Today Dominic Bowen hosts Broderick McDonald on the podcast to discuss the future of Syria. They dive into the different external actors and their interests, the challenges that the new government of Syria is facing, the fine line of institutional reform and unity, the need for inclusion of the minority groups, what the impact is of sanctions relief, lessons from Syria for global conflict, and much more! Broderick McDonald is a Research Fellow at Kings College London’s XCEPT Research Programm...
In this episode Dominic Bowen speaks with Shayan Talabany, Senior Analyst and Advisor at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, about shifting U.S. strategies in the Middle East and what they mean for governance, security, and economic opportunity across the region. They explore how the U.S. retreat from interventionism is reshaping regional power balances, whether self-reliance can bring stability, and how countries like Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon are navigating enormous economic and poli...
When we think about flashpoints between India and Pakistan, most people picture borders, bombs, or Kashmir. But the most strategic weapon in South Asia today may not be nuclear—it’s water. The Indus Water Treaty has been called one of the world’s most successful peace agreements, surviving wars, nuclear standoffs, and decades of political hostility. But in April this year, India suspended the treaty after a terrorist attack in Kashmir, effectively threatening to choke off the lifeline of Paki...
With the Zapad Military exercises occurring again near the Polish border, Dominic Bowen has Antoine Renaux on the podcast. They analyse the challenges of NATO, Russia's probing operations, NATO's response, and more importantly, NATO's preparedness. Find out more about Article 5 and the potential scenarios, why hybrid warfare and cyber attacks are the future and the geopolitical risks we are facing. Antoine Renaux is an Economic Intelligence & Geopolitics Analyst, his expertise lies ...
The student-led protests in Serbia have been going on for months. Today we have Saša Dobrijević on the podcast to discuss: The government response to the protestsThe current situation in BelgradeWhat the Drivers are behind the ProtestGovernment ManipulationMedia InfluenceInternational InfluenceInternational RelationsAnd much more!Saša Dobrijević is an international journalist and reporter based in Belgrade. He is a seasoned journalist with experience in Munich in Berlin and Luxembourg, across...
In this episode Dominic Bowen and Dr. Ramanan Laxminarayan explore antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a geopolitical flashpoint. Find out more about how drug resistance has already crossed the red line with untreatable infections, why AMR is not a future threat but a present crisis claiming 1.3 million lives annually, and how the erosion of antibiotic effectiveness undermines cancer care, surgery, and modern medicine. The conversation examines the political and economic reasons governments hav...
In this episode Dominic Bowen and Professor Kimberly Clausing examine the return of tariffs to the centre of U.S. economic strategy and the risks this shift creates for the global economy. Find out more about how protectionism and populism are reshaping U.S. trade policy, why tariffs act as a hidden tax on consumers and small businesses, the political dynamics driving short-term wins over long-term stability, the impact on supply chains and export industries such as higher education, tourism,...
In this episode Dominic Bowen and Dr. Jamie Shea unpack NATO at a moment of historic change. Find out more about how fear has re-emerged as a unifying force within the Alliance, the political and economic challenges of reaching unprecedented defence spending levels, industrial bottlenecks and Ukraine’s role as a partner in innovation and supply, the rising threat of hybrid warfare from cyberattacks to sabotage and disinformation, the volatility of United States diplomacy and the implications ...
Today Dominic Bowen hosts David Dunn back on the podcast. They discuss the recent Alaskan Summit and its global implications. Find out more about the symbolic wins for Putin, and which ones they are exactly. The American unpreparedness and what its implications are, what the result is for Ukraine, how the EU decided to respond, transatlantic relations and how they are going to change, and much more! David Dunn is Professor of International Politics and Director of Internationalisation for the...
Dive into the intricacies of the Houthis with Nadwa Al-Dawsari! Nadwa and Dominic discuss the background of the Houthis, where they come from, what their ideology is, what influence they have, economical and geopolitical implications both for Yemen and the world, how they currently govern Norther Yemen, what the international response should be to the Houthis, and much more! Nadwa Al-Dawsari is a researcher, conflict analyst, and policy advisor with 20 years of field experience in Yemen and t...
