The IR thinker

Martin Zubko
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  • SOCIAL SCIENCES

The IR thinker features in-depth interviews with leading experts in international relations, foreign policy, and global affairs. 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. Decolonising Norms in IR - Charlotte Epstein | Ep. 1 (2026)

    1D AGO

    Decolonising Norms in IR - Charlotte Epstein | Ep. 1 (2026)

    In this episode, Professor Charlotte Epstein reflects on how postcolonial perspectives reshape the study of norms in international relations, challenging conventional accounts of diffusion, compliance, and legitimacy. The conversation explores colonial inheritances embedded in contemporary normative orders, while examining positionality, experience, and the epistemological stakes of critical scholarship. Charlotte EpsteinCharlotte Epstein is Professor at Tokyo College, University of Tokyo, where her work examines how language and political power have jointly constituted the modern international order. Publications: The power of words in international relations: Birth of an anti-whaling discourse Who speaks? Discourse, the subject and the study of identity in international politics Constructivism or the eternal return of universals in International Relations. Why returning to language is vital to prolonging the owl’s flight The postcolonial perspective: an introduction Against international relations norms: Postcolonial perspectives Birth of the state: The place of the body in crafting modern politics Content 00:00 – Introduction 01:42 – Colonialism and Postcolonialism: Conceptual Clarifications 04:08 – Rationale for Employing Postcolonial Perspectives 07:22 – Postcoloniality as Positionality Beyond Historical Periodisation 12:29 – Studying Norm Diffusion and Compliance Beyond Coercion 22:50 – Why Norms Reveal Colonial Inheritances More Sharply than Concepts 27:53 – From Norms as Practices to Norms as Epistemological Categories 32:25 – Situated Perspectives, Critical Authority, and the Risk of Relativism 35:42 – The Role of Experience in Postcolonial Norm Research 39:26 – Key Sources on the Concept of Experience 43:02 – ‘Norming’ and ‘Re-Norming’ in a Foucauldian Perspective 47:54 – The Ambivalences of Research Success 50:39 – Principal Challenges in Postcolonial Approaches to Norms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    53 min
  2. Transformative Realism - Marc Saxer | 2025 Episode 31

    12/17/2025

    Transformative Realism - Marc Saxer | 2025 Episode 31

    In this episode, we sit down with political analyst Marc Saxer to explore his theory of Transformative Realism and why he believes we’re living through a profound systemic crisis. From the erosion of international norms to the urgent need for reimagined statecraft, Marc offers a compelling framework for understanding the forces reshaping our world and what political leadership must look like in response. Marc SaxerMarc Saxer is a political analyst, strategist, and writer with two decades of experience in international relations. He heads the Asia Pacific office of the Friedrich-Ebert-Shtiftung and convenes the Asia Strategic Foresight Group. Publications: Transformative Realism: How to overcome the system crisis Geopolitical Conflict in the Wolf World: Great Power Competition and the Illiberal Revolt against the Liberal Order Content 00:00 - Introduction 01:38 - Understanding Transformative Realism 04:50 - Defining Systemic Crisis 07:39 - Marc’s Most Compelling Crisis Case Study 15:08 - The Erosion of International Norms and Rules 18:24 - Recognizing the Signs of Systemic Crisis 20:18 - The Role of Agency in Transformative Realism 28:18 - Reimagining Statecraft and Political Leadership 33:44 - The Crisis in Modern Statecraft Education Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    41 min
  3. India's Diplomacy - Vineet Thakur | 2025 Episode 30

