The IR thinker

What happens when two states are fundamentally unequal, yet must still deal with each other? Brantly Womack joins me to unpack asymmetry theory, from guanxi and reciprocity to the question of whether the US-China rivalry can define a multinodal world order.

Brantly Womack

Brantly Womack is Professor Emeritus of Foreign Affairs in the Department of Politics and Senior Faculty Fellow at the Miller Center, University of Virginia, USA. His research explores asymmetric international relationships and the post-hegemonic world order, alongside the domestic politics and foreign policy of China, Vietnam, Southeast Asia, and the United States.

Publications

• China and Vietnam: The Politics of Asymmetry
• China Among Unequals: Asymmetric Foreign Relationships in Asia
• Asymmetry and International Relationships
• Rethinking the Triangle: Washington-Beijing-Taipei
• Recentering Pacific Asia: Regional China and World Order
• Strategic Principles for Co-Existence in a Multinodal World
• Contra Schelling: The Trap of Coercive Strategy in a Multinodal Era

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

02:08 Interdependence, Dependence, and Asymmetry

06:23 Asymmetry in International Relations Theory

11:19 The Concept of Pacific Asia

13:17 Theoretical Framework and Methodology

21:45 Material Superiority and Political Control

26:12 Reciprocity and Attention in Asymmetric Relations

33:18 Relational Dimensions of Asymmetry Theory

40:05 Asymmetry versus Hegemonic Order

44:10 The Role of Guanxi in International Relations

48:50 A Multinodal World Order

53:09 Can Bipolarity Exist in a Multinodal World?

58:35 Theoretical Limitations and Future Research

1:03:13 Reception of Asymmetry Theory among Chinese Scholars

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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 opportunities in electricity and renewable energy.

John explores the geopolitical significance of Azerbaijan’s energy partnerships with the European Union, Türkiye, Russia, Iran, Central Asia and China, and considers whether the country can successfully transform itself into a diversified regional energy hub.

John M. Roberts is a leading European energy security specialist and researcher, with particular expertise in the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Caspian energy corridors. He is a nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center and a Senior Partner at Methinks Ltd, a consultancy specialising in the relationship between energy, economic development and politics. John has extensive experience analysing the intersection of energy, economic development and geopolitics. He has advised and testified on Turkish, Russian, Caspian, Middle Eastern and Kurdish energy security, and has particular expertise in the pipelines connecting, or intended to connect, the Caspian region with Europe, Russia, China and India. He previously served as Managing Editor at Platts and worked with Financial Times Energy, focusing on energy development and the impact of energy on economic development. His publications include Caspian Pipelines (1996), Visions & Mirages: The Middle East in a New Era (1995), and Pipeline Politics: The Caspian and Global Energy Security (2014).

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

02:54 Baku–Novorossiysk Pipeline [oil]

05:29 Baku–Supsa Pipeline [oil]

08:03 Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan (BTC) Pipeline [oil]

10:47 Baku–Kulevi Rail Corridor [oil]

12:22 Hajigabul–Astara Pipeline [gas]

14:21 Hajigabul–Gazakh–Saguramo Pipeline [gas]

15:08 Hajigabul–Shirvanovka–Mozdok Pipeline [gas]

16:13 South Caucasus Pipeline (SCP) [gas]

21:15 Iğdır–Nakhchivan Pipeline [gas]

23:50 Azerbaijan’s Oil and Gas: Significance for the European Union

35:09 Declining Oil Production in Azerbaijan: Challenges and Prospects

39:08 Black Sea Energy Cable

46:31 Azerbaijan and Central Asia: The Uzbek Energy Market

52:18 Could Azerbaijan Revive Its Nuclear Energy Ambitions?

55:23 Green Energy Development

59:40 Azerbaijan, Türkiye and Iran

01:05:25 An Underexplored Area of Energy Research

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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? In this episode, Professor Sebastian Rosato joins us to discuss 'intentions pessimism', the limits of information, and what uncertainty means for great-power conflict, diplomacy, and the study of international relations.

Sebastian Rosato is Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame, where he is also a fellow of the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, and the Nanovic Institute for European Studies.

Selected Publications

• Europe United: Power Politics and the Making of the European Community
• Intentions in Great Power Politics: Uncertainty and the Roots of Conflict
• How States Think: The Rationality of Foreign Policy (with John J. Mearsheimer)

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

02:10 Is 'intentions pessimism' a structural or epistemological argument—or are the two inseparable?

04:38 Endemic uncertainty in international relations

06:33 The role of first- and secondhand information

12:48 Waltzian neorealism vs. 'intentions pessimism'

15:27 Has 'intentions pessimism' changed Professor Rosato's stance on IR?

18:11 Is 'intentions pessimism' applicable to great powers only?

20:44 Truism and falsifiability questions

22:20 Which IR theory draws the most criticism of 'intentions pessimism'?

