The IR thinker

This episode of  The IR thinker  features Professor Chenggang Xu on the conceptual and empirical foundations of his book  Institutional Genes: Origins of China’s Institutions and Totalitarianism . The conversation unpacks what he means by “institutions” and “institutional genes”, how this framework helps to open the black box of political change, and why certain systems prove remark...

This episode of  The IR thinker  features an incisive conversation with Dr Madalitso Zililo Phiri on what it means to think International Relations from Africa rather than merely about Africa. We interrogate whether an African IR theory exists, how concepts such as Ubuntu, communalism and non-statist authority can reframe sovereignty and power, and what this implies for applying African...

This special  100th episode  of  IR thinker  revisits Germany’s gas security with Andreas Schroeder, the very  first expert  to appear on the channel in January 2023. We trace how Germany has reshaped its gas architecture since the war in Ukraine, from the shift towards short-term pipeline contracts and the rapid expansion of LNG import capacity to changes in storage...

This episode of  The IR thinker  explores Mongolia’s evolving energy landscape with policy analyst Telmen Altanshagai, focusing on how a landlocked state navigates dependence, diversification and development. The conversation maps Mongolia’s current energy mix and security challenges, from coal reliance, heating and grid issues in Ulaanbaatar to infrastructure gaps in rural areas, before...

This episode of  The IR thinker  offers a sharp, policy-focused tour of how Australia is recalibrating its security posture in an era of intensifying regional competition, with strategist and defence analyst Dr Peter Layton. The conversation examines the evolving logic of alliances with the United States and Japan, the growing reliance on multilateral formats, and the strategic stakes of...

This episode of  The IR thinker  traces Georgia’s journey from Soviet-era infrastructure to today’s contested energy landscape with Professor Murman Margvelashvili. The conversation examines how Georgia’s energy mix has evolved up to 2025, the geopolitical risks attached to different sources, and the ownership and control of key hydropower assets. We explore prospects for hydrogen, the r...

This episode of  The IR thinker  explores Ireland’s historic shift from a long-standing tradition of military neutrality towards a more structured national security strategy, with Dr Kenneth McDonagh. We discuss why a neutral state is now formalising its approach to security, the key domestic and external drivers behind this move, and whether neutrality will remain central or gradually e...

This episode of  The IR thinker  asks what Georgia’s EU integration really means for democracy, regional security and great power competition, in conversation with David Bujiashvili. The discussion traces the historical and normative drivers behind Georgia’s European choice, the EU’s response to Tbilisi’s membership application, and how narratives around democracy, the rule of law and hu...

This episode of  The IR thinker  explores how the European Union exercised power throughout the Brexit process, in conversation with Dr Patrick Holden. Working from a neo-Gramscian perspective, the discussion examines how communication, institutional design and rhetorical strategy combined to generate structural power in the EU–UK negotiations. We unpack surprising findings about how EU...

This episode of  The IR thinker  examines how radicalisation is evolving across Western democracies, in conversation with Professor Tahir Abbas. Moving from the storming of the US Capitol and far-right online mobilisation in the United States, through post-Brexit identity politics and the Prevent strategy in the United Kingdom, to intergenerational tensions and social unrest in Western E...

This episode of  The IR thinker  looks beyond the clichés about “debt-trap diplomacy” to examine how Africa–China relations actually function in practice, in conversation with Dr Emmanuel Matambo. The discussion contrasts Western narratives with the pragmatism of African elites, explores China’s media portrayal of Africa, and examines persistent trade imbalances, industrialisation prospe...

This episode of  The IR thinker  explores the changing landscape of maritime piracy and security with Professor Tim Edmunds, tracing how piracy has evolved from traditional coastal raiding to more organised, networked forms of criminality at sea. The conversation examines the structure and scale of pirate groups, the onshore political and economic conditions that sustain them, and the mi...

