Radio features from different parts of the world looking at subjects not often discussed at length in the media. These programmes are provided by overseas broadcasters so audio is not usually available on the RNZ website for copyright reasons.
Originally broadcast 2012 - 2014.
Monday 7 January: The Age of Reason - Professor Romila Thapar
When she was a young woman Professor Romila Thapar had a choice – her father could afford a dowry or a degree but not both. Professor Thapar chose a degree and has never looked back, becoming one the greatest historians in India. Now aged 81 she talks to Lyse Doucet about her early life studying in London and hitch hiking through France in the 1950s. She also talks about her work, which has given her an international reputation, but also led to death threats and also about life for women in India today – have the promises of independence been fulfilled for all of India's citizens?
See the BBC website for this programme
Tuesday 8 January: The Rise of Phoenix
The history and influence of the University of Phoenix and how this college and other 'for profit' colleges in America are shaping the future of education.
See the American RadioWorks website for this programme
Wednesday 9 January: Evolution: The Real Genesis
'Biogenesis: The Emergence of Life' by Sir Lloyd Geering, Emeritus Professor of Religious Studies at Victoria University.
Thursday 10 January: Keyboard College
Digital technologies and the Internet are changing how many Americans go to college. From online learning to simulation programs to smart-machine mentors, the 21st-century student will be taught in fundamentally new ways. In this documentary, Stephen Smith asks whether these innovations can help more people get access to higher education and bring down the cost of college without sacrificing learning.
See the American RadioWorks website for this programme
Friday 11 January: The Age of Reason - Amina Cachalia
Amina Cachalia has dedicated her life to fighting for equality. She was born into racially divided South Africa in 1930 and became politically active as a teenager fighting for an end to racial discrimination. She also took up the cause of women – fighting for their economic independence. Now aged 82, Amina Cachalia speaks to Lerato Mbele about her long life campaigning