All Seasons

Season 2000

  • S2000E01 Joseph Tussman

    • January 13, 2000

    Education and Citizenship

  • S2000E02 Josef Joffe

    • January 20, 2000

    Power and Culture in International Affairs

  • S2000E03 Ronald V. Dellums

    • February 10, 2000

    Legislating for the People

  • S2000E04 Philip Gourevitch

    • February 11, 2000

    Reporting the Story of a Genocide

  • S2000E05 Charles H. Townes

    • February 15, 2000

    The Adventures of a Scientist

  • S2000E06 Charles R. Larson

    • March 9, 2000

    Education and Military Leadership

  • S2000E07 Josef Joffe Part 2

    • March 23, 2000

    Power and Culture in International Affairs Part 2

  • S2000E08 Conor Cruise O'Brien

    • April 4, 2000

    The Power of Ideas. Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Irish author, teacher, historian and statesman Conor Cruise O'Brien who helps us think about the past, understand the present, and thereby shape the future.

Season 2001

  • S2001E01 Lowell Bergman

    • January 31, 2001

    A Long March Through the Institution of Television Journalism

Season 2002

  • S2002E05 Khaled Ahmed: Pakistan and Islamic Fundamentalism

    • February 19, 2002

    Consulting Editor, The Friday Times, Lahore, Pakistan On this edition of Conversations with History, UC Berkeley's Harry Kreisler is joined by guest Khaled Ahmed, one of the best known political analysts writing in the Pakistani press, to discuss Pakistan and Islamic Fundamentalism.

  • S2002E11 Noam Chomsky: Activism, Anarchism, and Power

    • March 22, 2002

    Linguist and Political Activist On this edition of Conversations with History, UC Berkeley's Harry Kreisler is joined by linguist and political activist Noam Chomsky to discuss activism, anarchism and the role the United States plays in the world today.

  • S2002E12 Ahmed Rashid: The Rise of Militant Islam

    • March 26, 2002

    Author and Journalist Journalist and author Ahmed Rashid joins UC Berkeley's Harry Kreisler for a discussion on "The Rise and Fall of Militant Islam" on this episode of Conversations with History. Topics covered include: the legacy of the Soviet Union in Central Asia; intervention and its impact on fundamentalism; fundamentalism versus traditional Islam; U.S. foreign policy; and Pakistan's future.

Season 2003

  • S2003E24 Tariq Ali: Islam, Empire, and the Left

    • May 8, 2003

    Editor New Left Review Host Harry Kreisler speaks with Tariq Ali, a British-Pakistani journalist, novelist, playwright, publisher, filmmaker, and renowned social critic about Islam, empire, and the left.

Season 2006

  • S2006E08 Sir John Gurdon: Revolution in the Biological Sciences

    • March 16, 2006

    2012 Nobel Laureate in Medicine, Professor of Cell Biology, Cambridge University Host Harry Kreisler Welcomes Professor Sir John Gurdon for a discussion of advances in research on cell biology. Sir John reflects on his career as a scientist including his path breaking research on cloning. He offers insights into the implications of the revolution in the biological sciences.

  • S2006E17 Akbar Ganji: Islam and Democracy

    • August 10, 2006

    Journalist and Human Rights Activist Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Iranian journalist and human rights activist Akbar Ganji for a discussion of the dynamics of change in Iran. Topics covered include the Iranian Revolution in comparative context, the problem of establishing democracy in Islamic societies, power in Iran, and U.S. Iranian Relations. Ganji also talks about his work as an investigative journalist in Iran and his political imprisonment.

  • S2006E27 Robert Fisk: Foreign Correspondent in the Middle East

    • December 14, 2006

    Middle East Correspondent, The Independent Robert Fisk, Middle East correspondent for the British newspaper The Independent, discusses his experiences covering Middle East wars for the last 30 thirty years.

Season 2008

  • S2008E18 Ahmed Rashid: Descent into Chaos

    • June 12, 2008

    Author and Journalist Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Pakistani Journalist Ahmed Rashid for a discussion of United States foreign policy and the failure of nation building in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia.

  • S2008E23 Tariq Ali: Pakistan

    • September 26, 2008

    Journalist, Novelist, Playwright, Publisher, Film-maker, Social Critic Host Harry Kreisler welcomes writer and journalist Tariq Ali for a discussion of Pakistan and its relations with the United States. He places the present crisis in its historical context exploring the origins of the Pakistani state, the failure to forge a national identity, the inability and unwillingness of Pakistani leaders to address the country's poverty and inequality, and the role of the military in the country's spiral toward violence and disunity. Tariq Ali highlights the significance of the U.S. relationship throughout Pakistan's history and analyzes current US policy and its implications for stability in the region.

Season 2014

  • S2014E01 T.V. Paul: The Warrior State - Pakistan in the Contemporary World

    • April 8, 2014

    James McGill Professor of International Relations at McGill University, Montreal. Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes T.V. Paul, James McGill Professor of International Relations at McGill University, Montreal, for a discussion of his new book, "The Warrior State: Pakistan in the Contemporary World." Professor Paul analyzes the domestic and foreign policy implications of Pakistan's role as a garrison state in South Asia. Drawing on history, geo-strategic context, and relations with the great powers, he demonstrates how Pakistan's search for parity in its relations with India is critical for understanding why it remains a warrior state mired in a strategic dilemma which subverts its hopes for development at home and security in its regional environment.

Season 2019

  • S2019E01 Jennifer Doudna: Unraveling CRISPR-Cas9

    • April 3, 2019

    Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Molecular and Cell Biology and Li Ka Shing Chancellor's Professor in Biomedical and Health UC Berkeley Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Professor Jennifer Doudna of UC Berkeley for a discussion of her intellectual odyssey that led to the discovery of CRISPR-Cas9, a revolutionary tool for gene editing. In the conversation, they explore the implications of CRISPR-Cas9 for agriculture, biotechnology and biomedicine. They also discuss how education and public advocacy can broaden insight into the ethical and policy dimensions of the biological revolution that is upon us.