Author: Ben Lawson

Nicholas Cheeseman

Nic Cheeseman (@fromagehomme) is Professor of Democracy at the University of Birmingham, and the Director of the Centre for Elections, Democracy, Accountability and Representation (CEDAR). He was formerly the Director of the African Studies Centre at the University of Oxford. Dr Cheeseman mainly works on democracy, elections and development, including a range of topics such as election rigging, political campaigning, corruption, […]

Episode 165: Exploring the Coups in Africa with Professor Nic Cheeseman

Since the 1950s, there have been at least 106 coups in Africa, and even more unsuccessful attempts. In recent years, Africa has been marked by a series of political upheavals, with coups emerging as a recurring theme across the continent. Coups in Gabon, Niger, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Chad, Mali, Sudan, and several other countries have […]

Tarek Megerisi

Tarek Megerisi is a senior policy fellow with the Middle East and North Africa programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations. His work mainly addresses how European policymaking towards the Maghreb and Mediterranean regions can become more strategic, harmonious, and incisive – with a long-term focus on Libya.  For more than a decade, Megerisi […]

Episode 164: The Failures of the Rwanda Bill, EU Migration Policies, and the Geopolitics of Libya with Tarek Megerisi

Recently, we heard from Mireia Faro Sarrats, and we had a fascinating discussion about Europe’s externalisation of its refugees, and the UK’s recently passed Rwanda Bill. Under this bill any asylum seeker entering the UK ‘illegally’, from a ‘safe’ country, such as France, could be sent to Rwanda to have their asylum claims processed there […]

Mireia Faro Sarrats

Mireia Faro Sarrats is the communications officer at the European Council on Foreign Relations. Previously, she worked as a communications officer at the European Institute of the Mediterranean, a public affairs officer at the United States Consulate General in Barcelona, and in the communications department of the European Agency for Fundamental Rights in Vienna. Faro […]

Episode 163: The Rwanda Bill and the Externalisation of EU Migration Policies with Mireia Faro Sarrats

Recent statistics show the UK’s migration is at a record high. In April 2022, the British government stated that any asylum seeker entering the UK ‘illegally’, from a ‘safe’ country, such as France, could be sent to Rwanda to have their asylum claims processed there rather than in the UK. If these claims were successful, […]

Episode 162: Social Media, Misinformation, and the Risks to Elections in 2024 with Professor Leticia Bode

As we heard from Professor Stephan Lewandowsky, misinformation is a growing problem both in everyday life, and particularly in the political sphere. With more than 2 billion participating in democratic processes this year, it is indisputable that the risks of misinformation are higher than ever; and nowhere will this be more evident than in the […]

Leiticia Bode

Professor Bode is an associate professor in the Communication, Culture, and Technology master’s program at Georgetown University. She received her PhD in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and her bachelor’s degree from Trinity University. Her work lies at the intersection of communication, technology, and political behavior, emphasizing the role communication and […]

Russian Disinformation: The Risks Posed to Europe

In an age where information flows freely and quickly, the threat of deception looms large, casting doubt on the basic fabric of truth. The Russian disinformation campaigns, a complex web of misinformation, propaganda, and manipulation, are among the most formidable orchestrators of this digital deception dance. These disinformation efforts have matured into a powerful tool […]

Rosa Freedman

Rosa Freedman is the inaugural Professor of Law, Conflict and Global Development at the University of Reading. She received her LLB, LLM and PhD from the University of London, and is a non-practising barrister and member of the Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn. Freedman’s research focuses on the UN and human rights. She has published […]