On Geopolitics

Professor William Hurst is joined by Peter Trubowtiz, Professor of International Relations and Director of the Phelan US Centre at the London School of Economics. They discuss liberal versus realist approaches to war. They look at how political economy and security considerations interact, and consider how domestic politics have profound impacts upon how states behave internationally.

Professor William Hurst is joined by Caroline Baxter, Director of the Converging Risks Lab at the Council on Strategic Risks and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Education and Training within the United States Office of the Secretary of Defense. They discuss the necessity of focusing on critical vulnerabilities –such as those resulting from climate change, AI, or quantum technologies– as wars continue to be fought through non-traditional means.

Professor William Hurst is joined by Ian Hurd, Professor of Political Science and President of the Faculty Senate at Northwestern University. They discuss how norms, laws and expectations can prevent and impact wars. They analyse how waging wars became less legally permissible in the 20th century, and how the use of new technologies developed in the 21st century have greyed legal constructs around war.

Professor William Hurst is joined by Dr Lauren Sukin, the John G. Winant Associate Professor in US Foreign Policy in the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Oxford. They discuss the prevention of war through deterrence and institutional arrangements, or security architectures, which increasingly face difficulties as global conflicts become more complex.

Professor William Hurst is joined by Jack Snyder, the Robert and Renée Belfer Professor of International Relations at Columbia University, to discuss confrontational diplomacy and its unintended consequences, particularly throughout the world wars. They also discuss how the offensive approach of authoritarian states leads them to struggle in the balance of power game compared to democracies.

Professor William Hurst is joined by Dr Victoria Vdovychenko, Joint Programme Leader at the Centre's Future of Ukraine Programme, to discuss how, whilst fighting for its sovereignty amidst Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine navigates democratic responsiveness to its citizens, innovation to improve its war-fighting technologies, and its international alliances. 

Former British Army officer Lieutenant General Doug Chalmers — who served as Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Military Strategy & Operations) from 2018 to 2021, and is the current Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge — joins Professor William Hurst to discuss the importance of having local and regional political understandings whilst carrying out military campaigns. They also explore how actors in war should understand their own positionalities, and reflect on how their own biases and relationships impact their knowledge and judgements.

Professor William Hurst and Lieutenant General Doug Chalmers, former British Army officer who served as Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Military Strategy & Operations) from 2018 to 2021, and current Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge explore different concepts of war and how different types of actors initiate and prosecute conflict. 

Joined by John Mearsheimer, R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, we explore the strategic dynamics of security competition between states and how they seek to mitigate the distinct threat that war poses to their survival.

John Nilsson-Wright talks to Professor Chungin Moon of Yonsei University about the foreign policy of South Korea’s President Lee Jae-myung, and how Seoul is handling its ties with both Tokyo and Washington. The discussion explores tensions between South Korea and the US over tariffs, growing uncertainty regarding the US commitment to the security of the Korean peninsula, how best to manage relations with North Korea, and the increasingly cooperative partnership with Japan in the midst of a new leadership election for the presidency of Japan’s governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).This podcast is part of a larger Centre for Geopolitics project, Alliances in Alignment, supported by the Korea Foundation, examining the future of trilateral cooperation between the US, South Korea and Japan. 

Our first Explorations series takes a deeper dive into the subject of war. In this introductory episode, we begin by tracing the history of war as a concept, from ancient poetry, tragedy, and philosophy through to contemporary international relations theories. In doing so, we set the stage for some of the arguments and ideas that will be explored in greater depth across episodes to come.

John Nilsson-Wright talks to Steve Herman — until recently Voice of America’s Chief National Correspondent — about the Trump administration’s relationship with private and public media organisations in the United States. They consider the threats to democratic freedoms in the US, the role of public broadcasting domestically and as part of US foreign policy during the Cold War as well as today, and also the question of what individual citizens can do to protect their civil liberties at a critical juncture in American history.

