Best FCEE Podcasts (2025)

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Peter Vermeersch on the creative fight for freedom in Belarus and beyond 22:30

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13d ago22:30

22:30

The final episode of this academic year revolves around the story of a group of Belarusian musicians caught in the violent crackdown on dissent. Slavic studies scholar Hanna Stähle speaks with political scientist Peter Vermeersch about his new book Pulse (Polsslag), a compelling chronicle (and musical history) of the 2020 Belarusian pro-democracy p…

1
Oksana Dudko on the War’s Impact on Ukrainian and East European Studies 16:45

24d ago16:45

16:45

In this episode of Studio Central and Eastern Europe, Oksana Dudko discusses how Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has broadened the field of Ukrainian studies in the West. In conversation with Maryna Shevtsova, a senior FWO postdoctoral researcher in political studies at KU Leuven, they explore how the war has deepened scholarly engagement a…

1
Behind the Glitter: Eurovision's Identity Crisis 23:00

2M ago23:00

23:00

Uniting Europe or dividing it? A celebration of LGBTQ+ identity or a stage for homophobia? A voice for peace or a platform for political contestations? In the wake of the latest Eurovision edition, KU Leuven academics Maryna Shevtsova (political science) and Jonas Vanderschueren (cultural studies) reflect on the deepening cracks in Eurovision’s ide…

1
Camp Diplomacy: Maryna Shevtsova on the Politics and Power of Eurovision 21:40

2M ago21:40

21:40

Each May, the dazzling and often divisive Eurovision song contest stirs up a whirlwind of fans, deep emotions, and fierce debates. Ahead of this year’s edition, political scientists Maryna Shevtsova and Peter Vermeersch delve into the social and political undercurrents of Eurovision — and its future. A lifelong fan with a sharp analytical lens, Mar…

1
Emilia Kledzik on the Appropriation of Papusza’s Voice and the Stereotyping of Romani Poetry 21:45

3M ago21:45

21:45

In this episode of Studio Central and Eastern Europe, we dive into the powerful intersection of literature, myth, and minority narratives in postwar Poland. Our guest is Prof. Emilia Kledzik, a literary scholar from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, whose groundbreaking book The Poet’s Perspective: Jerzy Ficowski’s Romani Studies explores the r…

1
Ria Laenen Offers a Non-Eurocentric View on the Unraveling World Order and Europe’s Misjudgment of Putin 20:20

4M ago20:20

20:20

In this episode, Ria Laenen discusses her recently published and already widely acclaimed book on the history of global politics since World War II, Een heel klein beetje vrede (A Tiny Bit of Peace). She answers questions from Lien Verpoest, professor of the history of international relations at KU Leuven, about whether we are witnessing a major hi…

1
The Revival of Soviet-Era Denunciations in Putin’s Russia and Its Lessons for Contemporary Europe 36:20

5M ago36:20

36:20

This podcast is an edited recording of the conversation, in which we explored the resurgence of Soviet-era citizen denunciations in Vladimir Putin’s Russia, a practice once central to Stalinist repression. Russian anthropologist Alexandra Arkhipova, who both studied and experienced this phenomenon, shared how she was reported to authorities seven t…

1
Oliver Reisner on Stalin, Memory, and Georgian Identity 21:30

5M ago21:30

21:30

- In this episode of Studio Central and Eastern Europe, Oliver Reisner, a professor of Caucasian studies at Ilia University in Tbilisi, discusses the historical process of national identity construction in Georgia and the challenges Georgians face in reckoning with the memory of Stalin and their communist past. In his interview with historian Alben…

1
Guardians of Heritage: Elzbieta Olzacka on Protecting Ukraine's Cultural Legacy During War 19:08

6M ago19:08

19:08

Join us for a compelling conversation with Dr. Elżbieta Olzacka, Assistant Professor at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, as she sheds light on the emotional and challenging experiences of museum workers striving to safeguard Ukraine’s cultural heritage amidst the ravages of war. In this episode of Studio Central and Eastern Europe, Dr. Olzack…

1
Kateryna Dysa on Witch Trials, Imperial Narratives, and Kyiv in Western Eyes 16:48

7M ago16:48

16:48

Were witches in medieval Ukraine prosecuted in the same way as in Western Europe? How did Russian imperial interests shape Kyiv’s international image between the late eighteenth and the early twentieth century, and did Western travelers accept or challenge these portrayals of the city? In this episode of Studio Central Europe, Kateryna Dysa, a hist…

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Ketevan Gurchiani: How urban infrastructure reflects belief systems and the Soviet Legacy in Georgian Religious Practices 20:40

