In their book they trace how today’s dominant view—endless desires demanding endless growth—emerged only over centuries of debate and ideological struggle.
A French translation (cover featured above to the right) will come out in March 2026.
Guest: Saarang Narayan (Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali)
Host and Producer: Maria Bach (University of Lausanne)
A political poster issued by the Bharatiya Janta Party in recent years, promoting the Swadeshist message as part of their “Ghar Ghar Swadeshi” (Swadeshi in Every Household) campaign.
A list of key terms with short explanations discussed in the episode
Swadeshi is a Hindi/Hindustani word that literally means ‘of one’s own country’ (swa=one’s own/self; desh=country). The slogan gained popularity in the early twentieth century, especially in the popular movement against the partition of Bengal in 1905, and went on to inspire the founding of domestic institutions and the production and consumption of goods as modes of anti-colonial politics. Although it remained part of the discourse around developmentalism and economic planning in the mid-twentieth century, it regained popularity in the context of the public debates about globalisation and neoliberalism in the 1980s and 1990s. While it is comparable to slogans like ‘Buy British’ or ‘Buy American’, there is a characteristic ethical and socio-cultural dimension that separates Swadeshist principles from simple autarky or protectionism. This ethical and socio-cultural dimension concerns the definition of the Swadeshist ‘self’ along religious and cultural lines, often limiting it to Hinduism.
Hindu Nationalism is a broad term used here to encapsulate those visions of nationalism in India that define the Indian identity and history through the lens of Hinduism. This is to say that Hindu Nationalists often link the modern nation-state to a primordial Hindu past, where the religious and cultural practices of the supposed ancient Hindu peoples defined their identities. While India’s contemporary Hindu far-right has spearheaded this form of nationalism, there have been other actors who subscribe to such a vision of the Indian nation. What makes the Hindu far-right different from other such actors is the former’s palingenetic, Islamophobic, and xenophobic interpretations of Hindu Nationalism. The Hindu far-right describes its mode of Hindu Nationalism as ‘Hindutva’ or Hindu-ness, as outlined in the works of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (National Volunteers’ Union) was founded in 1925. It is the apex body of the Hindu far-right with the goal of (re-)establishing India as a Hindu Nation. The RSS was founded by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar as a para-militaristic body of Hindu men to arm Hindu society against its cultural enemies. The second supreme-leader of the RSS, Madhavrao Sadashiv Golwalkar, identified these enemies in order of the threat that they posed to Hindus as follows: Muslims, Christians, and Communists. The RSS primarily functions through local chapters (shakhas or branches) and is comprised of volunteers (swayamsevaks) and led by preachers (pracharaks). Although Swadeshist ideas were primarily popularised by political actors who were summarily opposed to the politics of the RSS, the RSS adopted Swadeshi in the 1950s, and it has remained at the core of its economic thought ever since.
Throughout its century-long existence, the RSS has faced three major bans and, despite its majoritarian, fascistic goals, has adapted strategies of dynamism and flexibility in its tactics, ideas, and political language to meet these challenges. The first two decades of independent India were the lowest point in the RSS’s public and political presence, and it gained increasing popularity and political ground in the mainstream from the mid-1970s onwards. Part of its strategy of expansion has been the creation of smaller affiliate organisations, geared towards specialised tasks. This conglomerate of far-right organisations headed by the RSS has come to be known as the Sangh Parivar (Family). The current ruling party in India, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the electoral wing of the RSS, and many of its members (including Prime Minister Narendra Modi) started out as swayamsevaks in the RSS before joining the BJP.
Based on almost 2 years of interviews with current and former PhD students, supervisors along with lots and lots of conversations on supervision, I offer you a series of episodes on supervision.
In the first episode, I explore a series of critical “don’ts” that both PhD students and their supervisors should be aware of to ensure a healthier, more productive PhD journey. In the following episode, I will be offering up lots of solutions or rather the dos of supervision. Then there will be an episode on all the cases where it’s not clear what the best solution is, or the solution is rather different depending on context: I am calling them the in-betweens. In this fourth episode I will be talking to a sort of PhD coach, who has lots of experience with supervising and thinking about supervision. A final short episode will offer us a list of 10 key things that supervisors and PhD students need – the 10 commandments of supervision, if you will.
Based on almost 2 years of interviews with current and former PhD students, supervisors along with lots and lots of conversations on supervision, I offer you a series of episodes on supervision.
In the first episode, I explore a series of critical “don’ts” that both PhD students and their supervisors should be aware of to ensure a healthier, more productive PhD journey. In the following episode, I offer up lots of solutions or rather the dos of supervision. Then there will be an episode on all the cases where it’s not clear what the best solution is, or the solution is rather different depending on context: I am calling them the in-betweens. In a fourth episode I will be talking to a sort of PhD coach, who has lots of experience with supervising and thinking about supervision. In this final short episode I offer a list of 10 key things that supervisors and PhD students need – the 10 commandments of supervision, if you will.
The 10 Commandments of Supervision
Use a reference manager
Organise notes on reference
Establish a healthy work schedule
Meet regularly and take meeting notes
Set deadlines
Listen to each other
Ask lots of questions
Support and empathy
PhD students should present and learn to communicate early on
Build a community
The voice at the end is Pedro G. Duarte (Insper), featured in several of the other parts of the series.
