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.
In this episode, Dominic Bowen and Dr. Arian Sharifi discuss the events leading to the fall of Kabul in August 2021 and the rise of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan. Find out more about what the Taliban have implemented in the country, how they managed to secure most of the territory from terrorism,…
Today Dominic Bowen hosts Professor Adam Chalmers on The International Risk Podcast to explore the global race for leadership in artificial intelligence. They discuss the United States’ AI Action Plan and China’s AI Plus Plan, how these competing strategies reveal different models of governance, regulation, and ideology, and what this competition means for innovation, global influence, and risk. Together they examine how the…
Pakistan is once again underwater. In the country’s north—specifically the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa—torrential monsoon rains dropped 150 millimeters in under an hour. That’s six inches of rain, fast enough to overwhelm any drainage system. But here, it didn’t just flood streets—it destroyed entire communities. At least 700 people are dead. Over 100 are missing….
Today Dominic Bowen hosts Doug Livermore on the podcast to discuss the rise of authoritarian alliances. They dive into the growing cooperation between China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, and their proxies, the economic and military dependencies that underpin these relationships, how authoritarian regimes leverage propaganda and “unrestricted warfare,” the role of countries like Venezuela, Sudan, and the…
Coordinated and Produced by Elisa Garbil Today Dominic Bowen hosts Broderick McDonald on the podcast to discuss the future of Syria. They dive into the different external actors and their interests, the challenges that the new government of Syria is facing, the fine line of institutional reform and unity, the need for inclusion of the minority groups, what the impact…
In this episode Dominic Bowen speaks with Shayan Talabany, Senior Analyst and Advisor at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, about shifting U.S. strategies in the Middle East and what they mean for governance, security, and economic opportunity across the region. They explore how the U.S. retreat from interventionism is reshaping regional power balances,…
When we think about flashpoints between India and Pakistan, most people picture borders, bombs, or Kashmir. But the most strategic weapon in South Asia today may not be nuclear—it’s water. The Indus Water Treaty has been called one of the world’s most successful peace agreements, surviving wars, nuclear standoffs, and decades of political hostility. But…
Coordinated and Produced by Elisa Garbil With the Zapad Military exercises occurring again near the Polish border, Dominic Bowen has Antoine Renaux on the podcast. They analyse the challenges of NATO, Russia’s probing operations, NATO’s response, and more importantly, NATO’s preparedness. Find out more about Article 5 and the potential scenarios, why hybrid warfare and cyber attacks are…
Coordinated and Produced by Elisa Garbil The student-led protests in Serbia have been going on for months. Today we have Saša Dobrijević on the podcast to discuss: Saša Dobrijević is an international journalist and reporter based in Belgrade. He is a seasoned journalist with experience in Munich in Berlin and Luxembourg, with a beat across geopolitics, social movements, and…
In this episode Dominic Bowen and Dr. Ramanan Laxminarayan explore antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a geopolitical flashpoint. Find out more about how drug resistance has already crossed the red line with untreatable infections, why AMR is not a future threat but a present crisis claiming 1.3 million lives annually, and how the erosion of antibiotic…