24:50 Liberal institutionalism and constructivism vs. 'intentions pessimism'

28:05 How 'intentions pessimism' works across different regime types

31:41 Case study selection and theory grounding

37:42 Material vs. ideational explanations

40:07 Is 'intentions pessimism' about states or leaders?

42:50 Signals intelligence, satellite surveillance, and AI: do new technologies change the information problem?

46:17 The role of diplomacy and statecraft

47:54 Uncertainty in foreign policy analysis

53:46 How do we make progress in IR theory?

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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, we speak with Professor David Luke, editor of How Africa Eats: Trade, Food Security and Climate Risks, an open-access book published by LSE Press.

We discuss the causes of food insecurity across Africa, the role of agricultural investment, and the barriers that make it difficult for African countries to trade food with one another. Professor Luke explains why non-tariff barriers matter, where intra-African food trade falls short, and what the AfCFTA could mean for African agriculture.

The conversation also covers Africa’s approach to the WTO, the future of the Malabo Declaration, countries making progress in agricultural transformation, and China’s role in African agriculture. The interview concludes with a discussion of where research on African agriculture should go next.

David Luke is Professor in Practice and Strategic Director at the Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa, LSE and Extraordinary Professor at North-West University, South Africa, specialising in African trade policy, trade negotiations, and development.

Selected Publications

• How Africa Trades
• How Africa Eats
• Implementing the AfCFTA: A sluggish start

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

01:39 Rethinking Africa’s Hunger Narrative

06:51 The Root Causes of Food Insecurity in Africa

12:28 How the Research Was Conducted

15:13 Why Non-Tariff Barriers Matter for African Food Trade

17:43 The Missing Link in Intra-African Food Trade

20:12 Agricultural Investment: Africa’s Internal and External Drivers

24:49 Africa’s WTO Strategy: Practical Outcomes Over Ideology

29:11 Does the Malabo Declaration Need an Upgrade?

31:11 Countries Driving Africa’s Agricultural Transformation

32:23 China’s Role in African Agriculture

34:36 Future Research Priorities in African Agriculture

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In this episode, Professor Miles Kahler discusses the future of global governance in an era of intensifying geopolitical rivalry, shifting power balances, and growing challenges to the post-1945 international order. Drawing on his recent paper, Global Governance in the Twenty-First Century: Sustain, Reform, Transform, he examines whether existing international institutions can still adapt or whether new forms of cooperation will be required.

Professor Miles Kahler is Research Professor-in-Residence and Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the School of International Service, American University. He is also a Non-resident Scholar in the Global Order and Institutions Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. His research focuses on international institutions, global governance, international political economy, regionalism, and the evolution of the international order. He has written extensively on global governance, international cooperation, and the political economy of globalisation, and is widely recognised as one of the leading scholars in the study of international institutions.

Selected Publications

• Global governance in the twenty-first century: Sustain, reform, transform
• From Complex Interdependence to Complex Governance
• Global governance in the twenty-first century: End of the Bretton Woods moment?
• The Bretton Woods Moment: Hierarchies, Networks, and Markets in the Long Twentieth Century
• Global governance: Three futures

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

01:58 When Are Institutional Reforms No Longer Enough?

05:16 Can Middle Powers Shape a New Global Order?

10:21 Consensus-Based Multilateralism vs. Plurilateral Cooperation

16:15 Why Is BRICS Less Coherent Than Expected in Global Governance?

22:20 Why Do Countries Join BRICS? Choice or Necessity?

29:19 How Technology and Supply Chains Are Redefining Spheres of Influence

34:30 The Future of Values and Interests in Global Governance

41:41 Does the Liberal International Order Need an Upgrade?

46:11 Strengthening Regional Governance: Rules, Norms, and Institutions

52:38 AI and the Future of Global Governance

59:59 Has International Relations Neglected Domestic Politics?

01:05:41 Underexplored Research Agendas in Global Governance

A clarifying note at 13:18: "COP 30 reached agreement on several issues, such as a work program on climate finance, but it was not able to reach consensus on a roadmap transitioning from fossil fuels. That issue that led to the Santa Marta Conference, a coalition of the willing that aimed to phase out fossil fuels."

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Published by the Brazilian Institute of International Relations since 1958, the Revista Brasileira de Política Internacional (Brazilian Journal of International Politics, also known as RBPI) has spent nearly seven decades serving as a vital bridge between Latin American scholarship and global debates on international affairs.

The journal has also reached several important milestones, including its transition to open access, the adoption of English as a publication language, and its integration into the SciELO digital publishing platform. These developments have significantly expanded its international reach and influence.

Editor-in-Chief: Haroldo Ramanzini Júnior

Impact Factor: 2025 (1.0) / 5-Year Impact Factor: 1.20

Indexed: Scopus / Web of Science

First Decision: 90 days

Acceptance Rate: 20%

Haroldo Ramanzini Júnior is a Brazilian political scientist specialising in Brazilian foreign policy, regionalism, and Latin American international relations, and serves as Associate Professor at the Institute of International Relations at the University of Brasília.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

02:16 The Intellectual Identity of RBPI

04:46 What Makes RBPI Unique Among Latin American IR Journals?

