The IR thinker

Martin Zubko
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The IR thinker features in-depth interviews with leading experts in international relations. The IR thinker is an independent, non-partisan and non-aligned platform. It hosts a wide range of perspectives on international relations but does not endorse any political party, government or ideological position. Since its first episode in 2023, The IR thinker has produced more than 100 episodes as a pro bono initiative established by Martin Zubko, an international relations scholar and lecturer. Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 3 days ago

    When AI Fights, the War Never Ends — Myriam Dunn Cavelty

    Artificial intelligence is redrawing the boundaries of cybersecurity — accelerating attacks, complicating attribution, and compressing the time humans have to make decisions that matter.  In this episode, Myriam Dunn Cavelty of ETH Zurich examines AI-driven conflict, the politics behind critical infrastructure protection, the limits of European governance, and what it means when cyber war has no clear start and no clear finish. Myriam Dunn CaveltyMyriam Dunn Cavelty is a Senior Scientist at the Centre for Security Studies at Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich. Her research examines the political and societal implications of digital technologies, with a particular focus on cyber security, cyber warfare, critical infrastructure protection, and technology governance. She also serves as co-editor-in-chief of Contemporary Security Policy. Publications The evolution of cyberconflict studies The politics of cyber security Cyber security politics: Socio-technological transformations and political fragmentation Cybersecurity in Switzerland Cyber-security and threat politics: US efforts to secure the information age Recommended article: Cyber War Will Not Take Place Content 00:00 - Introduction 01:55 - What Actually Counts as Critical Infrastructure in the Age of AI? 07:58 - ENISA: Europe's Cybersecurity Watchdog — Triumphs, Failures, and Missed Opportunities 13:00 - Does the World Need a Global Cybersecurity Regulator? 14:43 - Hacked Nations: Geopolitical Coercion, Hybrid Warfare, and Strategic Signalling 25:48 - Is Cybersecurity a Political Problem Dressed Up as a Technical One? 32:31 - War Without End: Why AI-Driven Conflict Has No Clear Start, No Clear Finish 38:27 - Who Did It? The Dangerous Art of Attribution in Cyber Warfare 43:58 - The Speed Problem: When AI Makes Decisions Faster Than Humans Can Think 48:33 - Arming the Enemy: What Happens When Open-Source AI Falls Into the Wrong Hands? 52:00 - Measuring the Unmeasurable: How Do You Rank a Country's Cyber Power? 58:27 - The Blind Spots of AI Cybersecurity Research Topics Follow & Further Resources Substack: https://theirthinker.substack.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ir-thinker/ X: https://x.com/irthinker_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theirthinker/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theirthinker.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/irthinkerfb Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1hr 3min

  2. 16 Jun

    What Editors Look for in African Affairs Submissions — Jonathan Fisher

    Today, it is a real pleasure to speak with Professor Jonathan Fisher, co-editor of African Affairs — one of the leading journals in the field of African Studies. African Affairs is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the London-based Royal African Society. It was established as the Journal of the African Society in 1901, then it was published as the Journal of the Royal African Society from 1936 until it obtained its current name in 1944. The journal is broadly interdisciplinary, with a primary focus on the politics and international relations of sub-Saharan Africa, though it also draws on sociology, anthropology, economics, history, literature, and the arts where these illuminate debates on contemporary Africa. Co-Editors George M. Bob-Milliar Jonathan Fisher Amanda Lea Robinson Gabrielle Lynch Impact Factor: 2.2 / 5-Year Impact Factor: 2.7 Indexed: Scopus / Web of Science Jonathan Fisher Jonathan Fisher is Professor of Global Security at the University of Birmingham where he also serves as Deputy Director of Research and Knowledge Transfer for the College of Social Sciences. His research centres on the role of ideas and legitimacy within authoritarian systems, with extensive fieldwork across eastern Africa, where his work has examined how guerrilla heritage shapes contemporary governance, conflict, and cooperation, as well as the growing phenomenon of digital authoritarianism. Content 00:00 – Introduction 01:41 – The Journal’s Evolving Mission and Research Identity 08:00 – Balancing Intellectual Coherence with Disciplinary Diversity 11:19 – The Place of Empirical and Theoretical Research in Submissions 13:03 – Emerging Trends in Manuscripts and Desired Research Directions 16:27 – Underexplored Regions and Research Gaps across Africa 18:40 – Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed-Methods Approaches in Publication 24:04 – The Most Frequent Mistakes in Article Submissions 25:49 – Common Pitfalls for Early-Career Researchers 27:26 – Structural and Technical Weaknesses in Academic Articles 29:00 – The Impact of AI on Editorial and Peer-Review Processes 31:30 – Editorial Reforms and the Journal’s Growing Academic Standing 33:46 – The Role and Significance of the Editorial Board 37:14 – Supporting Marginalised and Underrepresented Scholars 40:37 – Contributions from Latin America, Asia, and China 41:57 – Does the Journal Encourage Authors to Suggest Reviewers? 42:43 – Future Vision, Priorities, and Strategic Goals of the Journal Follow & Further Resources Substack: https://theirthinker.substack.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ir-thinker/ X: https://x.com/irthinker_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theirthinker/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theirthinker.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/irthinkerfb Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    45 min

