CSIS Podcasts

On this week's episode of the Trade Guys, we look at what we can learn from the full slate of economic cabinet nominees for the incoming administration. We also dive into new export controls from BIS, China's response to the controls, and how Trump's threats of tariffs on Canada and Mexico will play out.

Mike hosts Jina Kim, Dean of Language and Diplomacy Division at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, to discuss South Korea's foreign policy and strategy in the Indo-Pacific.

According to Debt Justice and Christian Aid, 34 African countries spend more on external debt payments than on health or education. Seriously, how did we get here? Tim Jones (Policy Director at Debt Justice UK) walks us through the causes of Africa's debt crisis, its impact, and how it can be fixed.   Tim is the co-author of the report "Between Life and Debt" by Christian Aid and Debt Justice UK....

Last weekend, Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former al Qaeda affiliate with a base in northwest Syria, launched a surprise offensive. The rebels captured Syria’s second-largest city, Aleppo, and headed toward Homs and Hama, two major population centers. The weekend’s battles mark the first significant shift of battle lines in Syria since 2020. With Russian and Syrian airstrikes on rebel stronghold...

In this episode of Pekingology, originally released on April 21, 2022, Freeman Chair Jude Blanchette is joined by Lizhi Liu, Assistant Professor in the McDonough School of Business and a faculty affiliate of the Department of Government at Georgetown University, to discuss her paper, The Rise of Data Politics: Digital China and the World.

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Arwa Damon, a former CNN international correspondent and founder of the International Network for Aid, Relief, and Assistance (INARA). She talks with Jon from Gaza. Together, they discuss her two decades of work in war zones and the effects of war on the young children her charity supports. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Martin Pimentel and N...

On this week's episode of the Trade Guys, we comment on the current and potential nominees for trade-relevant cabinet positions. We then dig into why Vietnam will be a target for trade actions under the incoming administration and how China might respond to anticipated tariff hikes.

In this episode, we discuss recent reporting that so called "scaling laws" are slowing and the potential implications for the policy community (0:37), the latest models coming out of the China AI ecosystem (12:37), the U.S. China - Economic Security Review Commission recommendation for a Manhattan Project for AI (19:02), and the biggest takeaways from the first draft of the European Union's Genera...

In this episode, Mariana is joined by Sarah Calhoun, founder of Red Ants Pants, a Montana-based retailer meeting the needs of working women across the country. Together, they discuss the power of serendipity, the value of mentorship, and the experience of starting a business in a state with more entrepreneurs per capita than any other in America. They also delve into the challenges of expanding fr...

Catherine Nzuki is joined by Joseph Asunka, PhD, CEO of Afrobarometer, the leading source of public attitude data in Africa. Together, they discuss Afrobarometer's rise, its meticulous survey research methods, and case studies showcasing the policy impact of its data in Ghana, Malawi, and Botswana. They also discuss the difficulties of conducting surveys in conflict-afflicted or fragile contexts a...

In this episode we are joined by Vilas Dhar, President and Trustee of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, a 21st century $1.5 billion philanthropy advancing AI and data solutions to create a thriving, equitable, and sustainable future for all. We discuss his background (1:26), the foundation and its approach to AI philanthropy (4:11), building public sector capacity in AI (13:00), the definition o...

How can Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) be better utilized to accomplish U.S. strategic objectives? Recently, the Smart Women, Smart Power Initiative released their latest brief: Countering China and Russia: The Hidden Advantages of Women, Peace, and Security. To discuss the findings of the report, Dr. Kathleen McInnis was joined by Dr. Kyleanne Hunter, Director, RAND Women, Peace, and Security I...

One pillar of Saudi Arabia’s ambitious Vision 2030 development plan is NEOM, a land development, tourism, and model city project that is projected to cost at least a half a trillion dollars. Last week, NEOM’s CEO left suddenly. Asher Grant-Sasson speaks with Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, about NEOM, its challenges, and Saudi Arabia’s economic future. 

In this episode of Pekingology which aired on Dec. 10, 2020, Jude Blanchette talks to Jörg Wuttke, the president of the EU Chamber of Commerce in China, to discuss the expanding power and influence of state-owned enterprises in China's economy.

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Mohammad Ali Shabani, editor of Amwaj.media, a London-based news site focusing on Iran, Iraq, and the Arabian Peninsula countries. Together, they discuss Iran’s regional strategy and the choices Iran has after a year of rising regional tensions. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Martin Pimentel and Will Todman to discuss what the new U.S. admini...

This week Mike hosts Jude for a final goodbye episode to get Jude's synopsis of the China watching fields ability to understand China, what they have rightly predicted, what has been missed, Beijing's politics, and many other topics discussed in previous episodes.

On this week's episode of the Trade Guys, we give our first reactions to the reelection of Donald Trump and speculate about what trade and economic policy will look like in the next administration. 

Just over a week ago, Israel conducted multiple waves of airstrikes against military sites in Iran. These strikes were in response to Iran launching a barrage of ballistic missiles against Israel a few weeks prior, which marked the second direct Iranian missile attack on Israel this year. Asher Grant-Sasson speaks with Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, about the unprecedented...

On this week's episode of the Trade Guys, we talk about the BRICS Summit and efforts to move away from dollar dominance, the G20 Trade and Investment Ministers' Meeting, and a new study from the Peterson Institute's Robert Lawrence that assesses recent U.S. efforts to re-shore manufacturing jobs. 

A short, spoken-word summary from CSIS’s Juliana Rubio on her report with Andrea Casique, The Burgeoning Regional Appeal of Mano Dura Crime-Fighting Strategies. 

In this episode, Mariana speaks with Alan Stoga, Chairman of the Tallberg Foundation and Host of the New Thinking for a New World podcast, about the importance of the U.S. elections, the state of U.S. politics and about the difference in trade, migration and economic policies of the two candidates. They also discuss the impact of the different policies could have in Mexico and the space Mexico’s n...

Mariana and Andrew are joined by Billy Blaustein, the co-founder and COO of Vammo, a Brazilian electric mobility company. The trio discusses Billy’s journey from consulting to entrepreneurship, his experience launching a business in Brazil, and his mission to electrify the vehicles of Latin America.

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Mr. Jon Czin joins us to discuss domestic dynamics and leadership decisionmaking within the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC). Mr. Czin discusses what is currently missing in the conversation within the United States on Chinese politics and the fact that many analysts failed to predict the scope and concentration of power that President Xi Jinping would...

In this episode of Pekingology, Freeman Chair in China Studies Jude Blanchette is joined by Muyang Chen, Assistant Professor of International Development at Peking University’s School of International Studies. They discuss her new book The Latecomer's Rise: Policy Banks and the Globalization of China's Development Finance (Cornell University Press, 2024).   Enroll in the Flashpoints and Future of...

Greg and Elina are joined by Andreyka Natalegawa and Lauren Mai to discuss the Southeast Asia Program’s newest report on climate transitions throughout ASEAN. Japhet and Lauren cover the latest, from the iCon pyramid scheme in Malaysia to Lee family turmoil in Singapore.