10:31 Maintaining Thematic and Conceptual Coherence

12:49 Brazil's Foreign Policy, Latin America, and Global Perspectives

15:03 Emerging Intellectual Trends in Submissions

17:00 Which Research Topics Are Growing Most Rapidly?

19:08 Methodological Diversity in RBPI

21:35 The Most Common Mistakes in Submitted Manuscripts

24:33 Ensuring a High-Quality Editorial Process

27:29 Artificial Intelligence in Editorial Work and Peer Review

30:26 Editorial Innovations and Future Publishing Practices

35:49 Who Can Join the Editorial Board?

36:49 Should Authors Suggest Potential Reviewers?

39:25 Publishing in English and Internationalising the Journal

42:48 The Future Direction of RBPI

45:52 What Editorial Leadership Has Meant for Dr Ramanzini Junior's Career

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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 of Soviet history. Thus, what is the untold story of America's involvement in the transformation of the Soviet Union?

Daniel Satinsky is an independent scholar, retired attorney and retired business consultant. He began his career in the Soviet Union, then Russia, as part of a US-Russia telecom joint venture in 1991 and then continued with business and consulting projects in Russia up to 2014.

Selected Publication

• Creating the Post-Soviet Russian Market Economy: Through American Eyes

Over those years he traveled extensively across the country from Moscow, St. Petersburg, the Central Russia Golden Ring cities, the Urals and Siberia. Subsequently, he has been researching and writing about the interaction between Americans and Russians in this unique historical period.

After publishing his most recent book, Creating the Post Soviet Russian Market Economy: Through American Eyes, he has developed an oral history of interviews with foreigners active in Russia during the late 1980s through the early 2000s, available online as The Satinsky Archive, now including 55 in-depth interviews.

He was Chairman of the Board of the US Russia Chamber of Commerce of New England from 2000 – 2014 and currently is a Local Affiliate of the Davis Center at Harvard.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

03:28 The Esalen Institute and Boris Yeltsin's Visit to the United States

21:02 SovAm Teleport: Establishing a Soviet–American Internet Connection

29:50 SP Dialog: American Technology and the Transformation of Soviet Banking

39:32 Project Harmony: Community Exchanges and American Police Officers in the Soviet Union

49:30 Russian Privatisation and the Role of American Companies

01:06:11 American Companies in Russia: Independent Ventures or Western Partnerships?

01:08:17 Investment Opportunities in the Post-Soviet Space

01:10:56 Radio Maximum, Cosmopolitan, and Western Cultural Influence in Russia

01:16:23 Sources, Evidence, and the Limits of Satinsky's Research

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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 thinker to show how concepts such as development, security, and the War on Terror continue to sort the world along racial lines, even when race itself goes unnamed. From NATO's global colour line to China's reproduction of Western hierarchies within the Global South, this conversation maps the hidden architecture of race in contemporary IR.

Dr Sen is Associate Professor in International Development Studies at Roskilde University, whose research explores race and racism in international relations, settler colonialism, liberation movements, and postcolonial theory.

Selected Publications

• Race (Chapter 9)
• NATO and the global colour line
• Decolonising to Reimagine International Relations
• A Postcolonial Critique of EU-Middle East Relations
• Race, Racism, and the Teaching of International Relations

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction

02:34 - How IR Erased Race — Deliberately and Systematically

07:09 - Why "sanitised" Language Still Encodes Racial Hierarchy

10:11 - Race Beyond the North–South Divide

15:15 - How Racial Logic Travels Across Regions and Contexts

19:02 - Terrorism, Security, and the Racialisation of Threat

28:15 - Western Imagination of the Middle East Before and After 9/11

34:21 - Why Race Scholarship From the Middle East Gets Overlooked

40:00 - Brexit, English Nationalism, and the Return of Racial Politics

45:32 - What Decolonising IR Actually Requires

47:59 - China as a Non-Western Power Reproducing Racial Hierarchies

51:10 - Intra-Southern Hierarchies and Who Gets to Speak for the Global South

53:41 - How to Research Race When Race Goes Unspoken

58:21 - Underresearched Areas and Future Directions

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

In this episode, Myriam Dunn Cavelty of ETH Zurich examines AI-driven conflict, the politics behind critical infrastructure protection, the limits of European governance, and what it means when cyber war has no clear start and no clear finish.

Myriam Dunn Cavelty is a Senior Scientist at the Centre for Security Studies at Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich. Her research examines the political and societal implications of digital technologies, with a particular focus on cyber security, cyber warfare, critical infrastructure protection, and technology governance. She also serves as co-editor-in-chief of Contemporary Security Policy.

Selected Publications

• The evolution of cyberconflict studies
• The politics of cyber security
• Cyber security politics: Socio-technological transformations and political fragmentation
• Cybersecurity in Switzerland
• Cyber-security and threat politics: US efforts to secure the information age

Recommended article:

• Cyber War Will Not Take Place

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction

01:55 - What Actually Counts as Critical Infrastructure in the Age of AI?

