IR thinker

In this insightful interview with Dr. Gilbert A. Ang’ana, we explore the multifaceted challenges and opportunities surrounding governance in Africa, touching on everything from institutional weaknesses to the impact of digitalisation. Ang’ana’s expertise sheds light on crucial topics such as intra-governmental collaboration, decentralisation, and the evolving role of technology in shaping the continent’s future.Dr. Gilbert A. Ang’ana is a researcher and practitioner in leadership and governance, focusing on Africa. He is the CEO of Accent Leadership Group and the Executive Director of Accent Global Initiative, a think tank that advocates for good governance and policy innovation. He is a Policy Leader Fellow at the European University Institute in Florence.Content: (1) Defining “Good Governance” in the African Context; (2) Reception of Good Governance Models Across African States; (3) Intra-Government Collaboration: An Overlooked Pillar of Governance; (4) Case Studies: Successes and Failures in Intra-Governmental Collaboration; (5) Institutional and Political Barriers to Effective Collaboration; (6) Roots of Institutional Weakness and the Role of the African Union; (7) Centralisation vs. Decentralisation of Power in Africa; (8) Challenges in Decentralising Key Governance Elements; (9) Intra-Governmental Collaboration as Mediator or Moderator of Governance Outcomes?; (10) Governance Education and Capacity-Building Initiatives in Africa; (11) “Responsible Negotiation” vs. Traditional Conflict Resolution Methods; (12) Role of Tribes and Minorities in Shaping Good Governance; (13) Navigating Donor Influence and Corporate Pressure: Striving for Epistemic Autonomy; (14) Digitalisation’s Role in Advancing Governance in Africa; (15) Competing Interests: International vs. Local Tech Enterprises; (16) The Power Challenge: Electricity Access as a Prerequisite for Digital Progress; and (17) Key Governance Reforms Needed for Africa’s Future.Official website:https://irthinker.com/

Is nuclear power the future of Kazakhstan’s energy strategy? In this expert interview, Eldaniz Gusseinov explores public opinion, uranium production, civil society’s role, and the geopolitical stakes of potential contracts with Russia, China, France, and South Korea.Eldaniz Gusseinov is a Non-Resident Research Fellow at the Heydar Aliyev Centre for Eurasian Studies at Ibn Khaldun University (Istanbul), and co-founder of Nightingale Intelligence International, a political forecasting consultancy. He specialises in European and international studies, with a focus on the European Union’s foreign policy and its engagement with Central Asian countries, as well as the analysis of foreign policy processes within Central Asia.Content: (1) Is Nuclear Power Essential for Kazakhstan?; (2) Public Opinion on Renewable versus Traditional Energy in Kazakhstan; (3) Who Makes the Decisions on Nuclear Power Plants in Kazakhstan?; (4) The History of Kazakhstan’s Nuclear Power Plans: Why Wasn’t a Soviet Plant Built?; (5) The Current State of Kazakhstan’s Former Nuclear Test Sites; (6) The Role of Civil Society in Nuclear Power Decision-Making; (7) Will Kazakhstan Engage a Third-Party Consultant for Its Nuclear Plans?; (8) Kazakhstan’s Uranium Production and Its Role in Nuclear Strategy; (9) Implications if Russia Wins the Nuclear Power Contract; (10) Implications if China Wins the Nuclear Power Contract; (11) Implications if France Wins the Nuclear Power Contract; (12) Implications if South Korea Wins the Nuclear Power Contract; (13) Could a Multinational Consortium Build Kazakhstan’s Nuclear Plant?; (14) Timeline for Kazakhstan’s Final Decision on the Nuclear Plant; (15) Security Concerns Related to Kazakhstan’s Nuclear Power Project; (16) Public Perceptions of the Nuclear Power Development Process; and (17) Overlooked Dimensions of Kazakhstan’s Energy Security.Official Website:https://irthinker.com/

In this insightful interview, Steven Gruzd, a leading expert on Russia-Africa relations, explores the multifaceted dimensions of Russia’s foreign policy towards Africa, from its Soviet legacy to contemporary geopolitical strategies. Delving into topics such as security, trade, energy partnerships, and soft power, this discussion offers a comprehensive analysis of Russia’s evolving role on the African continent.Steven Gruzd is the Head of the African Governance and Diplomacy Programme and the Africa-Russia Project at the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA). Gruzd has authored influential analyses on Africa–Russia summits, BRICS cooperation, and the re-emergence of Russian influence in African foreign policy arenas. In addition to his policy work, Steven is also a contributing journalist to the South African Jewish Report, where he writes on international affairs, governance, and Jewish community issues, bringing a journalistic lens to complex geopolitical developments.Content: (1) The Soviet Legacy: Shaping Russia’s Modern Foreign Policy Towards Africa; (2) Post-Soviet Space and Africa: How Africa Views Former Soviet Republics; (3) Russia’s Security Presence in Africa: The Role of the Wagner Group; (4) Arms Deals and Military Influence: Russia’s Weapon Sales to Africa; (5) Russia vs. China: Economic Influence in Africa; (6) Why is Russia’s Trade in Africa Still Lagging Behind?; (7) Russian Energy Companies in Africa: Opportunities and Challenges; (8) Do African Countries Seek Energy Partnerships with Russia?; (9) The Russia-Africa Summit: A Diplomatic Platform for Russia’s Interests; (10) Russia-Africa Summit vs. BRICS: Diverging Approaches to Russian Interests in Africa; (11) Russia’s Soft Power in Africa: Academic and Cultural Initiatives; (12) Peacekeeping and Counterterrorism: Russia’s Role in African Stability; (13) Russian Foreign Aid to Africa: Aid or Influence?; (14) Russian Media’s Influence in Africa: Shaping Public Opinion; and (15) Under-Explored Research Areas in Russia-Africa Relations.Official Websitehttps://irthinker.com/

