Podcasts by Night School
Night School explores topics from psychology, the social sciences and the humanities for a general public through light and engaging conversations.
Further podcasts by BFM Media Sdn Bhd
Podcast on the topic Wirtschaft
All episodes
A Time to Feel Lost; A Time to Ask Questions from 2020-05-18T21:00
The arts might seem like the least important thing on our minds during the current pandemic. Jo Kukathas joins us this week to argue against this assumption, assuring us that it is ok to feel lo...
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Striking A New Musical Tradition of Togetherness from 2020-05-06T20:00
This week, we are joined by anthropology major and gamelan ensemble director, Adam Farhan to explore what can we learn from the music of gamelan about limits and possibilities in the adaptive po...
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Teaching and Learning in the Time of COVID-19 from 2020-04-29T20:00
How is the movement control order changing the ways educators teach? Joining us this week to dwell on learning under the condition of the new normal are two educators from across the private and...
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Socialising under Movement Control Order from 2020-04-22T20:00
Heading into week 6 of the Movement Control Order, Haniff Baharudin and Simon Soon check up on each other to ponder about how social distancing is changing the way we interact with one another.
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Self-Restoration through Photographs from 2020-04-15T20:00
How can a set of photographs help us to ‘restore’ the identities of other lived experiences? Hoo Fan Chon joins us via Skype to discuss the different ways for us to retrieve alternat...
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A Changing World from 2020-04-08T20:00
In what ways have the coronavirus pandemic changed the ways we communicate? How have we been adapting to the current situation? Joining us this week over Skype is researcher in medical history P...
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Channeling Voices through the Form of a Journal from 2020-03-16T21:00
In the age of social media celebrityhood, Korean wave, and middle-class ennui, three guys decided to create a printed quarterly journal to explore the many different literary and cultural voices...
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The Return from 2020-03-02T21:00
Why do histories repeat themselves? For independent researcher Ong Kar Jin, repetition does not so much describe a historical process as a pattern of thinking where your average person tries to ...
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The Initiator - Sang Pemula from 2020-02-24T21:00
A new generation of activists/intellectuals are holding power to account. Huda Ramli, founder of Journal Sang Pemula, and Azura Nasrun, assistant manager of Rekod Media, join us this week to exp...
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Mahua Literature from 2020-02-17T21:00
Malaysian Chinese literature is undergoing a new renaissance. Postdoctoral fellow at the Australia National University, Show Ying Xin, joins us this week to discuss the recent global attention t...
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Yang Timbul Tenggelam Itu from 2020-02-10T21:00
What is it about the photographic image that makes it so magical? Photo-historian Azril Ismail joins us this week to discuss the wonder that is photography.
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Learning about Art, Learning with Art from 2020-01-20T21:00
Museums and galleries today are offering new ways of engaging with their exhibitions and collections, catering tailor-made programmes to different age groups. Rahel Joseph, director of Ilham Gal...
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Designing Relationships from 2020-01-13T21:00
What can design teach us about the work of bringing people together for a conversation? How does it differ from social work? Italian researcher on social innovation, Viola Petrella, discusses ho...
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Alih Bahasa - To Move into a Language from 2020-01-06T21:00
Mwaffa’a Al-Hajjar helps us to buka panggung for the year 2020. We discuss poetry, translation and the staying power of words. Because nothing is more pertinent or urgent.
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The Weight of Memory from 2019-12-30T21:00
As we cross over the threshold into 2020, nostalgia often looms large in our imagination. Haniff and Simon turns to each other to wonder aloud why we wax lyrical about the past.
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The Senario of Malaysian Television Culture (1996-2003) from 2019-12-23T21:00
Senario is a sketch comedy series that aired on public TV station, TV3 from June 1996 to 2013. Why take them seriously? Luqman Lee, a lecturer in screen studies from the University of Malaya, ex...
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Fostering Discussion on Land Justice in Singapore from 2019-12-16T21:00
Researcher and community builder Rocky How visits us from Singapore and shares with us his long term interest to critically unpack social housing rhetoric through fostering inclusive conversatio...
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Interconnected Histories of Zamboanga from 2019-12-09T21:00
How do we write a story about a colonial city from the perspective of the colonised? Scholar of Zamboanga’s visual culture, Felice Noelle Rodriguez, suggests we are required to place...
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Social Media in the 19th Century Malay World from 2019-12-02T21:00
What changes the way we communicate with one another in the 19th century and how did it change the world of literature? Wan Azriq joins us this week to discuss Munshi Abdullah, a pioneer in mode...
