Dr Bobo Lo

Dr Bobo Lo

Bobo Lo is an independent international relations analyst and a Non-Resident Fellow at the Lowy Institute, Sydney. He was formerly Head of the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House, and Deputy Head of Mission at the Australian Embassy in Moscow. Past positions and associations have included Director of the China and Russia Programmes at…

Grey Zones at Europe’s Edge: Ceuta, Melilla and Maritime Power

Grey Zones at Europe’s Edge: Ceuta, Melilla and Maritime Power

How two small Spanish cities on Africa’s coast expose bigger problems in migration, sovereignty, and maritime power Ceuta and Melilla embody anticonformism in the geopolitical order as two beautiful Spanish cities situated on the African continent. Yet they sit at the centre of Europe’s most complicated border politics. In practice, they are more than enclaves:…

Episode 311: Grey Zones at Europe’s Edge: Ceuta, Melilla and Maritime Power with Dr. Ángeles Jiménez

In this episode, Dominic Bowen and Ángeles Jiménez discuss the geopolitical significance of Ceuta and Melilla as Europe’s only land borders with Africa, and why these two Spanish cities have become focal points of sovereignty disputes, migration pressure, and strategic ambiguity between Spain, Morocco, and the European Union. Drawing on legal, historical, and geopolitical perspectives,…

Synthetic Biology, Global Risks and Benefits, and the Future of Engineering Life

Synthetic Biology, Global Risks and Benefits, and the Future of Engineering Life

Synthetic biology is increasingly recognised as one of the most consequential technological domains shaping global risk in the coming decade, with major implications highlighted in recent reports by the OECD and other international policy bodies. Advances in biological engineering are already transforming medicine, industrial production, and climate innovation, a trajectory documented in futures‑oriented assessments of…

Episode 310: Reengineering Life, Reshaping Risk: Synthetic Biology’s Benefits and Risks for the Global Community with Dr Tae Seok Moon

This episode with Dr Tae Seok Moon explores how synthetic biology is rapidly transforming medicine, climate innovation, and industrial production, while introducing new layers of international risk, ethical tension, and governance challenges. We examine how engineered biology is already being used to fight disease, reduce emissions, and address pollution, alongside growing concerns about dual-use risk, biosecurity, and…

Dr Tae Seok Moon

Dr Tae Seok Moon

Tae Seok Moon is a YouTuber, director of an NSF global center, professor at the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), Engineering Biology Research Consortium (EBRC) Council Member, SynBYSS Chair, Moonshot Bio founder, European Federation of Biotechnology (EFB) Executive Board Member, and editor of 10 journals, including the New Biotechnology Editor-in-Chief. His 32 funded projects have…

Episode 309: Corridors of Power: Political Risk and the New Global Supply Chain Map with Sophia Burna-Asefi

Coordinated and Produced by Elisa Garbil From Central Asia’s emerging transport corridors to Iran’s sanctions and water stress, this episode of the International Risk Podcast explores how political risk, geopolitics, and climate change are reshaping the global trade map – revealing why supply chain durability is no longer just an economic question, but a strategic one…

Sophia Nina Burna-Asefi

Sophia Nina Burna-Asefi

Sophia Nina B-A has lived and worked for over a decade in Central Asia and Afghanistan, conducting geopolitical risk analysis and strategic advisory services in both the public and private sectors. Her particular area of focus is on transport infrastructure, particularly railways. She currently works as a freelance journalist and a consultant for the international…

Political Risk as the Decisive Force Behind Corridor Success: Why the INSTC, BRI, and the Middle Corridor Rise or Falter

Political Risk as the Decisive Force Behind Corridor Success: Why the INSTC, BRI, and the Middle Corridor Rise or Falter

Written by Elisa Garbil – 12.01.2026 Transport corridors, also known as the arteries of global trade, are often described in terms of engineering feats, freight volumes, and infrastructure investments. Yet the true determinant of whether these grand initiatives thrive or stall lies elsewhere. Beyond tracks, ports, and customs software sits the quieter but more powerful force shaping…