The World Wise Podcast

By Rajika BhandariSociety & Culture

The World Wise Podcast episodes

June 09, 2022 15. Interlude and Finding My Voice
In this 15th episode of the show, we take an interlude or brief pause to reflect and--instead of interviewing a guest--I bring myself to the podcast! I take you behind the scenes of launching the show and the vast territory we have covered--both thematically and geographically--since the podcast launched in February 2022. But what I also candidly share is that it is hard to build a listenership and audience for a new podcast. As of May 2022, there are almost 2.5 million podcasts. So how can one compete against all those podcasts? Two things can help: high quality content, which I aspire to provide to you each week, drawing from a global network of guests. The second part of it is the listeners. If you’ve been listening and enjoying the show, please consider recommending it to your friends and sharing on social media and giving a shout-out to the show.
But I also bring you something personal on this episode: how I found my voice to speak up for myself and the issues I care about. You might think that as a podcast host and someone who does numerous presentations and keynotes that I must be a natural-born speaker and feel comfortable in my voice. But this is not the case for me and isn't for most people I know. So take a listen on how I finding my voice helped me find the courage to take bigger steps and to take bigger risks in many other parts of my life. It was one small step to be heard, but a giant leap for my confidence.
14 min
June 03, 202214. Can Coding Change the Future of Afghanistan's Women? A Conversation With Fereshteh Forough
We often talk about the many different ways in which to empower girls and women around the world: more education, better health, better nutrition; voting rights. But what if the future of women could be changed by something as technical as coding or computer programming? This is exactly the solution that this episode's guest, Fereshteh Forough, came up with as she struggled with her own experiences of growing up as an Afghani refugee in Iran. When Fereshteh became an accidental and somewhat reluctant computer science student, she came to realize that the key to empowering Afghani women perhaps lay in technology, helping them learn and become financially independent. Through her work and her organization Code to Inspire, Fereshteh is an inspiration and global ambassador for girls and women all over the world. She has been a TED speaker; a Clinton Global Initiative speaker; and been named a "revolutionary" by Marie Claire magazine in their 2016 first-ever Young Women's Honors.
Fereshteh earned her Bachelor's in Computer Science and later her Master’s from Technical University of Berlin in Germany. She taught as a professor at the Computer Science faculty of Herat University for almost three years and in 2015 founded the first coding school for girls in Herat.
Episode Themes:
Fereshteh's early experiences of being a refugee and how her family lost--and eventually regained--access to education

Fereshteh's accidental journey of studying computer science in Afghanistan and as an international student in Germany, and how studying abroad influenced her thinking and her work

Why and how coding and computer programming can empower women around the world

The role of Bitcoin and crypto currency in providing financial freedom for women and ensuring digital citizenship

The important lessons Fereshteh has learned In the seven years since she founded Code to Inspire, and how the journey has affected her personally and professionally, and especially as a woman

Fereshteh's "wish-list" for how funders and others can support Code to Inspire
Resources from this episode:
Fereshteh's 2013 TED talk
Donate to and support Code to Inspire
Connect with Fereshteh: Twitter, LinkedIn
Girls Who Code
Other Resources:
My book: America Calling: A Foreign Student in a Country of Possibility
Newsletter sign-up: www.rajikabhandari.com
LinkedIn: @rajikabhandari
Twitter: @rajikabhandari
Instagram: @rajika_bhandari
48 min
May 26, 202213. Shaping the Future Leaders of Africa: A Conversation with University Founder, Patrick Awuah
Solving global or even national-level problems is never easy, but what if these challenges ultimately boiled down to a lack of leadership? And if developing the next generation of leaders is then the answer, how can countries go about doing this? Patrick Awuah’s solution was to found a university in his home country of Ghana. He is the Founder and President of Ashesi University, a private, not-for-profit institution that has quickly gained a reputation for innovation and quality education in Ghana. Patrick holds bachelor degrees in Engineering and Economics from Swarthmore College; an MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business; and honorary doctorates from Swarthmore College, Babson College, and the University of Waterloo. He has been on various "best of" lists, named by Fortune magazine as among the world's top 50 leaders, and won many prestigious awards for his contributions and work, including the John McNulty Prize, the WISE Prize, and the MacArthur fellowship or the MacArthur "genius" award. His 2007 TED talk on leadership and his vision for Ashesi University has been viewed almost 2 million times.
In this conversation with Patrick, we travel from his childhood in Ghana to his time at Swarthmore College in the U.S. as an international student and his eventual journey back home to put his experience and learning to work to train the next generation of African youth and leaders. Patrick’s work is also one example of how former international students to the U.S. have gone back to their home countries and have been inspired to set up universities that draw upon the American liberal arts model.
Episode Themes:
How Patrick’s time at Swarthmore College in the U.S. was transformative and how it impacted his views on education and leadership