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The Afterlife of Kellie's Castle from 2019-11-25T21:00
Kellie’s Castle has been a cornerstone of Batu Gajah's history, receiving around 200,000 visitors each year. These numbers saw an interesting spike recently since the castle opened its doo...
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Crossing Knowledge Boundaries in the Early Modern World from 2019-11-18T21:00
This week we examine the fascinating life of Luso-Malay mestiço cosmographer Manuel Godinho de Erédia, who lived and worked in the Portuguese Estado da Índia (including Mala...
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The Ajaib-khana - The Museum Today and Wonder from 2019-11-11T21:00
Museums in our part of the world used to be called the Ajaib-khana, or the wonder house. It was a place that inspired through the collection and display of artefacts to tell a story about belong...
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Believing in Conversations from 2019-11-04T21:00
What value can Islam bring to a state that prides itself for upholding laïcité (or secularism) as its founding principles? This week we are joined by Abdennour Bidar, a French philos...
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Beyond Fakta - New Values in Thinking Historically from 2019-10-21T21:00
There is renewed interest in history amongst the younger generation today and they are thinking about the value of history differently. One of them is Nadine Azalea Faisal, who joins us in our c...
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Marginalia - Migrants and Refugees from 2019-10-14T21:00
The measure of democracy is not always defined by a process of consensus-building. The majority is not always right. Helping us understand the rights of migrants and refugees in this light, and ...
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Hong Kong - Everyday Engagement and Intergenerational Reconciliation under Duress from 2019-10-07T21:00
Media reportage on social movements can sometimes verge on the sensational. The story of a protest is often more than the confrontations one sees in the news. Joining us this week is creative hu...
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Making One's Way in the World Through Punk from 2019-09-30T21:00
Punk is more than the music one listens to or the fashion one spots. Joining us this week is Joe Kidd, guitarist of punk rock band Carburetor Dung and historian of Southeast Asian rock and roll,...
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Virtual Lives - A New Kind of Human or a Post-Human? from 2019-09-23T21:00
We spend so much of our time living in a space that takes on various degrees in semblance to reality - the digital world. What do we make of this world? How is it compelling us to rethink our co...
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Western Opera in Asia and Imperial Culture from 2019-09-22T18:00
The circulation and appeal of Western operatic groups from the early 19th century across Asia marked the emergence of a shared Western imperial culture that transcended national and colonial bor...
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Remembering a Malaysian future - Wawasan 2020 from 2019-09-15T18:00
As Malaysians celebrate and reflect over what it means to live together as an imagined community in such fractious times, we thought that perhaps it is worth revisiting a particular ideal, plant...
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The All New Night School from 2019-09-08T18:00
Night School is embarking on a new journey, and before we make that next step, we’ll reflect on what we’ve done so far, and ponder the importance of discussing ideas and theories wit...
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Beria-ia, Pasrah, Selamba, dll (The Trying Game #11) from 2019-01-31T21:00
Two BFM-type Malays try their best to translate some words from their own language. It turned out to be more complicated than they thought. Tune in to find out what they learned along the way. T...
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Horror and Culture from 2019-01-24T21:00
We welcome Jamaluddin Aziz to the show to talk about the power of horror films. What makes this genre so compelling? Is it universal? What sort of entertainment does it provide? Tune in!
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In Daya Need (The Trying Game #10) from 2019-01-10T21:00
This time we venture into the curious emphasis on "passivity" that is taken for granted in everyday Malay expressions. What does this say about our distinct appreciation of tact? Is there more t...
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The Psychology of Music from 2019-01-03T21:00
Cheah Yi Ting gives us an introduction on the psychology of music: its main questions, trajectories and upcoming developments.
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A Hati Party (The Trying Game #9) from 2018-12-27T21:00
We stumble into the fascinating terrain of “hati” to appreciate its capacity to articulate the rich messiness of human attachments. Please be advised that this episode contains posit...
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Socialism Again and Forever from 2018-12-06T21:00
Sivarajan Arumugam tempts you to join Parti Sosialis Malaysia's annual socialism conference. What do they offer for 2018? Tune in to find out!
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The Freedom of Limits from 2018-11-29T21:00
It is liberating to know your limits, or so we learn from Aiman Abu Bakar's journey as a boxer. There is no way to discover what you're made of until you're put to the test. But this requires me...
