WORLD: we got this

Beneath the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean lies an unseen world: deep seabeds dotted with metal-rich nodules that some claim are vital for the green transition. As demand grows for minerals used in renewable technologies and batteries, governments and companies are increasingly turning their eyes toward the deep ocean. In this episode, King’s College London academics Dr Ben Tippet and Dr Rowan...

In this episode, host Esau Williams explores how the UK can prepare for a future shaped by rising temperatures, heavier rainfall, and rapidly shifting social and environmental pressures. From heatwaves and flooding to community resilience and communication strategies that genuinely resonate, this conversation examines what “future-proofing” really looks like - not as a distant political ambition,...

In this episode of The World We Got This , host Esau Williams explores how international development is being reshaped as governments cut budgets, multilateral institutions restructure, and aid becomes increasingly tied to national interest. Recorded in the wake of the International Development Committee’s inquiry into UK aid, the discussion brings together leading scholars to unpack what these sh...

When you pick up a packet of food in the supermarket, you can see the calories, protein and fibre listed clearly. But there’s one ingredient you’ll never find on the label, even though it’s essential to producing almost everything we eat: water. And not just the water you can see in a juicy tomato or crisp lettuce, but the vast, hidden volumes used to grow crops, feed animals and process food. Glo...

In March 2021, Seoul woke up under a thick yellow haze - the worst dust storm in a decade. South Korea blamed China, who promptly blamed Mongolia. Fingers were pointed, narratives emerged, and what seemed like a weather event quickly became a diplomatic one. Since then, dust storms have continued to blight the region, and have emerged as a source of continual transborder tension. Joining Esau in t...

A recent assessment found that the area of Earth's landmass that will be too hot for even healthy adults to keep a safe core body temperature will approximately triple - to an area almost the size of the US – if global warming reaches 2°C above the preindustrial average. We've already reached 1.5°C. This week Esau asks: what does 'too hot' actually mean? What will happen to the people who live in...

The proposed Grand Inga dam in the Democratic Republic of Congo would be the largest power station in the world - if its ever built. With twice the output of China's Three Gorges, the dam could potentially bring electricity to those 600 million in sub-Saharan Africa currently without. But after decades of delay, investors withdrawing, environmental concerns, and its ballooning $80bn price tag, doe...

What is the new app DeepSeek? How does it differ from other LLM providers? And why has it caused such a significant impact on the US AI industry?  In this episode, Esau is joined by Sean Starrs and Juan Grigera, from the Department of International Development, King's College London to discuss all things AI. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If...

As the 40th anniversary version of 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' hits the charts, and with Ed Sheeran igniting a row over whether it and similar charity initiatives reinforce African poverty stereotypes, Esau and guests discuss the current state of the UK-African relationship. Plus, what the heck happened in Baku, as COP29 negotiations overran and left many feeling let down? Is the developing nat...

Donald J Trump is set to make a historic comeback as the 47th US President after a decisive electoral victory over Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. In this episode, host Esau Williams talks to Dr Sean Starrs, an expert in international development, and Dr Anastasia Piliavsky, a Ukrainian who studies Indian politics, on what to expect when Trump takes office in January 2025. They discuss the imp...

In the wake of the UK budget, and a report from Greenpeace on the feasibility of a wealth tax on the super rich, the panel discuss whether such a measure is possible or even likely. Plus, what happened at the BRICS+ summit, and was it a success for Putin and his allies? Joining Esau this episode are Sean Kenji Starrs, Barnaby Dye, and Benjamin Tippet from the Department of International Developmen...

In this special episode for the Lau China Institute’s China Week, Esau is joined by Dr Charlotte Goodburn to discuss her new report on the impact of China-linked economic development zones in Africa, Dr Jane Hayward explains China’s many vacant cities, and Professor Astrid Nordin and Dr Sean Kenji-Starrs discuss the China question in the US elections.  Learn more about the Lau China Institute's Ch...

