The IR thinker

Azerbaijan's Energy Geopolitics — John M. Roberts

In this episode, John Roberts examines Azerbaijan’s evolving role in regional energy security, from its traditional position as an oil and gas exporter to emerging opport

Uncertainty, Intentions and Great Power Conflict — Sebastian Rosato

How certain can great powers ever be about the intentions of their rivals, and what happens when that uncertainty becomes a permanent feature of international politics? I

Who Controls Africa’s Food? Rethinking Food Security, Trade & Agriculture — David Luke

Why is Africa still importing so much of the food it consumes? What is holding back trade in food and agricultural products between African countries? In this interview,

The Future of Global Governance: BRICS, AI, Middle Powers & World Order — Miles Kahler

In this episode, Professor Miles Kahler discusses the future of global governance in an era of intensifying geopolitical rivalry, shifting power balances, and growing cha

Revista Brasileira de Política Internacional: Brazilian IR Journal — Haroldo Ramanzini Júnior

Published by the Brazilian Institute of International Relations since 1958, the Revista Brasileira de Política Internacional (Brazilian Journal of International Politics,

America's Role in Post-Soviet Russia: The Untold Story — Daniel Satinsky

In 1989, an American cultural institute helped arrange Boris Yeltsin's first trip to the United States — and a single visit to a supermarket may have changed the course o

Racism Without the Word — Somdeep Sen

After 9/11, the word "terrorism" replaced older colonial vocabularies — but the racial logic underneath stayed intact. Dr Somdeep Sen of Roskilde University joins The IR

When AI Fights, the War Never Ends — Myriam Dunn Cavelty

Artificial intelligence is redrawing the boundaries of cybersecurity — accelerating attacks, complicating attribution, and compressing the time humans have to make decisi

African Affairs Journal: History, Trends, and the Peer Review Process — Jonathan Fisher

Today, it is a real pleasure to speak with Professor Jonathan Fisher, co-editor of African Affairs — one of the leading journals in the field of African Studies. African

Publishing in Regional & Federal Studies Journal — Davide Vampa & Mariely Lopez-Santana

Today, it is a real pleasure to speak with the editorial team of Regional & Federal Studies, one of the leading journals in the field of territorial politics, regionalism

Poland's New Strategic Culture and Geopolitical Ambitions — Piotr Pietrzak

As American power recedes and European unity fractures, Poland finds itself at the centre of one of the most consequential geopolitical transformations of our time. Dr Pi

Africa's Agency in Global Climate Governance — Carl Death

This episode explores African agency in global climate governance, moving beyond narratives that portray African states solely as vulnerable recipients of climate policy.

Publishing in Contemporary Security Policy — Myriam Dunn Cavelty & Nicole Jenne

Today, it is a real pleasure to speak with the editorial team of Contemporary Security Policy, one of the most influential journals in the field of international security

Publishing in Problems of Post-Communism: An Editor's Perspective — Dmitry Gorenburg

Problems of Post-Communism is a long-standing peer-reviewed academic journal that examines political, economic, security, and international developments in post-communist

Inside Myanmar’s Fragile Geopolitical Position — Wai Yan Phyo Naing

Myanmar occupies a unique position in contemporary international affairs, where the legacies of post-independence neutralism, decades of military rule, and a fractured po

Foucault, Stalin and the Politics of Life and Death: What Is Biopolitics? — Sergei Prozorov

In this episode, I speak with Professor Sergei Prozorov about biopolitics, one of the most provocative frameworks in contemporary political theory, and how it reshapes ou

How Russia Projects Soft Power Across Three Continents — Vladimir Liparteliani

How does a country under heavy sanctions continue to win influence across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia? In this episode, Vladimir Liparteliani unpacks the full machi

South Africa's Nuclear Energy and the HTMR-100 Reactor — Kelvin Kemm

South Africa has been involved in nuclear development for more than 75 years. In 1948, the Atomic Energy Act established the Atomic Energy Board (AEB) — only two years af

How to Publish in Top IR Journals: Insights from a BJPIR Editor — Jack Holland

Today, we are hosting an episode that provides an opportunity to present a research journal together with its editor. The aim is not only to introduce the journal, but al

China and Russia: Four Centuries of Conflict and Concord — Philip Snow

This episode features a conversation with the historian Philip Snow on the evolution of relations between Russia and China. Drawing on archival research, the discussion t