The IR thinker

The IR thinker features in-depth interviews with leading experts in international relations, foreign policy, and global affairs.
Produced by @martin_zubko

[The IR thinker @irthinker_]

An excellent talk with Professor Jonathan Fisher, co-editor of African Affairs @AfrAfJournal, about the peer review process, the journal's challenges, and its future vision.
#africanaffairs #africanpolitics #academicpublishing

LINK: https://t.co/Ke0f7JgNBt

[The IR thinker @irthinker_]

A note to listeners and subscribers

The IR thinker is currently in the middle of a substantial infrastructure and design enhancement process. This affects how the podcast is presented across platforms.

[The IR thinker @irthinker_]

A great conversation with the editorial team, Dr Vampa
@DavideVampa and Dr Lopez-Santana @marielylopezs, of Regional & Federal Studies @RegFedSt on territorial politics, peer review, and the future of regionalism research.

LINK: https://t.co/pdzq5aMMOp

[The IR thinker @irthinker_]

Dr Piotr Pietrzak joins us to trace Poland's journey from historical insecurity to strategic confidence. Can Poland sustain great-power aspirations without overreaching?
#Poland #strategicculture #geopolitics

LINK: https://t.co/DaPqlkJ1MM

[The IR thinker @irthinker_]

In this episode, Dr Carl Death examines how African actors negotiate, contest, and reimagine climate governance across local, continental, and global arenas.

#africanagency #climategovernance

LINK: https://t.co/D5NF75cDWL

[The IR thinker @irthinker_]

In this episode, Myriam Dunn Cavelty @CyberMyri and Nicole Jenne @nicjenne discuss the intellectual identity of Contemporary Security Policy @CSP_journal, its peer review process, their editorial work, and future visions.
#securitystudies

LINK: https://t.co/kPBy3LGsiq

[The IR thinker @irthinker_]

In this episode, I speak with Dmitry Gorenburg @russmil, editor of Problems of Post-Communism, a leading peer-reviewed journal on political, economic, security, and international developments in post-communist societies. #problemsofpostcommunism LINK: https://t.co/9qhPuOz1St

[The IR thinker @irthinker_]

Dr Wai Yan Phyo Naing highlights Myanmar as a state where neutralist tradition, decades of military rule, and post-coup fracture combine to shape an exceptionally complex foreign policy landscape.
#Myanmar #Geopolitics

LINK: https://t.co/aAX1z0ruGf

[The IR thinker @irthinker_]

In this episode, I speak with Professor Sergei Prozorov about biopolitics, one of the most provocative frameworks in political theory, and how it reshapes our understanding of power and life across IR, philosophy, and Soviet studies.
#biopolitics
LINK: https://t.co/wC6dYtWo8d

[The IR thinker @irthinker_]

How does a country under heavy sanctions continue to win influence across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia? In this episode, Vladimir Liparteliani unpacks the full machinery of Russian soft power.
#russiansoftpower
LINK: https://t.co/QS20IRhmsV

[The IR thinker @irthinker_]

South Africa has one of the most underrated nuclear energy stories. Dr. Kelvin Kemm — physicist with 25+ years of hands-on SMR experience — explains why it matters.
#NuclearEnergy #SMR #SouthAfrica #AfricanEnergy #EnergyTransition

Link: https://t.co/tvM5MDB2y8

[The IR thinker @irthinker_]

Professor Jack Holland discusses the British Journal of Politics and International Relations (BJPIR) @BritJPIR — its DNA, review process, and future direction.

LINK: https://t.co/bPqgRiiPrS

[The IR thinker @irthinker_]

A heartfelt thank you to historian Philip Snow for lending his expertise on Sino-Russian relations. We traced the arc of history to uncover the principles shaping this complex partnership — and to put many long-standing questions to rest.

LINK: https://t.co/KQUx90pk50

[The IR thinker @irthinker_]

Critical Update: In Memory of Steven Gruzd

Steven Gruzd was abducted and murdered in Johannesburg, South Africa, in what authorities described as an 'express kidnapping'. Steven will always be with us through an episode we recorded together. Rest in peace.

[Martin Zubko @martin_zubko]

@irthinker_ has reached over 1,500 followers on LinkedIn, many thanks to those who follow this project there.

For iPhone users: The IR thinker needs reviews on the Apple Podcasts platform. Would you be so kind as to provide one? Thank you!

https://t.co/rTzldw9FAU

[The IR thinker @irthinker_]

This interview with Professor @Mark_N_Katz explores one of the central debates in contemporary international relations: the transition from unipolarity to a more complex multipolar world.
#multipolarworld #unipolarworld #worldorder

LINK: https://t.co/xjrPSj1JNX

[The IR thinker @irthinker_]

In this interview, political scientist Marc Sanjaume‑Calvet examines the constitutional status of Catalonia, the distribution of powers within the Spanish state, and the evolving debates surrounding Catalan autonomy and identity.
#catalonia
LINK: https://t.co/6rzWKxwO54

[The IR thinker @irthinker_]

In this episode, Professor David M. McCourt unpacks the foundations of New Constructivism: where it came from, what it demands of researchers, and where it's heading. #constructivism #newconstructivism #irtheory

LINK: https://t.co/1XeSraiYg5

[The IR thinker @irthinker_]

Thank you to @ReubenSteff for a fascinating conversation on New Zealand's geopolitical positioning. Highly recommend for anyone thinking about small states navigating a shifting international order.

LINK: https://t.co/O6gWTYM9xD

[The IR thinker @irthinker_]

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. #norms #postcolonialism

LINK: https://t.co/2mAmyKpj5M