Over the course of my academic career, I have engaged with re-theorizing concepts of space and time in comparative education research. I spoke about this topic in my FreshEd podcast, Space in Educational Research, drawing upon ideas from my 2016 book Internationalization of Higher Education: An Analysis through Spatial, Network and Mobilities Theories.

In 2020, in the heart of the global Covid pandemic, I decided to retire early from academia and devote my life to social and ecological justice, being deeply concerned about the pressing nature of the climate crisis we now face. I also spend my time volunteering for my charitable foundation, the Johansen Larsen Foundation, which works to enhance the lives of those marginalized in our communities through supporting inclusive initiatives that foster learning and well-being.

So, my interests in academic podcasts have shifted slightly since I was actively involved in academia. Given my interest in the climate crisis, I recommend the following podcasts for FreshEd listeners: What’s the role of education in times of climate crisis? is a great podcast about what educators and students around the world have done in the face of the climate crisis. For a broader look on the uneven global effects of the climate crisis and what countries are and are not doing to respond to that crisis, I recommend Climate Change and Education Policy. And finally, given my interest in academia and activism, I highly recommend Becoming an Activist Academic on ways to remain hopeful and enact social change in the academy and beyond.

August 17, 2021