Featured music (apart from the usual intro and outro music): Education – upbeat positive (short ver.), Awakening (loop ver.3) and Dreamy Day (loop ver.2) by AudioCoffee: https://freesound.org/s/712212/ License: Attribution NonCommercial 4.0
To check out Mamma Mu, the children’s books I mention at the end, go here.
Based on almost 2 years of interviews with current and former PhD students, supervisors along with lots and lots of conversations on supervision, I offer you a series of episodes on supervision.
In the first episode, I explore a series of critical “don’ts” that both PhD students and their supervisors should be aware of to ensure a healthier, more productive PhD journey. In the following episode, I offer lots of solutions or rather the dos of supervision. This episode covers all the cases where it’s not clear what the best solution is, or the solution is rather different depending on context: I am calling them the in-betweens. In a fourth episode I will be talking to a sort of PhD coach, who has lots of experience with supervising and thinking about supervision. A final short episode will offer us a list of 10 key things that supervisors and PhD students need – the 10 commandments of supervision, if you will.
The Inbetween Cases of Supervision:
Providing Space and Freedom
Personalising Supervision and Adapting to Each Student
Handling Breakdowns in the Supervisor-Student Relationship
Managing Uncertainty and Redirection in Research
Supporting Students Through Confusion and Uncertainty
Broader Perspectives for Academia
Featured music (apart from the usual intro and outro music): Evolution by AudioCoffee — https://freesound.org/s/704874/ — License: Attribution NonCommercial 4.0
Based on almost 2 years of interviews with current and former PhD students, supervisors along with lots and lots of conversations on supervision, I offer you a series of episodes on supervision.
In the first episode, I explore a series of critical “don’ts” that both PhD students and their supervisors should be aware of to ensure a healthier, more productive PhD journey. In this second episode, I offer up lots of solutions or rather the dos of supervision. Then there will be an episode on all the cases where it’s not clear what the best solution is, or the solution is rather different depending on context: I am calling them the in-betweens. In a fourth episode I will be talking to a sort of PhD coach, who has lots of experience with supervising and thinking about supervision. A final short episode will offer us a list of 10 key things that supervisors and PhD students need – the 10 commandments of supervision, if you will.
The Dos of Supervision
Establishing Basic Foundations of Support
Building Trust and Structure
Supporting Intellectual Growth and Independence
Tools and Organization for Success
Advanced Guidance on Research and Focus
Dealing with Challenges and Growth in the Process
Ongoing Support
Building a Sense of Belonging and Integration
Dealing with Tough Situations and Navigating Change
Featured music (apart from the usual intro and outro music): Awakening (loop ver.3) by AudioCoffee — https://freesound.org/s/762743/ — License: Attribution NonCommercial 4.0
Based on almost 2 years of interviews with current and former PhD students and supervisors along with lots and lots of conversations on supervision, I offer you a series of episodes on supervision.
In this first episode, I explore a series of critical “don’ts” that both PhD students and their supervisors should be aware of to ensure a healthier, more productive PhD journey. In the following episode, I will be offering up lots of solutions or rather the dos of supervision. Then there will be an episode on all the cases where it’s not clear what the best solution is, or the solution is rather different depending on context: I am calling them the in-betweens. In a fourth episode I will be talking to a sort of PhD coach, who has lots of experience with supervising and thinking about supervision. A final short episode will offer us a list of 10 key things that supervisors and PhD students need – the 10 commandments of supervision, if you will.
The Don’ts of Supervision
Failing to Recognise Personal Struggles
Poor Communication & Lack of Support
Exposing PhD students to Toxic or Overbearing Environments
Unrealistic Expectations & Rigid Mindsets
Supervising Too Many PhD Students
Lack of Flexibility in Supervision
Lack of Time Management and Structure
Featured music (apart from the usual intro and outro music):
Education upbeat positive (short ver.), Awakening (loop ver.3) and Dreamy Day (loop ver.2) by AudioCoffee: https://freesound.org/s/712212/ License: Attribution NonCommercial 4.0
Check out this trailer for a miniseries on supervision coming very soon!
The voices featured in the trailer are Charles Rose, Pedro Garcia Duarte and Bianca Maria Fontana. Stay tuned for more thoughts, discussions and insightful voices!
Featured music (apart from the usual intro and outro music): Bright Morning Energy by LolaMoore License: Attribution 4.0
Host and Producer: Maria Bach (University of Lausanne)
In this episode, Maria Bach interviews Timothée Parrique about his PhD thesis and book on the Political Economy of Degrowth. They also discuss the importance of writing skills, and breaking academic rules and disciplinary boundaries.
Here are Parrique’s favourite books on writing:
In episode 40, Raphaël Fèvre also discusses the importance of learning how to write.
If you’re interested in economics and planetary boundaries, you should check out episode 26 when we interviewed Herman Daly.
As mentioned in the episode, here is the poem translated at the beginning of the last chapter:
Problems of Underdevelopment
Monsieur Dupont calls you uncultured because you cannot tell who was Victor’s Hugo’s favourite grandson. Herr Müller has started to scream because you do not know (exactly) the day that Bismarck died. Your friend Mr. Smith an Englishman or Yankee, I cannot tell, becomes incensed when you write Shell. (It seems you leave out an “l” and, what’s more, you pronounce it chel.) Okay, and what of it? When it’s your turn, make them say cacarajícara and ask them where is the Aconcagua and who was Sucré and just where on this planet did Martí die. And please: tell them to always speak to you in Spanish.
Nicolás Guillén Trans. by Rahul Sirohi and Sonya Surabhi Gupta
