The Tallinn University Podcast

We're back - and there is so much to catch up on. We're beginning season 4 with some updates on important conversations we began in previous seasons. In this episode, we welcome ba...

In our annual Pride episode, comedian and TLU alumni Jana Levitina joins our host Terry McDonald to discuss the role humour plays in activism. Jana has co-founded a FLINTA (female,...

The reconstruction of Ukraine is going to be one of the biggest international development projects in history. Many partners - governments, NGOs, and in the private sector - will h...

In our annual Green Month episode, our host Terry McDonald speaks with Dr. Bianka Plüschke-Altof,  a Senior researcher in Environmental Sociology at Tallinn University. They discus...

This week Georgians and those sympathetic to them protested outside the Georgian embassy in Tallinn. They did so in solidarity with the massive protests in Tbilisi - Georgia's capi...

In this special episode, Prime Minister of Estonia Kaja Kallas joins our Host Terry McDonald live at the Tallinn University Symposium of International Relations. In a wide-ranging ...

More than 40 000 deaths, and 100 000 injured - the earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria this month is a humanitarian catastrophe. In its aftermath, there lays not only destruction,...

Christmas traditions in Estonia can be traced back many centuries ago, with the first ever documented Chrimstas tree being put on display in Europe found in Estonia over 600 years ...

According to the data of the Social Insurance Board, as of December 31, 2021, Estonia had a total of 133,007 disabled people. Disabled people make up nearly 11% of Estonia’s total ...

The COP27 summit is grappling with how we can face the challenge of climate change in a way that is both effective and just. Tallinn University graduate Jyri Jäntti, a Climate Chan...

With Iran being rocked by protests, the world has taken notice. From record-breaking online support, to women cutting off their hair, to human chains and solidarity marches, people...

In our final episode of season two, host Terry McDonald is joined by Anette Mäletjärv, Cooperation Officer in the Estonian LGBT Association, to discuss the history of the LGBTQ+ mo...

From claims like "Made with recycled products" to pictures of a rainforest on the label, the image of environmentalism is everywhere in advertising today. Similarly, more consumers...

The arts have been essential to the survival of Estonian culture, through various occupations, up through the Singing Revolution, and in the revitalization of independence. Now, on...

Social Media and the rights and responsibilities that come with it shape so much of our world - politics, relationships, war and peace.  How can we have democracy in a world where ...

Hacking. Cybercrime. Cyberwarfare. It cuts to the heart of modern life, and the essential functions of modern society. Now, as one of the major players in cyberwarfare engages in t...

Pandemics. Climate change. Refugee crises. The problems we face in the era of globalization run deep. Despite layers of governance and a plethora of expertise, there are modern pro...

With the invasion of Ukraine underway, we invited Dr. Matthew Crandall and Dr. Benjamin Klasche back on the podcast to speak with Terry about why Russia would do this, and what it ...

Half a world apart geographically, close partners in culture, economy, and security - in this episode we discuss the relationship between Canada and Estonia.  Estonian Ambassador t...

The year 2021 saw an unprecedented surge in energy prices in Europe, with the retail price of electricity almost tripling in Estonia within a year. Why has this happened, and what ...

Russian troops are amassed near the Ukrainian border, in an escalation of the crisis that has been building since the invasion of 2014. Just yesterday, Putin and Biden exchanged ul...

A border crisis by design on the edge of the European Union. Migrating people's desire for a better life being used as weapon to destabilize a political rival. Who are these people...

Estonia is a world-leader in education. For example, in 2018 Estonian 15 year-olds had the highest scores in Europe in the OECD's PISA tests - the best standardized measurement of ...

Major powers have been using Covid vaccines - and the desire other states have for access to them - to buy allies and enhance their global reputations. Russia, China, the USA, and ...

Do you know what bees mean to society, and what you can do to help them thrive? Dr. Liisa Puusepp of the Tallinn University Institute of Ecology joins us to talk about how bees mad...

How did Estonia succeed in building a lasting democracy, while Belarus still fights for one? Our guests Dr. Leif Kalev (Professor of State and Citizenship Theory - TLU) and Belarus...

A conversation with former US Ambassador to Russia Prof. Michael McFaul. We discuss changes in US foreign policy in the region from Prof. McFaul's time in the Obama administration,...

In our inaugural episode, we meet with the former President of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, and discuss the role of Estonia in the wider world, along with some of his personal hi...