Dr. Gunjan Sharma, Dean of the International Affairs Division at Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University Delhi, looks at the internationalisation of higher education in India - and beyond - through the lens of equity. Instead of starting with rankings or student mobility, she starts with the structure of one of the world's largest higher education systems, a differentiated and unequal one shaped by rapid expansion and a strong private sector. As policy opens the door to foreign university campuses, she asks what problem internationalisation actually can solve and what it can mean for public higher education. Tune in to hear why equity has to be part of this conversation.

Dr. Rajshree Chanchal discusses how the concept of caste is transacted in higher education classrooms. Drawing on Ambedkar's analysis of caste, purity, and untouchability, she describes how students acknowledge caste in the curriculum yet hesitate to accept that discrimination persists, and how the topic of reservations quickly leads to blame. By inviting students to share their own experiences and to question familiar assumptions, she shows why speaking openly about caste can be liberating for students and teachers alike. Tune in to hear what this can mean for teacher education in India and beyond.

References

Ambedkar, B. R. (2014). Annihilation of caste: The annotated critical edition (S. Anand, Ed.). Navayana. (Original work published 1936)

Dr. Nivedita Sarkar examines shadow education: private, paid instruction outside school that mirrors the formal curriculum. Once a supplement at the margins of Indian education, tuition and, above all, commercial coaching have moved to the center, driven by distrust in schools and fierce competition for scarce university seats. Does this multi-billion-dollar industry level the playing field, or does it reproduce inequalities of caste, class, gender, and region? Dr. Sarkar's data show deep gaps in who can afford it. Tune in to hear what that means for the idea of merit and equity.

References

Bray, M. (1999). The shadow education system: Private tutoring and its implications for planners (Fundamentals of Educational Planning No. 61). UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning.

Dr. Neema Chaurasiya asks why gender, so central to who we are, is so often overlooked in everyday teacher education. Policies address it, but the classroom is shaped by teachers' daily choices, norms, and even silences. Using examples, she discusses how students reflect on their own stereotypes and on the family, peer, and societal contexts in which they developed their sense of gender. Knowing the theory, from Judith Butler's performativity to Simone de Beauvoir, is not enough, she argues: awareness has to show in practice.

References

Butler, J. (1990). Gender trouble: Feminism and the subversion of identity. Routledge.

de Beauvoir, S. (2010). The second sex (C. Borde & S. Malovany-Chevallier, Trans.). Alfred A. Knopf. (Original work published 1949)

Does creativity need to be limited to the creation of a product, or can it also be a state of mind? Professor Rekha Sharma Sen from Indira Gandhi National Open University reflects on the concept and describes it as a process, a flow, rather than an outcome. Drawing on Csikszentmihalyi's idea of flow and on the person-centered approach of Carl Rogers, she builds a broader understanding of the term, moving beyong its Euro-centric understanding and asks what it means for education. Tune in to rethink what it means to be creative.

The conversation invites us to ask whose ideas of creativity shape our classrooms, and what we gain by widening them.

References:

Sharma S., R., & Sharma, N. (2008). Unravelling the mystery of creativity. Researching families and children—culturally appropriate methods, 165-191.

Rogers, C. R. (1970). Towards a theory of creativity. In P. E. Vernon (Ed.), Creativity (pp. 137–151). Penguin Books.

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1994). The evolving self: A psychology for the third millennium. HarperPerennial.

Dr. Suhasini Kanwar from Healthy Planet Preschool, Wishtown, Noida, shares how an early years setting can become a genuine hub for families and the wider community. At the heart of Healthy Planet is a pedagogy of relationships, grounded in the belief that who we become is shaped through our relationships with others.

Tune in to discover how opening the doors of a preschool to families and generations can transform it from a place children attend into a shared community of learning, belonging and becoming.

https://www.hp.school/tga/

Dr. Manasi Thapliyal Navani from Ambedkar University Delhi explores how Rabindranath Tagore's satirical story "The Parrot's Training" can open up reflection for future teachers. In the tale, a bird is "educated" in a golden cage until it can no longer sing or fly. Read alongside Paulo Freire, the story raises the question of what education is for: serving the being of the learner or acting as an instrument. Her focus lies on early childhood and teacher education. Tune in to hear how a century-old parable invites us to question our own practice.

The parrot may be perfectly trained and yet no longer alive. What does that mean for how we prepare those who will teach?

Prof. Jyoti Raina from Gargi College, University of Delhi, discusses how research carried out by students can enrich their learning processes in teacher education. Project-based studies, she argues, do more than build knowledge: they prepare future teachers for the demands of their profession. Joining the conversation are co-guests Dr. Tiwari and Dr. Shailly, who add further perspectives. Tune in to hear why research is not an add-on to teacher education but part of its core.