    12/08/2025

    India's Diplomacy - Vineet Thakur | 2025 Episode 30

    In this episode, Vineet Thakur unpacks the historical and intellectual foundations of Indian diplomacy. We discuss classical strategic traditions, civilisational and colonial legacies, caste and elite networks in diplomatic culture, non-alignment and strategic autonomy, neighbourhood diplomacy, and India’s contemporary practice of multi-alignment amid shifting great-power rivalries. Vineet ThakurVineet Thakur is a University Lecturer in International Relations at the Institute for History, Leiden University. He received his doctorate from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, in 2014 and has held academic positions and fellowships across India, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. His professional experience includes teaching appointments at Ambedkar University Delhi, the University of Johannesburg, and the School of Oriental and African Studies, following which he joined Leiden University in 2017. He has been a fellow at the University of Cambridge, the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study, and Rhodes University. His research is situated in postcolonial international relations, with a particular focus on the politics of knowledge, disciplinary hierarchies, and the global intellectual history of International Relations, especially in the Indian context. Publications: V.S. Srinivasa Sastri: A Liberal Life India’s First Diplomat: V.S. Srinivasa Sastri and the Making of Liberal Internationalism Postscripts on Independence: Foreign Policy Discourses in India and South Africa Content 00:00 – Introduction and Framing of India’s Diplomatic Trajectories 02:03 – Mandala Theory and Kautilya’s Arthashastra as Lenses for Contemporary Regional Policy 05:10 – Intellectual and Historical Inspirations Behind India’s Diplomatic Traditions 06:32 – Civilisational State Narratives Versus Colonial Administrative Foundations of Indian Diplomacy 10:53 – Social Stratification and the Influence of Caste Networks on Diplomatic Recruitment and Culture 22:12 – Nehruvian Idealism and Non-Alignment as Strategy: Autonomy, Hedging, and Principled Neutrality 27:55 – Overlooked and Marginalised Practices in India’s Cold War Diplomatic History 30:30 – The Strategic Logic and Practical Outcomes of the “Neighbourhood First” Diplomatic Doctrine 35:18 – Structural Constraints and Policy Stalemate in India–Pakistan Diplomatic Engagement 37:34 – China’s Strategic Shadow and Its Effects on India’s Diplomatic Posture Towards Pakistan 39:08 – India’s Diplomatic Approach to Tibet in Historical and Contemporary Perspective 43:29 – Multi-Alignment as Strategy: Balancing Great Powers in India’s Contemporary Foreign Policy 47:45 – The Absence of a Permanent United Nations Security Council Seat and Its Diplomatic Consequences 51:15 – India–Africa Relations and the Underdeveloped Economic Dimension of South–South Diplomacy 54:21 – Hindu Nationalism and Its Influence on the Ideational Foundations of Indian Diplomacy 58:24 – Neglected Themes and Under-Researched Domains in the Study of Indian Foreign Policy *** at 10:29, there is a missing word ‘overstated’ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 1m
  4. Bulgaria's Energy Security - Martin Vladimirov | 2025 Episode 29

    12/01/2025

    Bulgaria's Energy Security - Martin Vladimirov | 2025 Episode 29

    In this episode, Martin Vladimirov unpacks Bulgaria’s evolving energy landscape in the aftermath of the war in Ukraine. We discuss shifts in the country’s energy mix, offshore wind prospects in the Black Sea, the strategic role of gas pipelines and interconnectors, and the future of key assets such as the Chiren gas storage facility, the Maritsa Iztok lignite complex, and potential new nuclear reactors. Martin VladimirovMartin Vladimirov is Director of the Energy and Climate Program at the Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD), where his work focuses on European and Balkan energy security, energy transition pathways, and the geopolitical dimensions of Russian and Chinese economic influence. He has extensive experience as an energy analyst for The Oil and Gas Year, contributing in-depth reports on Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Saudi Arabia, and has consulted for international oil companies across the GCC and MENA regions. Martin is also an affiliated expert with the European Geopolitical Forum in Brussels and previously worked as an energy and economic analyst for CEE Market Watch, covering Iran and Central Asia. Publications: Managing Assets Under OFAC Sanctions Energy and Climate Security in Europe: From Crisis Response to Structural Transformation The Kremlin Playbook in Mexico: Asymmetric Influence The Imperative to Weaken the Kremlin’s War Economy: What the West Can Do Closing the backdoor: The new TurkStream is here. Can the West stop it? Content 00:00 – Introduction 01:38 – Bulgaria’s Evolving Energy Mix after the War in Ukraine 09:07 – Exploring Bulgaria’s Offshore Wind Potential 12:45 – Strategic Energy Pipelines Crossing Bulgaria 17:16 – Bulgaria’s Relationship with Gazprom and Gas Contracts 24:14 – The Greece–Bulgaria Gas Interconnector (IGB) 27:05 – Alexandroupolis LNG Terminal and Regional Gas Connectivity 28:53 – The Role of Chiren Underground Gas Storage 34:31 – The Future of the Maritsa Iztok Lignite Power Complex 40:50 – Assessing the Feasibility of Two New Nuclear Reactors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    45 min
  5. EU Citizenship - Dimitry Kochenov | 2025 Episode 28

