The memory of reading the very first book as a child remains vivid, unlocking worlds far beyond the limits of everyday reality. Children’s books are booming, but political attacks and censorship are also threatening this thriving sector. Our three amazing guests will help you explore: - Liv Andrea Banner is a Danish writer who grew up in Aarhus and recently completed a degree in creative writing and Irish literature in Sligo. Her debut novel, Guilt Society, was published in 2025 and nominated for the Bodil & Jørgen Much-Christensen prize. - Írisz Agócs is an illustrator and author. After studying cultural anthropology and ethnography, she switched to illustration. - Chrysogonus Siddha Malilang is a senior lecturer at Malmö universitet, Sweden and the current editor of Bookbird.

Standard Time: Wonderland is terrifying

Standard Time

OKTO

Wonderland is terrifying

As capital consolidates, culture recedes, funding vanishes, access narrows. The question persists: Why fund culture at all? Cultural managers from Austria, Hungary and Serbia discuss. Our amazing guests in this episode are Maria Popovic alias Zmaja (Program Director at Magnet Association and manages several Creative Europe projects through the Student Cultural Centre Novi Sad and Foundation EXIT), György Szabó (economist, focused on innovation in the performing arts, founder of Workshop Foundation and Trafó House), Maximilian Lehner (Managing Director of EUROZINE, he is a curator, critic, and art historian) und Tarun Kade (dramaturge at Wiener Festwochen, previously active at Thalia Theater, Theater Bremen, and Münchner Kammerspiele).

Standard Time: How money abandoned culture

How money abandoned culture

There is this ‘very easy’ subject of religion and secularism in today’s present society. Why France took secularism a bit too far and how religious texts can also be misused to excuse violence? Let’s start with the basics: What is secularism? Our three amazing guests are here to help us converse about it: Dóra Laborczi, journalist with a strong background in theology, civic and social organizations as well as church media. Omar Sayfo, Director of research at the Migration Research Institute at the MCC. Jonatán Megyeri is an orthodox rabbi, journalist and influencer, who speaks to wide audiences about Judaism and about foreign affairs and politics.

Standard Time: Are we all religious once again?

Are we all religious once again?

What's driving the disconnection in our hyper-connected world? Loneliness is more than being alone, it’s a growing health crisis as social ties weaken, anxiety rises, and our societies face a silent epidemic of isolation. This episode features four amazing guests: Kateryna Mishchenko - publisher, curator and author from Kyiv, recently working in Berline at The Federal Agency for Civic Education. Regina Pozsgai - psychologist and hypnotherapist for more than 20 years. Romeo Bissuti - clinical psychologist and psychotherapist, CEO of 'MEN' Men’s Health Center Vienna. Bálint Takács - head of the international Master's programme "Counselling and School Psychology" at the Institute of Psychology at the University of Pécs in Hungary.

Standard Time: Men in emotional crisis?

Men in emotional crisis?

Meat-loving European countries see a rise in vegetarianism. How come? In this episode, we delve into the personal, ethical, and economic aspects of a meat-free diet. Our guests are: Zsófia Perényi, project coordinator of the Association of Conscious Consumers Hungary. Felix Hnat is an economist and the President of the Vegan Society Austria and of the European Vegetarian Union. Alessio Giussani, is editor-in-chief of the Green European Journal.

Standard Time: Hands off my Schnitzel!

Hands off my Schnitzel!

In this episode, we will discuss how the Brexit campaign was heavily funded by Russian dark money, why Brexit even happened, and why it is important to remain united in the face of an erratic Donald Trump. Our guests for today’s Episode are: Roos Fransen, a Dutch researcher focusing on European and International Law at the University of Vienna. Luke Cooper is an academic at the LSE and a co-host of the Another Europe podcast. Misha Glenny is the Rector of the Institute for Human Sciences (IWM) in Vienna, one of Austria’s leading advanced research institutes.

Standard Time: How can the UK recover from Brexit?

How can the UK recover from Brexit?

Since the collapse of Novi Sad's train station in November, student-led protests have erupted across Serbia, inspiring a nationwide movement against corruption. Our amazing guests provide us with a wonderful example for how different generations can support each other in reaching a mutual goal: Branka Curcic is a longtime cultural activist and co-founder of the Group for Conceptual Politics in Novi Sad. Student protester Višnja Vukajlovic is currently participating in the blockade at the Faculty of Technical Sciences in Novi Sad and strives to stay grounded and maintain a clear perspective. Aleksandar Reljic, a journalist and filmmaker born in Belgrade. Dejan Tomka is an audio producer, activist, and media creator based in Belgrade, actively participating in the ongoing student-led protests across Serbia—both on the streets and through her online presence.

