This episode of Conversations4Citizenship features Dr. Magdalena Fellner, an educational researcher exploring the systemic barriers to higher education within the German prison system and internationally. Interviewed by Kamille Beye, Stella Micheong Cheong and Adam Peter Lang, Dr. Fellner refutes the idea that the academic capability to study is an inherent trait, arguing instead that it is socially and institutionally constructed. She critique-analyzes how gatekeepers limit incarcerated individuals to basic skills and vocational training rather than transformational higher education, pointing out that female prisoners face even fewer academic opportunities. Dr. Fellner advocates for a relational, lifelong learning approach supported by robust university-prison partnerships, which dramatically lower recidivism rates. However, she stresses that education is a human right, not a cure-all, and must coexist with fundamental structural support. Finally, she previews her new research examining why highly educated individuals commit white-collar crimes.

If you are curious about the Higher Education Institution-Prison Partnerships, check out her works below.

• Fellner, M. (2025). Universities as elite allies. Disclosing global patterns of inequality in tertiary education across time. In Wimmer, C. & Rieder, T. (Eds.), Global Inequalities. Leiden: Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004733626_011
• Fellner, M. & Dreisinger, B. (forthcoming). Education Not Incarceration Across Borders: Prison, University and Education Behind Bars. Special Issue, Tertiary Education and Management. https://link.springer.com/collections/afjgeefhde
• This meta-study of the United States shows that individuals who participated in educational programmes were 43% less likely to reoffend than those who did not, and that every dollar spent on correctional education saves taxpayers five dollars in reincarceration costs. See Davis, Lois M., Jennifer L. Steele, Robert Bozick, Malcolm V. Williams, Susan Turner, Jeremy N. V. Miles, Jessica Saunders, and Paul S. Steinberg. How Effective Is Correctional Education, and Where Do We Go From Here? The Results of a Comprehensive Evaluation. RAND Corporation. 2014.

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This episode brings together three Nepali changemakers, public speaker Aadarsha Bikram Singh, lawyer Tanuja Pandey, and peacebuilding researcher, Dr. Nar Bahadur Saud, to unpack the historic September 2025 Gen Z movement that toppled Nepal's government. They explain how decades of corruption, forced out-migration, and a sudden social media ban pushed young people into the streets, fueled by the viral #NepoBaby and #NepoKids hashtags borrowed from Indonesia's earlier uprising. The conversation honors the 76 lives lost on September 9, traces the remarkably swift transition to a peaceful 2026 election, and introduces a parliament now full of young faces including a 36-year-old Prime Minister. But the guests are refreshingly honest about the uncertainty ahead: creeping populism, weak institutional memory, and the temptation to dismantle without rebuilding. Their closing advice for global youth movements is unforgettable — unite before you ignite, collaborate across generations, read history, and let love walk beside the rage.

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Welcome back to Conversations4Citizenship as we kick off Season 5 with our brand-new theme: "The New World Order". To get things started, hosts Stella and Kamille sit down with Ken Katayama, a Digital Policy Evangelist from Japan, for an eye-opening chat about our hyper-connected lives. Throughout the episode, they unpack the hidden dangers of the AI "black box" and explore what data sovereignty truly means when tech giants silently gather our most intimate details. Furthermore, the conversation seamlessly shifts to tackle the ethical implications of mass surveillance, highlighting the stark differences in global privacy laws—from Europe's strict GDPR to the fragmented rules in the US and developing nations. Ultimately, Ken leaves us with a powerful reminder that while technology will inevitably advance, keeping humans at the center and building genuine trust are the true keys to navigating our digital future. Tune in to discover why simply clicking "I Agree" is no longer enough to protect yourself!

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