With Esau this episode: Prof Frans Berkhout talks about the pledge by the big banks to triple nuclear energy by 2050; Dr Anastasia Piliavsky digs deeper into Narendra Modi's visit to the US; and PhD candidate Teyah Payne discusses recent flooding in the global north and south.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this...

When Samia Akhter-Khan spent a year in Myanmar with older adults, she became curious to understand how loneliness operates in such social contexts where communities are tight knit. So for her PhD project, she chose to conduct research into loneliness in later life in Thailand and Myanmar. In this episode, Samia talks to her supervisor Dr Rosie Mayston about the challenges of studying loneliness in...

The far-right has seen its popularity grow across Europe in recent years and is expected to gain a quarter of the seats in the European Parliamentary elections this year. In this episode, Dr Georgios Samaras, Assistant Professor in Public Policy at King’s College London’s International School for Government, looks at what is behind the rise of the far-right, its wider implications and what society...

What can feminist movements worldwide learn from Argentina? A lot it seems. In this episode, Lea Happ, PhD student in the Department of Global Health & Social Medicine talks to her supervisor Dominique Béhague about her research on the feminist activist networks in Argentina. She studies how the movement to legalise abortion transformed when that goal was realised in December 2020. Lea shares...

As the war in Ukraine enters its third year, there is also ongoing fighting in Gaza, attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea and subsequent US and UK air strikes. This has prompted some to warn we are a moving from a post-war to a pre-war world. In this latest episode, Dr Marina Miron, a post-doctoral researcher in the Department of War Studies at King's College London, explores whether we are in a...

In this episode, researcher Ol Perkins explores whether land-based carbon dioxide removal schemes such as reforestation can live up to their promises and help us meet global pledges to limit climate change. Ol outlines some of the challenging implications of this approach and why experts and policymakers also need to consider the socio-cultural, environmental, and institutional factors that seem t...

What strategic role has Nigeria played on issues of peace and security in West Africa? What do Nigeria's past interventions in Liberia and Sierra Leone tell us about its role in the region today? In this episode, Dr Folahanmi Aina, who recently completed his PhD from the African Leadership Centre at King's, talks to Dr Olawale Ismail, Senior Lecturer at ALC, about the findings of his PhD research...

This episode looks at how colourism affects people and their life chances, plus how research is helping to fill the gaps in our knowledge around this pervasive, but perhaps not widely known form of discrimination. Featuring Dr Aisha Phoenix, a social justice lecturer from the School of Education, Communication & Society at King’s College London, the episode also explores what lies behind colou...

How does a movement for social justice transform into a viable political party? How are the ideas of the movement reshaped in the process? In this episode, Dr Vignesh Rajahmani, who completed his PhD from the King's India Institute, speaks to Professor Christophe Jaffrelot, Professor of Indian Politics and Sociology, about his thesis on the Dravidian movement in Tamil Nadu in southern India. He sh...

The international community imposed far-reaching sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in a bid to weaken its economic base and curtail its ability to wage war. However, the war continues. So, what has happened? Have the sanctions not worked as hoped? And if not, why not? In this episode, Dr Alexander Kupatadaze, Senior Lecturer at King’s Russia Institute, shares his new research w...

What life skills can one learn from doing a PhD? In this episode, Dr Maísa Edwards who recently completed a joint PhD from the King’s Brazil Institute and the University of São Paulo talks about her research on Brazil’s diplomatic and defence relations in the South Atlantic region. Speaking to Dr Andreza de Souza Santos, Maísa also shares the challenges she faced in completing her PhD during the C...

Migration is a topic that preoccupies many countries around the world and this new episode looks at some of the current global challenges around migration including exploring what impact immigrants have on jobs and public services, whether politicians are in step with public attitudes towards migrants and refugees, plus what it is like for those trying to move in search of a better life.  It featu...

Why aren't mainland Chinese films box office hits in the UK? Do Chinese people watch films produced in the UK? PhD student, Giulia D'Aquila researches an agreement between China and the UK on film production and distribution. In this episode, she reflects on how films from mainland China are received in the UK, what is considered propaganda in each country and why other foreign-language exports ar...