
A new SAHA conversation with Leonie Bell, Director of the V&A Dundee. Join us on a journey through the wonders of Scotland's design museum, the must visit Tartan exhibition and so much more.
Jan 3, 2024
22 min

A new SAHA conversation with Iain Lindsay OBE, former British Ambassador British Ambassador, Adviser to the Bahrain Economic Development Board. Join us for a journey into the world of diplomacy, a fascinating discussion about foreign languages and what it means to be a Scottish person, and diplomat, abroad.
Sep 21, 2023
31 min

Welcome to a new episode of A SAHA Conversation, a podcast by the Scottish Arts and Humanities Alliance.
In this episode, we will talk with Hazel de Vere, a conservator who has been working for the National Records of Scotland for almost three decades. She is part of the team that works really hard to preserve the Declaration of Arbroath, which is currently on display at the National Museum of Scotland.
In this SAHA conversation, Hazel will explain what it means to be a specialist in book and paper conservation, the important work behind preserving the Declaration of Arbroath, the unexpected wonders of the sector, and so much more.
Jun 22, 2023
19 min

Welcome to a new episode of A SAHA Conversation, a podcast by the Scottish Arts and Humanities Alliance.
In this episode, we will talk with Dr Lindsay Middleton, a food historian who will provide eye opening perspective on the history of food, historical sustainable practices and so much more.
Jun 15, 2023
21 min

We are delighted to bring you the last podcast episode from our SAHA Conversations series. Our conversation partner is Philip Long OBE FRSE. Philip is Chief Executive of the National Trust for Scotland. He has an extensive experience in the arts & heritage sectors in Scotland and he is the founding director of V&A Dundee, a landmark museum and cultural institution in Scotland. As usual, Philip has links with several SAHA member institutions. A fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, he is also an Honorary Professor of the University of Dundee and an Honorary Research Fellow of the University of St Andrews. Philip has received an OBE for services to culture and heritage in 2020.
Aug 18, 2022
34 min

We are delighted to bring you another SAHA Conversation. Our guest this week is Amina Shah. Amina is the National Librarian and Chief Executive of the National Library of Scotland. She has over 25 years' experience across the library and literature sector, including both public and academic libraries. She was a previous Chief Executive of the Scottish Library and Information Council and Director of Programme at the Scottish Book Trust and is President of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland and Visiting Professor at the School of Creative and Culture Business at Robert Gordon University. She is a Trustee of StAnza International Poetry Festival, Friends of the National Libraries, the Scottish Library and Information Council and the British Library Advisory Board. Amina has a strong interest in diversity and inclusion and the role libraries, literature and culture play in empowering individuals and communities.
As we discuss during our conversation, Amina has spent most of her life amongst books and our talk covers different topics related to books and libraries. The discussion also includes Amina’s reflections on the future of libraries and the various services libraries provide for their communities beyond access to their collections.
Resources mentioned:
National Library of Scotland
A Living Proof: A Climate Story documentary
Scotland’s Public Library Strategy 2021-2025
Scottish Library & Information Council
Jun 9, 2022
32 min

We are delighted to bring you a new SAHA Conversation. Our guest this week is Jane McCulloch. Jane McCulloch is the Consul General of Ireland in Edinburgh, having taken up her post in July 2019. Jane is a career diplomat who has served Ireland at home and abroad for fifteen years. Jane has served abroad as Deputy Head of Mission and Consul at the Embassies of Ireland in Warsaw and Copenhagen, and at home in various roles across the Department of Foreign Affairs, including as Head of Integrity in the Passport Service, in the Humanitarian Unit of Irish Aid, and on State Visits in DFA’s Protocol Division. Before joining the Department of Foreign Affairs, Jane worked in the events industry, delivering major outdoor public events. She graduated from the University of St Andrews in 2002.
Our SAHA Conversation includes Jane’s reflections on her career and on the contribution of arts & humanities to international relations. As this conversation was recorded in the first week of February 2022, and St Patrick’s day on March 17th was just around the corner, we also discussed St Patrick’s Day and what it means for Ireland and the Irish diaspora.
Resources mentioned:
Consulate General of Ireland in Edinburgh
Ireland-Scotland Bilateral Review
Boyne to Brodgar project
The Book of Kells
Colmcille - An Naomh Dána (TG4 and BBC Alba documentary)
Athbheatha: Colm Cille Ildánach (A celebration of the 1500th anniversary of Colmcille's life through works of art - TG4 documentary)
An Irish - Scottish celebration of St Brigid's Day 2021
The 2022 St Brigid's Day event Women’s Voices in Arts & Media (organised by the Consulates General of Ireland in Cardiff, Edinburgh, and Manchester)
Causeway Ireland - Scotland Business Exchange Young Professionals Network
May 5, 2022
35 min