  3. 9 Jun

    What Makes Strong Research in Regional & Federal Studies? — Davide Vampa & Mariely Lopez-Santana

    Today, it is a real pleasure to speak with the editorial team of Regional & Federal Studies, one of the leading journals in the field of territorial politics, regionalism, and federalism.  The journal was established in 1991 as Regional Politics and Policy: An International Journal focusing on regionalism in Western Europe. In 1995, the journal changed its name to Regional and Federal Studies, expanding its focus and scope. Impact Factor: 1.4 / 5-Year Impact Factor: 1.6 Indexed: Scopus / Web of Science First Decision: 40 days Acceptance Rate: 28% Davide Vampa & Mariely Lopez-SantanaDavide Vampa, Lead Editor of the journal and Senior Lecturer in Territorial Politics at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, where he also serves as Co-Director of the Centre on Constitutional Change and Chair of the ECPR Standing Group on Federalism and Regionalism, as well as Mariely Lopez-Santana, Deputy Lead Editor and Associate Professor of Political Science at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, USA. Content 00:00 - Introduction 01:45 - The Journal’s Intellectual Identity 06:01 - How the Journal Adapted to a Changing Field 08:33 - Managing Breadth and Coherence Across Federalism, Regionalism, and Multilevel Governance 10:43 - Crossing Disciplinary Boundaries: Bridging Political Science and Beyond 14:02 - Theory or Empirics? Balancing Conceptual Innovation and Case-Based Research 18:00 - Major Intellectual Trends in Regional and Federal Politics 22:09 - Underexplored Topics 25:32 - Methodological Diversity: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Approaches 27:48 - Methodological Shifts: Dominant Approaches and Emerging Techniques 29:53 - The Data Challenge: Obstacles in Gathering Quantitative Evidence 32:44 - Why Papers Get Rejected: Common Problems in Manuscript Submissions 37:25 - Early Career Scholars: Frequent Mistakes and Professional Advice 44:34 - The Journal’s Position on AI 48:59 - Peer Review Process: Fairness, Transparency, and Editorial Efficiency 53:47 - The Role and Strategic Importance of the Editorial Board 57:03 - Supporting Underrepresented Scholars and Regions 01:03:33 - Should Authors Recommend Reviewers? 01:03:49 - Looking Ahead: Future Priorities Follow & Further Resources Substack: https://theirthinker.substack.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ir-thinker/ X: https://x.com/irthinker_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theirthinker/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theirthinker.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/irthinkerfb Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1hr 8min

