For most of the last century, mining felt like a distant industry, something happening underground, in remote corners of Africa, South America or Central Asia, disconnected from daily life in wealthy capitals. That perception was always something of an illusion, but it has become impossible to sustain. The minerals pulled from the ground today determine…
What do lithium batteries, Apple Watches and artillery shells have in common? They all trace back to the same tangled web of mines, minerals and geopolitics. In this episode of the International Risk Podcast, host Dominic Bowen sits down with Lisa Sachs, Director of the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment at Columbia University’s Climate School,…
Vjosa Musliu is an Associate Professor of International Relations at the VUB. Her research interests include international and European interventions, conflicts and international political economy. Her area of focus is primarily the Balkans and post-Soviet space. She is a co-editor of the Routledge Series of Studies in Intervention and Statebuilding and co-founder of Yugoslawomen+ Collective,…
Coordinated and Produced by Elisa Garbil In this episode, Dominic Bowen hosts Vjosa Musliu to analyse the growing wave of protests and dissent across Serbia. Together, they examine the EU’s influence, the controversial lithium extraction agreement, and the role of media bias in shaping public opinion. From political repression to Serbia–Kosovo tensions, they trace how civil rights and democracy are…
Written by Elisa Garbil – 05.11.2025 Belgrade has been burning with frustration. What began as protests over corruption and governance failures has evolved into a broader reckoning with Serbia’s political direction, its democratic health, and its unresolved nationalist legacy. As thousands take to the streets demanding accountability and reform, the country faces a convergence of pressures: eroding…
