Ti Kosmos podcast

China presents the paradox of being a communist country that has embraced a form of capitalism, or “socialism with Chinese characteristics,” as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) describes it. Indeed, the largest capitalist actor in China is the Communist Party itself.  How does capitalism in China work? How is the Communist Party connected to private business within the country? What is the “stick...

Chinese universities have ascended to the top of global rankings. Primary education in the country is universal. In just over a decade, China’s higher education enrollment rate surged from 29% in 2012, when Xi Jinping came to power, to 60.8% in 2025. What lies behind this dramatic shift toward hyper-education? To what extent has education contributed to China’s economic success? Is there a darker...

On the night of June 3rd to the early hours of June 4th, 1989, the People’s Liberation Army moved in to clear Tiananmen Square, resulting in what became known globally as the Tiananmen Massacre.  How did China get to that point? What led to this confrontation between the state and the protesters? What really happened in Tienanmen Square 36 years ago? Was there an organized pro-democracy movement? ...

US & China: The Great Powers Competition China is considered the number one challenge facing the United States today. Within the U.S., there is bipartisan consensus that China poses a serious threat. Under the Trump 2.0 administration, very high tariffs on Chinese goods have been announced. What is the rationale behind these tariffs? Can a meaningful trade agreement with China be reached? Whic...

As we are traversing a very fluid geopolitical period Japan has its own security challenges to tackle. Japan relies on the US for its military security, has a complicated relationship with China, strongly advocates free maritime routes, and seeks collaboration with Europe to uphold liberal values. From Greek ships built in Japan, to Greek yoghurt in Osaka and the popularity of Manga in Greece, Jap...

The collection and analysis of digital data influences nearly every aspect of modern life, from fundamental marketing techniques and cutting-edge healthcare innovations to the development of bioweapons. What distinguishes the methods used by U.S. and Chinese companies in gathering data? Why does China hold a competitive edge in this domain? Can that edge be mitigated? Moreover, how is Greece impac...

Οι σχέσεις Ευρώπης και Κίνας είναι εξαιρετικά πολύπλοκες και πολυδιάστατες. Η Ευρώπη διατηρεί μια σχέση αλληλεξάρτησης με την Κίνα, καθώς εξαρτάται σε μεγάλο βαθμό από αυτήν για κρίσιμα υλικά, όπως οι σπάνιες γαίες, ενώ το καθημερινό εμπόριο μεταξύ ΕΕ και Κίνας ανέρχεται στα 2,3 δισεκατομμύρια ευρώ.   Παρά ταύτα, οι ευρωπαϊκές χώρες δεν μοιράζονται ενιαία στρατηγική για την προσέγγιση της Κίνας. Ο...

Civil Society and Authoritarianism in China How does civil society function in a country like China, where even the term "non-governmental organization" cannot be used because it clashes with the regime? Can an organization defend, for example, human rights or LGBTQ rights?   Civil society emerged in Communist China in the 1980s, influenced by Western ideas, but it evolved very different...

Title: China: The Red Capitalist  In the last 40 years, China has transformed itself from a poor country into an upper-middle-income country. At the same time, about 150 Chinese companies are on the Fortune 500 list—half of them state-owned. A country with a communist regime has managed to become rich and participate competitively in the global economic and commercial arena. How has this happened?...

China and the Asia-Pacific: A Good Neighbor or an Aspiring Hegemon?  In the West, when we talk about the China region, we tend to think of Taiwan. However, the broader China region, the Asia-Pacific—excluding India—is the world's largest economic area and plays a key role in China's global standing.  How do China's commercial, political, and economic relations function with countrie...

Human Rights in China and the responsibility of the West/ IDIS- China Program  What is the current state of human rights in China? To what extend have they deteriorated under the rule of Xi Jinping? How does that affect the West? Are western countries sometimes complicit and what should be done?   To discuss about the current state of human rights in China we spoke with Ms. Eva Pils, Professor of...

US- China Relations: strategic competitors or outright enemies?   US-China relations are among the most important bilateral relations in the world, as noted by United States secretary of state Anthony Blinken in 2023.   Is China America's rival or enemy? What are the three main issues that the US government is monitoring regarding China? What will happen to Taiwan? How is the European Union p...

  On October 7th, 2023, Hamas launched a horrendous attack on Israel in years killing about 1,200 people, according to Israeli officials.   One a half month after the attack the war in Gaza continues and a severe humanitarian crisis is unfolding. Close to 13,000 people have been killed by the Israeli military campaign in Gaza, according to Palestinian officials.  On November 21st Israel and Hamas...