This episode of  The IR thinker  examines how universities and academics operate as informal diplomatic actors in the European Union’s foreign policy, in conversation with Dr Marina Cino Pagliarello. The discussion explores the growing role of “academic diplomacy” in contexts such as the war in Ukraine and EU–Africa relations, highlighting how higher education partnerships, mobility sche...

This episode of  The IR thinker  explores the deepening strategic partnership between Japan and the Philippines with Dr Satoru Nagao, tracing the evolution from post-war reparations to a mature security and economic relationship in today’s Indo-Pacific. The conversation examines how Tokyo’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific vision is understood in Manila, why the Philippines is not part of the...

This episode of  The IR thinker  offers an in-depth tour of American foreign policy under Donald Trump’s second term with Associate Professor Hussein Banai, tracing the shift from disruption to a more confident, unilateral consolidation of “America First” abroad. Moving across key regions – from the Korean Peninsula and the Middle East to Europe, Russia, China and Latin America – the con...

This episode of  The IR thinker  asks why some regions become durable zones of peace while others remain mired in recurrent conflict, in conversation with Professor Arie M. Kacowicz. Drawing on his work on the Zone of Peace concept, the discussion traces its theoretical origins, engages with and moves beyond notions such as security communities, and asks how perspectives from the Global...

This episode of  The IR thinker  looks ahead to the political and economic future of Syria in a post-Assad scenario, in conversation with Dr Joseph Daher. The discussion explores whether a new order would genuinely break with Syria’s entrenched war economy or merely reconfigure existing networks of power and patronage, and what might happen to Assad’s inner circle. It examines the curren...

This episode of  The IR thinker  explores the evolving landscape of governance in Africa with Dr Gilbert A. Ang’ana, focusing on how institutional weaknesses, intra-governmental collaboration and decentralisation shape political and developmental outcomes across the continent. The conversation examines how “good governance” is defined and received in different African contexts, the often...

This episode of  The IR thinker  asks whether nuclear power is set to become a cornerstone of Kazakhstan’s energy strategy, in conversation with political analyst Eldaniz Gusseinov. The discussion examines the country’s position as a major uranium producer, domestic debates over renewables versus traditional energy sources, and how decisions on nuclear power are actually made within Kaza...

Critical Update: In Memory of Steven Gruzd Steven Gruzd was abducted and murdered in Johannesburg, South Africa, in what authorities described as an 'express kidnapping'. He disappeared on 27 March 2026 and was found dead two days later by the police. Steven was a great supporter of this channel and often promoted new potential experts to be interviewed. More importantly, he was one of the brighte...

This episode of  The IR thinker  examines Japan’s path to its 2050 net-zero target with Dr Walter James, focusing on how one of the world’s most energy-dependent economies is trying to reconcile climate ambition with structural constraints. The conversation explores the strategic coherence of Japan’s decarbonisation plans, domestic scepticism towards climate goals, and the role of instit...

This episode of  The IR thinker  explores how the European Union exerts influence in world politics without relying on traditional hard power, in conversation with Professor Anders Wivel. Drawing on his work on soft balancing, the discussion examines how the EU uses institutions, diplomacy and economic tools to shape outcomes while avoiding open confrontation, and how this differs from b...

This episode of  The IR thinker  examines how autonomous weapon systems are challenging and reshaping global norms, in conversation with Professor Ingvild Bode. Drawing on the  AutoNorms project , the discussion explores how AI-driven military technologies blur established legal and ethical boundaries, how norms can emerge “from below” through everyday military and technological pra...

This episode of  The IR thinker  explores how research methods in politics and international relations are evolving in the digital age, in conversation with Professor Christopher Lamont. Drawing on the second edition of his widely used textbook  Research Methods in Politics and International Relations , the discussion examines the rise of interdisciplinarity, the increasing sophisti...

This episode of  The IR thinker  explores how critical minerals are reshaping global power relations, in conversation with Dr Vlado Vivoda. The discussion examines the role of lithium, cobalt, rare earth elements and other critical minerals in the energy transition, national security and supply chain resilience, with particular attention to the strategic rivalry between the United States...