8M ago20:40

20:40

In this podcast, Albena Shkodrova, a historian at KU Leuven, speaks with Ketevan Gurchiani, a Georgian anthropologist from Ilia University in Tbilisi, about the concept of the city as an urban assemblage. Gurchiani shares her research insights into how the Soviet-era legacy of "camouflaging" and "doing as if" shapes contemporary religious practices…

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Monumental Choices: Memory, Security, and Community in Estonia 19:43

8M ago19:43

19:43

In this episode, host Maryna Shevtsova, senior FWO researcher at KU Leuven, sits down with Alexandra Yatsyk, a researcher at the University of Lille, to explore the complex intersections of history, identity, and politics in Estonia’s public spaces. Since the start of Russia's war in Ukraine in 2022, Soviet-era monuments in Estonia have come under …

1
After the After: (Re)imagining Holocaust Testimonies as Poetry 40:21

8M ago40:21

40:21

This podcast features a lecture by Piotr Florczyk, poet, essayist, translator, and professor at the University of Washington in Seattle, on the poetry of witness. This form of poetic expression testifies to extreme historical and social events—war, political persecution, exile, and even the horrors of torture and censorship. In his talk, delivered …

1
Lien Verpoest on how Russia's war in Ukraine raises the significance of heritage, fuelling both its destruction and reconstruction 20:00

8M ago20:00

20:00

In this episode, Lien Verpoest, professor of Eastern European and diplomatic history at KU Leuven, examines why heritage has become a central issue in Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine. This topic recently took center stage at an international conference in Leuven, where representatives from 15 universities worldwide gathered to discuss EU heritage d…

1
Mirja Lecke on Russian Imperial Literature, Odesa’s Cosmopolitan Legacy, and Regensburg’s Unique Slavic and East European Studies Program 19:44

8M ago19:44

19:44

In this episode, Kris Van Heuckelom, Professor at KU Leuven, interviews Mirja Lecke, Chair of Slavic Literatures and Cultures at the University of Regensburg in Germany. They discuss Russian imperial literature’s portrayal of colonized territories like Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, and Ukraine—called "Western territories" to obscure their non-Russian…

1
A War for Europe’s Soul: Revisiting Carl Schmitt in the Age of Ukraine 22:37

9M ago22:37

22:37

Stefan Auer, Professor of European Studies at the University of Hong Kong, and Martin Kohlrausch, Professor of European Political History at KU Leuven, discuss the systemic obstacles that prevent the European Union from responding effectively to the war in Ukraine. In this intriguing, if not entirely optimistic conversation, the two academics exami…

1
Małgorzata Jędrzejczyk on Poland's Avant-Garde and its Place in 20th-Century Europe 20:00:00

9M ago20:00:00

20:00:00

Art historian and curator Małgorzata Jędrzejczyk delves into the lesser-known history of the Polish avant-garde in a conversation with Martin Kohlrausch, professor of Modern European Political History at KU Leuven. Together, they explore how Poland's intellectual and artistic elite perceived their place on the European map during the 20th century. …

1
Przemysław Czapliński on Polish Culture of the 1970s 1:11:00

9M ago1:11:00

1:11:00

In this podcast Przemysław Czapliński, a distinguished Professor of Polish Literature and author of numerous award-winning works, explores in a highly engaging way how the economic, political, and cultural crises of the 1970s shaped Polish prose. He focuses on writers Jerzy Andrzejewski, Tadeusz Konwicki, Marek Nowakowski and Kazimierz Brandys, exa…

1
Heleen Touquet on the challenges to research sexual violence against men 20:30

9M ago20:30

20:30

In this podcast, Olivera Simic interviews Heleen Touquet, one of the few researchers studying sexual violence against men in armed conflicts. Touquet, an associate professor at the University of Antwerp and an affiliated researcher at KU Leuven, has focused her work on the Western Balkans. In the interview, she discusses the taboo surrounding sexua…

1
Antonio Chemotti and David Burn on the Joy of Medieval Music Research in Central Europe 19:00

1y ago19:00

19:00

In this episode of Studio FCEE, Paul Kolb of the Alamire Music Research Foundation interviews two of KU Leuven's top musicologists. David Burn, head of the Early Music Research Group at KU Leuven, and Assistant Professor Antonio Chemotti discuss their passion for medieval music in Central Europe. They share their excitement about studying music boo…

1
Sabina Tanovic and Ilir Gashi on commemorations and post-war memories in the former Yugoslavia 48:45

1y ago48:45

48:45

In this podcast, Peter Vermeersch of KU Leuven talks with architect and scholar Sabina Tanović and awarded activist and storyteller Ilir Gashi how the painful memories of the 1990s Yugoslav wars are used in contemporary commemorations, what are their meanings and uses in today's Balkan societies. Dr. Sabina Tanović is an architect and researcher sp…