How technology affects our lives? How is the digital public space changing? What are the new forms of communication? Should we be afraid of technology? How does it affect the conduct of wars?  These are some of the issues discussed with renowned philosopher, cultural theorist and media scholar Pierre Lévy.  The discussion was held at Delphi, one the side of the 1st Delphi Dialogues on “Technology...

On the 28th of May 2023 Erdogan won the presidential elections of Turkey, extending his rule to the third decade. In his victory speech he claimed Turkey won.   Gilles Kepel, one of the most estimated experts on Islam and the Middle East explains to Marilisa Anastasopoulou and “Ti Kosmos” Podcast what these elections really mean for Turkey.    Professor Keppel talks about what is at stake internal...

The world is watching. For many the upcoming elections the 14th of May are the most important of the year.  How important are they for the future of Turkey? What is their significance? Will Turkey change its foreign policy if the opposition wins? How democratic is Turkey? We discuss these issues with the esteemed analyst and professor at Kadir Has University in Istanbul, Mr. Soli Özel.  This podca...

How do modern dictators operate? Why has Putin opted for old-style fear dictatorship? Is Erdogan a modern dictator? What do the two men have in common? What is the future of democracy?   Marilisa Anastasopoulou hosts Daniel Treisman, “modern” dictatorship expert and discuss how Putin and Erdogan have ruled for the last two decades and what they have in common.   Moreover, they talk about democraci...

While Ukraine has managed to win this war in the “hearts and minds of the people” (predominantly of the West) analysts argue it’ s going to be a long war. Michael C.  Kimmage, professor of History at the Catholic University of America, author of the book “The Abandonment of the West”, and regular contributor at the Foreign Affairs is our guest  in this “Ti kosmos” podcast.  Issues discussed: What...

Ένα χρόνο μετά την εισβολή της  Ρωσίας στην Ουκρανία οι σχέσεις Κίνας- Ρωσίας βρίσκονται στο προσκήνιο. Η Δύση ανησυχεί για περαιτέρω σύσφιξη των σχέσεων Κίνας - Ρωσίας. Οι ΗΠΑ προειδοποιούν ότι η Κίνα μπορεί να δώσει οπλικά συστήματα στη Ρωσία για να τα χρησιμοποιήσει στον πόλεμο στην Ουκρανία.   Μέχρι που μπορεί να φτάσει η σχέση Κίνας- Ρωσίας; Είναι πράγματι μία φιλία «δίχως όρια»;  Ο Δρ. Γιώργ...

To understand the current situation, after almost a year from the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Ti kosmos Podcast, in cooperation with the Institute of International Relations (IDIS)*, invited Mr. Alexander Cooley, one of the leading experts in the studies of Russia and Eurasia.  This podcast is co-hosted by Ms. Ino Afentouli, Executive Director of IDIS, and journalist & researcher, Marilis...

The war in Ukraine has radically changed the European security landscape. European and Euro-Atlantic institutions face unprecedented challenges as a conflict by conventional and hybrid means is being waged in the heart of the European continent with no end in sight. The implications of the war for the EU and NATO and the consequences for peace, stability, and security in Greece and the wider regio...

“If you think in sort of pictures, you can think of Russia as sort of a hurricane in international affairs, but you should think of China as sort of the climate change in terms of the scale and the magnitude of China's ability to change the international order, if Western countries and other likeminded allies do not put some limits on what China can do.” (Ben Schreer, IISS) While in Europe th...

Nobody expected that the Russian army would perform so poorly and that the Ukrainian side would do so well. How can we explain the failures of Russia’s war machine?  Putin must face up to the fact that he's not going to win this war on the ground in Ukraine. Withdrawing from Kherson made that clear. What strategy will he follow now? Can we see a negotiated agreement in the near future and wha...

“And so, we are making the planet uninhabitable by humans. The planet will survive. I think people mistake it. They think that, somehow, we're destroying the planet. We're not destroying the planet; we're changing the planet. But we're making it very difficult for people to live peaceably on it.” (Rachel Kyte) Rachel Kyte, dean of The Fletcher School at Tufts University*, exper...

Στις 8 Νοεμβρίου 2022 διεξάγονται οι ενδιάμεσες εκλογές (midterms) στην Αμερική. Μπορεί να μην αλλάζει ο Πρόεδρος όμως αλλάζει η σύνθεση του Κογκρέσου, καθώς και διάφορες άλλες σημαντικές θέσεις, όπως Κυβερνήτες Πολιτειών. Ο Έντι Ζεμενίδης, εκτελεστικός διευθυντής του Συμβουλίου Ελληνοαμερικανικής Ηγεσίας (HALC), με χρόνια εμπειρίας στην Ουάσινγκτον και στο πώς διεξάγεται η αμερικανική πολιτική συ...