In this conversation, Mike Collier spoke to Matti Anttonen, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland about some of the things for which Finland is renowned, including its educational system, its huge role in global telecoms and its shrewd way of managing relations with its neighbors. But there's also time given to considering the benefits of broad-based training and experience in a world where specialization is increasingly recommended.

Migration has played an important role in the economies and societies of the Baltic states over recent decades. How has this affected the worldviews and future hopes of young people? Two researchers decided to find out by asking them as part of a long-term project which is producing interesting results.

Our guest Valery Tsepkalo is known for many reasons, including his expertise in developing technology hubs. In this interview he explains how, under his supervision, in a mere 10 years the Belarus Hi-Tech Park grew from a pilot start-up project to one of the largest IT clusters in Europe. 

We hear many opinions about the ongoing economic situation. Are we facing a financial crisis or not? Is there enough government support in the wake of the COVID crisis? Will we soon have high inflation? In this podcast, Līva Zorgenfreija, Chief Economist of Swedbank, answers these and other questions facing the economy.

Andris Kotans, an experienced asset manager, explains the basics of investment funds and how they work. He talks about smart investment and why ethical decisions matter even in the highly competitive financial markets.

Martins Kazaks, the Governor of the Central Bank of Latvia has been a student and teacher of economics for more than 20 years and became Latvian central bank governor in 2019. In this podcast he talks about the role the Central Bank plays in society, what day-to-day operations it performs and how the European Central Bank works thanks to contributions from across the eurozone.

Professor Jeffrey Sommers has studied the US economy and society for decades. In this interview he explains how 50 years of change have led to recent unrest and current problems in the US, both economically and politically. Has 'neoliberalism' failed?

This week Mike Collier talks to academic and researcher Mark Gamsa about an extraordinary subject that has never been seriously studied until now – an incredible gold rush on the borders of Russia and China reminiscent of the Klondike and Yukon gold rushes, but with its own specific Eurasian characteristics. You will hear why gold mining was an important cross-border, transnational phenomenon, what it involved and whether it still matters.

The interactions between the very different worlds of academia and politics take centre stage this week. Arnis Sauka, co-author of some of the most influential research produced in Latvia - the Shadow Economy Index and Ficil Sentiment Index - gives concrete examples of how solid research can help produce better decisions among policymakers.

This week Mike Collier talks to Olga Kotova, well-known entrepreneur about one of her passions: mountain climbing. She relates some interesting tales about how she almost literally stumbled upon the pastime and the changes it made to her attitude to life.