07:58 - ENISA: Europe's Cybersecurity Watchdog — Triumphs, Failures, and Missed Opportunities

13:00 - Does the World Need a Global Cybersecurity Regulator?

14:43 - Hacked Nations: Geopolitical Coercion, Hybrid Warfare, and Strategic Signalling

25:48 - Is Cybersecurity a Political Problem Dressed Up as a Technical One?

32:31 - War Without End: Why AI-Driven Conflict Has No Clear Start, No Clear Finish

38:27 - Who Did It? The Dangerous Art of Attribution in Cyber Warfare

43:58 - The Speed Problem: When AI Makes Decisions Faster Than Humans Can Think

48:33 - Arming the Enemy: What Happens When Open-Source AI Falls Into the Wrong Hands?

52:00 - Measuring the Unmeasurable: How Do You Rank a Country's Cyber Power?

58:27 - The Blind Spots of AI Cybersecurity Research Topics

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Today, it is a real pleasure to speak with Professor Jonathan Fisher, co-editor ofAfrican Affairs — one of the leading journals in the field of African Studies. African Affairs is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the London-based Royal African Society.

It was established as the Journal of the African Society in 1901, then it was published as the Journal of the Royal African Society from 1936 until it obtained its current name in 1944.

The journal is broadly interdisciplinary, with a primary focus on the politics and international relations of sub-Saharan Africa, though it also draws on sociology, anthropology, economics, history, literature, and the arts where these illuminate debates on contemporary Africa.

Co-Editors

George M. Bob-Milliar

Jonathan Fisher

Amanda Lea Robinson

Gabrielle Lynch

Impact Factor: 2.2 / 5-Year Impact Factor: 2.7

Indexed: Scopus / Web of Science

Jonathan Fisher is Professor of Global Security at the University of Birmingham where he also serves as Deputy Director of Research and Knowledge Transfer for the College of Social Sciences.

His research centres on the role of ideas and legitimacy within authoritarian systems, with extensive fieldwork across eastern Africa, where his work has examined how guerrilla heritage shapes contemporary governance, conflict, and cooperation, as well as the growing phenomenon of digital authoritarianism.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

01:41 The Journal’s Evolving Mission and Research Identity

08:00 Balancing Intellectual Coherence with Disciplinary Diversity

11:19 The Place of Empirical and Theoretical Research in Submissions

13:03 Emerging Trends in Manuscripts and Desired Research Directions

16:27 Underexplored Regions and Research Gaps across Africa

18:40 Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed-Methods Approaches in Publication

24:04 The Most Frequent Mistakes in Article Submissions

25:49 Common Pitfalls for Early-Career Researchers

27:26 Structural and Technical Weaknesses in Academic Articles

29:00 The Impact of AI on Editorial and Peer-Review Processes

31:30 Editorial Reforms and the Journal’s Growing Academic Standing

33:46 The Role and Significance of the Editorial Board

37:14 Supporting Marginalised and Underrepresented Scholars

40:37 Contributions from Latin America, Asia, and China

41:57 Does the Journal Encourage Authors to Suggest Reviewers?

42:43 Future Vision, Priorities, and Strategic Goals of the Journal

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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, and federalism.

The journal was established in 1991 as Regional Politics and Policy: An International Journal focusing on regionalism in Western Europe. In 1995, the journal changed its name to Regional and Federal Studies, expanding its focus and scope.

Impact Factor: 1.4 / 5-Year Impact Factor: 1.6

Indexed: Scopus / Web of Science

First Decision: 40 days

Acceptance Rate: 28%

Davide Vampa, Lead Editor of the journal and Senior Lecturer in Territorial Politics at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, where he also serves as Co-Director of the Centre on Constitutional Change and Chair of the ECPR Standing Group on Federalism and Regionalism, as well as Mariely Lopez-Santana, Deputy Lead Editor and Associate Professor of Political Science at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, USA.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

01:45 The Journal’s Intellectual Identity

06:01 How the Journal Adapted to a Changing Field

08:33 Managing Breadth and Coherence Across Federalism, Regionalism, and Multilevel Governance

10:43 Crossing Disciplinary Boundaries: Bridging Political Science and Beyond

14:02 Theory or Empirics? Balancing Conceptual Innovation and Case-Based Research

18:00 Major Intellectual Trends in Regional and Federal Politics

22:09 Underexplored Topics

25:32 Methodological Diversity: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Approaches

27:48 Methodological Shifts: Dominant Approaches and Emerging Techniques

29:53 The Data Challenge: Obstacles in Gathering Quantitative Evidence

32:44 Why Papers Get Rejected: Common Problems in Manuscript Submissions

37:25 Early Career Scholars: Frequent Mistakes and Professional Advice

44:34 The Journal’s Position on AI

48:59 Peer Review Process: Fairness, Transparency, and Editorial Efficiency

53:47 The Role and Strategic Importance of the Editorial Board

57:03 Supporting Underrepresented Scholars and Regions

01:03:33 Should Authors Recommend Reviewers?