  4. 1 Jun

    Poland's New Strategic Culture and Geopolitical Ambitions — Piotr Pietrzak

    As American power recedes and European unity fractures, Poland finds itself at the centre of one of the most consequential geopolitical transformations of our time. Dr Piotr Pietrzak joins us to trace Poland's journey from historical insecurity to strategic confidence. Can Poland sustain great-power aspirations without overreaching?  Piotr PietrzakPiotr Pietrzak is co-founder of In Statu Nascendi Think Tank, a non-partisan and independent institution bringing together scholars from a wide range of disciplines. It is devoted to rigorous inquiry into contemporary conflict and political philosophy, and to generating actionable ideas on geoeconomic, political, and socio-economic matters. A scholar, ontologist, and author, Dr Pietrzak is particularly known for bringing a rigorous pragmatic perspective to international relations theory, conflict management, and geopolitics. His work consistently bridges theoretical inquiry and real-world application, making it relevant to both academic and policy audiences. Publications: On the Idea of Humanitarian Intervention: A New Compartmentalization of IR Theories Exploring the implications of local and regional conflicts The Changing Conceptual Landscape of the Russian War in Ukraine (2014-Present) and Syria (2011-Present) The Russia ‒ Ukraine War and the Renaissance of IR Realism Geopolitical rivalries and strategic competition across Eurasia Strengthening international relations through transformative theory and practice The Sikorski–Tusk doctrine underpinning Poland's new strategic culture and its response to the Russia–Ukraine War Content 00:00 - Introduction 01:20 - Reimagining International Relations: An Ontology “In Statu Nascendi” 04:09 - The Giedroyc-Mieroszewski Doctrine 07:17 - The Brzezinski Doctrine 11:02 - The Sikorski–Tusk Doctrine 18:13 - Regional Power or Strategic Frontline State? Poland’s Post-2022 Autonomy 24:43 - Between Brussels and Washington: Balancing Pro-European and Pro-American Orientations 29:35 - Ukraine as a Strategic Beneficiary of the War 32:18 - Beyond Solidarity: The Future of Polish-Ukrainian Relations 36:32 - China and the New Geometry of Polish Geopolitics 40:28 - What Would G7 Membership Mean for Poland? 46:04 - Democratic Values, Diaspora Networks, and Poland’s Emerging Leadership Role 50:24 - From Historical Insecurity to Strategic Confidence: The Evolution of Polish Strategic Culture 54:01 - Ambition versus Overstretch: Can Poland Sustain Great-Power Aspirations (American power declines, European unity weakens, and Ukraine remains unstable) 01:00:10 - Poland and Russia: Is Stable Coexistence Possible? 01:02:57 - The Most Underresearched Questions in Polish Geopolitics Follow & Further Resources Substack: https://theirthinker.substack.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ir-thinker/ X: https://x.com/irthinker_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theirthinker/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theirthinker.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/irthinkerfb Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1hr 7min

  5. 25 May

    Africa's Agency in Global Climate Governance — Carl Death

    This episode explores African agency in global climate governance, moving beyond narratives that portray African states solely as vulnerable recipients of climate policy.  Drawing on debates in International Relations, environmental politics, and African climate futures, Dr Carl Death examines how African actors negotiate, contest, and reimagine climate governance across local, continental, and global arenas.  Carl DeathCarl Death is a Senior Lecturer in International Political Economy at the University of Manchester. His research focuses on environmental politics in Africa, with a particular interest in critical and postcolonial approaches.  Publications: The Green Economy in South Africa: Global Discourses and Local Politics Four Discourses of the Green Economy in the Global South Green States in Africa: Beyond the Usual Suspects Africanfuturist Socio‐Climatic Imaginaries and Nnedi Okorafor’s Wild Necropolitics Climate Fiction, Climate Theory: Decolonising Imaginations of Global Futures Unfamiliar Families and Disturbing Climate Futures Narrating Transitions to Low Carbon Futures: The Role of Long-Term Strategies in Fossil Fuel Producing Emerging Economies African Climate Futures Content 00:00 – Introduction 02:30 – African agency in global climate governance: realities versus stereotypes 10:21 – Writing climate transition differently: fiction as method 13:32 – Universal models and African political economies 18:04 – Pan-Africanism and coordination in climate governance 23:25 – Key actors in Africa’s climate and energy transition 27:19 – Climate fiction and African agency: insights from fifteen authors 32:49 – Selection and context of African climate fiction 38:37 – Postcolonial, feminist, and queer perspectives on African climate futures 43:47 – Ecopolitical imaginaries explained 48:01 – Beyond limited case studies in African climate scholarship 54:51 – Challenges in writing the book 58:51 – Local politics and environmental governance 01:02:25 – Civil society and grassroots climate action 01:08:59 – Under-researched areas in African climate politics Follow & Further Resources Substack: https://theirthinker.substack.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ir-thinker/ X: https://x.com/irthinker_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theirthinker/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theirthinker.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/irthinkerfb Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1hr 12min