John Nilsson-Wright and Suzanne Raine talk to Nobukatsu Kanehara, former assistant chief cabinet secretary to late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (from 2012-2019) and one of Japan’s leading strategic thinkers. The conversation covers Japan’s diplomatic options in handling security and economic relations with the United States, regional security in the Middle East, the domestic political circumstances faced by the Liberal Democratic Government of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Japan’s regional diplomacy in dealing with China and North Korea, nuclear deterrence, alliance policy, and also relations with the new government of President Lee Jae-myung in the Republic of Korea.This podcast is part of a larger Centre for Geopolitics project, Alliances in Alignment, supported by the Korea Foundation, examining the future of trilateral cooperation between the US, South Korea and Japan.

What just happened? To look back at a momentous month Suzanne Raine and Ali Ansari are joined by Bill Hurst and John Nilsson-Wright. Ali offers his views on Iran, Bill on China, John on Japan and North and South Korea, and Suzanne asks the questions. This will be, for now, the last OnGeopolitics hosted by Suzanne and Ali, as they hand over to John and Bill at the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Geopolitics.

Suzanne Raine and John Nilsson-Wright talk with Professor John Delury, Sinologist, Korea expert and currently a visiting professor in Rome, about the current state of policy under Donald Trump towards the United States' key allies in Northeast Asia, the Republic of Korea and Japan. How resilient and reliable is cooperation between leaders in Washington, Tokyo and Seoul in confronting geopolitical risks in Asia, particularly the challenge of a closer partnership between North Korea, Russia and China.”This podcast is part of a larger Centre for Geopolitics project, Alliances in Alignment, which is supported by the Korea Foundation and examines the future of trilateral cooperation between the US, South Korea and Japan.

Ali and Suzanne are joined by John Nilsson-Wright, who was in Seoul in early December when President Yoon Suk-yeol moved to declare martial law, to discuss the recent tumultuous events in South Korea and the implications for the Korean peninsula and the wider region.

Ali and Suzanne take stock of the dramatic events in Syria and the implications of the collapse of the Assad regime for Iran, looking at themes common across many revolutions and possible areas to watch.

Ali and Suzanne are joined by Professor Bill Hurst to look at the implications of Trump's election win on US policy positions towards China and Iran. How might China navigate what America does next?Why are some in Iran secretly pleased Trump has won? And will the next US President have the expertise on China and Iran he needs?

Ali and Suzanne take stock on the contest between Iran and Israel, especially considering the impact in Iran of recent setbacks. What might be the consequences domestically and in terms of the conflict?

Suzanne Raine is joined by Dr John Nilssen-Wright and Alexandra Leonzini to learn more about the story behind a recent North Korean viral TikTok hit. Alexandra and John explore the role of music in the creation and strengthening of North Korean identity, explaining on the way how the society functions, the change in attitude since the meeting of Kim Jong Un and President Trump, and signs to watch for in the future.

What happens next in Iran? Ali Ansari and Suzanne Raine look at the consequences of the death of President Raisi, and discuss the forthcoming Iranian elections on 28 June.  Who will stand, and how will the process play out?  Who decides and how much does it matter anyway?

Suzanne and Ali look back over the events of April -May 2024, including the first direct military exchange between Israel and Iran, and ask where this leaves us. How are we to judge the failure of the Iranian firing of missiles and projectiles towards Israel? What does this mean for the state of Iran itself, and for its reputation and control of its proxies? Where might Iran go from here?

Suzanne and Ali talk with Ciaran Martin, the former head of the National Cyber Security Centre on the threats – real and imagined – posed by the rapid transformation of our digital world, the role of state and non-state actors, and how we need to rise to the challenge of revolutionary change in telecommunications technology.

Ali and Suzanne are joined by Renad Mansour and Zmkan Ali of Chatham House to discuss their new report on cross-border conflict. Why is Sinjar, stuck between Iraq and Syria, enmired in other ongoing conflicts?  And can anything be done to improve the situation in Sinjar while those conflicts are unresolved? Renad and Zmkan argue that unless the non-state armed groups active in Sinjar are involved in negotiations about the future of Sinjar, then there will be no lasting resolution.

