Wikistrat Insider

Tensions are brewing in the Eastern Mediterranean over regional competition, clashing geopolitical ambitions, and contested oil and gas resources. Home to over a trillion dollars worth of annual maritime trade, the Eastern Mediterranean is an essential factor for business leaders and risk-assessors to keep in mind. A flashpoint here would surely have global market repercussions.To break down what is at stake in the Eastern Mediterranean, Wikistrat talked with a leading expert on MENA geopolitical risk and energy, Dr. Cyril Widdershoven. He shared his insights on the risks and opportunities in the region with Wikistrat Podcast Host, Emmet Halm.Cyril Widdershoven is a veteran global energy market expert and founder of Verocy, an Amsterdam based consultancy. Across the MENA region, he has been heavily involved in the oil and gas sectors throughout his career. Over the span of several decades he has lived and worked in Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Sudan, Iraq, and the UAE, and also taken on extended projects for clients in Oman, Iran, Syria, Tunisia, and Turkey. Dr. Widdershoven earned his postgraduate degrees at King’s College, University of London, Department of War Studies, and an M.A. in Middle East Studies at the University of Nijmegen, Netherlands.

In this podcast episode, China expert Dr. Shirley Yu spoke to Wikistrat's Dr. Rebecca Molloy to discuss China and Australia's contentious economic relations. "It's hard for me to think that the China-Australia relationship would go from chill to frozen and stay there. There will be a point of suspension, and then rationalism will take over. Then, economic cooperation and economic partnerships will continue to dominate the economic discourse within the Asia Pacific, and I'm sure that [regarding] China and Australia's relationship, both economies are highly complementary and need each other."Dr. Shirley Yu is currently a fellow at the Ash Center, Harvard Kennedy School. Formerly a China National Television News Anchor, senior executive, and board member, she has been a frequent speaker on China’s political economy, particularly China’s recent Belt and Road Initiative and its geopolitical implications. She has a Ph.D. in political economy from China’s Peking University and a master’s degree in government from Harvard University. She has published three books in Chinese, including On China, Ambassadors, and the Rise of the RMB, and the Fall of the Yen.

Adam Hoffman and Rebecca Molloy from Wikistrat interview Dr. Joas Wagemakers on insights from his latest book, The Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan. In this detailed account of the Muslim Brotherhood's ideological and behavioral development in Jordan, Joas Wagemakers focusses on the group's long history and complex relationship with the state, its parliament, and society.Find out more here

The tensions between South Asia’s superpowers, China and India, have never been higher in recent memory. These economic giants and nuclear states are locked in an escalating competition, which broke into open military conflict along the contested line of actual control of the China-India border. What does this conflict mean for Indian foreign policy? How does this tension impact regional economic and security challenges?To answer these pressing questions, Wikistrat talked with two leading experts in Indian foreign policy – Dr. Bihbu Routray and Dr. Harsh Pant. The two shared their analyses of India’s future actions in relation to China and the future of South Asian security with Wikistrat’s Podcast Host Emmet Halm. The following presentation highlights some of their key insights.

The current unrest in Belarus has the potential to escalate in ways that change the international political and security environment, bringing uncertainty to a wide variety of industries and institutions. The answers to the most pressing question—how will Russia respond to unrest on its borders—will help leaders and decision-makers mitigate risk and plan for the future. In addition, Russia’s future actions in Belarus as well as their current posture offers insights into the Kremlin’s strategic thinking and primary concerns.To answer these pressing questions, Wikistrat talked with two leading experts in Russian foreign policy, Mr. Keir Giles and Dr. Mark Galeotti. The two shared their analysis of Russia’s future actions in Belarus and explained current Russian strategic thinking with Wikistrat’s CEO Oren Kesler.