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• Brexit and EU Hegemony - Patrick Holden | 2025 Episode 18

  In this conversation with Professor Holden we examine how the EU exercised power during Brexit, interrogating the interplay of communication, institutional structures and rhetorical strategy. We discuss surprising findings on structural power, the negotiation styles of Barnier and De Rynck, and the reforms the EU’s external action apparatus may need to preserve influence into 2025.Dr. Patrick Holden is an Associate Professor in International Relations at the University of Plymouth, where he leads the Online Master's programme in International Relations: Security and Development.His research focuses on the European Union's external relations, international political economy, and development policy. Widely published and active in policy debates, he brings both academic depth and practical insight to questions of Europe's global role and the future of international order.Content00:00 – Introduction01:54 – Why link the EU with hegemony? A Neo-Gramscian view04:56 – EU power during Brexit: communication and political actions07:28 – Structural power: how EU institutions shaped Brexit11:43 – Surprising findings on EU structural power13:42 – EU values vs. interests: norms as a tool of influence16:10 – UK rejection of EU principles and vulnerabilities of integration20:04 – Who understood vulnerabilities better: the EU or the UK?21:25 – Researching vulnerabilities as a scholar23:18 – Barnier, De Rynck, and rhetorical strategies in Brexit talks26:56 – Power balance in EU–UK negotiations28:47 – Barnier and De Rynck: communication styles and strategy31:39 – Lessons from Barnier and De Rynck’s negotiation styles33:05 – Why rhetoric matters: qualitative insights on EU hegemony34:49 – Have scholars studied Brexit enough?37:30 – Brexit’s impact on EU relations with non-members43:18 – Should the EU’s External Action Service gain more power?45:15 – Brexit as a test of EU hegemonic resilience49:31 – EU hegemony in the shadow of US hegemony56:20 – What EU hegemony needs in 2025Official Websitehttps://irthinker.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Radicalisation in the Global North - Tahir Abbas | 2025 Episode 17

  From the storming of the US Capitol to riots on the streets of the UK and simmering tensions across Western Europe, the spectre of radicalisation looms large.Professor Tahir Abbas explores the multifaceted nature of modern radicalisation, examining the unique drivers, dynamics, and dilemmas facing Western societies (USA, UK, Western Europe) today as they confront a threat that is constantly evolving online and offline.Professor Tahir Abbashttps://www.tahir-abbas.com/https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ftpxQ0MAAAAJTahir is Professor of Criminology and Global Justice at Aston University in Birmingham, England. Previously, he was Professor of Radicalisation Studies at the Institute of Security and Global Affairs at Leiden University in the Netherlands. Professor Tahir’s research focuses on criminology, sociology, politics, Islamic studies, and critical terrorism studies, specifically exploring various forms of ‘radicalisation’, extremism, and political violence. He has written twenty books and edited volumes. I include all the links in the YouTube description.Since 1996, Professor Abbas has been invited to over 100 cities in nearly 50 different countries to deliver around 130 lectures and talks.The DRIVE project was a European Union H2020 Research and Innovation Actions initiative that investigated the relationship between social exclusion and extremism in north-western Europe. Led by Professor Abbas, Leiden University’s Institute of Security and Global Affairs, the project sought to understand how feelings of disenchantment and marginalisation can affect polarising ideas, values, and beliefs. More details: https://www.tahir-abbas.com/drive-project/Content00:00 – Introduction02:07 – Online platforms, far-right mobilisation, and the January 6 attack (USA)05:30 – Online communication patterns preceding offline violence (USA)08:33 – Framing extremist groups as terrorist organisations: unintended consequences (USA)10:46 – Drawing the line between extremism and terrorism (USA)14:32 – The rise of the incel subculture and gendered vulnerabilities (USA)19:13 – Summary of US radicalisation22:32 – Post-Brexit identity politics and the Prevent strategy (UK)31:11 – Transnational networks and the 2023 riots (UK)34:57 – The Gaza effect, British Muslim identity, and electoral mobilisation (UK)39:31 – Summary of UK radicalisation42:51 – Intergenerational differences within migrant and minority communities (Western Europe)48:44 – Youth, information exposure, and latent radicalisation risks (Western Europe)51:33 – Crises of capitalism, migration debates, and social unrest (Western Europe)54:02 – Summary of Western European radicalisation56:06 – Researching Radicalisation: Challenges and ReflectionsOfficial Website:https://irthinker.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• China-Africa Engagement - Emmanuel Matambo | 2025 Episode 16