In this wide-ranging interview, energy analyst Dr Walter James offers an incisive assessment of Japan’s path to net-zero by 2050. From strategic coherence and institutional constraints to LNG diplomacy, hydrogen ambitions, and civil society’s role, James unpacks the dynamics shaping Japan’s energy transformation. This conversation provides valuable insights into the political economy of decarbonisation in one of the world’s most energy-dependent industrial economies.Dr Walter James is a political scientist and energy policy consultant specialising in Japan’s decarbonisation strategy. Dr James holds a PhD in Political Science from Temple University, with research focusing on the political dynamics of financial regulatory reforms in the United States and Japan. His academic work included a research fellowship at Waseda University in Tokyo.He is the principal at Power Japan Consulting and the author of the Power Japan Substack, where he provides detailed analyses of Japan’s energy transition.He frequently contributes to platforms such as The Japan Times, Energy Tracker Asia, Climate Home News, and East Asia Forum.His work critically explores the intersection of energy policy, governance, and geopolitics in East Asia.Content: (1) Strategic Coherence: Can Japan Achieve Net-Zero by 2050?; (2) Understanding Domestic Scepticism Toward Climate Goals; (3) Institutions and Governance: The Role of the Basic Energy Plan; (4) Public vs. Private Ownership in Japan’s Energy Sector; (5) Who Owns Japan’s Major Energy Companies?; (6) The Strategic Role of LNG in Japan’s Energy Transition; (7) LNG Diplomacy and Japan’s Geopolitical Exposure; (8) Japan’s Hydrogen Society: Vision and Implementation; (9) Nuclear Power in Japan’s Future Energy Mix; (10) Barriers to Accelerating Renewable Energy Deployment; (11) Carbon Capture and Storage: Promise or Distraction?; (12) Corporate Collaboration in Decarbonisation Efforts; (13) Civil Society’s Role in Advancing Climate Action; (14) Start-Ups and Innovation in Japan’s Climate Ecosystem; (15) Households and Energy System Upgrades; and (16) Japan’s Greatest Untapped Opportunity in Decarbonisation.Official Website:https://irthinker.com/

In this episode, we’ll examine how the EU uses its political, economic, and institutional resources to influence global affairs, often without resorting to direct confrontation. In particular, we’ll focus on soft balancing governance model, and its implications.Anders Wivel is a Professor of International Relations at University of Copenhagen, Denmark.His most fundamental research interest is how small states overcome power asymmetry and vulnerability in international relations.Theoretically, his work begins from a critical and constructive engagement with the Realist tradition in International Relations, most importantly Neoclassical Realism.Anders was Chief Investigator and Deputy Director of Research in the Independent Inquiry into Denmark’s military engagements in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq commissioned by the Danish Parliament (“Krigsudredningen“).He is a chair (with Revecca Pedi) of the section “Small States in World Politics” at the European International Studies Association (EISA), and also an active member of the Global Research Network on Peaceful Change (GRENPEC).Content: (1) Defining Soft Balancing vs Hard Balancing; (2) Soft Power vs Soft Balancing: Key Differences; (3) Relevance of Soft Balancing for EU Governance; (4) Inclusive vs Exclusive Institutional Soft Balancing; (5) Key Historical Milestones in EU Soft Balancing; (6) Lessons from Soft Balancing Failures; (7) Balancing National Sovereignty with Collective Decision-making; (8) The EU’s Institutional Structure: Too Many or Too Few?; (9) The Role of Plasticity in EU Governance Adaptation; (10) Successful and Unsuccessful Soft Balancing with Non-Members; (11) Causes of External Soft Balancing Failures; (12) Approaching Sanctions in Soft Balancing; (13) Official EU Resolutions on Soft Balancing; (14) Soft Balancing and International Relations Theories; (15) Challenges in Implementing Soft Balancing; (16) Soft Balancing in a More Centralized EU; (17) Regions Outside the EU and Soft Balancing Lessons; and (18) The Role of Non-State Actors in Soft Balancing.Official Website:https://irthinker.com/