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The Self: Between Experimentation and Preservation from 2018-11-22T21:00
We have a brief discussion about what to do with the self. How does one balance an openness to risk and the unknown, while also nourishing the right emotional and moral resources to remain resil...
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On Globalization and Cultural Identities from 2018-11-19T20:30
This special live edition features special guest Jean-Christophe Rufin, notable author, historian, doctor and diplomat, as he shares his thoughts on the state of world politics today. We discuss...
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Getting Over Yourself from 2018-11-15T21:00
The era of the ego creeps up to you in different ways: self-obsession, hypersensitivity and inadequacy, among other things. Sandy Clarke offers some insights on how to think through this circums...
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Accepting Love Together (The Trying Game #8) from 2018-11-08T21:00
Two BFM-type Malays try their best to translate some words from their own language. It turned out to be more complicated than they thought. Tune in to find out what they learned along the way. T...
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The Personal is Global from 2018-11-01T21:00
We have a light chat this week with German journalist Cora Knoblauch on the ironies of globalisation. With so much of the world levelled to become 'similar' how do we envision 'difference' and '...
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Gerontology 101 from 2018-10-25T21:00
We take a brief tour into the psychology of ageing with Karuna Sarah Thomas. What sets this apart from other psychological fields? And more curiously, why is it a growing field?
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Post-Coital Sadness from 2018-10-18T21:00
Aka Post-Coital Tristesse, Aka Post-Nut Syndrome. However you call it, it refers to a distinct form of sadness that emerges after sex. Clinical psychologist Vizla Kumaresan explains its psycholo...
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Enmeshment, Blackmail, Gaslighting from 2018-10-11T21:00
We get to the bottom of emotional gaslighting and blackmail with Eugene Tee. How does enmeshment become an emotional tug of war and worse, a form of manipulation?
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A Merapu Jam Session (The Trying Game #7) from 2018-10-04T21:00
Three BFM-type Malays try their best to translate some words from their own language. It turned out to be more complicated than they thought. Tune in to find out what they learned along the way....
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Modernity and Indonesian Popular Culture: A Primer from 2018-09-27T21:00
Filmmaker, scholar and skater Dag Yngvesson takes us through his observations on Indonesian pop culture and its grapplings with modernisation.
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Emotional Literacy from 2018-09-20T21:00
We've heard of emotional intelligence but what about emotional literacy? We get into the intricacies of trying to read (while feeling) emotions and the bigger questions they raise.
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Malaysian Citizenship from 2018-09-13T21:00
We speak to Japanese artist Kentaro Hiroki about "Malaysian Citizenship", his current exhibition at A+ Works of Art. He reflects on the meaning of citizenship at a crucial time of political tran...
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Buddhist Gratefulness from 2018-09-06T21:00
What does Buddhism say about gratitude? Night school regular and quasi monk Sandy Clarke joins us to share lessons on thankfulness from one of the worlds most fascinating spiritual traditions.
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Reading Merdeka from 2018-08-30T21:00
We commemorate Merdeka by talking about how difficult it is to buy vintage books on Malaysia. What might this say about our reading culture? What should be improved? Muhammed Nazreen of Bukuku P...
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Jodoh vs the World (The Trying Game #6) from 2018-08-23T21:00
We try to translate some common English terms and phrases from the world of modern romance.
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Cosmopolitan Intimacies from 2018-08-09T21:00
Ethnomusicologist Adil Johan joins the show again, this time to speak about his book on the music of Malay films during the independence era. Tune in to find out how some of P. Ramlee's most mem...
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Non-Liberal Virtues (The Trying Game #5) from 2018-08-02T21:00
This time we do it the other way round: we find BM equivalents of English words, focusing on the liberal lexicon and its curious view of personhood.
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Merging Art and Politics from 2018-07-26T21:00
There has been a lot of discussion about the remarkable result of the recent GE14, with many factors influencing the outcome. This week, we explore the role of the arts during the election perio...
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The Happiest Podcast in the Galaxy (Minor Blues #5) from 2018-07-19T21:00
This week, we reflect on the happiness industry and the world it has formed by going back to basics: what is happiness? Do we really mean 'happy' when we mean something else? How has the pursuit...
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Sengal, Segan, Jambu, dll (The Trying Game #4) from 2018-07-12T21:00
Three BFM-type Malays try their best to translate some words from their own language. It turned out to be more complicated than they thought. Tune in to find out what they learned along the way....
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GE14&Socialist Strategy from 2018-07-05T21:00
PSM suffered massive defeats during the 14th general elections. Why? What were the lessons learned? And how will they move on from here? The party's secretary-general Sivarajan Arumugam joins us...
