The last episode of Reflections at 100, marking the centenary of International Affairs, looks at women’s contributions to international thought, and how they have been erased from the discipline of International Relations. Isabel and Krisztina speak to Dr Katharina Rietzler about women’s contributions to the journal and international relations, esp…

This episode of Reflections at 100, marking the centenary of International Affairs, the journal of Chatham House, looks at how empire and decolonization have been discussed in the journal. Isabel and Krisztina speak to Meera Sabaratnam about how thinkers and policy-makers from the 1920s to 1970s understood both empire and then decolonization. Meera…

What drives refugee movements and how should policies manage them? This episode of Reflections at 100, marking the centenary of International Affairs, the journal of Chatham House, looks at refugees and migration. Isabel speaks to Emily Venturi about the movement of refugees, the development of global humanitarian systems and the change in thinking…

In this final episode of our special series, we speak to Ambassador Vadym Prystaiko and Professor Georgiy Kassianov. How can Ukraine rebuild while coexisting with Russia? What is needed to rebuild a stronger country efficiently and effectively? Host: Ned Sedgwick Guests : Ambassador Vadym Prystaiko (Ukrainian diplomat currently serving as Ukraine's…

How have western financial institutions created loopholes for the Russian elite? Are sanctions truly enforceable on oligarchs with a strong foothold in cities like London? What is Putin’s role in all of this? Host: Ned Sedgwick Guests: Thomas Mayne (Chatham House Visiting Fellow, Russia and Eurasia Programme), Oliver Bullough (author of Butler to t…

In this episode we follow up on the food shortage crisis we looked at in the beginning weeks of the war on episode two. What long-term problems can we expect because of the disruption to agriculture in Ukraine? Is there any hope for a solution? Host: Ned Sedgwick Guests :Marianne Schneider-Petsinger (Chatham House Senior Research Fellow, Global Eco…

What can the UN do on the ground to help the people of Ukraine? Does the war bring the EU a greater sense of purpose or does it mask underlying issues? Host: Ned Sedgwick Guests :Saviano Abreu (Head of Communications at The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) Pepijn Bergsen (Research Fellow, Europe Progamme) This episode was pro…

Why are some peace talks more fruitful than others? Why do negotiations break down? What role can mediators play in sensitive discussions? To answer these questions, Mariana is joined by Isabel Bramsen, who discusses her recent article in the International Affairs journal. In it, Isabel draws on her research and first-hand experiences as a neutral …

What has the war revealed about both the Russian and Ukranian military capabilities? Was the Russian military surprisingly unprepared? What impact is the course of the war having on the global military industrial complex. Host: Ned Sedgwick Guests :Andrew Dorman (Chatham House Editor of International Affairs, Professor of International Security at …

How has the war impacted Ukranians' sense of identity? How has Ukrainian language, culture, and politics changed after fall of the Soviet Union. Are Putin’s views on Ukrainian identity shared by others in Russia? Host: Ned Sedgwick Guests: Orysia Lutsevych (Head and Research Fellow, Ukraine Forum, Russia and Eurasia Programme); Professor Georgiy Ka…

This episode of Reflections at 100, marking the centenary of International Affairs, the journal of Chatham House, looks at China’s role in the world over the past century. Isabel Muttreja and Krisztina Csortea speak to Evelyn Goh, who provides a whistle-stop tour of Chinese history. They also discuss how China has been understood in the journal ove…

How has the relationship with the United States and Putin changed from president to president? When did the relationship sour and what, if anything, could have been done to send warning signals to Putin? Host: Ned Sedgwick Guests: Dr Leslie Vinjamuri (Director, US and the Americas Programme Chatham House), Dr Charles Kupchan (Professor of Internati…

How have Brazil and Africa reacted to the war in Ukraine? With impending elections in Brazil, how is President Bolsonaro’s relationship with Putin received by the public? How will food insecurity affect African nations' response to the war? Host: Ned Sedgwick Guests: Oliver Stuenkel (Associate Professor at the Getulio Vargas Foundation), Samuel Ram…

The war in Ukraine and global cost-of-living crisis are exerting pressure on economies across the world. With ongoing COVID-19 lockdowns and food supply chain issues on top of this, China is facing a particularly severe challenge. In this episode Ben speaks with Dr Yu Jie (Asia-Pacific Programme, Chatham House) about the economic 'perfect storm' pr…

How has India and Southeast Asia reacted to the war in Ukraine? Are they aligning with western sanctions or strengthening ties to Russia? What do they have to gain or lose in involving themselves in the war. Host: Ned Sedgwick Guests: Dr. Shruti Kapila (University of Cambridge), Ben Bland (Chatham House Director, Asia-Pacific Programme), Hunter Mar…