    11/24/2025

    EU Citizenship - Dimitry Kochenov | 2025 Episode 28

    This episode of The IR thinker features a wide-ranging conversation with Professor Dimitry Kochenov on what it really means to “belong” in a world where citizenship is conditional, unequal, and sometimes absent altogether. We unpack the paradox of citizenship as both a legal fiction and a lived necessity, probing whether institutions truly “grant” citizenship, what it means to live as stateless, and whether “real” EU citizenship exists beyond the rhetoric. The discussion traces how EU citizenship can simultaneously empower individuals, through mobility, rights, and protection, while also hollowing out democratic accountability in member states. We examine “market citizenship” and the monetisation of legal status, asking whether citizenship-by-investment schemes that effectively sell access to the EU should be abolished, and close with a critical look at multiple citizenship: is it an emerging path towards global justice or simply an additional layer of privilege for the already mobile? Dimitry KochenovProfessor Dimitry Kochenov is a leading scholar of global citizenship and constitutionalism, with a particular focus on the rule of law, EU federalism, and external relations law. He heads the Rule of Law research group at the Democracy Institute of Central European University in Budapest and teaches Global Citizenship at CEU’s Department of Legal Studies in Vienna. Through his work on statelessness, EU citizenship, and the political economy of “citizenship for sale”, he has become a key voice in contemporary debates on how legal status shapes human dignity, mobility, and the evolving architecture of international order. Publications: EU enlargement and the failure of conditionality: pre-accession conditionality in the fields of democracy and the rule of law Citizenship Citizenship and residence sales: rethinking the boundaries of belonging Ukraine and the EU enlargement: what is the law and which is the way forward? Content 00:00 - Introduction 02:02 - The Paradox: Can Institutions Grant Citizenship? 06:23 - Living Stateless: Can Humans Exist Without Citizenship? 16:56 - Does “Real” EU Citizenship Actually Exist? 36:06 - Democracy’s Double Edge: How EU Citizenship Both Empowers and Undermines 50:26 - Market Citizenship: When Human Worth Becomes Economic Value 56:39 - Citizenship for Sale: Should the EU abolish those schemes? 01:08:06 - One Citizenship or Many? The Multiple Citizenship Debate Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 12m
  6. Contemporary Meaning of Nuclear Weapons - Stephen Herzog | 2025 Episode 27

    11/16/2025

    Contemporary Meaning of Nuclear Weapons - Stephen Herzog | 2025 Episode 27

    This episode of The IR thinker offers a clear and structured tour of contemporary nuclear strategy with Dr Stephen Herzog, moving from the basic categories of nuclear weapons to the political struggles surrounding their control. We unpack the logic of existential and extended deterrence, alliance commitments and escalation management, and examine how arms control agreements and the Non-Proliferation Treaty sustain, yet also entrench, a great power nuclear monopoly. The conversation tackles aspirant nuclear states, debates over “how many is enough”, and the tension between confidence and overconfidence in crisis signalling, before turning to how emerging technologies are reshaping verification, command-and-control, and the broader governance of nuclear weapons. Stephen HerzogDr Stephen Herzog is Professor of the Practice at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey and an Associate of the Project on Managing the Atom at Harvard Kennedy School. A leading specialist in nuclear non-proliferation and arms control, he combines academic expertise with policy experience gained as a technical nuclear arms control official at the U.S. Department of Energy, where he worked directly on the implementation and verification of nuclear agreements. His work bridges theory and practice to illuminate how deterrence, treaty regimes and technological change interact in shaping global nuclear security. Publications: Atomic Backfires: When Nuclear Policies Fail Artificial Intelligence and Nuclear Weapons Proliferation: The Technological Arms Race for (In)visibility ‘What about China?’ and the threat to US–Russian nuclear arms control Atomic responsiveness: How public opinion shapes elite beliefs and preferences on nuclear weapon use Winning Hearts and Minds? How the United States Reassured During the Russo-Ukrainian War The Trilateral Dilemma: Great Power Competition, Global Nuclear Order, and Russia’s War on Ukraine Content 00:00 – Introduction 01:57 – Types and Categories of Nuclear Weapons 08:40 – Tactical Nuclear Weapons: Historical and Contemporary Contexts 10:32 – Understanding the Concept of Existential Deterrence 16:39 – Extended Deterrence and the Logic of Alliance Security 25:54 – The NPT and the Persistence of Great Power Monopoly 31:53 – Treaty Reform or Status Quo? The Politics of Nuclear Governance 33:12 – Aspirant States and the Quest for Nuclear Capability 34:47 – Escalation Control: Between Arms Agreements and Overconfidence 43:15 – The Dilemma of Quantity: Many vs. Few Nuclear Weapons 50:38 – Authority and Legitimacy: Who Decides Nuclear Access? 55:58 – Technological Challenges to Nuclear Security and Control Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 12m
  7. China's Institutional Genes - Chenggang Xu | 2025 Episode 26

