Audiences and history enthusiasts are already familiar with the Lithuanian Institute of History’s podcast series Kabinetiniai pokalbiai, in which the Institute’s researchers discuss their work, historical sources and the everyday practice of being a historian. Continuing its efforts to make academic knowledge accessible to a wider public, the Lithuanian Institute of History now presents a new series of international conversations, Europe and the World in Focus.

Through conversations with prominent Lithuanian and international scholars, politicians, cultural figures and public intellectuals, the series explores the most important processes shaping Europe and the world today. It connects historical perspectives with contemporary questions of geopolitics, security, democracy, education, culture, the media and international relations.

The series invites viewers to explore complex phenomena in a clear and well-reasoned way, to understand their historical origins and to consider the place of Lithuania and the Baltic region within the broader European and global context. It provides a space for academic insight, critical dialogue and meaningful discussion about the past, the present and the challenges of the future.

We invite you to watch the first episode, “Europe and the World in Focus. Rt Hon Charles Clarke (Cambridge University): Can Britain rebuild closer ties with Europe?”

In this podcast episode, Julijus Grickevičius talks to Charles Clarke about the geopolitical importance of the Baltic region, the United Kingdom’s perspective on Lithuania and the other Baltic states, and the prospects for academic cooperation with the University of Cambridge. The discussion also explores the causes and consequences of Brexit, the role of immigration, Britain’s relationship with Europe, as well as social inequality, education and the role of universities in a rapidly changing world.