01:03:49 Looking Ahead: Future Priorities

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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 Piotr Pietrzak joins us to trace Poland's journey from historical insecurity to strategic confidence. Can Poland sustain great-power aspirations without overreaching?

Piotr Pietrzak is co-founder of In Statu Nascendi Think Tank, a non-partisan and independent institution bringing together scholars from a wide range of disciplines. It is devoted to rigorous inquiry into contemporary conflict and political philosophy, and to generating actionable ideas on geoeconomic, political, and socio-economic matters.

A scholar, ontologist, and author, Dr Pietrzak is particularly known for bringing a rigorous pragmatic perspective to international relations theory, conflict management, and geopolitics. His work consistently bridges theoretical inquiry and real-world application, making it relevant to both academic and policy audiences.

Selected Publications

• On the Idea of Humanitarian Intervention: A New Compartmentalization of IR Theories
• Exploring the implications of local and regional conflicts
• The Changing Conceptual Landscape of the Russian War in Ukraine (2014-Present) and Syria (2011-Present)
• The Russia ‒ Ukraine War and the Renaissance of IR Realism
• Geopolitical rivalries and strategic competition across Eurasia
• Strengthening international relations through transformative theory and practice
• The Sikorski–Tusk doctrine underpinning Poland's new strategic culture and its response to the Russia–Ukraine War

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction

01:20 - Reimagining International Relations: An Ontology “In Statu Nascendi”

04:09 - The Giedroyc-Mieroszewski Doctrine

07:17 - The Brzezinski Doctrine

11:02 - The Sikorski–Tusk Doctrine

18:13 - Regional Power or Strategic Frontline State? Poland’s Post-2022 Autonomy

24:43 - Between Brussels and Washington: Balancing Pro-European and Pro-American Orientations

29:35 - Ukraine as a Strategic Beneficiary of the War

32:18 - Beyond Solidarity: The Future of Polish-Ukrainian Relations

36:32 - China and the New Geometry of Polish Geopolitics

40:28 - What Would G7 Membership Mean for Poland?

46:04 - Democratic Values, Diaspora Networks, and Poland’s Emerging Leadership Role

50:24 - From Historical Insecurity to Strategic Confidence: The Evolution of Polish Strategic Culture

54:01 - Ambition versus Overstretch: Can Poland Sustain Great-Power Aspirations (American power declines, European unity weakens, and Ukraine remains unstable)

01:00:10 - Poland and Russia: Is Stable Coexistence Possible?

01:02:57 - The Most Underresearched Questions in Polish Geopolitics

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

Drawing on debates in International Relations, environmental politics, and African climate futures, Dr Carl Death examines how African actors negotiate, contest, and reimagine climate governance across local, continental, and global arenas.

Carl Death is a Senior Lecturer in International Political Economy at the University of Manchester. His research focuses on environmental politics in Africa, with a particular interest in critical and postcolonial approaches.

Selected Publications

• The Green Economy in South Africa: Global Discourses and Local Politics
• Four Discourses of the Green Economy in the Global South
• Green States in Africa: Beyond the Usual Suspects
• Africanfuturist Socio‐Climatic Imaginaries and Nnedi Okorafor’s Wild Necropolitics
• Climate Fiction, Climate Theory: Decolonising Imaginations of Global Futures
• Unfamiliar Families and Disturbing Climate Futures
• Narrating Transitions to Low Carbon Futures: The Role of Long-Term Strategies in Fossil Fuel Producing Emerging Economies
• African Climate Futures

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

02:30 African agency in global climate governance: realities versus stereotypes

10:21 Writing climate transition differently: fiction as method

13:32 Universal models and African political economies

18:04 Pan-Africanism and coordination in climate governance

23:25 Key actors in Africa’s climate and energy transition

27:19 Climate fiction and African agency: insights from fifteen authors

32:49 Selection and context of African climate fiction

38:37 Postcolonial, feminist, and queer perspectives on African climate futures

43:47 Ecopolitical imaginaries explained

48:01 Beyond limited case studies in African climate scholarship

54:51 Challenges in writing the book

58:51 Local politics and environmental governance

01:02:25 Civil society and grassroots climate action

01:08:59 Under-researched areas in African climate politics

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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 studies. Previously, known as Arms Control (1980 - 1993).

Since its founding in 1980, the journal has played a central role in shaping discussions on armed conflict, intervention, strategic change, and global security governance.

Impact Factor: 5.0 / 5-Year Impact Factor: 4.6

Indexed: Scopus / Web of Science

First Decision: 5 days

Acceptance Rate: 11%

Major fields of concern include:

- War and armed conflict

- Peacekeeping

- Conflict resolution

- Arms control and disarmament

- Defense policy

- Strategic culture

- International institutions

The journal is currently led by three co-editors:

- Myriam Dunn Cavelty

- Nicole Jenne

- Yf Rejkers

Two of them are with us today:

Professor Myriam Dunn Cavelty is a leading scholar of cyber security, risk politics, and the governance of emerging technologies, based at ETH Zürich.