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Mourning, Modernity and Moving On (Minor Blues #4) from 2018-06-28T21:00
Evone Phoo joins us this week to preview "Let's Grief: Trauma, Loss and Growth", an upcoming international conference at HELP University (July 21-22), organised by Existential-Humanistic Psychol...
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Urban and Asli from 2018-06-21T21:00
In this episode, Govindran Jegatesen takes us into his study on urban migrants among the Orang Asli community. We reflect on the challenges they encounter in negotiating contextual and cultural ...
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Syahdu, Ayu, Rock Kapak, dll (The Trying Game #3) from 2018-06-14T21:00
Three BFM-type Malays try their best to translate some words from their own language. It turned out to be more complicated than they thought. Tune in to find out what they learned along the way....
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Begin with Ah Beng from 2018-06-07T21:00
Or rather the beginner's guide to understanding this much discussed but unfairly maligned sub-culture. What do Ah Beng values represent? Why are they always looked down upon? Who is an Ah Beng, ...
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How Should a Nation Sound? from 2018-05-31T21:00
This week, we look at the link between sound, branding and national identity. Like anything else, the nation too, should be branded. But in what way is this a sonic experience? It turns out that...
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Poyo, Perasan, Skema, dll (The Trying Game #2) from 2018-05-24T21:00
Three BFM-type Malays try their best to translate some words from their own language. It turned out to be more complicated than they thought. Tune in to find out what they learned along the way....
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Lost and Found from 2018-05-17T21:00
We welcome Thai photographer, artist and activist, Manit Sriwanichpoom to the studio this week, where he shares his thoughts on the links between art, activism and technology. We also discuss LO...
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Forgiving Your Parents (Minor Blues #3) from 2018-05-03T21:00
The parent-child relationship is one of life's most persistent enigmas. It's a bond that is as formative as it is excessive, enduring into adulthood and for some, long after loss. What role migh...
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Grieving, Reinventing (Minor Blues #2) from 2018-04-26T21:00
Novelist Sabah Carrim joins us this week to discuss grief. What is mourning? How do we mourn without being consumed by its pains? How is mourning a crucial aspect of self-discovery? How do we kn...
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Sejuk Hati, Gedik, Merajuk, dll (The Trying Game #1) from 2018-04-12T21:00
Two BFM-type Malays try their best to translate some words from their own language. It turned out to be more complicated than they thought. Tune in to find out what they learned along the way. T...
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P. Ramlee, the Star from 2018-04-05T21:00
We talk about the legacy of P. Ramlee as legendary icon. What did his stardom mean for his generation and ours? What made him unique in comparison to other stars of his time, local and abroad? J...
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Truth and Tuha from 2018-03-22T21:00
We welcome legendary scholar and historian Ahmat Adam to the show again, this time to discuss his controversial claim that Hang Tuah does not exist. He explains the bases for his arguments and t...
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Why Me? (Minor Blues #1) from 2018-03-15T21:00
This episode inaugurates 'Minor Blues,' our new segment exploring terrible feelings. We begin with self-pity. What makes it so painful, yet so tempting? Is this a distinctly modern problem? Why ...
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Developmental Psychology and Socio-Emotional Learning from 2018-03-08T21:00
We reflect on the impact of childhood in the formation of identity. Why does it remain so powerful? Are we forever condemned by our parents’ decisions? We also consider the role of grit in...
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Art of Collaboration from 2018-03-01T21:00
We've heard from the curators, we've heard from the advisors. Now it's time to hear from the artists of Merata Suara, an art exhibition by Projek Dialog. They share their experience of working c...
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You, Me and the Other from 2018-02-22T21:00
The Other “mediates” language and all communication, or so Jacques Lacan argued. What is this Other? How does it offer a different view of how intersubjectivity is usually thought of...
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Pedagogy and Decoloniality from 2018-02-15T21:00
Pamela Corey, Ashley Thompson and Erika Tan join us this week to discuss the project of decolonial thinking and its pedagogical strategies. Among other things, we reflect on its challenges in So...
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To the Left, To the Left from 2018-02-08T21:00
Tired of the same, old thing? Then you will want to consider Gabungan Kiri’s ‘Manifesto for the 99 Percent’, a detailed outline of demands that you, as a citizen and worker, ar...
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The Neuroscience of Love from 2018-02-01T21:00
This week, we discuss how neuroscience views love and what we might learn from its technology about the age-old conundrum of opposite sexes.