What was NATO’s original purpose and what is its role in the war in Ukraine? Will Finland and Sweden join NATO and what significance does this have? What is Russia’s historical relationship with NATO and how did it sour? Host: Ned Sedgwick Clips used: BBC News Guests: Jamie Shea (Former NATO official, Chatham House associate fellow), Dan Sabbagh (T…

Six years after the EU-Turkey Joint Statement, domestic changes in Turkey and international developments such as the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan have ensured the border between Greece and Turkey remains a hotspot for migration flows. Today, Turkey is one of the world’s biggest refugee-receiving countries and hosts four million refugees. In this…

How does Russia use disinformation and who are they targeting? How are social networks shaping the war in Ukraine? What can be done to stop the spread of disinformation? Host: Ned Sedgwick Clips used: BBC News Guests: Emily Taylor, Keir Giles, Damian Collins MP This episode was produced by David Dargahi and Anouk Millet of Earshot Strategies on beh…

Power for refugees is a new two-part podcast on the Undercurrents podcast feed. Over two episodes Ben explores an often-overlooked aspect of humanitarian assistance: access to energy. From Afghanistan to Ukraine to Sudan - the world is grappling with the consequences that emerge when people are forced to flee from their homes. One factor that does …

Power for refugees is a new two-part podcast on the Undercurrents podcast feed. Over two episodes Ben explores an often-overlooked aspect of humanitarian assistance: access to energy. From Afghanistan to Ukraine to Sudan - the world is grappling with the consequences that emerge when people are forced to flee from their homes. One factor that does …

Examining China and its relationship to Russia and Ukraine. What is China’s role in the war in Ukraine? What is the state of the relationship between Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin? Should they serve as mediator or do they have an active interest in a particular outcome? Host: Ned Sedgwick Clips used: South China Morning Post Guests: Professor Rana …

The Contentious politics since the ‘Arab Spring’ project seeks to challenge the current prevalent narrative of a failed 2010/2011 series of revolutions in the Middle East and North Africa. The project does this by interrogating the events in the Arab region since 2010 in a critical light, and by introducing a more nuanced analytical lens to underst…

The Contentious politics since the ‘Arab Spring’ project seeks to challenge the current prevalent narrative of a failed 2010/2011 series of revolutions in the Middle East and North Africa. The project does this by interrogating the events in the Arab region since 2010 in a critical light, and by introducing a more nuanced analytical lens to underst…

The Contentious politics since the ‘Arab Spring’ project seeks to challenge the current prevalent narrative of a failed 2010/2011 series of revolutions in the Middle East and North Africa. The project does this by interrogating the events in the Arab region since 2010 in a critical light, and by introducing a more nuanced analytical lens to underst…

The Contentious politics since the ‘Arab Spring’ project seeks to challenge the current prevalent narrative of a failed 2010/2011 series of revolutions in the Middle East and North Africa. The project does this by interrogating the events in the Arab region since 2010 in a critical light, and by introducing a more nuanced analytical lens to underst…

As the Philippines are set to elect a new president and vice president on May 9, Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr and Sara Duterte appear to be heading for victory at the polls. To better understand how the son of a past dictator and the daughter of the current president are set to win the presidential ticket, Mariana speaks to Philip Bowring about t…

How reliant is the EU on Russian oil? What would an all-out ban on Russian oil look like? Which countries would be most affected? Does this offer an opportunity for renewable energy? Clips used: Bloomberg News Host: Ned Sedgwick Guests: Helene von Bismark, Neil Quilliam, Antony Froggatt Producer: Anouk Millet from Earshot Strategies…

Russia has faced an unprecedented level of sanctions by the West covering the government itself, financial institutions, oligarchs associated with the Kremlin, and much more. But are these sanctions working? Can they really change anything on the ground in Ukraine? Clips used: - DW News - C-Span Credits: Host: Ned Sedgwick Guests: Creon Butler, Chr…

After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we have seen an exponential increase in food prices around the world. In this second episode of our mini-series War in Ukraine, we’re trying to understand how and why a war in one part of the world risks causing famines in distant parts of the globe, and what can happen when people go hungry. Read Chatham House’s…

The war in Ukraine has caused the largest refugee crisis in Europe since WW2. In this first episode of our new War in Ukraine mini-series, we’re looking at what Ukrainians face when crossing the border, whether enough is being done to protect them, and the impact on the real lives behind the numbers. Guest-host Ned Sedgwick speaks to Joung-Ah Ghedi…

To mark the 100th anniversary of International Affairs, the journal of Chatham House, a new series of six archive collections will explore the past, present and future of current affairs issues. Each collection will be accompanied by an episode in this mini-series, where we explore what the research tells us about policy-making today.  This episode…

A year on from the publication of the UK's Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy, Chatham House Director Dr Robin Niblett shares his assessment of how Boris Johnson's government has implemented its vision of Global Britain. Read the Chatham House research paper: Global Britain in a divided world: Testing the ambitio…

