Episodes

  • Collaborative Solutions through Academia-Practitioner Partnership
    Apr 30 2025

    In this episode, Shandra sits down with Marina Lazetic, Director of Programs at CFD, and Alexandra 'Xan' Weber, Chief Advancement Officer and Senior Vice President of the International Institute of New England. They discuss the timely importance of academic and practitioner collaborations in the field of forced displacement, highlighting new initiatives and research both organizations are undertaking together.


    For more information on research and CFD events, check out our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.bu.edu/cfd/ ⁠⁠⁠


    The newest edition of the Critical Forced Displacement Magazine can be found here: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.criticalforceddisplacement.com/

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    23 mins
  • Understanding Literary Translation with Ibrahim Fawzy
    Apr 16 2025

    In this episode, Shandra chats with CFD Graduate Fellow Ibrahim Fawzy about the ins and outs of translating Arabic literary texts into English. They dive into how this process intersects with Ibrahim's own experience of moving to the United States, tackling the world of translations on many levels.


    For more information on research and CFD events, check out our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.bu.edu/cfd/ ⁠⁠


    The newest edition of the Critical Forced Displacement Magazine can be found here: ⁠⁠https://www.criticalforceddisplacement.com/

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    22 mins
  • The Home I Worked To Make: Interview with Author Dr. Wendy Pearlman
    Apr 2 2025

    In this episode, Shandra sits down with author and scholar Dr. Wendy Pearlman, to chat about her latest book "The Home I Worked to Make: Voices from the New Syrian Diaspora."

    This powerful book, based on hundreds of interviews conducted over a decade, explores the profound question of what home means for those who have been forced to leave everything behind.


    For more information on research and CFD events, check out our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.bu.edu/cfd/ ⁠


    The newest edition of the Critical Forced Displacement Magazine can be found here: ⁠https://www.criticalforceddisplacement.com/

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    26 mins
  • Academia to Activism: Redefining Research in Afghanistan’s Crisis
    Nov 13 2024

    In this episode, we hear the story of Ahmed, a 24-year-old Afghan man whose life was at risk during the Taliban's 2021 takeover. Dr. Neelam Raina and Sobia Kapadia share their firsthand experiences as their UK-funded research project, focused on gender, justice and security, took a dangerous turn when colleagues were targeted for their work. Dr. Raina recounts one researcher's escape and how their roles as researchers evolved into complex, life-saving actions. This episode explores the intersection of academic research and crisis, highlighting ethical dilemmas, trauma, and the impact of international development.


    For more information on research and CFD events, check out our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.bu.edu/cfd/


    The newest edition of the Critical Forced Displacement Magazine can be found here: https://www.criticalforceddisplacement.com/




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    35 mins
  • From College to Career: Navigating a Path in Forced Displacement Work
    Oct 16 2024

    In this episode of CFD Conversations, Aidan Kaminer, a former BU Center on Forced Displacement fellow and now Senior Economic Mobility Coordinator at La Colaborativa, shares how his passion for helping migrants shaped his career. From navigating an unclear college path to finding his place in social services, Aidan’s journey offers insight into how staying true to passions can lead to a fulfilling career in forced displacement and social justice.


    For more information on research and CFD events, check out our website: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.bu.edu/cfd/

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    19 mins
  • Mapping Displacement: The Power of Remote Sensing in Conflict Zones
    Sep 18 2024

    In this episode, we are joined by Jamon Van Den Hoek, an Associate Professor of Geography at Oregon State University, to explore how satellite remote sensing and geospatial data are used to track and understand the complex causes and effects of forced displacement. He also shares how his lab at OSU is preparing the next generation of researchers as this rapidly growing field continues to evolve.


    For more information on research and CFD events, check out our website: ⁠⁠https://www.bu.edu/cfd/


    Check out OSU's Conflict Ecology lab: https://www.conflict-ecology.org/about


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    22 mins
  • Impacts of the Pakistan Floods
    Feb 21 2024

    In this interview, associate director Carrie Preston, research associate Rana Hussein and student research fellow Janki Bhatt are joined by Naween Mangi, founder of the Ali Hasan Memorial Trust, to discuss the impacts of the 2022 Pakistan floods on communities in rural Sindh.


    For more information on Naween Mangi's work, check out her website here.


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    42 mins
  • Measuring Impact with CFD Postdoc Selma Hedlund
    Jan 24 2024

    In this episode we sit down with Selma Hedlund, a CFD postdoc, to discuss her journey into the field of forced displacement, both as a researcher and community organizer, and what it means to have an impact in the field.


    For more information on research and CFD events, check out our website: ⁠https://www.bu.edu/cfd/ 

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    21 mins