Tune in to expert conversations on global risks, geopolitics, and international security. Our weekly episodes feature insights from leading professionals, academics, and policymakers. Expand your understanding of complex global issues with The International Risk Podcast.
Greenland is not for sale. That was the message from Denmark and Greenland after the White House summit on the 14th January. Meanwhile, President Trump says the US needs to “own” Greenland for national security, to stop Russia and China in the Arctic. How did an island of 57,0000 people suddenly get flung into the…
This episode with Dr Bobo Lo explores the breakdown of the post-Cold War rules-based international order and what is emerging in its place. We examine why today’s global system is better understood as a condition of disorder rather than a coherent new order, shaped by diffuse power, weakening institutions, and growing mistrust of Western norms, and how the…
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,…
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…
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…
This episode with Dr Paal Hilde explores how climate change, alliance dynamics, and geopolitical competition are reshaping the Arctic and the High North, and why this region is becoming increasingly significant in global risk calculations. We examine how melting sea ice is altering maritime access and infrastructure stress, while also challenging long-held assumptions about security, commercial opportunity, and…
In this episode, Dominic Bowen and Jonathan Sumption discuss the fragility of democratic institutions, the strain on the rule of law, and how electoral systems — particularly First-past-the-post — shape political incentives, polarisation, and ultimately public trust. They unpack why so many citizens feel increasingly disconnected from their leaders, and what this means for the future…
Since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has systemically targeted Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure–especially its energy systems–as a core part of Russia’s strategy. Since the start of the war, there has been over 2000 air, drone, and artillery attacks on energy infrastructure in Ukraine. Electricity grids, nuclear power plants, transmission lines, gas facilities,…
We continue learning and remembering in this second episode of Lessons Learned 2025 with our host Dominic Bowen and Melanie Meimoun, International Relations Specialist at the podcast.Organizations leveraging risk intelligence as a strategic advantage, decentralized decision-making to better prepare for crises, understanding the special case of gold as a globalized investment, and what it means…
*This episode was recorded in October 2025* This episode with Dr Lev Breydo explores how sovereign debt has evolved into a strategic instrument of power in an era of heightened geopolitical risk. We examine how credit markets, financial infrastructure, and legal design now shape state behaviour, constrain autonomy, and function as tools of coercion below the threshold…