Protracted conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa, Horn of Africa and parts of Asia, although usually arising from intra-state disputes, rarely remain contained within national borders. Through the XCEPT project, supported with UK Aid from the UK government, Chatham House explores the informal supply chains and economies that develop across …

What has been going on in UK foreign policy over the last century, and how have leading thinkers approached it? To mark the 100th anniversary of International Affairs, the journal of Chatham House, a new series of six archive collections will explore the past, present and future of current affairs issues. Each collection will be accompanied by an e…

The idea of feminist foreign policy has entered the political mainstream in recent years, but does adoption by governments risk diluting the more radical dimensions of its agenda? To mark International Women's Day, Mariana is joined by Marissa Conway, co-founder of the Centre for Feminist Foreign Policy, to discuss the trajectory of FFP. Then Ben s…

As a site of enormous economic and military potential, space is the latest domain to be drawn into the strategic competition between Earth's great powers. In this episode, Ben is joined by Asia-Pacific Programme Senior Research Fellow Yu Jie, who explains the development of China's space policy, and why we should be worried about US-China relations…

The murder of George Floyd in 2020 and subsequent global escalation of Black Lives Matter movements highlighted the racial inequalities that exist in the United States and beyond. In the United Kingdom and many other former colonial states these movements have come to reflect upon the ongoing legacies of empire in modern society. Today, colonial hi…

This week, Undercurrents is joined by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to explore a new report on the humanitarian crises that require global attention in 2022. A record number of people across the world are in need of humanitarian assistance. 20 countries which are home to 10% of the global population account for 89% of global humanitarian…

On 6 January 2021, a large crowd supporting the defeated President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol. The violence which ensued resulted in the deaths of at least seven people, and caused shockwaves around the world. In this episode Ben is joined by Gabriella Cook-Francis, the Leland Foundation Association of Marshall Scholars Transatlantic Acade…

The twin crises of COVID-19 and climate change have exposed weaknesses in the institutions and diplomatic relationships designed to support global governance. In a new series of articles for Chatham House, author and journalist John Kampfner has been exploring how competition between the United States and China has exacerbated these faultlines. In …

Piccadilly Circus is one of the best-known landmarks in London, but the site has undergone significant change in the past 100 years. How has this affected the lives and livelihoods of local people? For this bonus episode of Undercurrents, the team explore the history of Piccadilly Circus with help from the Chatham House SNF CoLab. The CoLab is a pr…

As the new omicron variant spreads across the globe, and vaccine distribution continues to reveal inequities between the global North and South, Mariana catches up with Rob Yates (Director of the Global Health Programme at Chatham House) to find out where things stand going into 2022. Then, Ben is joined by Leonard Schuette (a PhD candidate from th…

Transatlantic Tech Talks is a three part mini-series on the Undercurrents podcast feed, produced with the support of Microsoft, which explores the state of international cooperation on digital governance between Europe, the UK and USA. As technological innovation accelerates, and new digital tools and business models arise, governments are working …

Transatlantic Tech Talks is a three part mini-series on the Undercurrents podcast feed, produced with the support of Microsoft, which explores the state of international cooperation on digital governance between the United States, the UK and Europe. As technological innovation accelerates, and new digital tools and business models arise, government…

Transatlantic Tech Talks is a three part mini-series on the Undercurrents podcast feed, produced with the support of Microsoft, which explores the state of international cooperation on digital governance between the United States, the UK and Europe. As technological innovation accelerates, and new digital tools and business models arise, government…

Since its publication in 1944, many Americans have described Gunnar Myrdal’s An American Dilemma as a defining text on US race relations. Funded by the Carnegie Corporation, Myrdal's research explored the socio-economic conditions experienced by much of the black population in the United States, and proposed policies which would encourage assimilat…

As the dust settles from COP26, the 2021 UN climate summit, Ben is joined by Anna Aberg to discuss the key outcomes and insights from the conference. They consider the progress made on mitigation, adaptation, climate finance and the so-called 'Paris rulebook', and look ahead to what the agenda could look like in a year's time at COP27. Then Mariana…

In this episode of Smart Peace, we explore the recent history of peacebuilding in Myanmar through the experience of the Smart Peace project. Smart Peace is a global initiative led by Conciliation Resources, which combines the varied expertise of different consortium partners to address the challenges of building peace – focusing on the Central Afri…

Smart Peace is a new podcast mini-series on the Undercurrents podcast feed. Over three episodes Ben Horton explores new approaches to peacebuilding and conflict resolution with experts from the Smart Peace project. Smart Peace is a global initiative led by Conciliation Resources, which combines the varied expertise of different consortium partners …

Smart Peace is a new podcast mini-series on the Undercurrents podcast feed. Over three episodes Ben explores new approaches to peacebuilding and conflict resolution with experts from the Smart Peace project. Smart Peace is a global initiative led by Conciliation Resources, which combines the varied expertise of different consortium partners to addr…