Standard Time: The world beyond institutions

The world beyond institutions

Do emotions have to dominate the news? How much should they govern our governance? Three experts are here to help you keep the worries at bay: ? Zsolt Boda is the head of the HUN-REN Centre for Social Sciences, a political scientist working primarily on public policy and governance, now heading the MORES project. ? Gabriella Szabó is a senior research fellow at the HUN-REN Centre for Social Sciences, she is also a contributor to the MORES and the PLEDGE research projects. ? Mikko Salmela is specialized in the philosophy of emotions from an empirically informed perspective, Lead Academic Coordinator of the Horizon Europe project PLEDGE.

Standard Time: Marketing resentment

Marketing resentment

Whether you’re a tropical mosquito or a succulent, let alone a human, we all need water. Access to safe, drinkable water is essential for survival, but this is still a privilege. Hungary's farmers are struggling with a big oil leak; Romanians only buy bottled water, and what’s up with Coca-Cola? We've got three professionals to unravel the mystery: Oana Filip writes about culture and life. She is a journalist for Scena9, a Romanian magazine and website. Gergely Simon is an environmental chemist at Greenpeace in Budapest and the Pesticide Action Network Europe in Brussels. Gergely Áron Pápai is a documentarian and the head of the video division at the Hungarian investigative portal Átlátszó.

Standard Time: There's something in the water

There's something in the water

We love it as children, we’re fascinated by the people who tend to it - until we learn that we shouldn’t. We all produce it everyday and yet we don’t like thinking about it - yes people, today we are talking Trash! We have three amazing guests who discuss, why dealing with waste is the most important function that keeps a society going. Orsolya Jeney is a human rights expert with a passion for upcycling. Petra Wintner is the project manager of carla at Caritas Vienna. Pablo Sanchez Centellas is a representative of EPSU, the European Public Service Union based in Brussels.

Standard Time: Let's talk trash!

Let's talk trash!

Why are we running out of babies? And what if we don't want them? In this new episode of Standard Time for International Women's Day 2025, we discuss pronatalist policies, pensions and parental leave, and whether having fewer than 8 billion people would be a disaster.

Standard Time: Nursery crimes

Nursery crimes

They invented the internet and now it devours them! How does digitization change libraries and archives? We have three amazing guests to discuss this with: Ulla Leinikka is the communication manager of the Helsinki Central Library Oodi Monika Bargmann is a Data Stewardess at the Faculty of Philological and Cultural Studies at University of Vienna Tamás Miszler is the director of the Csorba Gyozo Library, Baranya county in Hungary.

Standard Time: The tyranny of the shush

The tyranny of the shush

Donald Trump is the first openly Russian-aligned American president since WWII, and has put incredible pressure on Ukraine. How will Ukraine cope, what do they hope for and how do they keep their spirits up? We decided to sit down with 3 experts to look back and discuss if we, as Europe, should have acted sooner, where Ukraine stands now and what the future might hold. Our guests: Kateryna Botanova, a Ukrainian curator, writer and cultural critic Maksym Kyiak, chief scientist at the Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies (Kyiv, Ukraine) Adam Reichardt, the editor of the Kraków-based specialist publication, New Eastern Europe

Standard Time: 3-Year Blitzkrieg

3-Year Blitzkrieg

Are you a social media addict? Are you offended by the question? Either way, this episode is for you! Today we will sit down with 4 experts from different parts of Europe to tell us why there are so many peoples faces glued to their screen and how it is affecting the youth but also the parents!

Standard Time: How social media affects our kids

How social media affects our kids

It's been over five years since COVID-19 broke out and changed the world. The disparities between the wealthy and the most vulnerable of our society was made brutally clear. And who your political leader was at the time also made all the difference. Our three amazing guests, who help the topic unfold: - Carola Marquina is a licensed psychologist from the University of Lima, specializing in the clinical field. - Miriam Lindner is a nurse based in Vienna, Austria. - Nevena Mitranic, PhD, is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade.

Standard Time: What we failed to learn from Covid

Weitere Folgen

Standard Time: Wonderland is terrifying

Standard Time: How money abandoned culture

Standard Time: Are we all religious once again?

Standard Time: Men in emotional crisis?

Standard Time: Hands off my Schnitzel!

Standard Time: How can the UK recover from Brexit?

Standard Time: The world beyond institutions

Standard Time: Marketing resentment

Standard Time: There's something in the water

Standard Time: Let's talk trash!

Standard Time: Let's talk trash!

Standard Time: Nursery crimes

Standard Time: Nursery crimes

Standard Time: The tyranny of the shush

Standard Time: The tyranny of the shush

Standard Time: 3-Year Blitzkrieg

Standard Time: 3-Year Blitzkrieg

Standard Time: How social media affects our kids

Standard Time: How social media affects our kids