Associate Professor Nicole Jenne is an expert on Latin American security, civil–military relations, and regional responses to transnational threats at Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, also a visiting scholar at David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, Harvard University.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

01:52 The Journal’s Mission: Change and Continuity

04:24 The Intellectual DNA of CSP

06:22 Managing Breadth: Coherence Across Security Studies

09:49 Evaluating Innovative and Experimental Submissions

11:56 What Counts as ‘Policy’ in Contemporary Security Policy?

14:23 Borderline Cases: When Policy Relevance Is Unclear

19:54 Methodological Pluralism and Editorial Tensions

22:46 Qualitative or Quantitative? CSP’s Methodological Orientation

25:02 Major Intellectual Trends in Recent Submissions

26:41 Desired Growth Areas: Topics the Journal Wants More Of

28:20 Attracting Strong Manuscripts: Editorial Strategies and Outreach

33:03 The Role of AI in Academic Submissions

42:49 The Most Common Mistakes in Manuscript Submission

44:10 Fairness, Bias, and Delay: The Realities of Peer Review

47:49 Should Authors Recommend Potential Reviewers?

49:41 Supporting Junior Scholars and Academics Facing Structural Disadvantage

53:24 The Bernard Brodie Prize

56:54 Publication Strategy: Controlling Volume and Maintaining Quality

58:47 What an Editorial Board Actually Does

01:02:11 Editorial Priorities and a Final Message to Scholars

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Problems of Post-Communism is a long-standing peer-reviewed academic journal that examines political, economic, security, and international developments in post-communist societies. First established in 1952 under the title Problems of Communism, the journal was originally published by the United States Information Agency and adopted its current name in 1992 to reflect the profound transformations following the end of the Cold War.

Impact Factor: 2.0 / 5-Year Impact Factor: 2.2

Indexed: Scopus / Web of Science

First Decision: 112 days

Acceptance Rate: 28%

The current editor-in-chief is Dmitry P. Gorenburg, a political scientist and senior researcher at CNA, who oversees the journal’s editorial direction and its engagement with contemporary debates on the politics and international relations of post-communist countries.

Dr. Gorenburg is also a Harvard Davis Center associate and previously served as executive director of the American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies (now the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies, or ASEEES).

His scholarship focuses on Russian military reform, Russian foreign policy, and security dynamics in the former Soviet Union, as well as questions of ethnic politics and identity in Russia. BLOG: Russian Military Reform

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

01:53 Evolution of the Journal’s Mission After the Collapse of Communism

05:20 The Intellectual “DNA” of Problems of Post-Communism

06:43 Maintaining Intellectual Coherence Across a Broad Research Scope

09:19 The Role of International Relations in the Journal’s Scope: Thematic vs Territorial Focus

10:26 Disciplinary Balance: Comparative Politics, International Relations, and Area Studies

11:07 Major Intellectual Trends in Post-Communist Studies Over the Past Decade

14:22 Democratic Backsliding, Illiberalism, and the Impact of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine on Research Agendas

18:21 Russian Scholars in Exile and Scholars Working Inside Russia

21:05 Underexplored Topics in Post-Communist Studies

22:22 Annual Publication Volume and the Pressure to Publish More

26:31 Preferred Research Methods and Methodological Approaches

29:30 The Most Common Mistakes in Manuscript Submissions

40:51 Ensuring Fairness and Efficiency in the Peer Review Process

43:32 Editorial Innovations that Improved Journal Quality and Consistency

44:45 The Role and Selection of the Editorial Board

46:19 Publishing Challenges for Scholars from Central Asia and the Post-Soviet Region

52:30 Growing Global Interest in Post-Communist Studies

53:13 Should Authors Suggest Potential Reviewers?

55:14 What Makes a Successful Article in Problems of Post-Communism

59:25 The Future Vision for the Journal

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Myanmar occupies a unique position in contemporary international affairs, where the legacies of post-independence neutralism, decades of military rule, and a fractured post-coup order converge to produce one of the most complex foreign policy environments in the Indo-Pacific.

Dr Naing is a visiting scholar at the Institute of Modern History, Academia Sinica, under the Taiwan Fellowship Program. At the moment, he is focusing on modern Myanmar’s domestic politics, democratisation, and international relations, with particular attention to Myanmar–Russia and Myanmar–China relations and their implications for regional security, political development, and social change.

In this role, he conducts independent and collaborative research drawing on archival materials, historical documents, and qualitative sources. His current project, “Insights from Taiwan’s Democratisation: Implications for Upcoming Reform Processes in Myanmar,” examines how Taiwan’s experience of democratisation can inform prospective political reforms in Myanmar.