Professor Ali Ansari and Suzanne Raine are joined by Professor Bill Hurst, Director of the Centre for Geopolitics, to ask what we should conclude from the results of the Taiwanese elections on 13 January. Does the election of a President from the Democratic People's Party make tensions with China more likely, or is the lack of a clear winner in the legislature a counter-balance?  And how will these changes impact Taiwan's posture towards China, and China's decision-making regarding Taiwan? 

Suzanne Raine and Ali Ansari start with Baluchistan, and then widen the lens to look at what is driving Iranian aggression in the Middle East. They examine how the threat of force becomes the use of force, and the extent to which apparent co-ordinated Iranian activity might not be quite as simple as it seems.

Professor Phillips O'Brien joins Suzanne and Ali to discuss why enabling Ukraine to win is in the US's strategic interest, and why limited assistance not only protracts the conflict but raises the risk of wider long-term instability in Europe.  

Recent events in Israel and Gaza have highlighted how hard it is to orientate in the absence of clear facts. At these times of crisis, how do political leaders decide what to do? Ali Ansari and Suzanne Raine are joined by the Rt Hon Charles Clarke, who was British Home Secretary at the time of the 7/7 bombings in London, and talks about having to take the decision whether or not to close down the London transport system that day.

Dr Charlie Laderman joins Ali and Suzanne to explore the origins of the dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the current situation, and the real and increasing risk of renewed violence in the Caucasus.About the hosts:Suzanne Raine is an Affiliate Lecturer at the Centre for Geopolitics at Cambridge University. She served for 24 years in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office on foreign policy and national security issues, including postings in Poland, Iraq and Pakistan. She specialised in counter-terrorism and was a senior member of the UK government assessment community. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Imperial War Museum and the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).Ali Ansari is Professor of Iranian History and Founding Director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews in the UK. He is also Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute.

In 2024, approximately four billion people will be involved in national elections, which in turn will shape how states take geopolitical positions and decisions. Suzanne and Ali consider key themes such as misinformation, manipulation and division which are likely to feature heavily in this major global electoral year.About the hosts:Suzanne Raine is an Affiliate Lecturer at the Centre for Geopolitics at Cambridge University. She served for 24 years in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office on foreign policy and national security issues, including postings in Poland, Iraq and Pakistan. She specialised in counter-terrorism and was a senior member of the UK government assessment community. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Imperial War Museum and the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).Ali Ansari is Professor of Iranian History and Founding Director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews in the UK. He is also Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute.

Suzanne and Ali discuss the origins of the term and ask how states navigate between pursuit of their interests and being true to their values and ideals.About the hosts:Suzanne Raine is an Affiliate Lecturer at the Centre for Geopolitics at Cambridge University. She served for 24 years in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office on foreign policy and national security issues, including postings in Poland, Iraq and Pakistan. She specialised in counter-terrorism and was a senior member of the UK government assessment community. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Imperial War Museum and the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).Ali Ansari is Professor of Iranian History and Founding Director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews in the UK. He is also Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute.

Professor Bill Hurst joins Suzanne to explore what — if anything — the expansion of the BRICS signifies for those countries joining and for China, and look at how to interpret indicators about the current state of the Chinese economy.About the hosts:Suzanne Raine is an Affiliate Lecturer at the Centre for Geopolitics at Cambridge University. She served for 24 years in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office on foreign policy and national security issues, including postings in Poland, Iraq and Pakistan. She specialised in counter-terrorism and was a senior member of the UK government assessment community. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Imperial War Museum and the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).Ali Ansari is Professor of Iranian History and Founding Director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews in the UK. He is also Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute.