    11/10/2025

    China's Institutional Genes - Chenggang Xu | 2025 Episode 26

    This episode of The IR thinker features Professor Chenggang Xu on the conceptual and empirical foundations of his book Institutional Genes: Origins of China’s Institutions and Totalitarianism. The conversation unpacks what he means by “institutions” and “institutional genes”, how this framework helps to open the black box of political change, and why certain systems prove remarkably resilient over time. We explore the notion of “stemness”, the contrasts between imperial China and European monarchies, and how specific “genes” in the Russian system shaped Bolshevism. Professor Xu then traces Mao’s fusion of Marxism with the legacy of Qin Shi Huang, the institutional differences between Soviet and Chinese communism, and whether contemporary China should be understood as totalitarian or authoritarian. The discussion closes by examining tyrannical incentive structures, the risks of Soviet-style stagnation, and how the institutional genes framework can be extended beyond domestic politics to foreign policy and other domains of global governance. Chenggang XuProfessor Chenggang Xu is a Senior Research Scholar at the Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions (SCCEI) and a Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution. A leading scholar of institutional economics, political economy and the Chinese political–economic system, he is widely known for developing the concept of regionally decentralised authoritarianism and, more recently, for his work on institutional genes and the historical roots of Chinese totalitarianism. His research is extensively cited in both academic and policy circles, and he has been awarded the China Economics Prize and the Sun Yefang Economics Prize in recognition of his contribution to the study of institutions, development and authoritarian governance. Publications: The fundamental institutions of China’s reforms and development Incentives, information, and organizational form Industrial clustering, income and inequality in rural China Clustering, growth and inequality in China Content 00:00 - Introduction 01:45 - Why this book? The story behind ‘Institutional Genes’ 06:34 - Defining ‘institution’ in the institutional genes framework 10:45 - Opening the black box: How institutional genes explain political change 16:29 - The concept of ‘stemness’ explained 20:01 - Imperial China vs European monarchies: Why China was more autocratic 28:28 - The three Russian genes that created Bolshevism 33:43 - Mao’s fusion: Marx plus Qin Shi Huang 38:58 - Soviet vs Chinese communism: Key institutional differences 42:23 - Totalitarian or authoritarian? Defining modern China 48:35 - Tyrannical incentive-compatibility: How totalitarian systems motivate 53:01 - Will China face Soviet-style economic stagnation? 58:52 - Applying institutional genes to foreign policy 01:03:16 - Beyond domestic politics: Where else can we apply this framework? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 5m
  8. Does African IR Theory Exist? - Madalitso Zililo Phiri | 2025 Episode 25

    11/05/2025

    Does African IR Theory Exist? - Madalitso Zililo Phiri | 2025 Episode 25

    This episode of The IR thinker features an incisive conversation with Dr Madalitso Zililo Phiri on what it means to think International Relations from Africa rather than merely about Africa. We interrogate whether an African IR theory exists, how concepts such as Ubuntu, communalism and non-statist authority can reframe sovereignty and power, and what this implies for applying African ideas beyond the continent. The discussion probes Africa’s marginalisation in multilateral decision-making, the contemporary mutations of Pan-Africanism, and South Africa’s foreign policy through a realist lens. We also explore how liberal and mainstream constructivist IR traditions have historically excluded African experiences, what a decolonial constructivism might look like in practice, and whether scholars should pursue a distinct “African school” or treat Africa as a generative site for pluralising the discipline as a whole. Madalitso Zililo PhiriDr Madalitso Zililo Phiri is a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the South Africa–United Kingdom Bilateral Research Chair in Political Theory at the University of the Witwatersrand. A former Visiting Fellow at the Centre of African Studies and Research Associate at Wolfson College, University of Cambridge, and a Carnegie Corporation Fellow via the SSRC’s Next Generation of Social Science in Africa programme, his research spans the political economy of racialised welfare in South Africa and Brazil, the sociology of race, and Black political thought. He has taught African Studies, Sociology, Politics and Research Methods at Cambridge, Wits, Pretoria and Rhodes universities, bringing a decolonial and critical theoretical lens to the study of power, knowledge and global order. Publications: The Colour of Inequality in South Africa and Brazil: making sense of social policy as reparations Monuments and Memory in Africa: reflections on coloniality and decoloniality Against Imperial Social Policy: Recasting Mkandawire’s Transformative Ideas for Africa’s Liberation History of Racial Capitalism in Africa: Violence, Ideology, and Practice Content 00:00 – Introduction 02:05 – Does African IR Theory Exist? Epistemologies Beyond the West 06:27 – Ubuntu, Communalism, and Reimagining Sovereignty 10:45 – Applying African Concepts to Non-African Issues 15:01 – Authority Beyond the State: African Approaches to Power 19:48 – Africa’s Exclusion from Multilateral Decision-Making 25:13 – Pan-Africanism in 2025: Dead or Evolving? 29:26 – South Africa’s Power Politics Through a Realist Lens 34:24 – Liberal IR Theory’s Historical Exclusion of Africa 37:46 – Constructivism: Opening or Limiting Space for African Voices? 41:22 – Postcolonialism and Decolonizing IR Theory 47:22 – Which IR Theory Dominates African Scholarship Today? 50:14 – The Risks of Essentializing “African IR Theory” 52:57 – Continental Focus vs. State-Centric Analysis in African IR 56:54 – Distinct African School or Contribution to Global Pluralism? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr
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About

The IR thinker features in-depth interviews with leading experts in international relations, foreign policy, and global affairs. 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
    108
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Martin Zubko
  • Show Website
    The IR thinker