Sounds Strategic

In this episode, Sounds Strategic podcast host Meia Nouwens is joined by IISS expert Nigel Inkster, Senior Adviser for Cyber Security and China, to discuss the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which took place mid-October in Beijing. The event was widely anticipated to cement Xi Jinping's third term in power.  Meia and Nigel discuss their reflections, including the foll...

Taiwan has been at the forefront of geopolitical concern in Asia and beyond, following Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei and the string of military exercises conducted by China in early August. Podcast guest host James Crabtree is joined by IISS experts Meia Nouwens, Franz-Stefan Gady and Henry Boyd to discuss the recent developments.     Topics the speakers address in this e...

Since the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine, the world has witnessed unprecedented sanctions against Russia, and military and humanitarian support for Ukraine against a backdrop of ongoing military campaigns and loss of civilian life. In this episode of Sounds Strategic , host Meia Nouwens is joined by four IISS experts to discuss the past six months, and what’s next in terms of military opera...

NATO held its Madrid summit on 28-30 June 2022 against the backdrop of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and the signing of an accession protocol for Finland and Sweden to join the alliance. Podcast host Meia Nouwens is joined by IISS experts to discuss the adoption of the new Strategic Concept, its ambitions and challenges.     Meia Nouwens and IISS experts Dr Bastian Gieg...

The IISS Shangri-La Dialogue was back with a bang earlier this month and underlined the prime importance of in-person defence diplomacy. In the second part of our reflections, guest host James Crabtree is joined by IISS colleagues Dr Lynn Kuok, Dr Euan Graham and Aaron Connelly to discuss Asia’s premium defence summit and what stood out for them.    Topics include:   First plenary s...

The IISS Shangri-La Dialogue was back with a bang earlier this month and underlined the prime importance of in-person defence diplomacy. For the first time a crisis in Europe loomed large over Asia’s premier security summit, which took place in Singapore on 10-12 June 2022.     Guest host James Crabtree is joined by IISS colleagues William Alberque, Nigel Gould-Davies, Meia Nouwens...

It’s back! Asia’s premier security summit, the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, will take place in Singapore on 10–12 June 2022. In this episode, guest host James Crabtree, Executive Director IISS-Asia, is joined by IISS colleagues Meia Nouwens, IISS Senior Fellow for Chinese Defence Policy and Military Modernisation, and Aaron Connelly, Senior Fellow for Southeast Asian Politics and Foreign Policy, to d...

Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022 and it remains an ongoing war. In this new Sounds Strategic episode, host Meia Nouwens is joined by Dr Nigel Gould-Davies, William Alberque and Franz-Stefan Gady to discuss the conflict through military, economic and political lenses. Meia and her guests address some of the most pressing questions in the international security community, share their...

France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and the European Union have published Indo-Pacific strategies, all of which foresee a greater economic, political and security relationship with the region. Military engagement of European powers in the maritime domain has received significant attention in 2021, following the deployment of the US, UK and Netherlands navies in the Carrier Stri...

In this episode, host Meia Nouwens is joined by Sir Tom Beckett, Dr. Hasan al Hasan and Camille Lons to discuss the key themes from the 17th IISS Manama Dialogue, which was held in Bahrain From the 19th to the 21st of November 2021.     The Manama Dialogue is an annual international security and regional diplomatic summit held in Bahrain that brings tog...

From a cooperation deficit to the prospect of conflict over Taiwan, Strategic Survey 2021  outlines the wide array of challenges faced by the international rules-based order, and shows that great-power competition is becoming more prevalent and complex. To mark the launch of the annual flagship publication and discuss the main themes and topics, host Meia Nouwens is joined by Dr Nigel Go...

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, mobility restrictions and calls from the UN for a global ceasefire, the number of conflicts hit a record high in 2020, with more active conflicts than at any time since 1945. To mark the launch of The Armed Conflict Survey 2021 , host Meia Nouwens is joined by some of the team behind the annual flagship report exploring the political, military...

In this special episode of Sounds Strategic to mark the opening of the IISS–Europe office in Berlin, we meet key members of our new European research team. From great-power competition to state-led influence operations, and arms control to emerging and disruptive technologies, they explain how the IISS will bring a unique perspective to the European strategic debate.     Joining hos...

