Global Thought Podcast

Part two of “Afghanistan and Women” features Dr. Massouda Jalal and a special guest—her daughter, Hasina. The pair explore the implications of Dr. Jalal’s work, how to fuel the fight for gender equality in Afghanistan, and the current state of affairs in the country. Dr. Jalal was the first woman to run for the Office of the President in the history of Afghanistan and, after placing 6th in the 2004 race, served in the first government after the fall of the Taliban that year. A graduate of Kabul Medical University, she has worked at the World Food Programme and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees offices in Afghanistan. She is an icon in her country and has fought for women across the world. In 2010, Dr. Jalal was awarded the UN Human Rights Global Prize.

In part one of our episode on "Afghanistan and Women," Dr. Massouda Jalal discusses her medical career, her extensive political career, and the famous race for the Office of the Presidency. Dr. Jalal recounts the threats from the Taliban and living in exile in Europe, all while preserving her commitment to human rights in her home country. Dr. Jalal was the first woman to run for the Office of the President in the history of Afghanistan and, after placing 6th in the 2004 race, served in the first government after the fall of the Taliban that year. A graduate of Kabul Medical University, she has worked at the World Food Programme and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees offices in Afghanistan. She is an icon in her country and has fought for women across the world. In 2010, Dr. Jalal was awarded the UN Human Rights Global Prize.

On this season of the GlobalThought Podcast, Dr. Vishakha N. Desai discusses her recent memoir, “World is Family.” In conversation with four former students, Dr. Desai weighs in on the public perception of globalism and the varying reactions to increased interconnectivity in the world. She touches on the transnational identities of immigrants, relationships transcending cultural boundaries and the idea of belonging through the lens of global thought. Dr. Vishakha N. Desai is a Senior Advisor for Global Affairs to the President of Columbia University, Senior Research Scholar at Columbia’s School of International & Public Affairs, and Chair of the Committee on Global Thought. A scholar of Asian art and thought leader on the intersection of arts and contemporary issues, Dr. Desai is the past president and CEO of the Asia Society.

CGT Chair Vishakha N. Desai speaks with committee member Manan Ahmed about his new book "The Loss of Hindustan: The Invention of India." Ahmed provides a radical interpretation of how India came to its contemporary political identity. He argues that a European understanding of India as Hindu has replaced an earlier, native understanding of India as Hindustan, a home for all faiths. Turning to the subcontinent’s medieval past, Ahmed uncovers a rich network of historians of Hindustan who imagined, studied, and shaped their kings, cities, and societies. Manan Ahmed is an Associate Professor of History at Columbia University and a member of the Committee on Global Thought. Ahmed is interested in the relationship between text, space, and narrative. Copies of the book are available at: https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674987906