  6. 19 May

    Publishing in Contemporary Security Policy — Myriam Dunn Cavelty & Nicole Jenne

    Today, it is a real pleasure to speak with the editorial team of Contemporary Security Policy, one of the most influential journals in the field of international security studies. Previously, known as Arms Control (1980 - 1993). Since its founding in 1980, the journal has played a central role in shaping discussions on armed conflict, intervention, strategic change, and global security governance. Impact Factor: 5.0 / 5-Year Impact Factor: 4.6 Indexed: Scopus / Web of Science First Decision: 5 days Acceptance Rate: 11% Major fields of concern include: - War and armed conflict - Peacekeeping - Conflict resolution - Arms control and disarmament - Defense policy - Strategic culture - International institutions The journal is currently led by three co-editors: - Myriam Dunn Cavelty - Nicole Jenne - Yf Rejkers Two of them are with us today: Professor Myriam Dunn Cavelty is a leading scholar of cyber security, risk politics, and the governance of emerging technologies, based at ETH Zürich. Associate Professor Nicole Jenne is an expert on Latin American security, civil–military relations, and regional responses to transnational threats at Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, also a visiting scholar at David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, Harvard University. Content 00:00 — Introduction 01:52 — The Journal’s Mission: Change and Continuity 04:24 — The Intellectual DNA of CSP 06:22 — Managing Breadth: Coherence Across Security Studies 09:49 — Evaluating Innovative and Experimental Submissions 11:56 — What Counts as ‘Policy’ in Contemporary Security Policy? 14:23 — Borderline Cases: When Policy Relevance Is Unclear 19:54 — Methodological Pluralism and Editorial Tensions 22:46 — Qualitative or Quantitative? CSP’s Methodological Orientation 25:02 — Major Intellectual Trends in Recent Submissions 26:41 — Desired Growth Areas: Topics the Journal Wants More Of 28:20 — Attracting Strong Manuscripts: Editorial Strategies and Outreach 33:03 — The Role of AI in Academic Submissions 42:49 — The Most Common Mistakes in Manuscript Submission 44:10 — Fairness, Bias, and Delay: The Realities of Peer Review 47:49 — Should Authors Recommend Potential Reviewers? 49:41 — Supporting Junior Scholars and Academics Facing Structural Disadvantage 53:24 — The Bernard Brodie Prize 56:54 — Publication Strategy: Controlling Volume and Maintaining Quality 58:47 — What an Editorial Board Actually Does 01:02:11 — Editorial Priorities and a Final Message to Scholars Follow & Further Resources Substack: https://theirthinker.substack.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ir-thinker/ X: https://x.com/irthinker_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theirthinker/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theirthinker.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/irthinkerfb Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1hr 6min

  7. 12 May

    Publishing in Problems of Post-Communism: An Editor's Perspective — Dmitry Gorenburg

