Image by Allison Saeng (Unsplash)
Sarah Burhan - podcast host
The University of Sussex Business School has launched two thought-provoking podcast series that shed light on sustainable development and human resilience in the Syrian conflict. Funded by two separate research initiatives and produced by Sussex Sustainability Research Programme (SSRP) researchers, Phoenix Stories and Heart to Hearth give voice to personal narratives and practical insights that will resonate with policymakers, humanitarian professionals, and the wider public alike. These podcast series offer two distinct yet complementary lenses on Syria’s post-conflict experience:
· Phoenix Stories [in English] focuses on policy and practice—featuring senior voices from NGOs who work across food security, microfinance, energy, and education.
· Heart to Hearth [in Arabic with English transcripts] centres on lived experience and cultural continuity, documenting how Syrian women maintain identity, dignity, and strength through food and storytelling, even in exile.
Together, they provide a blend of perspectives—critical for anyone seeking to understand or contribute to Syria’s recovery, development, and cultural preservation.
Phoenix Stories: Sustainable Development Post-Conflict
Funded by the University of Sussex Business School Engagement Fund, this 12-episode English-language podcast captures the voices of twelve frontline managers from major humanitarian organisations operating in Syria. Professor Martin Spinelli, Faculty of Media, Arts and Humanities, hosts the series, with Dr Mirela Barbu, University of Sussex Business School as executive producer. From rebuilding agriculture and infrastructure to promoting gender equity and legal stability, Phoenix Stories reveals how communities in northwest Syria are moving from aid dependency to independence. Interviewees—ranging from CARE Türkiye to Global Communities, WHH, GOAL, and more—share firsthand accounts of climate-smart farming, solar microgrids, vocational training, and livelihood programmes that help displaced Syrians reclaim autonomy and dignity in the face of instability.
This podcast series is essential for development professionals, policymakers, and researchers interested in post-conflict recovery, humanitarian coordination, and sustainable solutions rooted in local expertise.
Listen now: Phoenix Stories on Spotify
Heart to Hearth: Stories of Syrian Food and Resilience
As one of the public-facing outputs of a project funded by the International Development Challenges Fund, Heart to Hearth presents 15 powerful, Arabic-language episodes that celebrate Syrian food traditions, memory, and everyday resilience.
At the heart of this project are the voices of Syrian women who share recipes, oral histories, and reflections on displacement and survival. Each episode is accompanied by translated English transcripts and vivid imagery, accessible via a dedicated webpage.
This podcast speaks directly to Arabic-speaking communities and diaspora audiences while also offering rich material for English-speaking educators, cultural researchers, and development practitioners seeking grounded, human-centred insights into resilience through food, memory, and storytelling.The episodes were recorded in Arabic but English transcripts are available on the project’swebpage. ‘Heart to Hearth’ is hosted by Sarah Burhan, translated by Asmaa Shehadeh and produced with the collaboration of Dr Shaher Abdullateef, Director of the NGO Syrian Academic Expertise.
These new series follow Dr Barbu and Professor Spinelli's initial 'Agricultural Voices Syria' podcast –funded by SSRP and the International Development Challenge Fund in 2021–which provided technical support and advice to agricultural workers in Northwest Syria, filling a void left by state guidance duringthe Civil War.
Explore and listen: Heart to Hearth Webpage | Heart to Hearth on Spotify
Both series are available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
You can read more about 'Agricultural Voices Syria' in our Spotlight interview with Dr Barbu