Selected Publications

• Northern Myanmar Poses a Challenge to China’s Critical Minerals Strategy
• The Dilemma of Sino-Myanmar Relations: The Case of Myitsone Hydropower Dam Project

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

02:19 Neutralism, Military Isolation, and the Origins of Myanmar’s Strategic Hedging

09:16 Structural Drivers of the Contemporary Myanmar Political Crisis

16:53 The Influence of China and India on Myanmar’s Foreign Policy Orientation

26:00 The National Unity Government and the Fragmentation of Political Authority

33:12 Border Governance, Insurgency, and Security Dynamics in Myanmar’s Frontier Regions

48:43 Russia’s Role in Myanmar’s Strategic and Military Relations

01:00:35 ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus and the Limits of the Non-Interference Principle

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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 our understanding of power, life, and death across IR, philosophy, and Soviet studies. From Foucault to Mbembe to Stalin, this is a conversation that cuts to the heart of how modern states govern human existence.

Sergei Prozorov is Professor of Political Science, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Finland. His research interests include contemporary political theory, continental philosophy, biopolitics, democracy and totalitarianism. Sergei’s work is positioned at the intersection of political philosophy, IR theory, and Soviet and post-Soviet studies, with sustained engagement with the thought of Michel Foucault, Giorgio Agamben, and Roberto Esposito.

During 2010–2015, Prozorov held the Academy of Finland Research Fellowship with the project Biopolitics of Stalinism. During 2015–2019, he served as Principal Investigator of the Academy of Finland project Biopolitics and Democracy in Global Governance.

Prozorov's work has accumulated over 2,800 citations on Google Scholar Google Scholar, reflecting his standing as one of the leading theorists of biopolitics in the international field. Peer assessments situate him among the most philosophically sophisticated scholars working at the intersection of IR and continental theory. His work represents one of the most ambitious re-articulations of the ontological and ethical foundations of universalism in contemporary political theory.

Prozorov's latest book is Poses of the World, the third volume in his Void Universalism trilogy.

Selected Publications

• Foucault, Freedom and Sovereignty
• Agamben and Politics: A Critical Introduction
• The Biopolitics of Stalinism: Ideology and Life in Soviet Socialism
• Foucault and Agamben on Augustine, Paradise and the Politics of Human Nature
• When did biopolitics begin? Actuality and potentiality in historical events
• Biopolitics After Truth: Knowledge, Power and Democratic Life

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

02:55 Conceptualising Biopolitics

09:05 Actors and Agents in Biopolitics

12:39 Biopolitics and Mainstream Approaches in Political Science and IR

18:20 Biopolitics and Sovereignty: Engaging with Agamben

26:16 Biopolitics and Necropolitics: Mbembe’s Intervention

31:05 Studying Biopolitics Empirically: Approaches and Challenges

33:06 Researching Biopolitics: Professor Prozorov’s Preferred Methods

38:58 Common Pitfalls in Biopolitics Research: Advice for Early-Career Scholars

41:53 Biopolitics Beyond the West

45:21 The Motivation and Goals Behind Biopolitics of Stalinism (book)

50:30 Soviet Ideology Through the Lens of Biopolitics

01:00:59 Biopolitical Investment or Propaganda in the Soviet Project?

01:03:39 Professor Prozorov’s Upcoming Research and Future Directions

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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 machinery of Russian soft power — from RT and Sputnik to educational diplomacy, cultural outreach, and religious projection.

Vladimir Liparteliani is an associate fellow at the School of Modern Languages and Cultures, Durham University. As a scholar of international relations, he focuses on soft power and international power competition in the post-Soviet space.

Selected Publications

• Soft Power Competition Between Russia and the West: Contesting Georgian National Identity, 1991–2024
• The Art of Subtle Influence: Russian Soft Power and Georgia’s Conservative Turn

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

01:37 Conceptualising Russian Soft Power: Beyond Nye’s Classical Framework

05:58 Russian Scholarly Perspectives on Soft Power

07:10 Soft Power, Strategic Communication, and Influence Operations in Russian Foreign Policy

08:42 Strategic Ambiguity: The ‘Blurriness’ of Russian Soft Power

09:23 Great Power Identity and the Logic of Russian Soft Power

11:53 Soviet Legacies and Their Influence on Contemporary Russian Soft Power

14:21 International Broadcasting as Soft Power: RT and Sputnik

18:22 Narratives and Messaging in RT and Sputnik Content

20:52 Global Accessibility and Restrictions on RT and Sputnik

23:02 Educational Diplomacy in Russian Foreign Policy

26:22 Education as a Soft Power Instrument

28:41 The Experience of International Students in Russia

30:22 Cultural Diplomacy and the Projection of Russian Culture

34:13 Global Reception and Participation in Russian Cultural Initiatives

36:54 The Russian Orthodox Church and Religious Soft Power

41:15 Narrative Effectiveness and Audience Reception in Russian Soft Power

43:52 The Interaction of Soft and Hard Power in Russian Strategy

46:49 Soft Power within Russia’s Military and Security Agenda

49:09 Adapting Russian Soft Power to New Political Realities

51:50 The Impact of Sanctions on Russian Soft Power Adaptation

54:31 Opportunities and Constraints for Russian Soft Power in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia

57:27 — Research Motivation: Studying Russian Soft Power

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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 after the United States created its own Atomic Energy Commission. South Africa's first nuclear research reactor, SAFARI-1, went critical in 1965, and the country's first large nuclear power station, Koeberg, came online in 1984.