1
Anna Karpenko on how avant-garde artists who defied state borders are subjected to appropriation attempts 20:25

1y ago20:25

20:25

In this interview, KU Leuven history professor Martin Kohlrausch speaks with independent curator Anna Karpenko about the avant-garde movement between the East and the West. They discuss how avant-garde artists and architects endeavored to transcend borders and how their legacy is now subject to appropriation attempts, particularly in the post-Sovie…

1
Olivera Simic on the experience of interviewing war criminals and victims 21:00:00

1y ago21:00:00

21:00:00

Olivera Simic, an associate professor at Griffith University in Australia, discusses war criminals in the Balkans who escape justice and live undisturbed lives in neighboring countries. She also delves into her decision to write an entire book about Biljana Plavšić, the former President of Republika Srpska, who was later convicted of crimes against…

1
Amra Sabić-El-Rayess on the importance of storytelling and how war experience can help resilience to hatred 27:33

1y ago27:33

27:33

Can the experience of genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina help prevent radicalization of schoolchildren as far as the United States? According to Amra Sabić-El-Rayess, a writer and associated professor at the Columbia university, it can. For it shows that the very origin of hatred and radicalization is not some inherent badness in people, but their …

1
Jan Grzymski on voting as an act of asserting identity in Poland, and on his strategic game How to Win Brexit 24:30

1y ago24:30

24:30

In this episode of Studio FCEE, Polish political scientist Jan Grzymski offers an insightful analysis of Poland's post-election landscape. Following the defeat of the United Right alliance, a coalition of three parties, led by Donald Tusk, assumed power. Grzymski suggests that the previous government's conservative reforms polarized the electorate,…

1
Anna Matyska on the Ukrainian diaspora in Poland 21:58:00

1y ago21:58:00

21:58:00

Anthropologist Anna Matyska, a KU Leuven researcher who recently joined the team at Warsaw University, delves into her research on Ukrainian migrants in Poland. Her focus lies in understanding how war has reshaped the emotional and daily lives of long-term Ukrainian migrants in Poland and their ties to their homeland. Her work examines the emotiona…

1
Hear Our Voices: Tamara Martsenyuk on gender roles of men and alternative masculinity in Ukraine 10:00:00

1+ y ago10:00:00

10:00:00

Sociologist Tamara Martsenyuk speaks of how the war in Ukraine reshaped the gender roles of men. She dwells on the new forms of alternative masculinity, observed in the country. This study is featured in a chapter within the recently published edited volume "Feminist Perspectives on Russia's War in Ukraine: Hear Our Voices" (Lexington Books, 2024).…

1
Hear Our Voices: Katsiaryna Lozka on the female activism in support of Ukraine in Belarus 13:15:00

1+ y ago13:15:00

13:15:00

Katsiaryna Lozka, a PhD candidate in Political Science at Ghent University, presents her research on pro-Ukrainian female activism in Belarus. This study is featured in a chapter within the recently published edited volume "Feminist Perspectives on Russia's War in Ukraine: Hear Our Voices" (Lexington Books, 2024). Her presentation was recorded duri…

1
Hear Our Voices: Olena Strelnyk on how war in Ukraine changes the social ideas of femininity 13:23:00

1+ y ago13:23:00

13:23:00

Sociologist Olena Strelnyk shares insights from her research on the influence of the Ukrainian conflict on the societal construct of femininity. This study is featured in a chapter within the recently published edited volume "Feminist Perspectives on Russia's War in Ukraine: Hear Our Voices" (Lexington Books, 2024). Her presentation was recorded du…

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Maryna Shevtsova introduces Feminist Perspective on Russia's War in Ukraine: Hear Our Voices 10:21:00

1+ y ago10:21:00

10:21:00

Maryna Shevtsova, senior FWO researcher at KU Leuven, introduces the edited volume Feminist Perspective on Russia's War in Ukraine: Hear Our Voices, which was published in February 2024, and three of the authors. The recording was made during the 26 March event at KU Leuven.By FCEE - KU Leuven

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Chiara Bonfiglioli on women's activism and the Non-Aligned Movement during the Cold War 21:59:00

1+ y ago21:59:00

21:59:00

In this podcast, Chiara Bonfiglioli, associate professor in contemporary history at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, speaks of the women's movement in non-aligned countries during the Cold War. Interviewed by Ana Devic, a Marie Curie fellow at KU Leuven, Bonfiglioli shares narratives of cross-border friendship and vibrant energy, of resilience and…

1
Alexander Maxwell on nationalism in daily life in C19th Central Europe 21:31:00

1+ y ago21:31:00

21:31:00

Alexander Maxwell, professor at the University of Wellington, discusses his research on 'mustache patriotism' and nationalism in daily life, Pan-Slavism, and linguistic ideologies in 19th-century Central Europe during an interview hosted by Kris Van Heuckelom.By FCEE-KU Leuven

