Caught Between Two Worlds: Education, Identity & Revolution

About this episode

Cynthia James interviews Pardis Mahdavi about living between two worlds and the transformative power of education and identity.

What does it mean to live between two worlds? In this episode of Women Awakening, Cynthia James interviews internationally recognized author, educator, and changemaker Pardis Mahdavi to explore identity, education, and the courage to challenge broken systems.Growing up Iranian-American during a time of deep political conflict between the U.S. and Iran, Pardis learned early how education can become a powerful form of liberation. From human rights advocacy to leading major universities, her journey reveals what it takes to amplify unheard voices and reimagine the future of education.This conversation goes beyond policy and institutions. It’s about resilience, awakening, and the power of women to become bridge builders in a divided world. If this conversation resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and visit https://www.cynthiajames.net/ Enjoy the podcast? Subscribe and leave a 5-star review. Pardis Mahdavi is an internationally recognized author, educator, and entrepreneur whose work focuses on human rights, migration, education policy, and social systems. She has published seven nonfiction books and two edited volumes, and holds a BA from Occidental College, along…

People in this episode

Hosts: Cynthia James, Cynthia

Guest: Pardis Mahdavi

Topics covered

• education
• identity
• human rights
• women empowerment
• cultural conflict

Keywords

• liberation
• resilience
• bridge builders
• political conflict

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Caught Between Two Worlds, Women Awakening, BA, PhD, Star Search, I Choose Me: The Art of Being A Phenomenally Successful Woman at Home and at Work.

Places: U.S., Iran

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