In this episode, host Meia Nouwens is joined by Dr Samir Puri, IISS Senior Fellow in Urban Security and Hybrid Warfare, and Antônio Sampaio, Senior Analyst at the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime, to discuss how technology impacts urban security and the democratic landscapes of cities.   With over half of the world’s population living in cities,&nbsp...

In this Sounds Strategic episode, Meia Nouwens is joined by Dr Nigel Gould-Davies, Senior Fellow for Russia and Eurasia, Strategic Survey Editor and former ambassador to Minsk, to reflect on the protest movement in Belarus and Alexander Lukashenko’s regime. One year after an implausible election result ignited mass protests across Belarus, Nigel joins Meia to discuss authoritarian leader Alexander...

This special episode of Sounds Strategic explores the significance of the 40th Fullerton Lecture, which US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III delivered on Tuesday 27 July 2021. Podcast host Meia Nouwens is joined by James Crabtree, Executive Director of IISS–Asia, Dr Euan Graham, Shangri-La Dialogue Senior Fellow for Asia-Pacific Security, an...

In this episode of Sounds Strategic, special guest host James Crabtree is joined by Meia Nouwens, Senior Fellow for Chinese Defence Policy and Military Modernisation, and Nigel Inkster, Senior Adviser for Cyber Security and China, to examine China’s domestic and international outlook.  As China marks the centenary of its ruling party, James, Meia and Nigel assess what this anniversary signifi...

In this episode, Sounds Strategic host Meia Nouwens is joined by Ben Barry, Senior Fellow for Land Warfare, and Shiloh Fetzek, Associate Fellow for Conflict, Security and Development, to discuss the implications of climate change for global security and defence. With climate security rising on the global security agenda, Meia, Ben and Shiloh discuss the impact of climate change on the strategic en...

In this episode, Sounds Strategic host Meia Nouwens is joined by Greg Austin, Senior Fellow for Cyber, Space and Future Conflict, and Franz-Stefan Gady, Research Fellow for Cyber, Space and Future Conflict, to discuss the findings of a new IISS report on cyber capabilities and national power. A new report by the IISS has assessed the cyber power of 15 states, placing them into three tiers of capab...

In this episode, Sounds Strategic host Meia Nouwens is joined by Irene Mia, Editor of the Armed Conflict Survey and Senior Fellow for Latin America and Conflict, Security and Development, and Amanda Lapo, Research Associate for Defence and Military Analysis, to discuss geopolitical developments in Latin America. How has the shifting global geopolitical environment impacted Latin America? Meia, Ire...

In this episode, Sounds Strategic host Meia Nouwens is joined by Nick Childs, Senior Fellow for Naval Forces and Maritime Security, to discuss the United Kingdom’s naval ambitions in the Indo-Pacific. Following the First Sea Lord’s Sea Power Conference on 19 May 2021, Meia and Nick reflect on the UK’s Carrier Strike Group and its deployment to the Indo-Pacific region, discussing who the UK is look...

In this episode, Sounds Strategic host Meia Nouwens is joined by James Crabtree, Executive Director of IISS–Asia, to discuss the trends and developments that have shaped political and security dynamics in Asia in the past year.   Meia and James explore some of the major thematic issues that will be covered at the 19th Shangri-La Dialogue on 4−5 June, including US−China competition, regio...

In this episode, Sounds Strategic host Meia Nouwens is joined by Robert Ward, IISS Japan Chair and Director of Geo-economics and Strategy, and Yuka Koshino, Research Fellow for Japanese Security and Defence Policy, to unpack the policy priorities and challenges on Japanese Prime Minister Suga’s 2021 agenda. Ahead of the next IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in June, Meia, Robert and Yuka di...

In this episode, Sounds Strategic host Meia Nouwens is joined by Erica Pepe, Senior Coordinator for Research and Conflict, Security and Development Analyst, and Franz-Stefan Gady, Research Fellow for Cyber, Space and Future Conflict, to discuss NATO and AI. Meia, Erica and Franz-Stefan explore the motivations behind NATO’s focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and the future potential of this tech...

In this episode, Sounds Strategic host Meia Nouwens is joined by John Krzyzaniak, Research Analyst for Non-Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, and Timothy Wright, Research Analyst and Programme Administrator for Defence and Military Analysis, to discuss Iran, its missile-development programme and the JCPOA.   With a new, Democrat-led administration in power, is the United States in a better pos...