In the second episode of The Arena, we follow the work of four academics who are pushing the boundaries of how research can create societal impact through co-creation, outreach and providing advice.

How do refugees receive information about the Dutch asylum procedure? How do we truly measure the impact of war? And who gets to define European identity? We join Koen Leurs and Kinan Alajak as they question the role of AI in asylum procedures in the Netherlands. And Lauren Gould, as she investigates the devastating aftermath of a Dutch airstrike in Iraq. Meanwhile, Rachel Gillett and her team work to build a Dutch hip-hop archive, to ensure the voices of marginalized communities are heard and remembered.

The show is written and produced by Isa Zoetbrood. The producers from Utrecht University are Lauren Gould and Saskia Stevens. This episode features Kinan Alajak (Research assistant at the Department of Media and Culture), Koen Leurs (Associate Prof. in Gender, Media and Migration Studies), Lauren Gould (Assistant Prof. in Conflict Studies) and Rachel Gillett (Assistant Prof. in Cultural History).