  In this conversation, Dr Emmanuel Matambo unpacks how Africa–China relations really work beyond the headlines. We dive into debates on 'debt-trap diplomacy', technology, governance, and the cultural impact of China across Africa.Emmanuel MatamboDr Matambo is the Research Director of the Centre for Africa-China Studies (CACS) at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa. His primary research interest has been in Africa's growing relationship with China. His ideological orientation and theoretical framework has been constructivism, but with a bias towards people-to-people relations between African citizens and their Chinese counterparts. Using constructivism, Matambo's argument has been that this strand of analysing Africa-China relations is, ironically, more realistic that the more dominant analytical tool of realism. While highlighting the importance of multiple and layered ideas, identities and interests as key determinants of Africa-China relations, he eschews the convenient idealism so blithely peddled by the African and Chinese elite, especially those who form part of the incumbent stratum. His conclusions thus exude a guarded approach to analysing Africa-China relations, with a keen eye on the identities, interests and behaviours that take place at the level of increasingly salient people-to-people relations.He holds a PhD in political science from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). In 2018, five months after graduating, UKZN retained him as postdoctoral research fellow. In 2019, Matambo was a fellow of the Africa Program at the Wilson Center in Washington, DC, in the United States of America. In 2020 he was chosen as a fellow of the Atlantic Council's Millennium Leadership Program.In 2026, he will be an Iso Lomso fellow at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS) conducting research titled Zambia's Shifting perceptions of China, the Chinese and Zambia-China Relations: From the State to the Subnational.Content00:00 – Introduction01:55 – Pragmatism vs. “Debt-Trap Diplomacy”: How African Elites and Western Narratives Differ07:29 – Africa’s Image in Chinese Media10:17 – Trade Imbalances, Industrialisation, and Value Addition in Africa–China Relations15:06 – Negotiating with China: Is African Directness an Advantage?18:51 – Technology Transfer, the Energy Crisis, and China’s Role in Africa24:54 – Western vs. Chinese Technology: Does the Source Matter for Africa?29:07 – Non-Interference vs. Conditional Aid: Implications for Governance in Fragile States34:20 – China’s Geopolitical Influence on the African Union36:37 – The Calibre of Chinese Diplomats and Officials in Africa39:14 – Confucius Institutes and Their Impact in Africa43:05 – Is There a South African Equivalent of the Confucius Institute in China?46:16 – Chinese Cultural and Media Outreach: Shaping African Youth Perceptions49:07 – Labour Rights and Chinese Companies in Africa: Current Trends and Improvements51:05 – The African Diaspora, China Research, and New Avenues of Cooperation53:55 – Research Priorities of the Centre for Africa-China Studies, University of JohannesburgOfficial Website:https://irthinker.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Global Maritime Security - Timothy Edmunds | 2025 Episode 15

  Dive into the complex world of maritime piracy and security in this insightful interview with Professor Tim Edmunds, as he explores the evolution and organization of piracy at sea, modern challenges such as grey-zone tactics and the protection of critical undersea infrastructure, and the key issues shaping the global maritime order today.Chapters00:00 - Introduction02:10 - Evolution of Maritime Piracy10:11 - Organization of Pirate Groups13:27 - Structural Conditions Fuelling Piracy20:16 - Size and Scale of Piracy Groups24:08 - Effectiveness of Anti-Piracy Measures31:04 - Defining Assertiveness in Maritime Spaces36:33 - Grey-Zone Tactics at Sea43:50 - Innovating UNCLOS for Maritime Order53:05 - Maritime Chokepoints: Ownership and Control59:25 - Artificial Islands and Maritime Security01:01:43 - Threats to Undersea Infrastructure01:07:02 - Most Challenging Areas in Maritime Security ResearchTimothy EdmundsProfessor Timothy Edmunds is a leading expert in international security, serving as Professor of International Security and Head of the School of Sociology, Politics, and International Studies at the University of Bristol. His research focuses on security policy, capacity building, and security sector reform, with a particular emphasis on the maritime domain. As Co-Director of the SafeSeas Network and through his published work, he shapes global maritime security discourse. Edmunds also advises UK government bodies and contributes to policy development, notably on the 2022 UK National Strategy for Maritime Security. His maritime security research has been funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council, British Academy and EU Horizon 2020 programme. Between 2015-19, he was founding Editor-in-Chief of the European Journal of International Security for Cambridge University Press and the British International Studies Association (BISA). Tim is a BISA Trustee and chair of the Bristol Military Education Committee.Official website:https://irthinker.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Universities as EU Diplomatic Actors - Marina Cino Pagliarello | 2025 Episode 14

  In this interview, Dr. Marina Cino Pagliarello explores how universities and academia shape the European Union’s foreign policy through soft power and informal diplomacy. From Ukraine to Africa, we examine the opportunities and challenges of academic diplomacy in today’s shifting geopolitical landscape.Chapters00:00 – Introduction01:43 – Universities as Informal Diplomatic Actors in EU Foreign Policy07:43 – Academic Diplomacy During the War in Ukraine13:32 – Balancing Academic Autonomy and EU Foreign Policy Goals19:37 – Challenges in Authoritarian or Contested Environments25:00 – EU–Africa University Cooperation Frameworks28:31 – Promoting EU Norms: Human Rights, Sustainability, and More33:04 – EU Funding Mechanisms: Erasmus+, Horizon, MSCA40:50 – Reforming and Strengthening EU Academic Programmes44:54 – Institutional Hierarchies in Academic Diplomacy48:15 – Geopolitical Pressures on Academic Engagement53:36 – Inclusivity vs. Elitism in EU Academic Deployment01:00:12 – Gaps and Underresearched Areas in Academic DiplomacyAbout the GuestDr. Marina Cino Pagliarello is a strategic advisor and consultant specializing in academic diplomacy, university positioning, and international partnerships. With extensive experience in European alliances and high-level institutional engagement, she has built a distinguished career at the intersection of academia and policy.Currently a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research Fellow at the European University Institute and Senior Research Associate at LSE Consulting, Dr. Marina’s work focuses on EU politics, public policy, and transnational higher education. Her expertise contributes to shaping impactful strategies for universities and institutions in an increasingly globalized academic landscape.Official Website:https://irthinker.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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