ECDPM director San Bilal speaks to Simon O'Connell, CEO of SNV, the Dutch development agency, as the organisation celebrates its 60th anniversary. The discussion explores how development actors can navigate a "race to the bottom" in aid financing and how reframing the narrative around solidarity isn't just old-fashioned idealism but a pragmatic necessity for a stable world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The AU-EU summit: Why the EU and Africa need each other in a fragmented world
In this episode of Europolis: the Global Europe podcast, Sophie Desmidt interviews Gustavo de Carvalho, senior researcher at SAIIA, on whether Europe and Africa can move beyond old donor-recipient dynamics to become the "adults in the room": stabilising forces that champion multilateralism as others step back.The conversation dives into how the partnership is shifting from aid to investment, the test for the EU’s Global Gateway, and why a true partnership means discussing global security, not just African conflicts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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AI in Africa: How are Africans using AI to accelerate development?
Chloe Teevan talks to Melody Musoni to explore how African innovators, researchers, and policymakers are shaping an AI ecosystem that responds to local realities. It highlights a shift from being consumers of technology to producers of homegrown solutions that are already transforming sectors like agriculture, health, and education.The discussion tackles the two sides of the AI debate in Africa: the pessimists, who worry about risks like data bias and the push from Big Tech for profit , and the optimists, who see a chance to tackle long-standing challenges. A central theme is that African countries are determined not to be left behind in the Fourth Industrial Revolution as they were in the past. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The EU needs African resources: Can it circumvent China?
The EU's green and digital ambitions depend on a stable supply of critical raw materials like lithium, cobalt and graphite. With growing concerns over value chain security and dependence on single countries like China, the EU has launched the Critical Raw Materials Act to build more resilient supply chains. But how can Europe build new partnerships, particularly in Africa, to achieve this?In this episode of Europolis, Chloe Teevan is joined by ECDPM's Poorva Karkare, senior policy analyst and expert on industrialisation and regional integration in Africa. They discuss the complexities of the EU's strategy, the role of partner countries in Africa, the much-discussed Lobito Corridor project, and the unavoidable influence of China. Poorva argues that true strategic autonomy for the EU may require innovative partnerships that leverage, rather than exclude, Chinese capabilities in African countries. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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How the India Stack could revolutionise EU tech policy
Chloe Teevan and Gautam Kamath interview Rahul Matthan, one of India's leading technology lawyers, to explore India's innovative approach to tech regulation as a "third way" between the US's hands-off approach and Europe's prescriptive regulation. The episode highlights how this approach can unlock data abundance and address European concerns about sovereignty and competitiveness by influencing soft infrastructure and encouraging innovation within public rails. It also points to the potential for EU-India collaboration in creating interoperable frameworks and aligning objectives for digital ecosystems. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
About Europolis: The Global Europe Podcast by ECDPM
Faced with geopolitical and economic turbulence, Europe needs new and better partners to secure its prosperity. This podcast looks at how new dynamics are reshaping relations between the EU and the wider world and how Europe might navigate this new terrain.Join us as we break down EU policy through insightful conversations with leading policymakers, industry leaders and experts. Discover how the EU could drive innovation, competitiveness, and progress in the global arena, and understand how policymakers are thinking about shaping our sovereign future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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