The Looking Glass

The SAIS Review of International Affairs
  • 5.0 (13)
  • Government
  • Biweekly

The Looking Glass is the premier international relations podcast by The SAIS Review of International Affairs with support from The Foreign Policy Institute. Showcasing fresh, policy-relevant perspectives from professional and student experts, The Looking Glass is dedicated to advancing the debate on leading contemporary issues in world affairs. *The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are the speakers' own, and they do not represent the views or opinions of The SAIS Review of International Affairs, its Editorial Board, or its Advisory Board; the SAIS Foreign Policy Institute; SAIS; or The Johns Hopkins University.*

  1. 9h ago

    Anatomy of a Breach: Offensive Cyber, Retaliation, and the FBI

    In September 2026, the cybercriminal syndicate ShinyHunters breached the FBI's online application system, compromising the records of thousands of agents in retaliation. ArkLink CEO and former principal red teamer Fletcher Davis joins The Looking Glass to break down the anatomy of the intrusion. From the reality of adversary tradecraft and supply-chain vulnerabilities to the counterintelligence fallout and debates over military cyber retaliation, Davis examines what happens when transnational cybercrime collides with national security. Hosted & produced by Ayesha Jilani Remember to leave 5-stars and share with a friend!

    Anatomy of a Breach: Offensive Cyber, Retaliation, and the FBI

  2. Oct 18

    Special Edition | The United States at 250: Institutions, Alliances & the Future of World Order

    To mark the launch of our newest print edition, “The United States at 250: Institutions, Alliances, and the Future of World Order,” this special extended companion episode of The Looking Glass brings the pages of the journal directly to your ears.  As the United States approaches its semiquincentennial, we invite the issue’s featured authors to provide reflections on their research, arguments, and strategic policy takeaways. From the historical parallels of international interventions and shifts in grand strategy to global democracy support, state fragility, and the rise of middle powers, hear firsthand from leading practitioners and scholars on the forces remaking world order.  Featured Contributors: U.S. Senator Ben Cardin – The Future of US International EngagementDr. Jacqueline Mazza – The US Operation to Capture Nicolas Maduro: Revisiting Historic ParallelsEamon Burke & Jonathan Quintyne – Big Bets and Diminishing Returns: Institutional Grounding and the Decline of American Grand StrategyAlexandria Virginski – Immigration Law and the Politics of StatecraftLarry Garber & Dr. Edward McMahon – Assessing the Evolution of United States Government Supported Democracy Programming: Past and FutureFriedrich Conradi – Chasing Hares: On the Failure of States in an Age of Transnational CrisisAmbassador Shirin Tahir-Kheli – A Disengaged United States at 250: The Rise of Middle PowersTo read the full articles and support the journal, purchase the print edition through Johns Hopkins University Press: https://www.press.jhu.edu/journals/sais-review-international-affairs Hosted and produced by Ayesha Jilani  Remember to leave 5-stars and share with a friend!

    Special Edition | The United States at 250: Institutions, Alliances & the Future of World Order

  3. Oct 17

    From Space to Statecraft: The UAE’s Global Outlook

    A special mini-episode of The Looking Glass featuring H.E. Omran Sharaf, UAE Assistant Foreign Minister for Advanced Science and Technology and former Chair of UN COPUOS. Following his recent appearance at Johns Hopkins SAIS, Minister Sharaf sits down with Aaryaman Shah for a brief conversation on UAE tech statecraft, middle-power strategy amid US–China tech friction, and the future of international space governance. We extend our sincere gratitude to His Excellency and his team for joining the SAIS Review for this special edition. Produced by: Ayesha Jilani Remember to leave 5-stars and share with a friend!

    From Space to Statecraft: The UAE’s Global Outlook

  4. Sep 7

    The Durand Line and Its Legacies

    The Pakistan–Afghanistan border clashes in October 2025 were the latest eruption of a deeper historical fault line at the Durand Line. The roots trace to decades of mistrust, migration, and geopolitics. This episode hopes to explore how the Durand line continues to fuel tensions and how ordinary people (especially near the border) bear the brunt of the security crackdowns and deportations, and how external involvement, both past and present, has shaped the relationship of the two neighbors and reshaped broader geopolitics in South Asia. To help us understand the legacy of this border is Zahid Hussain. Zahid Hussain is an award-winning journalist and author known for his extensive reporting on Pakistan and Afghanistan. He has served as a correspondent for The Times of London and The Wall Street Journal, and has written for Newsweek, the Associated Press, and The Economist. A former senior editor at Newsline, he is now a regular columnist for Dawn, Pakistan’s largest english newspaper He has been the Pakistan Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C., and a visiting fellow at both Wolfson College, Cambridge, and the Stimson Center. He is the author of three books, including Frontline Pakistan, named The Wall Street Journal’s Book of the Year, and his latest, No Win War. Hosts: Ayesha Jilani and Jiwon Lim Produced by Ayesha Jilani Remember to leave 5-stars and share with a friend!

