Commercial Ascendancy in Space: Navigating the Nexus of Innovation and Security

Commercial Ascendancy in Space: Navigating the Nexus of Innovation and Security

ByKaterina Mazzucchelli

The ascent of commercial enterprises in space has redefined the contours of global exploration, propelling technological frontiers while casting intricate challenges to international security. No longer the sole province of state actors, the orbital domain now thrums with private ventures deploying vast satellite networks and envisioning extraterrestrial habitats. This transformation, however, invites a pressing question:…

Episode 241: Is the Growing Role Of Commercial Entities in Space a Security Threat with Almudena Azcárate Ortega

ByKaterina Mazzucchelli

On this week’s episode of The International Risk Podcast, host Dominic Bowen welcomes Almudena Azcárate Ortega for an in-depth discussion on space security. Together, they explored a wide range of critical issues, including the involvement of commercial space actors in military activities and potential armed conflicts, the challenges posed by dual-use and dual-purpose technologies, and…

Dr. William Potter

Dr. William Potter

ByCamila Mateos Betancourt

Dr. William Potter is Sam Nunn and Richard Lugar Professor of Nonproliferation Studies and Founding Director of the Center for Nonproliferation Studies at MIIS.  He is the author, co-author, or editor of over 20 books, the most recent of which is Death Dust: The Rise, Decline, and Future of Radiological Weapons Programs (Stanford University Press,…

Episode 240: Eroding Nuclear Norms and the Future of Non-Proliferation with Dr. William Potter

ByCamila Mateos Betancourt

Produced-and-coordinated-by-Camila-Mateos-Betancourt This week on The International Risk Podcast, Dominic Bowen is joined by Dr. William Potter to explore the escalating risks and eroding norms surrounding nuclear weapons in today’s fractured global order. As traditional arms control mechanisms falter and new technologies complicate deterrence, Dr. Potter outlines the mounting dangers of miscalculation, norm erosion, and geopolitical…

climate change, environmentalism, green washing

Empire of Extraction: The Enduring Environmental Legacy of Colonialism

ByElisa Garbil

Written by Elisa Garbil – 12.06.2025 From Nauru to Nigeria, the scars of imperialism are written into the land, the waters, and the air. Understanding these histories is critical in order to address the environmental crises of today properly. The great empires of the colonial era didn’t just redraw the political map, they permanently altered…

Episode 239: Legacies of Colonialism with Dr. Olivia Mason

ByElisa Garbil

Coordinated and Produced by Elisa Garbil Today Dominic Bowen hosts Dr. Olivia Mason. They dive into the intricacies of post-colonial states, environmental collapse and how the colonial era has influenced this collapse, post-colonial neglect, the re-shaping of colonial control in a post-colonial era through for example international conservation efforts, green colonialism as a form of resource…

Dr. Olivia Mason

Dr. Olivia Mason

ByElisa Garbil

Dr Olivia Mason is a Lecturer in Political Geography at Newcastle University. Her research explores mobility politics and resource colonialism, with a focus on Jordan and the South West Asia and North Africa (SWANA) region. She is particularly interested in how colonial legacies continue to shape environmental governance, nature, and cultural heritage. Olivia is committed to environmental and social justice and has worked extensively with…

The International Risk Podcast

Tracking the Hidden Threat: How Conventional Weapons Are Diverted to Fuel Global Violence

ByCamila Mateos Betancourt

Author: Camila Mateos Betancourt Conventional weapons diversion is one of the most under-recognized yet critical international security threats today. Firearms and ammunition, which begin their lifecycle in legal and regulated markets, too often slip into the illicit sphere, arming criminal networks, destabilizing post-conflict societies, and undermining national and regional security. In Episode 238, we host Nils…

Nils Duquet

Nils Duquet

ByCamila Mateos Betancourt

Nils Duquet is director of the Flemish Peace Institute. He started working at the Flemish Peace Institute as a researcher in 2006 and has authored more than 70 policy-oriented and academic publications on illicit firearms trafficking and gun violence in Europe, domestic gun policies and European arms export controls. He has coordinated several large-scale European…

Episode 238: Tracking the Global Risk of Conventional Weapons Diversion with Nils Duquet

ByCamila Mateos Betancourt

Coordinated-and-produced-by-Camila-Mateos-Betancourt This week on The International Risk Podcast, Dominic Bowen is joined by Nils Duquet to explore the complex threat of conventional weapons diversion. As firearms and ammunition move from legal manufacture to illicit possession, they fuel global violence, empower organized crime, and destabilize post-conflict regions. In this episode, Nils breaks down how weapons are…