Suzanne and Ali are joined by Air Marshal (Retd) Ed Stringer to look at what defines heroic leadership, whether it can be taught and whether the idea of the genius leader is fit for today's challenges.About the hosts:Suzanne Raine is an Affiliate Lecturer at the Centre for Geopolitics at Cambridge University. She served for 24 years in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office on foreign policy and national security issues, including postings in Poland, Iraq and Pakistan. She specialised in counter-terrorism and was a senior member of the UK government assessment community. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Imperial War Museum and the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).Ali Ansari is Professor of Iranian History and Founding Director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews in the UK. He is also Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute.

Ali and Suzanne are joined by Professor Mike Hulme, a climate change specialist, and author of Climate Change Isn’t Everything, who argues that the current approach to climate change targets and deadlines oversimplifies a complex problem and makes it less likely that we will meet them.About the hosts:Suzanne Raine is an Affiliate Lecturer at the Centre for Geopolitics at Cambridge University. She served for 24 years in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office on foreign policy and national security issues, including postings in Poland, Iraq and Pakistan. She specialised in counter-terrorism and was a senior member of the UK government assessment community. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Imperial War Museum and the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).Ali Ansari is Professor of Iranian History and Founding Director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews in the UK. He is also Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute.

Ali and Suzanne discuss the idea of ‘authoritarian resilience’, the broader relationship between theory and practice, and how we should avoid becoming prisoners of paradigms.  About the hosts:Suzanne Raine is an Affiliate Lecturer at the Centre for Geopolitics at Cambridge University. She served for 24 years in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office on foreign policy and national security issues, including postings in Poland, Iraq and Pakistan. She specialised in counter-terrorism and was a senior member of the UK government assessment community. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Imperial War Museum and the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).Ali Ansari is Professor of Iranian History and Founding Director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews in the UK. He is also Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute.

Ali and Suzanne are joined by Richard Williams of Bunker Hill Mining Corporation to explore global competition for resource, and look at how and whether the US aim to 'de-risk' global supply will work in practice.About the hosts:Suzanne Raine is an Affiliate Lecturer at the Centre for Geopolitics at Cambridge University. She served for 24 years in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office on foreign policy and national security issues, including postings in Poland, Iraq and Pakistan. She specialised in counter-terrorism and was a senior member of the UK government assessment community. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Imperial War Museum and the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).Ali Ansari is Professor of Iranian History and Founding Director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews in the UK. He is also Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute.

Ali and Suzanne are joined by Centre Affiliate Dr John Nilsson-Wright to consider this trilateral relationship in the run-up to the G7.About the hosts:Suzanne Raine is an Affiliate Lecturer at the Centre for Geopolitics at Cambridge University. She served for 24 years in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office on foreign policy and national security issues, including postings in Poland, Iraq and Pakistan. She specialised in counter-terrorism and was a senior member of the UK government assessment community. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Imperial War Museum and the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).Ali Ansari is Professor of Iranian History and Founding Director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews in the UK. He is also Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute.

Ali and Suzanne are joined by the Centre's Dr Hugo Bromley to consider the historical drivers behind the formation of the UK Union and their relevance today.About the hosts:Suzanne Raine is an Affiliate Lecturer at the Centre for Geopolitics at Cambridge University. She served for 24 years in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office on foreign policy and national security issues, including postings in Poland, Iraq and Pakistan. She specialised in counter-terrorism and was a senior member of the UK government assessment community. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Imperial War Museum and the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).Ali Ansari is Professor of Iranian History and Founding Director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews in the UK. He is also Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute.

Iran-China expert Bill Figueroa joins Ali and Suzanne to look at the dynamics of the new triumvirate of Iran, Saudi Arabia and China.About the hosts:Suzanne Raine is an Affiliate Lecturer at the Centre for Geopolitics at Cambridge University. She served for 24 years in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office on foreign policy and national security issues, including postings in Poland, Iraq and Pakistan. She specialised in counter-terrorism and was a senior member of the UK government assessment community. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Imperial War Museum and the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).Ali Ansari is Professor of Iranian History and Founding Director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews in the UK. He is also Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute.