Important lessons that Patrick took away from his corporate sector stint at Microsoft, and how he applied them to education

Why the question of transformation in Africa is a question about leadership, and how the rise of Asian economies like Singapore inspired Patrick's vision for Ghana

Can we re-frame brain-drain as a win-win situation and can student migration play a role in preserving global talent?

The impact that numerous awards and recognition have had on Ashesi University and on Patrick’s work

Lessons Patrick learned when founding Ashesi University and his advice and tips for future university founders
Resources from this episode:
Follow Patrick on Twitter and LinkedIn
Other Resources:
My book: America Calling: A Foreign Student in a Country of Possibility
Newsletter sign-up: www.rajikabhandari.com
LinkedIn: @rajikabhandari
Twitter: @rajikabhandari
Instagram: @rajika_bhandari
47 min
May 19, 202212. Advancing Equity for Girls and Women: A Conversation with Gloria L. Blackwell
This episode focuses on women and education globally and how creating opportunities for girls and women and ensuring equal access is directly linked to positive outcomes for societies. However, despite the significant progress for women over the past several decades, we find ourselves at an unfortunate point in time where women’s fundamental rights are under threat, and where huge gender gaps continue to exist. It is also apparent that for many women their daily experience is based on the intersection of factors such as their gender, their skin color, their accent and their economic status. This episode's guest is Gloria L. Blackwell, the President and CEO of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), and is someone who embodies what it means to be a champion for women’s rights, especially through the vehicle of education. Gloria is also AAUW’s main representative to the UN and has been the driving force behind AAUW’s signature programs, including its salary negotiation trainings. Most notably, she has significantly expanded AAUW’s outreach to girls and women of color. Among her many accomplishments is her 15-year management of AAUW’s highly esteemed fellowships and grants program—awarding more than $70 million in funding to women scholars and programs in the U.S. and overseas. Since its founding, AAUW has supported the work of scientists like Marie Curie, the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, and astronaut, Judith Resnick, the second woman to travel in space.
Episode Themes:
Gloria's leadership of AAUW as only the second woman of color in the organization's 144-year history to do so, and what this means for diversity and inclusion

Gloria's educational and professional journey and how early exposure to a foreign language sparked a lifelong commitment to women's issues globally, taking her from a Peace Corps experience in Africa, to a degree in international affairs, to working in the international education nonprofit sector

Since 1888, AAUW has provided over $115 million in fellowships, grants and awards to 13,000 women from 150 countries. Gloria discusses why scholarships remain such an important intervention for equality for women and how AAUW supports women globally

Barriers that women continue to face in higher education and the workforce and how AAUW contributes to the solution through its advocacy, education, and research.

How Gloria motivates and inspires the girls and women in her life, and her top three pieces of advice and guidance