    The Durand Line and Its Legacies

  5. Apr 15

    Ballots, Ousters, Repeat: Peru’s Political Cycle

    Peru’s 2026 election season is occurring amid a deepening crisis of political legitimacy. Public confidence in Congress has collapsed to some of the lowest levels in the Western Hemisphere, and Peruvians increasingly doubt whether their institutions can deliver stability, security, and responsive governance. Adding to this political unease, Keiko Fujimori, a polarizing figure and leader of the right‑wing Popular Force party, has launched a renewed presidential bid despite multiple corruption investigations and past electoral defeats. This context raises urgent questions about what has changed, or worsened, in Peru’s political trust since the last election cycle, what factors are driving voter decisions this time around, and how issues such as crime and insecurity are reshaping the electoral landscape. To help unpack these dynamics, we are joined by Martin Cassinelli, an assistant director at the Atlantic Council’s Latin America Center, who brings deep regional insight into Peru’s political evolution and democratic challenges. Martin Cassinelli is an assistant director at the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center, where he advances the Center’s work on the region’s economic development and the Andes region. In this role, he advances the center’s work on investment and trade policy in Latin America, as well as leads the center’s work on Peru. During his time at the Atlantic Council, Cassinelli has led the Nearshoring Working Group, co-authored a report on attracting US investment to the Americas, and written several articles on Latin America’s and Peru’s economic challenges. His work has been featured in the Miami Herald, the Diplomat, the China Wire, and La Presse. Prior to joining the Atlantic Council, Cassinelli worked in cluster development projects in Peru. Cassinelli holds a master’s degree in international economics from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Heidelberg. This episode was recording on March 26th, 2026 Remember to leave 5-stars and share with a friend!

    Ballots, Ousters, Repeat: Peru’s Political Cycle

  6. Apr 9

    A Stress Test for Democracy: Latin America’s Elections and U.S. Influence

    2026 is a decisive year for Latin American democracy, as democratic institutions across the region are being tested by public distrust and upcoming elections in Colombia, Peru and Brazil. This year, however, it happens under a very different backdrop: The U.S.’s capture of Venezuela's dictator Nicolas Maduro and Washington’s renewed desire to maintain a regional sphere of influence. These developments raise critical questions about the extent of U.S. influence over Latin America’s democratic trajectories, how US political signals affect electoral legitimacy and what this means for the future of democratic governance in the region. To discuss these issues, joining us today is Michael Shifter - former President of the Inter-American Dialogue and Professor at the Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. Michael Shifter is a political analyst and expert on Latin American affairs. He previously served as President of the Inter-American Dialogue, a leading think tank focused on democracy, governance, and U.S.–Latin America relations. Since 1993, Shifter has been an adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, where he teaches Latin American politics. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Latin American Studies Association and is a contributing editor of Current History. He is currently a board member of InSight Crime and serves on the Advisory Committee of Human Rights Watch/Americas Division. His work explores the intersection of politics, foreign policy, and democratic governance, with particular attention to how domestic institutions, electoral processes, and external influences shape political outcomes across the hemisphere. Shifter’s comparative research analyzes trends in democratic backsliding, institutional consolidation, and the role of U.S. policy in shaping regional political dynamics. Widely published and frequently consulted by policymakers and media outlets, Shifter offers a nuanced perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing democracy in Latin America.  Remember to leave 5-stars and share with a friend!

    A Stress Test for Democracy: Latin America’s Elections and U.S. Influence

  7. Jan 27

    Lessons from the FSO Safer

    Welcome to the SAIS Review’s The Looking Glass Podcast. This episode is part of our collaborative series with the Politics of Disaster class at SAIS. We explore how crises unfold at the intersection of conflict, governance, and environmental risk. My name is Andrea Majert Galera, and I am joined by my co-host Marcel Kolb. Today, we turn to the story of the FSO Safer. FSO Safer is a deteriorating oil tanker off Yemen’s coast that, for years, threatened to unleash one of the world’s largest man-made environmental disasters. The multinational effort to avert this catastrophe became a success story of cooperation amid an active war. It nevertheless raises more profound questions about responsibility, prevention, and the governance of high-risk infrastructure in conflict zones. Joining us today on the podcast is Nicholas Brumfield.  Nicholas Brumfield graduated with an MA in Arab Studies from Georgetown University and has worked since 2018 as a researcher on Middle East politics and security. He has specifically developed an interest in maritime security. His analysis can be seen in publications including Al-Jazeera, the Daily Beast, the Foreign Policy Research Institute, Amwaj Media, and L'Orient L'Jour. We hope you enjoy this episode of the Looking Glass Podcast. Remember to leave 5-stars and share with a friend!

    Lessons from the FSO Safer

  8. Jan 21

    Designing Healing Spaces

    Welcome back everybody to the SAIS Review’s The Looking Glass Podcast. This is a collaborative mini-series between the Looking Glass and the Politics of Disaster course at SAIS. My name is Nicole Ward and I am joined by my co-host Mira Tarabeine. Today’s episode explores how art, design, and public space shape the way societies rebuild after conflict. To frame our discussion, we focus on Burj El Murr, an unfinished skyscraper in Beirut. Originally envisioned as a symbol of modern architectural ambition, it became a site marked by violence and trauma during the Lebanese Civil War. Decades later, the tower has been reimagined as a venue for design installations that confront themes of war, collective memory, and urban resilience. To help us better understand how war-torn spaces can be transformed into platforms for healing and dialogue, we welcome Mr. Tarek Mahmoud. Tarek Mahmoud is a design engineer based in Milan. Growing up between France and Lebanon, Tarek became interested in investigating how designers can intervene in contexts of war.  Our conversation with him today will focus on how design interventions can shape war-torn spaces. Last October, Tarek was one of the curators, along side of an exhibition hosted inside Burj El Murr. We hope you enjoy this episode of The Looking Glass Podcast. Remember to leave 5-stars and share with a friend!

    Designing Healing Spaces
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About

The Looking Glass is the premier international relations podcast by The SAIS Review of International Affairs with support from The Foreign Policy Institute. Showcasing fresh, policy-relevant perspectives from professional and student experts, The Looking Glass is dedicated to advancing the debate on leading contemporary issues in world affairs. *The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are the speakers' own, and they do not represent the views or opinions of The SAIS Review of International Affairs, its Editorial Board, or its Advisory Board; the SAIS Foreign Policy Institute; SAIS; or The Johns Hopkins University.*

Information

  • Creator
    The SAIS Review of International Affairs
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    64
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Looking Glass
  • Show Website
    The Looking Glass

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