together, they explore the urgent need for digital regulation, the responsibilities of governments and tech companies, and the impact of online platforms on young people’s well-being.We also hear from 17-year-old Nicole Valeria Ruiz Valencia, a data engineering and AI student from Colombia. Nicole shares how coding transformed her perspective on the world, empowering her to solve real-world problems. But she also reflects on the dangers of the digital sphere and the importance of awareness in navigating online spaces safely.Listen to Our World, Connected, brought to you by the British Council. Subscribe and follow for more thought-provoking discussions on culture, connection, and the power of education.Additional Resources & Links:Digital cultural relations: a pathway to trust? https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/digital-cultural-relations-pathway-trustSkills for inclusive digital participation: https://www.britishcouncil.org/education/non-formal-education/current-programmes/skills-inclusive-digital-participation5Rights Foundation: https://5rightsfoundation.com/about-us/ What is the Colombia Programme? - https://mintic.gov.co/colombiaprograma/847/w3-propertyvalue-916000.htmlFollow British Council Research and Insight:Newsletter – https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/subscribe Twitter – https://twitter.com/InsightBritish Website - https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight

How do international education and research shape global relationships? And why do countries invest in knowledge diplomacy?From pioneering scientific collaborations to cross-border academic partnerships, the exchange of knowledge has long been a bridge between nations. But beyond the benefits for students and universities, how does knowledge diplomacy serve national interests, foster trust, and enhance global influence?In this episode of Our World, Connected, host Christine Wilson explores how international higher education, research, and innovation contribute to diplomacy and soft power. How do universities balance national and global interests? And what role do researchers play in shaping how nations are perceived on the world stage?Christine is joined by Professor ‘Funmi Olonisakin, Vice President of International, Engagement and Service at King’s College London, and founding Director of the African Leadership Centre. With a career dedicated to peace, leadership, and global collaboration, ‘Funmi shares her insights on the intersection of education and international cooperation, the importance of public-facing research, and the future of inclusive and impactful partnerships.We also hear from hydrologist and environmental engineer Saumya Srivastava, a current British Council Women in STEM Postdoctoral Fellow at Imperial College London. Saumya shares her journey from India to the UK, her work in water system modelling, and how international academic mobility has shaped her confidence, collaborations, and perspective on knowledge diplomacy.Listen to Our World, Connected, brought to you by the British Council. Subscribe and follow for more thought-provoking discussions on culture, connection, and the power of education.https://www.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/kno.pdfhttps://www.britishcouncil.org/education/he-science/our-work/higher-education-partnerships https://www.africanleadershipcentre.org/Follow British Council Research and Insight: Newsletter – https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/subscribe Twitter – https://twitter.com/InsightBritish Additional Resources & Links:Website - https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight