Hopkins Podcast On Foreign Affairs

For several months now, tens of thousands of Thais have taken to the streets of Thailand to demand constitutional and monarchical reforms. The movement gained steam in September and October, galvanized by student groups organizing pro-democracy protests over social media. What sparked these protests, what are the specifics of their demands, what may be the … Continue reading Thailand on the Brink with Joshua Kurlantzick

The United Kingdom is fraying. After decades of neoliberal economic policy, devolution, the end of empire, and recent events such as Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic, the people of Scotland have questioned their place in the United Kingdom. Support for a second independence referendum is at a record high, and those who favor independence now … Continue reading The Push for Scottish Independence with Sir John Curtice

Welcome to our second episode in our Foreign Policy Toolbox Series — where we unravel the mysteries of the most important institutions, concepts, and policies that decision makers actually use to implement foreign policy. In today’s episode, we are discussing the United Nations Peacekeepers. What do UN peacekeepers actually do, where are they deployed today, … Continue reading FP Toolbox: UN Peacekeepers with Dr. Paul D. Williams

On this episode, we discuss China’s Belt and Road Initiative, the signature foreign policy project of Chinese President Xi Jinping. What are the objectives of the BRI, is debt-trap diplomacy a real threat, and what are the global implications of the initiative? To help us answer these questions, today on the podcast we are joined … Continue reading China’s Belt and Road Initiative with Dr. Daniel Markey

Today we’ll be talking about the #EndSARS movement in Nigeria. In October 2020, protests erupted in Nigeria against the country’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad, mirroring the American Black Lives Matter movements. Though these protests are a new event, civil unrest and issue of government-sanctioned violence have existed in Nigeria since its colonization. To explain the #EndSARS … Continue reading Nigerian SARS Protests with Ambassador John Campbell

In our final episode of our 2020 election series, we discuss public opinion polling on issues of foreign policy. On what issues of foreign policy do Democrats and Republicans agree with each other? What does the American public view as most threatening to America’s national security? How have opinions of trade and alliances changed over … Continue reading 2020 Elections: Foreign Policy Polling with Dina Smeltz

In this episode, we discuss what foreign policy may look like under a Biden Administration, should he win the November 2020 presidential election. What worldview guides Joe Biden’s decision making in foreign policy? What foreign policy priorities might a Biden Administration choose to tackle first? How would a Biden Administration’s foreign policy differ from the … Continue reading 2020 Elections: Biden Foreign Policy with Dr. James Lindsay

In this episode, we are discussing technology and its role in election interference, from 2016 to this new election cycle. Since the 2016 elections, Americans have been warned by their intelligence agencies that international actors, primarily Russia, have engaged in both cyberattacks and influence operations to attempt to sway the presidential elections. The Trump Administration … Continue reading 2020 Elections: Technology and Election Interference with Jon Bateman

You’re listening to the second episode of our 2020 presidential election series. In this series, POFA will cover the progressives’ as well as the Biden and Trump administrations’ approach to foreign policy. We will also examine the role of technology in election interference and the importance of polling Americans on foreign policy issues.  To listen … Continue reading 2020 Elections: Trump Foreign Policy with Dr. James Carafano

Welcome to the first episode of our 2020 presidential election series. To prepare for the upcoming election, POFA will discuss the recent emergence of a progressive approach to foreign policy as well as what foreign policy would look like under either a Biden administration or a second Trump term. Then, we will be examine the … Continue reading 2020 Elections: Progressive Foreign Policy with Ganesh Sitaraman

Today we will discuss the recent events in Mali and what a democratic future looks like for the Malian people. We will talk about the coup this summer, how it compares to the 2012 coup, and the recent transitional deal announced by the military government. Furthermore, we will explore the role of international actors and … Continue reading The Coup in Mali with Ambassador Michelle Gavin

Welcome to the first episode in our brand new series, the Foreign Policy Toolbox! In the FP Toolbox, POFA will be unraveling the mysteries of the most important institutions, concepts, and policies that decision makers actually use to implement foreign policy. What is the National Security Council? How do sanctions work? What is the process for … Continue reading FP Toolbox: The National Security Council with Dr. William Inboden

Since it was first discovered in Wuhan in late 2019, COVID-19 has risen to become a raging pandemic, with over 27 million confirmed cases around the world. Scientists, government leaders, and experts agree that a key strategy to ending the pandemic must be the development of a vaccine, which has prompted laboratories, academic institutions, and … Continue reading Race for the COVID-19 Vaccine with Dr. Chris Beyrer

On August 28, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the longest continuously serving Prime Minister of Japan, announced that he would resign the prime ministership. In order to further explain Prime Minister Abe’s domestic and foreign policy legacy, we are joined today on the podcast by Dr. Sheila Smith.  To listen to this episode, find the … Continue reading Shinzo Abe’s Legacy with Dr. Sheila Smith

For over ten years, Venezuela has been engulfed in a political and economic crisis which has impoverished millions in the oil-rich country and brought authoritarianism to one of Latin America’s oldest democracies. Caught in a global geopolitical competition amidst the COVID-19 pandemic,  and with upcoming elections in December of this year, the stakes for Venezuela’s … Continue reading The Future of Venezuela with Moises Rendon

    In this episode of the Hopkins Podcast on Foreign Affairs, we discuss Anne Applebaum’s new book, Twilight of Democracy. What is democracy, what is authoritarianism, why are some intellectuals drawn to authoritarianism, and how can we protect democracy? To help us answer these questions, today on the podcast we are joined by Anne … Continue reading Twilight of Democracy with Anne Applebaum

  Over the last couple of weeks thousands of people have taken to the streets in Belarus to protest the recent reelection of President Lukishenko. Lukisheko’s government stated that he won with over 80% of the vote, leading many to believe that this election was rigged and the results were fradulant. Today we explore the … Continue reading Belarus on the Brink with Dr. Dalibor Rohac

  In this episode, we discuss the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, the “Quad”, an Indo-Pacific security grouping of the United States, Australia,  Japan, and India. What is the purpose of the Quad? What has the Quad already done? How has China responded to the Quad?   To help us answer these questions, today on the podcast … Continue reading The Quad with Jeff Smith

  From Africa to Asia and Latin America, the US and China are increasingly competing for global influence. With each promoting different visions for global development. In this episode, we discuss the role of US foreign aid in the context of rising Great Power Competition. What does USAID look like on the ground? How does … Continue reading USAID & Great Power Competition with Deputy Administrator Bonnie Glick

This week, tragedy struck Lebanon. Over two thousands tons of ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse in Beirut’s port exploded with earth shattering force — ripping apart the center of Beirut – destroying hospitals, businesses, and the homes of an estimated 300,000 people. Hundreds lost their lives. The scale of destruction and toll on the … Continue reading Tragedy Strikes Lebanon with Dr. Steven Cook