In this episode Dominic Bowen and Yaroslav Lissovolik dive into the challenges and opportunities of BRICS! Find out more about the economic Asymmetries and power dynamics, consensus and decision-making, future strategies, BRICS' role in global governance, Russia's position, future cooperation, BRICS plus, international risks and opportunities, and more! Yaroslav Lissovolik worked in the International Monetary Fund, in Washington, where he was Advisor to the Executive Director for the Russian ...
Dive into the intricacies of Iranian Nuclear Power with Kenneth Katzman. Find out more about whether Iran has nuclear bombs, what Russia's role is and whether Russia even plays a role, what Iran's strategic motivations could be, the implications and consequences of the US and Israel's military actions, whether there are Iranian opposition groups, and more! Dr. Katzman is a Senior Advisor at the Soufan Group and a Senior Fellow at the Soufan Center, positions he assumed after retiring in late ...
A difficult topic, one that we keep seemingly talking about without our governments doing anything - The ongoing genocide in Gaza. Dominic and Assem Dandashly discuss the paradox of aid and conflict, the reality on the ground in Gaza, the Western (and international) hypocrisy and what the inevitable consequences are of this hypocrisy, the role of Western democracies, the full erosion of International Law and Human Rights, and more... Assem Dandashly is an Associate Professor at the Depa...
A different episode today where Dominic hosts one of his colleagues Elisa Garbil on the Podcast! They dive into Elisa's top 5 International Risks and debate why these are so important. Listen to the episode to find out which risks she finds important, what Dominic finds of them, and what their argumentation is towards why this is an important top 5. They discuss the episodes of: Mauro Lubrano, Rik Peels, Sander van der Linden, Dr. Allysa Czerwinsky, and Aaron Winter. Dominic Bowen...
Dominic Bowen hosts Stefan Wolff back on the podcast to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war. They dive into the current state of the war, how Trump's ultimatum affects diplomatic tensions and whether this will actually change anything. Moreover they discuss Russia's hybrid warfare and the challenges these bring to peace talks. Find out more about Russia's long-term strategic objectives and the internal political stability in Ukraine, and more! Stefan Wolff is Professor of International Security in...
This week on The International Risk Podcast, we’re joined by Dr. Joachim Schüz for a critical conversation on why cancer prevention must be treated as a global systems risk, not simply a medical challenge. Dominic and Joachim explore how exposure to toxins, industrial expansion, regulatory failure, and political inertia are reshaping the global cancer burden, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. They unpack the paradox: over 40 percent of cancers are preventable, yet only 5 perce...
The impact of the patriarchy on health care and climate change is one many of us might be aware of but do not know much about. Today Dominic hosts Petra Verdonk to discuss exactly what these consequences are and how they appear in our daily lives. Find out more about how climate change consequences are unequal, how gender-based violence is one that happens all around us, what solutions are to integrating gender into healthcare and research, and more! Petra Verdonk is an occupational health ps...
This week Dominic hosts Zac Staples and they dive into how AI-native defence systems are reshaping the battlefield—and why getting this wrong isn’t just bad for business, it’s catastrophic for global stability. They discuss the challenges and opportunities AI bringsWhat AI's role could beHow AI can enhance securityPredictive maintenance and it's strategic importanceGlobal securityTempest OSNuclear deterrenceand more!Zac Staples is a former U.S. Navy officer and the founder and CEO of Fa...
This week on the podcast, we’re joined by Dr. Abha Saxena for a timely and incisive look at the geopolitics of global health. Dominic and Abha explore how vaccines, health infrastructure, and disease surveillance data are no longer just instruments of public good, but strategic tools of influence. They discuss the myth of apolitical global health, the geopolitical stakes of pandemic treaties, and how health dependencies can quietly erode national sovereignty. Together, they examine how the CO...
This week on the podcast we have Dr. Allysa Czerwinsky back to dive into the Manosphere and the ideologies that go with it, such as inceldom. Dominic and Allysa discuss the structures and dynamics of online extremist communities, what the differences are between the Red Pill and the Black Pill, and what those implications are. Moreover, they look at the different options for prevention and intervention strategies as well as the upcoming role of AI in accentuating misogynistic extremism. ...