Global Get Down - A Global Affairs Podcast by IRSA

Global Get Down - A Global Affairs Podcast by IRSA
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  • Updated Biweekly

Welcome to The Global Get Down, the official podcast of the UBC AMS International Relations Student Association! Throughout the academic year, we bring you bi-weekly episodes featuring expert guest speakers, exploring the latest in global politics and international affairs. This podcast is about making political discourse more accessible by offering insightful conversations with professionals who bring real-world experience to the table. Tune in to our special segment, IR Voices, where we dive into how you can leverage your degree and navigate the international relations and political workforce. Stay connected by following us on Facebook, Spotify, and Instagram for updates on new episodes and more!

  1. Mar 28

    Reclaiming Democracy: Digital Political Hubs and Democratization

    Join us for a conversation with Travis Misurell, the founder and leader of the non-profit Future is Now Coalition (FiNC) with a passion for amplifying the voices of everyday Americans and helping to promote grassroots movements and candidates. In this 45-minute interview, Misurell speaks on the outsized influence of party bosses and moneyed interests in American electoral politics, the importance of directly connecting voters to their elected officials with as few intermediaries as possible, and how his organization hopes to assist in the building of that political bridge.

    Reclaiming Democracy: Digital Political Hubs and Democratization

  2. Mar 6

    Negotiating Hope: Inside the World of UN Humanitarian Missions

    Join us with a conversation with Nigel Fischer, an Officer of the Order of Canada, the former President and CEO of UNICEF Canada, and a former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations with experience in post-conflict and post-genocide negotiations in nations like Rwanda, Afghanistan, and Syria. In this 45-minute conversation, Fischer lays out the inner workings of post-conflict UN missions, as well as his personal philosophy on humanitarian assistance and the key episodes in his life that led him to a lifetime of international service.

    Negotiating Hope: Inside the World of UN Humanitarian Missions

  3. Jan 26

    National, International, and Corporate Opportunities to Address Super Pollutants

    Join us for an in-depth conversation with Jason Grillo, founder of the Super Pollutant Education and Credit Transaction Alliance (SPECTRA). In this half-hour conversation, Grillo lays out what super pollutants are, what measures are being taken to curb them, and what both international institutions and concerned consumers can do to help fight pollution, as well as his motivation for founding SPECTRA and hopes for the future of climate finance / action.

    National, International, and Corporate Opportunities to Address Super Pollutants

  4. Jan 10

    Strategic Analysis of Global Geopolitical and Security Dynamics

    Join us for an interview with James Reeves, the founder and managing director of Challenger Research leading a multidisciplinary team in the creation of tailored insights on complex international situations. In this half-hour sit-down, our host Raza picks his brain on the evolving role of minerals, drones, and academic studies thereof in international analyses, as well as the benefits of approaching international crises from a plurality of perspectives and disciplines.

    Strategic Analysis of Global Geopolitical and Security Dynamics

  5. 11/23/2025

    Stablecoin Governance and International Financial Institutions

    Join us for a conversation with Karen Mathiasen and Nico Martinez, a project director and research assistant both working at the Center for Global Development in Washington, D.C. on stablecoins and their use cases for international financial institutions. For the next half hour, our guests break down the definition of a stablecoin, the dangers of their adoption, the extent of existing regulation around them, and how they might be useful in the realm of development finance despite those risks.

    Stablecoin Governance and International Financial Institutions

  6. 11/05/2025

    Two Former IRSA Presidents Discuss IR Pathways, Law School, and AI Governance

    Join us for an in-depth interview with Julian Lam and Nancy Luo, two ex-presidents of UBC's International Relations Student Association who have gone on to lead successful careers in in geopolitical risk-analysis and national economic development. Together with our hosts, Julian and Nancy provide a fresh perspective on the politics of AI governance and risk-negation, as well as some possible pathways for IR students after graduation and the day-to-day occupations of UBC law students.

    Two Former IRSA Presidents Discuss IR Pathways, Law School, and AI Governance

  7. 11/05/2025

    The Future of Global Development and Economic Institutional Reform

    Join us for a conversation with Charley Ward, a research assistant working on IMF reform, sovereign debt, and climate finance at the Center for Global Development. Together with hosts Raza and Guarav, Ward maps out the likely future of international trade and collaboration, and sheds some light on what it takes to work in a think tank and make a career for oneself in international development.

    The Future of Global Development and Economic Institutional Reform

  8. 10/03/2025

    Borders, Books, and Big Questions: A Conversation on International Relations ft. Sachiko Akashi

    In this episode of Global Getdown, host Raza Sidhu sits down with special guest Sachiko Akashi, a longtime educator and scholar whose journey from studying English literature in Japan to researching international relations in the U.S. offers a unique lens on global politics and peacebuilding. Together, they unpack the big question: what exactly is international relations? Listeners get a clear and approachable guide to IR.

    Borders, Books, and Big Questions: A Conversation on International Relations ft. Sachiko Akashi
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About

Welcome to The Global Get Down, the official podcast of the UBC AMS International Relations Student Association! Throughout the academic year, we bring you bi-weekly episodes featuring expert guest speakers, exploring the latest in global politics and international affairs. This podcast is about making political discourse more accessible by offering insightful conversations with professionals who bring real-world experience to the table. Tune in to our special segment, IR Voices, where we dive into how you can leverage your degree and navigate the international relations and political workforce. Stay connected by following us on Facebook, Spotify, and Instagram for updates on new episodes and more!

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