My guest is Petr Witz, a Postdoc researcher from the Dept. of Public and Social Policy at the Institute of Sociological Studies at CU. As a researcher, Witz worked with the largest cross-border infrastructure project in Europe - the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link.

Last month saw the publication of a much-anticipated new monograph titled Little Berlin in Big Prague by artist and academic researcher Lenka Kerdová. The basis for the book was fascinating research examining Prague architecture in the interwar period. 

Forum Radio: Fear, hope and snake oil

Author:
Photo: Michal Novotný, Shutterstock
Wednesday, 05 April 2023 14:57

Petra Guasti is a highly-respected sociologist and political scientist at Charles University. In this episode of Forum Radio, she discusses some of her main topics of interest: populism, polarisation and radicalism in Czech society through the prism of the recent presidential election.

Forum Radio: 'Women of the Old Testament'

Author:
Photo: Vladimír Šigut
Wednesday, 01 March 2023 13:30

It’s always fascinating to see a book become a bestseller: Jan Fingerland's Hebrejky (Women ot the Old Testament) is one such book, taking a complex and multifaceted look at the stories, cultural and religious beliefs surrounding famous female figures in the Bible. From Eve to the Virgin Mary.

Forum Radio: So many monsters to defeat!

Author:
Photo: Vladimír Šigut
Wednesday, 01 February 2023 22:31

Jaroslav Švelch is an expert in media studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences at Charles University and the author of a fascinating social history titled Gaming the Iron Curtain from MIT Press. Feb 7 sees the release of a new book from the same publisher called Player vs. Monster: The Making and Breaking of Video Game Monstrosity.

In today's episode, Forum Radio talks to well-known American literary translator Alex Zucker. Zucker’s translations include novels by some of the best contemporary Czech authors including Bianca Bellová, Petra Hůlová and Jáchym Topol.

Forum Radio: Mysliveček's excellence

Author:
Photo: Vladimír Šigut
Thursday, 01 December 2022 01:18

The 18th century Czech composer Josef Mysliveček is at last getting the attention he deserves, says acclaimed American musicologist Daniel E. Freeman. It is in no small part thanks to Freeman’s own extensive research into the composer’s music and life. 

This Thursday Czechs are marking the 33rd anniversary of the Velvet Revolution which paved the way for a return to freedom and democracy in Czechoslovakia. We speak to historian Jakub Rákosník. 

Forum Radio: Rabbi in training

Author:
Photo: Vladimír Šigut
Wednesday, 05 October 2022 13:38

In many ways, Kamila Kopřivová has followed an unusual path. After completing her Ph.D. in Jewish Studies at the Hussite Theological Faculty, Kamila set out to become the first Czech female rabbi. Her journey is almost complete: she is due to be ordained next year.

Many fans knew Pavla Horáková as the author of the Sexton Beetles trilogy. In 2018, Pavla gained renown for A Theory of Strangeness, which won the Magnesia Litera prize. She now has a second ambitious novel out called In the Heart of Europe.

Forum Radio: The temple at Tel Moza

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Photo: Vladimír Šigut, David Moulis
Wednesday, 03 August 2022 12:42

Filip Čapek is a professor at the Dept. of the Old Testament at Charles University’s Protestant Theological Faculty. Since 2019, he and colleagues have been contributing to the dig at Tel Moza excavation site near Jerusalem. The site of a remarkable Iron Age temple.

Forum Radio: Learning Czech was essential

Author : Jan Velinger
Photo: Martin Pinkas
Wednesday, 06 July 2022 16:35

Hillel J. Kieval is an historian at Washington University in St. Louis. An expert on the history of the Jews in Bohemia and Moravia, Kieval taught a course at the Faculty of Arts at Charles University this semester based on his newest book: Blood Inscriptions: Science, Modernity, and Ritual Murder at Europe's Fin de Siecle.

Forum Radio: Reading is special

Author:
Photo: Martin Pinkas, Vladimír Šigut
Thursday, 02 June 2022 16:58

Anežka Kuzmičová is a researcher at Charles University who, for the last two years, has conducted creative research into children’s reading. Scientists often study or emphasise literacy and language acquisition but there has been relatively little study of what children actually experience as they read.

The Covid-19 pandemic spelt the end of a lot: in-class teaching, sports competitions, concerts. CU cultural anthropologist David Doubek, better known as the musician and producer Ventolin, says he bounced back by spendng more time in nature.

Julius Lukeš is a medical doctor, scientist, traveller and Charles University graduate who has visited more than 100 countries worldwide. He is our first guest in the new Forum Radio. Launched on the occasion of Charles University’s 674th birthday!