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Meratasuara: Decentering Conversations from 2018-01-25T21:00
This week we consider the humbling lessons from Meratasuara, Projek Dialog's upcoming exhibition that explores the intricacies of engaging with peripherality. How does art broaden (or limit) mul...
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Roll With It: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu 101 from 2018-01-18T21:00
We offer you a general introduction to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the increasingly popular martial arts. We look into its history and key components alongside suggestions for what to keep in mind when...
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Emotional Intelligence from 2018-01-11T20:00
We try to understand "emotional intelligence" this week as Vizla helps us go through Daniel Goleman's classic book. What does it mean to understand and express out emotions wisely? Where does pa...
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The One About Bookstores from 2018-01-04T20:00
This week, we critically explore the cultural significance of bookstores. What are they good for? Do they play a role in cultivating a more critically-informed culture? Or are they just another ...
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New Economic Margins from 2017-12-28T20:00
We consider the margins of the New Economic Policy now after some decades of hindsight into its gains and losses. What are the narratives and experiences that tend to be overlooked when consider...
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Provincialising, Decentering, Localising from 2017-12-21T20:00
Knowledge production occurs in a political economy that limits discourse to certain rigid epistemic and class presumptions. In this panel, we speak of different ways that this can be undone. We ...
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Generation Crisis from 2017-12-07T20:00
Ecological collapse, mass extinction and increasing inequality. These are just a few in a long list of crises that face today's youths. How does one be young in a world that seems so rapidly fal...
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Do You Need Therapy? from 2017-11-30T20:00
Vizla Kumaresan, clinical psychologist and co-host of Digital Desires, joins us to explain the whys and hows of therapy. Among other things, we look into the relationship between emotional healt...
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Cultural Studies in Taiwan from 2017-11-23T20:00
Joyce Liu visits us all the way from Taipei to share the history of cultural studies in Taiwan. She locates the emergence of the field as a reaction to Martial Law and the need for knowledge pro...
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Socialism 2017 from 2017-11-16T20:00
Every year, Parti Sosialis Malaysia organises a conference where everyone is invited to debate the major topics confronting the left and the world more broadly. Comrades Arul and Sharan join us ...
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The Last Days of Liberalism from 2017-11-09T20:00
Given the global resurgence of right-wing politics into the mainstream, Sharaad and Fuad ask: what kind of future will liberalism have? We consider some of liberalism’s limits and problema...
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BFM Night School at Ilham Gallery: Crisis Vulnerabilities from 2017-11-04T14:00
How do we affirm life in a world that's breaking down? How do we stay hopeful while politics, nature and the economy are falling apart? What role could ugly emotions - fear, pessimism, resignati...
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Positive Negatives from 2017-11-02T20:00
The heyday of positive-thinking self-help is over as popular psychology makes more room for negative emotions. We look into this development by considering the lessons in guilt, shame, sadness, ...
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Activated Youth from 2017-10-26T20:00
We feature a panel to explore the rise of activism among Malaysian youths. Is it a fad or is it substantial? How does it differ to previous generations? Is there long term potential, or is it ju...
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South by Southeast from 2017-10-19T20:00
We welcome Uthaya Sankar SB, author, activist and media personality to the show to talk about Indian / Hindu influences in Malay and Malaysian culture. It is more extensive and profound than you...
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Refugees in Malaysia 101 from 2017-10-12T20:00
Aslam Abdul Jalil gives us an overview of the refugee situation in Malaysia. We look at the extent of the problem, how it ties to global trends and some of the key considerations we should keep ...
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What’s Left of History from 2017-10-05T20:00
We welcome Kua Kia Soong to the show. The legendary scholar, activist, and educator shares his thoughts on the power of history and alternative Merdeka narratives, while reflecting on his decade...
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A Special Roundtable on Youth and Politics from 2017-09-28T20:00
We bring together a politician, a youth activist, and a researcher from Merdeka Center to talk about why youths are jaded and disoriented with politics. Awareness of issues and socioeconomic ten...
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Let's Talk About Insects, Baby! from 2017-09-21T20:00
We get a primer on the world of insects today via our resident entomologist, Law Yao Hua. What makes them fascinating? How do they stand out from others in the animal kingdom? What makes their e...
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Heart in Hand from 2017-09-14T20:00
We reflect on pottery, sculpture and ceramics today to discuss the tactility of the creative process. Joining us to do that is Albert Setyawan, artist and scholar in the making, who shares his t...
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