    Problems of Post-Communism is a long-standing peer-reviewed academic journal that examines political, economic, security, and international developments in post-communist societies. First established in 1952 under the title Problems of Communism, the journal was originally published by the United States Information Agency and adopted its current name in 1992 to reflect the profound transformations following the end of the Cold War. Journal's homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/mppc20 Editorial Board: https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/mppc20/about-this-journal#editorial-board Impact Factor: 2.0 / 5-Year Impact Factor: 2.2 Indexed: Scopus / Web of Science First Decision: 112 days Acceptance Rate: 28% The current editor-in-chief is Dmitry P. Gorenburg, a political scientist and senior researcher at CNA, who oversees the journal’s editorial direction and its engagement with contemporary debates on the politics and international relations of post-communist countries. Dr. Gorenburg is also a Harvard Davis Center associate and previously served as executive director of the American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies (now the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies, or ASEEES). His scholarship focuses on Russian military reform, Russian foreign policy, and security dynamics in the former Soviet Union, as well as questions of ethnic politics and identity in Russia. BLOG: Russian Military Reform Content 00:00 – Introduction 01:53 – Evolution of the Journal’s Mission After the Collapse of Communism 05:20 – The Intellectual “DNA” of Problems of Post-Communism 06:43 – Maintaining Intellectual Coherence Across a Broad Research Scope 09:19 – The Role of International Relations in the Journal’s Scope: Thematic vs Territorial Focus 10:26 – Disciplinary Balance: Comparative Politics, International Relations, and Area Studies 11:07 – Major Intellectual Trends in Post-Communist Studies Over the Past Decade 14:22 – Democratic Backsliding, Illiberalism, and the Impact of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine on Research Agendas 18:21 – Russian Scholars in Exile and Scholars Working Inside Russia 21:05 – Underexplored Topics in Post-Communist Studies 22:22 – Annual Publication Volume and the Pressure to Publish More 26:31 – Preferred Research Methods and Methodological Approaches 29:30 – The Most Common Mistakes in Manuscript Submissions 40:51 – Ensuring Fairness and Efficiency in the Peer Review Process 43:32 – Editorial Innovations that Improved Journal Quality and Consistency 44:45 – The Role and Selection of the Editorial Board 46:19 – Publishing Challenges for Scholars from Central Asia and the Post-Soviet Region 52:30 – Growing Global Interest in Post-Communist Studies 53:13 – Should Authors Suggest Potential Reviewers? 55:14 – What Makes a Successful Article in Problems of Post-Communism 59:25 – The Future Vision for the Journal Follow & Further Resources Substack: https://theirthinker.substack.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ir-thinker/ X: https://x.com/irthinker_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theirthinker/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theirthinker.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/irthinkerfb Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1hr 4min

  8. 5 May

    Inside Myanmar’s Fragile Geopolitical Position — Wai Yan Phyo Naing

    Myanmar occupies a unique position in contemporary international affairs, where the legacies of post-independence neutralism, decades of military rule, and a fractured post-coup order converge to produce one of the most complex foreign policy environments in the Indo-Pacific. Dr Naing is a visiting scholar at the Institute of Modern History, Academia Sinica, under the Taiwan Fellowship Program. At the moment, he is focusing on modern Myanmar’s domestic politics, democratisation, and international relations, with particular attention to Myanmar–Russia and Myanmar–China relations and their implications for regional security, political development, and social change. In this role, he conducts independent and collaborative research drawing on archival materials, historical documents, and qualitative sources. His current project, “Insights from Taiwan’s Democratisation: Implications for Upcoming Reform Processes in Myanmar,” examines how Taiwan’s experience of democratisation can inform prospective political reforms in Myanmar. Publications: Northern Myanmar Poses a Challenge to China’s Critical Minerals Strategy The Dilemma of Sino-Myanmar Relations: The Case of Myitsone Hydropower Dam Project Content 00:00 – Introduction 02:19 – Neutralism, Military Isolation, and the Origins of Myanmar’s Strategic Hedging 09:16 – Structural Drivers of the Contemporary Myanmar Political Crisis 16:53 – The Influence of China and India on Myanmar’s Foreign Policy Orientation 26:00 – The National Unity Government and the Fragmentation of Political Authority 33:12 – Border Governance, Insurgency, and Security Dynamics in Myanmar’s Frontier Regions 48:43 – Russia’s Role in Myanmar’s Strategic and Military Relations 01:00:35 – ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus and the Limits of the Non-Interference Principle Follow & Further Resources Substack: https://theirthinker.substack.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ir-thinker/ X: https://x.com/irthinker_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theirthinker/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theirthinker.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/irthinkerfb Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1hr 5min
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About

The IR thinker features in-depth interviews with leading experts in international relations. The IR thinker is an independent, non-partisan and non-aligned platform. It hosts a wide range of perspectives on international relations but does not endorse any political party, government or ideological position. Since its first episode in 2023, The IR thinker has produced more than 100 episodes as a pro bono initiative established by Martin Zubko, an international relations scholar and lecturer. Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Martin Zubko
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    125
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Martin Zubko
  • Show Website
    The IR thinker