SAHA brings you a new special edition podcast with historical insights into the invasion of Ukraine. Our speakers, drawn from across the Scottish higher education sector, are authorities on the history and culture of the region. In this discussion, grounded in an arts and humanities perspective and independent historical inquiry, the speakers explore contested narratives of the past and what these mean for our understanding of the current conflict. They also discuss the importance of narratives of national identity and why religious, economic, and political legacies still matter if we are to reach greater insight into this complex region and into the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
We would love to hear your thoughts about this podcast – please get in touch with us via the website, Twitter @SAHA_voice - #SAHAInsights, LinkedIn or Facebook.
The podcast participants are:
Dr Jon Blackwood (podcast host) – Reader and Research Lead, Gray’s School of Art, Robert Gordon University
Dr Murray Frame – Interim Dean of the School of Humanities, University of Dundee
Professor Robert Frost FRSE – Burnett Fletcher Chair in History, University of Aberdeen
Professor Anthony (Tony) Heywood – Chair in History, University of Aberdeen
Dr Thomas Marsden – Lecturer in European History, University of Stirling
Professor Catherine O’Leary – Professor of Spanish, University of St Andrews & SAHA Co-chair
The full transcript is available on our website.
Please find below some of the resources mentioned in this episode and further reading recommendations shared by the guests and Dr Asya Kudlenko:
Aleksei Miller, The Ukrainian Question: The Russian Empire and Nationalism in the Nineteenth Century (2003) (freely available)
Geoffrey Hosking, Russia: People and Empire, 1552-1917 (1998)
Mykhailo Hrushevsky, History of Ukraine-Rus’
Robert Frost, The Oxford History of Poland-Lithuania vol. 1 The
Mar 29, 2022
50 min

Our latest SAHA Conversation features Fiona Hill. Dr. Fiona Hill is a senior fellow at the Center on the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution and author of There Is Nothing for You Here: Finding Opportunity in the 21st Century. She previously served as senior director for European and Russian affairs on the National Security Council from 2017-2019 and as national intelligence officer for Russia and Eurasia at the National Intelligence Council from 2006-2009. She holds a master's degree in Soviet studies and a doctorate in history from Harvard University and a master's in Russian and modern history from St Andrews University in Scotland.
This SAHA Conversation focuses on Fiona’s book ‘There’s Nothing for you Here: Finding Opportunity in the 21st century’. We also discuss her work on Russia but please note that this podcast episode was recorded in November 2021. Please see the show notes below for a series of recent sources with Fiona’s analysis on the current events in Ukraine.
Resources mentioned:
There is Nothing for You Here: Finding Opportunity in the 21st Century
Brookings Institution
Recent media and events:
The Economist Asks Podcast with Dr Fiona Hill – 3 March 2022
The Ezra Klein Show (The New York Times) with Dr Fiona Hill – 8 March 2022
Metropolitan State University Denver – President Speaker’s Series with Dr Fiona Hill – 18 March 2022
Mar 24, 2022
36 min

We are delighted to bring you another SAHA Conversation. Our guest this week is Catherine Stihler, CEO of Creative Commons.
Catherine Stihler OBE has been an international champion for openness as a legislator and practitioner for over 20 years.
Born in Scotland, Catherine was educated at the University of St Andrews, where she was awarded a Master of Arts (MA) with Honours in Geography and International Relations, and later a Master of Letters (MLitt) in International Security Studies. She also has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the Open University. In October 2014, Catherine became the 52nd Rector of the University of St Andrews, and today serves as the Chair of the governing body, University Court. In 2018 she was awarded an honorary doctorate (DLitt) in recognition of her service to the university.
She stood for election as a Member of the European Parliament for Scotland in 1999, representing the Labour Party. At the European Parliament she became one of Scotland’s longest-serving and most respected legislators.
Catherine was elected Vice-Chair of the European Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee, founded the Campaign for Parliamentary Reform and the Parliament’s All-Party Library Group, and was instrumental in securing graphic health warnings on cigarette packets across the EU.
In 2019, Catherine was awarded an OBE by Her Majesty the Queen in recognition of her services to politics. That same year, she stood down from the European Parliament to become the Chief Executive Officer of the Open Knowledge Foundation. During her 18-month tenure at the Foundation, Catherine redefined its vision and mission to produce a new strategic direction, re-engaged its global chapters and increased the worldwide profile of the organisation.
In August 2020, Catherine was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Creative Commons, a non-profit organisation that helps overcome legal obstacles to the sharing of knowledge and creativity to address the world’s pressing challenges.
This SAHA Conversation covers several subjects, including reflections on Catherine’s career trajectory and her role as Chair of the University of St Andrews' Court. We also discuss the link between arts, humanities and digital technologies, open data, sharing knowledge and the creative commons.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Creative Commons
Creative Commons licences
Galleries, Libraries, Arts and Museums (GLAM) Programme
Climate change and biodiversity research campaign
(Podcast cover profile photo: "Catherine Stihler" by Martin Shields (martinshields.com) licensed under CC BY 4.0)
Feb 24, 2022
33 min
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