1
Debate: Art and War. Peter Vermeersch interviews Bjorn Geldhof and Kateryna Botanova 53:30:00

1+ y ago53:30:00

53:30:00

In this podcast, Peter Vermeersch from KU Leuven engages in a discussion with Bjorn Geldhof, the artistic director of the PinchukArtCentre in Kiev, and Kateryna Botanova, a prominent Ukrainian art critic. They explore how war both halted artistic expression and sparked a newfound drive to create art. The speakers pointed out that in Ukraine, cultur…

1
Artists’ Voices: Alevtina Kakhidze on being an artist in the Russian-Ukrainian war 9:05:00

1+ y ago9:05:00

9:05:00

In this concise podcast, Ukrainian artist Alevtina Kakhidze shares her thoughts on her journey of creating and safeguarding art amidst the adversity of war.By FCEE

FCEE Podcasts

1
Studio Central and Eastern Europe

fcee

1
Peter Vermeersch on the creative fight for freedom in Belarus and beyond 22:30

1
Oksana Dudko on the War’s Impact on Ukrainian and East European Studies 16:45

1
Behind the Glitter: Eurovision's Identity Crisis 23:00

1
Camp Diplomacy: Maryna Shevtsova on the Politics and Power of Eurovision 21:40

1
Emilia Kledzik on the Appropriation of Papusza’s Voice and the Stereotyping of Romani Poetry 21:45

1
Ria Laenen Offers a Non-Eurocentric View on the Unraveling World Order and Europe’s Misjudgment of Putin 20:20

1
The Revival of Soviet-Era Denunciations in Putin’s Russia and Its Lessons for Contemporary Europe 36:20

1
Oliver Reisner on Stalin, Memory, and Georgian Identity 21:30

1
Guardians of Heritage: Elzbieta Olzacka on Protecting Ukraine's Cultural Legacy During War 19:08

1
Kateryna Dysa on Witch Trials, Imperial Narratives, and Kyiv in Western Eyes 16:48

1
Ketevan Gurchiani: How urban infrastructure reflects belief systems and the Soviet Legacy in Georgian Religious Practices 20:40

1
Monumental Choices: Memory, Security, and Community in Estonia 19:43

1
After the After: (Re)imagining Holocaust Testimonies as Poetry 40:21

1
Lien Verpoest on how Russia's war in Ukraine raises the significance of heritage, fuelling both its destruction and reconstruction 20:00

1
Mirja Lecke on Russian Imperial Literature, Odesa’s Cosmopolitan Legacy, and Regensburg’s Unique Slavic and East European Studies Program 19:44

1
A War for Europe’s Soul: Revisiting Carl Schmitt in the Age of Ukraine 22:37

1
Małgorzata Jędrzejczyk on Poland's Avant-Garde and its Place in 20th-Century Europe 20:00:00

1
Przemysław Czapliński on Polish Culture of the 1970s 1:11:00

1
Heleen Touquet on the challenges to research sexual violence against men 20:30

1
Antonio Chemotti and David Burn on the Joy of Medieval Music Research in Central Europe 19:00

1
Sabina Tanovic and Ilir Gashi on commemorations and post-war memories in the former Yugoslavia 48:45

1
Anna Karpenko on how avant-garde artists who defied state borders are subjected to appropriation attempts 20:25

1
Olivera Simic on the experience of interviewing war criminals and victims 21:00:00

1
Amra Sabić-El-Rayess on the importance of storytelling and how war experience can help resilience to hatred 27:33

1
Jan Grzymski on voting as an act of asserting identity in Poland, and on his strategic game How to Win Brexit 24:30

1
Anna Matyska on the Ukrainian diaspora in Poland 21:58:00

1
Hear Our Voices: Tamara Martsenyuk on gender roles of men and alternative masculinity in Ukraine 10:00:00

1
Hear Our Voices: Katsiaryna Lozka on the female activism in support of Ukraine in Belarus 13:15:00

1
Hear Our Voices: Olena Strelnyk on how war in Ukraine changes the social ideas of femininity 13:23:00

1
Maryna Shevtsova introduces Feminist Perspective on Russia's War in Ukraine: Hear Our Voices 10:21:00

1
Chiara Bonfiglioli on women's activism and the Non-Aligned Movement during the Cold War 21:59:00

1
Alexander Maxwell on nationalism in daily life in C19th Central Europe 21:31:00

1
Debate: Art and War. Peter Vermeersch interviews Bjorn Geldhof and Kateryna Botanova 53:30:00

1
Artists’ Voices: Alevtina Kakhidze on being an artist in the Russian-Ukrainian war 9:05:00