Gargi College at the University of Delhi offers a lively setting for these ideas, where students step into the role of researchers long before they enter the classroom.

Anfernee Murray opens up space at Tulane University as he reflects on the "Community Engagement Advocates (CEA)" program. What began as a grassroots student initiative has evolved into a vital university-wide program that reshapes how institutions approach community engagement. The core framework relies on a peer-to-peer model: students teaching students how to critically reflect on power, privilege, and sensitive approaches toward the diverse communities of New Orleans. He discusses how this student-led advocacy prepares future educators and leaders to enter local spaces not with an attitude of intervention, but with an awareness of relational responsibility and systemic context.

https://cps.tulane.edu/programs/community-engagement-advocates

Carol Bebelle, a Native New Orleans cultural thought leader and co-founder of the Ashé Cultural Arts Center (https://www.ashenola.org/carol-bebelle), shares her vast experiences and approaches toward connecting people through education and art. Based in the heart of Central City New Orleans, her work demonstrates how cultural institutions can act as vital catalysts for human, economic, and community development. She discusses how facilitators can bridge the gap between grassroots communities and formal institutions, thereby unlocking new potential for people in the city of New Orleans and beyond. By centering the African diaspora and local traditions, she highlights how intentional creative engagement can heal societal fractures and cultivate true civic agency.

Trina Fullard (President and CEO of the Charlotte Rescue Mission) discusses systemic and hands-on approaches to community engagement. With the "Community Matters Cafe" (https://communitymatterscafe.com/), we learn about a social enterprise that serves as an extension of the Mission’s 120-day life-skills and recovery program. Located in Uptown Charlotte, the café serves as a practical training ground where people in recovery work in a fast-paced environment to rebuild key life skills. It connects the city and its people by including individuals in need through a sustainable program that not only serves exceptional food but also fosters human connection and restores social bonds fractured by addiction.

Dr. Mirona Stanescu from Babeș-Bolyai-University (Cluj) introduces the topic of Global Citizenship Education by drawing on firsthand experiences and examples from her teaching, bringing the subject to life. Through stories and drama, she demonstrates how powerful and meaningful Global Citizenship Education can be for learners of all ages.

Prof. Dr. Erik Byker from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC) discusses ‘hands-on’ research as a means of developing key competencies for future educators. Students from different countries research and compare how the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) are being implemented in their home nations. Tune in for unique perspectives on global education, sustainability efforts, and more.

The Global-ready Research and Equitable Education in Teaching (GREET) Center opens space for these developments — and its doors are open!

https://greetcenter.charlotte.edu/https://greetcenter.charlotte.edu/

Global Competency Resources | Asia Society

Prof. Dr. Adriana L. Medina takes us into learning communities both locally and abroad — uncovering constructive approaches that connect across contexts, while also highlighting the unique differences that shape them. Along the way, she shares exciting examples that bring these practices to life.

Dr. Cynthia Kwakyewah, Sonia Lewis (PhD Candidate), and Prof. Dr. Nombuso Dlamini from York University (Toronto) share their perspectives and experiences in higher education. Featuring both expert perspectives and personal insights, this is an eye-opening episode. By reflecting on their career paths and life worlds, they open up new spaces and contribute to dismantling ‘the master’s castle.’

Dr. Dorthe Juliane Høvids literally takes us to "thin" places: neighborhoods where diverse lifeworlds meet and converge. Using the Copenhagen neighborhood of Vesterbroe as a key example, she discusses the potential and the challenges encountered in these places—and, most importantly, by the people meeting there.

Tune in to explore how social work and education come into play at these crucial intersections. This episode offers a journey into how shared physical space can bridge different life experiences and what that means for contemporary society.

Saraha Awuah from the Ghana Union of Canada takes us into the contexts of the Ghana community in Canada, discussion issues connected to immigration, settlement, integration and above all education.

Prof. Vidya Shah from York University in Toronto discusses matters of DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) from various perspectives. Thereby reflecting problematic power asymmetries and addressing institutional challenges.

Dwayne Brown discusses the program Generation Chosen (https://www.generationchosen.ca). A program that caters to the needs of racialized, marginalized and disenfranchised inner-city youth by focussing on 4 key areas: Mental Health, Emotional Intelligence, Education and Civic Engagement.

Dr. Godfred Boateng from Toronto works with black families to identify the relationship between the family identity status and dealing with anxiety discusses. He works in the Retooling Black Anxiety project (www.blackanxiety.ca/) which identifies family needs and resources to cope with anxiety (physical and virtual).