The women that inspire Gloria each day.
Resources from this episode
Follow Gloria on LinkedIn and Twitter
Report: Women's power gap in higher education
Other Resources:
My book: America Calling: A Foreign Student in a Country of Possibility
Newsletter sign-up: www.rajikabhandari.com
LinkedIn: @rajikabhandari
Twitter: @rajikabhandari
42 min
May 12, 202211. Helping Students Finance Their International Education Dreams: A Conversation with Manu Smadja
For many bright students from around the world, the cost of studying and living in the U.S. remains largely unaffordable. While the overall costs of a college degree in the U.S. have gone up for all students, international student face a unique combination of barriers which include often coming from less wealthy countries; of not being able to easily work in the U.S.; and not being eligible for financial aid or student loans the way American students are. Moreover, scholarships for international students are few and far between. How do we solve the problem of affordability so that talented students can pursue their educational dreams? This episode’s guest, Emmanuel “Manu” Smadja has been thinking about this very question for several years, from the time that he first came to the U.S. as an international student. An experienced management consultant turned FinTech entrepreneur, Manu is the Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO of MPOWER Financing which provides loans to international students who might not otherwise be eligible for loans in the U.S. or even their home country. MPOWER enables high-promise international and DACA students to get an education across top universities in the U.S. and Canada.
Manu's decision to co-found MPOWER Financing in 2014 was inspired by his own financial struggles as an international student in the US. Prior to that, Manu spent nearly four years at McKinsey & Company as a consultant and subsequently an engagement manager serving financial services companies, development banks, and central banks across Europe, the U.S., and Africa. He holds an M.B.A. from INSEAD and earned an M.S. in Systems and Information engineering as well as B.S. in Computer Science & Cognitive Sciences from the University of Virginia.
Episode Themes:
What are the challenges that international students face in trying to finance their education in the U.S.?

Can market-driven solutions and social entrepreneurship solve the problem of financial accessibility for international students?

How personal struggles and family experiences can inspire founders like Manu to find solutions to enduring challenges.

What role can international student loans play in increasing access for international students and having social impact?

Why female students are at a greater disadvantage when needing to finance their education and what MPOWER is doing about it

The immigration challenges that international students face in the U.S. and why it is hurting the country and its competitiveness
Links to resources from this episode:
MPOWER Financing's social impact: https://www.mpowerfinancing.com/about-us/social-impact/
Manu’s Smadja’s NASDAQ blog post: The U.S. doesn't have a labor shortage, it has an immigration shortfall
Be sure to check out these other resources!
My book: America Calling: A Foreign Student in a Country of Possibility
Newsletter sign-up: www.rajikabhandari.com
LinkedIn: @rajikabhandari
Twitter: @rajikabhandari
Facebook: @authorrajikabhandari
41 min
May 05, 202210. Bridging Divides Through a Camera Lens: Filmmaker and Fulbrighter, Kavery Kaul
This 10th episode of the podcast focuses on the important role of films and filmmakers as cultural ambassadors and storytellers. The medium of film can be powerful in helping us understand other histories, cultures, and narratives. Many of us form our early impressions—often incorrect or incomplete--of the world around us through films, but it is also films that subsequently open our eyes to the nuances of different cultures and countries. Today’s guest is Kavery Kaul, an award-winning director, whose films reframe who “we” are and who tells that story. With a lively, refreshingly nuanced approach, her documentaries illuminate the complex human themes at the heart of belonging in the world of today. Born in India and brought up in the US, Kavery’s films have spanned a wide cultural and thematic landscape, covering Cuba, Trinidad, India, New Orleans and many other places. She has won multiple awards and fellowships for her work, including a Fulbright to India. About filmmaking, Kavery herself says: “A film can open a window onto a world we’ve never seen before; and at the same time, a film can hold up a mirror in which we face ourselves.”
Episode Themes:
Kavery’s journey to becoming a film director, and what it meant to make such choices as an Indian American immigrant

The important role that films play in bridging divides and differences across cultures and people

The importance of exchange programs like Fulbright in fostering cultural and mutual understanding. How the Fulbright opportunity enabled Kavery to research a part of American and Indian history that was previously undocumented

Kavery’s new documentary film The Bengali, which reveals the previously unknown and shared history of African Americans and Indian immigrants in New Orleans in the late 1800s, and that follows the Indian- and African-American author, Fatima Shaikh, as she heads to India to discover her family’s Indian roots

Why women film directors, particularly those of color, continue to be under-represented in the film industry