The second part of Suzanne and Ali's discussion on the difference personal relationships between leaders can make at critical geopolitical moments.About the hosts:Suzanne Raine is an Affiliate Lecturer at the Centre for Geopolitics at Cambridge University. She served for 24 years in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office on foreign policy and national security issues, including postings in Poland, Iraq and Pakistan. She specialised in counter-terrorism and was a senior member of the UK government assessment community. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Imperial War Museum and the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).Ali Ansari is Professor of Iranian History and Founding Director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews in the UK. He is also Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute.

Suzanne and Ali ask how much difference personal relationships between leaders make at critical geopolitical moments.About the hosts:Suzanne Raine is an Affiliate Lecturer at the Centre for Geopolitics at Cambridge University. She served for 24 years in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office on foreign policy and national security issues, including postings in Poland, Iraq and Pakistan. She specialised in counter-terrorism and was a senior member of the UK government assessment community. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Imperial War Museum and the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).Ali Ansari is Professor of Iranian History and Founding Director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews in the UK. He is also Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute.

Professor Brendan Simms gives Ali and Suzanne his impressions of the key themes from this year's Munich Security Conference and what this means for European security and Russia's war in Ukraine.About the hosts:Suzanne Raine is an Affiliate Lecturer at the Centre for Geopolitics at Cambridge University. She served for 24 years in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office on foreign policy and national security issues, including postings in Poland, Iraq and Pakistan. She specialised in counter-terrorism and was a senior member of the UK government assessment community. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Imperial War Museum and the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).Ali Ansari is Professor of Iranian History and Founding Director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews in the UK. He is also Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute.

Does learning lessons from history do more harm than good?About the hosts:Suzanne Raine is an Affiliate Lecturer at the Centre for Geopolitics at Cambridge University. She served for 24 years in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office on foreign policy and national security issues, including postings in Poland, Iraq and Pakistan. She specialised in counter-terrorism and was a senior member of the UK government assessment community. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Imperial War Museum and the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).Ali Ansari is Professor of Iranian History and Founding Director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews in the UK. He is also Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute.

Ali and Suzanne ask whether we are trapped by history — and how we might use it better to approach today's challenges.About the hosts:Suzanne Raine is an Affiliate Lecturer at the Centre for Geopolitics at Cambridge University. She served for 24 years in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office on foreign policy and national security issues, including postings in Poland, Iraq and Pakistan. She specialised in counter-terrorism and was a senior member of the UK government assessment community. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Imperial War Museum and the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).Ali Ansari is Professor of Iranian History and Founding Director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews in the UK. He is also Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute.

Expert on international summits Professor Tristen Naylor joins Ali and Suzanne to ask what summits are for, whether they are worth it, and what makes them successful (or not).About the hosts:Suzanne Raine is an Affiliate Lecturer at the Centre for Geopolitics at Cambridge University. She served for 24 years in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office on foreign policy and national security issues, including postings in Poland, Iraq and Pakistan. She specialised in counter-terrorism and was a senior member of the UK government assessment community. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Imperial War Museum and the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).Ali Ansari is Professor of Iranian History and Founding Director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews in the UK. He is also Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute.

Suzanne and Ali discuss the current protests with Dr Anahita Arian from the Centre for Geopolitics.....Suzanne Raine is an Affiliate Lecturer at the Centre for Geopolitics at Cambridge University. She served for 24 years in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office on foreign policy and national security issues, including postings in Poland, Iraq and Pakistan. She specialised in counter-terrorism and was a senior member of the UK government assessment community. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Imperial War Museum and the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).Ali Ansari is Professor of Iranian History and Founding Director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews in the UK. He is also Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute.

Professor Bill Hurst and Suzanne Raine examine the significance of the recent outbreak of protests in many cities in China, and the CCP's response.........................................The host:Suzanne Raine is an Affiliate Lecturer at the Centre for Geopolitics at Cambridge University. She served for 24 years in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office on foreign policy and national security issues, including postings in Poland, Iraq and Pakistan. She specialised in counter-terrorism and was a senior member of the UK government assessment community. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Imperial War Museum and the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).