In February 2010, the South African government announced it would stop funding the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) programme. Over US$1.3 billion had been invested in the project since 1993, making its cancellation one of the most consequential decisions in South African energy history.

But the technology did not disappear.

A group of nuclear engineers and scientists pressed on independently, channelling the PBMR's intellectual legacy into a new design: the HTMR-100, an advanced Generation IV helium-cooled reactor. That effort eventually gave rise to Stratek Global, and it is an honour to speak with its Chairman and CEO, Dr Kelvin Kemm.

Dr Kelvin Kemm is a nuclear physicist and Chairman of Stratek Global, based in Pretoria, South Africa. He is the former Chairman of the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) and has been involved in South Africa's small modular reactor programme since its inception — a journey spanning more than two decades.

Dr Kemm has briefed the US Senate and Congress in Washington DC, and is a sought-after international speaker on nuclear energy, technology, and strategic development, having addressed audiences across Africa, Europe, Asia, and the United States.

Above all, he brings over 25 years of hands-on experience building small modular reactor technology from the ground up — making him one of the most knowledgeable voices in the field today.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Overview of the Discussion

02:49 Historical Development of Nuclear Reactor Technology in South Africa

17:29 Eskom’s Operational and Financial Challenges: Assessing the Crisis

23:32 Koeberg Nuclear Power Station: Operational Performance, Modernisation, and Life Extension

27:12 Nuclear Fuel Procurement and Supply Chains for Koeberg

31:43 Radioactive Waste Management at Koeberg Nuclear Power Station

36:04 Development Status of South Africa’s HTMR-100 Small Modular Reactor

39:03 HTMR-100 Reactor Concept: Design Principles, Mobility, and Scale

43:32 Advanced Fuel Architecture of the HTMR-100 Reactor

47:58 International Cooperation in Deploying HTMR-100 Nuclear Power Plants

51:09 Nuclear Science and Engineering Education in South Africa: Training the Next Generation

55:09 The Geopolitics of Nuclear Energy

57:49 Debates and Critiques of Renewable Energy Policy in South Africa

01:03:10 Pan-African Institutional Support for Nuclear Energy Development in Africa

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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 also to offer a critical assessment of suitable venues for publishing research articles. In this context, we turn our attention to the British Journal of Politics and International Relations (BJPIR).

Impact Factor: 3.4 / 5-Year Impact Factor: 3.4

Indexed: Scopus / Web of Science

First Decision: 6 days

Acceptance Rate: 18.7%

14th out of 169 journals in the field of International Relations and 36th out of 322 in Political Science

(Source: https://essl.leeds.ac.uk/education-social-sciences-law/news/article/2242/bjpir-celebrates-rise-in-impact-factor-and-25th-anniversary)

The journal is a leading peer-reviewed academic journal in the fields of political science and international relations. Established in 1999 and published by SAGE Publications on behalf of the Political Studies Association, it has developed a strong international reputation for high-quality scholarship.

The journal has six editors, all of whom are based at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom. Today, we are speaking with one of them, Professor of Global Security Challenges at the University of Leeds, Jack Holland.

Jack Holland also serves as Pro-Dean for Research and Innovation in the Faculty of Social Sciences. His research focuses on United States, United Kingdom, and Australian foreign and security policy. He is an expert on AUKUS, for example, he has been invited as a witness to the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee, and he regularly provides media commentary for British and international news organisations.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

02:24 The Journal’s Intellectual DNA

04:05 Political Science vs International Relations: Balance in Published Research

05:24 From Political Studies Association Flagship to Global Journal: Institutional Influence

08:31 Political Studies Association

09:47 Editorial Limits: Is There a Maximum Number of Articles per Issue?

11:36 Maintaining Coherence in a Broad-Scope Journal

12:48 Editorial Board: Selection, Roles, and Responsibilities

16:25 University of Leeds: The Journal’s Institutional Connection

18:08 Methodological Pluralism: Supporting Underrepresented Scholars

21:04 Current Intellectual Trends in Submissions

22:53 Undersubmitted Topics: Areas the Journal Wants More Of

24:13 AI, Frameworks, and Consulting: Reality Behind Publishing Claims

26:15 Common Author Mistakes in Journal Submissions

31:00 Encouraging Junior Scholars to Submit

33:51 Global South Scholars and Barriers

36:13 Editorial Lessons: Decisions Seen Differently Today

38:22 Suggesting Reviewers: Should Authors Do It?

39:39 Future Vision for the Journal

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