Join us for an insightful interview with Professor Bode as we dive into the AutoNorms project, exploring the evolution of international norms surrounding autonomous weapons systems (AWS). We discuss key findings, theoretical foundations, and the role of global security in shaping AWS governance.Ingvild Bode is Professor of International Relations and Director of the Center for War Studies at the University of Southern Denmark.She is principally interested in analysing processes of policy and normative change, especially in the areas of Artificial Intelligence in the military domain, the use of force, AI governance, United Nations peacekeeping, and more general dynamics of the UN Security Council.Content: (1) The Motivation Behind the AutoNorms Project; (2) Bridging the Research Gap on Technology in International Relations; (3) Key Findings and Outcomes of AutoNorms; (4) Autonomous Weapons and the Evolution of International Norms; (5) Theoretical Foundations: War Theory in the Research; (6) Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Norm Development in Global Security; (7) Understanding Social Norms Through AutoNorms; (8) Investigating Practices That Shape AWS Norms; (9) Challenging Rationalist and Institutionalist Approaches to Security; (10) The Grand Theory Behind AutoNorms; (11) Data Collection Strategies in the Research; (12) Managing Confidentiality and Restricted Information; (13) Why China, Japan, Russia, and the U.S.? Case Selection Criteria; (14) Divergent National Perspectives on AWS and Security; (15) Engagement with Formal Diplomatic and Legal Processes; (16) Normative Fragmentation: A Challenge to the Rules-Based Order?; (17) Resistance to Emerging Norms and Key Actors; (18) The Role of Deterrence in AWS Governance; (19) Does the EU Have a Unified AWS Research Programme?; (20) Unexpected Findings in the Research Process; and (21) Underexplored Areas in AWS Norm Research.Official website:https://irthinker.com/

In this interview, Dr Christopher Lamont discusses key methodological developments in international relations research, reflecting on the evolution from the first to the second edition of his work.He explores interdisciplinarity, mixed research methods, and the role of AI, offering insights into emerging trends and challenges in contemporary political analysis.Christopher Lamont is Dean of E-Track’s International Relations program and Vice Dean of the Graduate School of International Relations at Tokyo International University in Japan.Content: (1) Key Differences Between the First and Second Edition; (2) The Role of Interdisciplinarity in Research; (3) Interdisciplinarity: A Researcher’s Motivation or a Structural Pressure?; (4) Current Trends and Applications of Mixed Research Methods; (5) Dr Lamont’s Preferred Mixed Research Methods; (6) Causality and Complexity in Positivist Research Approaches; (7) Real-Time Data Analytics: Balancing Empirical Depth and Immediacy in Political Research; (8) Challenges of Accessibility: The Future of Electronic Sources in Research; (9) Constructivist and Postcolonial Critiques of Traditional Empirical Methodologies; (10) Bridging Local Case Studies and Global Generalisations: Methodological Innovations in IR; (11) The Potential of Multi-Level Network Analysis in Understanding Power Structures; (12) Methodological Challenges in Studying Informal Diplomatic Practices; (13) Research Methods That Need More Focus in the Second Edition; (14) The Role of AI in Research Methodology and Analysis; and (15) Which Research Methods Require Further Exploration for Better Understanding?Official Websitehttps://irthinker.com/

The growing importance of critical minerals is reshaping global geopolitics, resource security, and international economic relations.As the world accelerates its transition towards clean energy technologies and advanced manufacturing, the demand for critical minerals—such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements—has surged, raising new challenges for policymakers and industries alike.In this discussion with Dr. Vlado Vivoda, we will explore the key issues surrounding critical minerals, focusing on supply chain vulnerabilities, the geopolitical implications of resource dependency, and the strategies needed to ensure secure and sustainable access.Dr Vlado Vivoda is a renowned scholar and researcher affiliated with the Sustainable Minerals Institute at the University of Queensland, Australia.His work addresses some of the most pressing global challenges, focusing on the geopolitics of critical minerals, sustainable energy policies, and the strategic impacts of global energy transitions.He currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of Resources Policy, one of the world’s premier journals dedicated to the economics and policy dimensions of energy and mineral extraction, production and use.Content: (1) Strategic Rivalries: Critical Minerals and the US-China Competition; (2) National Security Implications of Critical Minerals; (3) The Weaponisation of Critical Minerals; (4) Competition or Cooperation? State Dynamics in the Critical Minerals Race; (5) The Minerals Security Partnership: Objectives and Impact; (6) Can the Quest for Critical Minerals Spark Conflict?; (7) Neocolonialism in Mineral Extraction Practices; (8) Chinese vs Western Mining Strategies: A Comparative Perspective; (9) Non-State Actors and NGOs in the Critical Minerals Sector; (10) The Disinformation Campaign Against Rio Tinto in Serbia; and (11) Three Underexplored Areas in Critical Minerals Research.Official Website:https://irthinker.com/