Who and what inspires Kavery’s work as a documentary filmmaker
Resources from this episode:
Kavery's TedX talk: When Stories Connect People, Films Break Down Divides
The Bengali film website
Check out these other resources!
My book: America Calling: A Foreign Student in a Country of Possibility
Newsletter: www.rajikabhandari.com
LinkedIn: @rajikabhandari
Instagram: @rajika_bhandari
29 min
April 28, 20229. America needs foreign-born doctors, so why is it so difficult? A conversation with Azan Virji
The U.S. healthcare system depends on a global workforce and it is common to see a doctor or nurse who is from another country. Over a quarter of doctors in the U.S. are immigrants and in some states a third of all healthcare workers are from another country. Yet, as we learn in this episode, it is not easy for someone from another country to study medicine and persist as a healthcare worker in the U.S. Today's guest is Azan Virji, a first-generation international student from Africa who is pursuing both medicine and an MBA at Harvard University. With prior degrees from Yale, Azan is the co-founder of F-1 Doctors, an organization that provides mentoring and help for international students making their way through the complex web of medical education in the U.S. In addition to advocating for international students, Azan aspires to be an infectious diseases physician and is committed to solving global health issues, having interned with WHO and having conducted research on malaria in Uganda.
Episode themes:
The story behind F-1 Doctors and how it fills a critical gap for international students in medicine

How Azan’s experience of growing up in Tanzania exposed him to the lack of healthcare and how it inspired him to pursue medicine and specialize in infectious diseases

The challenges that foreign-born medical students and professionals face in the U.S despite the national shortage of doctors and nurses

How Azan navigated the personal and professional challenge of being an international student and away from him family during the peak of COVID-19

How Azan used music to connect and educate his community and country about the pandemic. BONUS: Listen to his rap/hip-hop song!

Brain-drain in Africa and how immigrant physicians give back to their home countries

Azan’s three wishes for national-level change in the U.S that would make things easier for international students
Resources:
Connect with Azan: LinkedIn
New American Economy report on immigrant healthcare workers during COVID-19
Harvard Gazette story about F-1 Doctors
AAMC report on physician shortages in the U.S.
Azan's song, Corona Tutaishinda
Carnegie Corporation's African Diaspora Fellowship Program
Check out these other resources!
My book: America Calling: A Foreign Student in a Country of Possibility
Newsletter: www.rajikabhandari.com
LinkedIn: @rajikabhandari
46 min
April 21, 20228. How Art Elevates Our Understanding of Social Justice: A Conversation with LaNitra Berger
SHOW NOTES
This episode explores how the arts serve as a window into issues of race and social justice, and how artists have always been instrumental in helping us understand other cultures and the world at large. Today’s guest is Dr. LaNitra Berger, Senior Director of Fellowships at the Office of Undergraduate Education at George Mason University. A highly-regarded international education leader, LaNitra is known for her work on diversity and social justice issues, for being a tireless champion of fellowships and scholarships for under-represented students that enable them to study abroad, and is the current President of NAFSA, the Association of International Educators. Of most relevance to today’s conversation is that LaNitra is also a scholar of African and African American art history and an author of multiple books. Her most recent book is Irma Stern and the Racial Paradox of South African Modern Art: Audacities of Color.
Episode Themes:
LaNitra’s early influences and how they led to a professional and creative life that fuses international education, the arts, and a commitment to diversity and social justice

The arts as a vehicle for raising social consciousness and awareness of social justice issues

The South African artist, Irma Stern, and how her work and legacy challenges assumptions about race, gender, and religious identity, and why she is often seen as being controversial. South Africa’s multi-racial society in the early-mid 20th Century, and the interactions and power dynamics between different racial and ethnic groups, as also reflected in Stern’s work and other art from that period

LaNitra’s personal 20-year journey of researching and writing her book, and the authors and writers who have influenced her along the way. The relevance and timeliness of her book and how it relates to broader conversations about art, gender, representation, and identity

Why LaNitra’s NAFSA presidency is important at this particular moment in time, and her hopes and aspirations for NAFSA’s future and the field of international education.
Resources:
LaNitra's website: www.lanitraberger.com
LaNitra's recent books: Irma Stern and the Racial Paradox of South African Modern Art: Audacities of Color and Social Justice and International Education
Be sure to check out these other resources!
My book: America Calling: A Foreign Student in a Country of Possibility
Newsletter sign-up: www.rajikabhandari.com
Twitter: @rajikabhandari
LinkedIn: @rajikabhandari
Facebook: @authorrajikabhandari
53 min
April 14, 20227. Where Talent Meets Opportunity: A Conversation with Rebecca Zeigler Mano
SHOW NOTES
We often hear the phrase, “Talent is universal, but opportunity is not.” This gap is most obvious when we think about education and that millions of young people around the world never reach their potential not because they lack the smarts or the drive, but because they lack access to the right kind of educational opportunities that will help open the door to their future. But what does it actually mean to identify and nurture this talent?
This episode’s guest is Rebecca Zeigler Mano and is someone who has spent her life building generations of talent, one student at a time. She is the founder of the United Student Achievers Program and the organization Education Matters in Zimbabwe whose mission is to match talent with opportunity. Before founding Education Matters, Rebecca worked with the EducationUSA network at the U.S. Embassy in Harare. In addition to her work with Education Matters, she is also the co-founder of the HALI Access Network, an association of non-profit organizations in Africa that work with high-achieving, low-income (HALI) students to access international higher education opportunities. In recognition of her contributions, Rebecca was awarded the 2021 GSE Excellence in Education Award from Stanford University, her alma mater.
Episode Themes:
What inspired Rebecca to forge a career in international education, and the origins of the United Student Achievers Program and Education Matters.

The sorts of odds and challenges that Education Matters’ students overcome to go on to elite global institutions; become Rhodes scholars, doctors, and entrepreneurs.

How can we increase access to education at a larger and global scale, and how can the impact of organizations like Education Matters not only be replicated but also scaled up?

The challenge of brain-drain, especially for Africa; how the students of Education Matters are deciding their future; and the realities of returning home.

The experience of launching a new community school, especially in the midst of the pandemic.

How Rebecca stays centered and focused on her work and mission and what gives her hope for the future.
Resources:
Read the Education Matters annual report.
Read the NYT article
Be sure to check out these other resources!
My book: America Calling: A Foreign Student in a Country of Possibility
Newsletter sign-up: www.rajikabhandari.com
Twitter: @rajikabhandari
LinkedIn: @rajikabhandari
Facebook: @authorrajikabhandari
45 min
April 07, 20226. Raising Immigrant America: A conversation with author Masha Rumer
SHOWNOTES
One in four or 18 million children in the US have at least one parent who is an immigrant and while children of immigrants feature frequently in immigration policy debates in the U.S., the experiences and challenges of immigrant parents are rarely discussed. This episode's guest is Masha Rumer, a writer and journalist, whose new book is Parenting with an Accent: How immigrants honor their heritage, navigate setbacks, and chart new paths for their children. Masha's work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Literary Hub, Parents, Scary Mommy, and others, winning awards from the New York Press Association. Her new book combines a personal story of her experiences as an immigrant from the former Soviet Union with solid research and analysis to explore how the changing face of immigrant America–whether it is skilled immigrants, refugees, and other newer immigrant groups–is embodied in the next generation.
Episode highlights:
With Masha's family spread across Eastern Europe, including Russia and Ukraine, she reflects on what it means to be Russian in the U.S. today and the current backlash against Russians. The long history of U.S. immigration where different groups--Chinese, Sikhs, Japanese and recently, Asian Americans--have come under attack at one time or another.

The challenges of explaining the complicated histories and politics of war-torn homelands to our children growing up in the U.S.

How becoming a parent is a reckoning for immigrants as they consider issues of identity, culture, and how to pass on their heritage to their children

The complexities of teaching a native language to second-generation immigrant children

Why education still remains "an immigrant's currency" and is a pathway to the American Dream

The current status of immigration issues in the U.S.: exploring the "melting pot" vs "salad bowl" metaphors
Masha's book: Parenting with an Accent
Follow Masha on Twitter and Instagram
Be sure to check out these other resources!
My book: America Calling: A Foreign Student in a Country of Possibility
Newsletter sign-up: www.rajikabhandari.com
Twitter: @rajikabhandari
LinkedIn: @rajikabhandari
Facebook: @authorrajikabhandari
Instagram: @rajika_bhandari
50 min

About The World Wise Podcast

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The World Wise Podcast is a weekly take on the intersections of education, culture, and (im)migration. Join Dr. Rajika Bhandari, international higher education expert and author of America Calling: A…

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