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WORLD: we got this
In conversation about the war on drugs in Guatemala
Season 3, Ep. 12
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With the mass incarceration of women quintupling in Guatemala as a result of the 'war on drugs', Gloriana Rodriguez Alvarez, PhD candidate and human rights advocate, asks how the country's policies and institutions perpetuate social prejudices and impact marginalised communities.
In this episode, Gloriana speaks with David Mwambari, Lecturer in African Security and Leadership Studies at King’s African Leadership Centre, about her research, her time interviewing inmates in Guatemalan prisons and the importance of being an empathetic researcher.
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11. In conversation about Brazil’s defence agenda in the South Atlantic
28:37What life skills can one learn from doing a PhD?In this episode, Dr Maísa Edwards who recently completed a joint PhD from the King’s Brazil Institute and the University of São Paulo talks about her research on Brazil’s diplomatic and defence relations in the South Atlantic region. Speaking to Dr Andreza de Souza Santos, Maísa also shares the challenges she faced in completing her PhD during the Covid-19 pandemic and the research skills and life lessons she learnt from the experience.10. What is the world’s problem with migration?
38:30Migration is a topic that preoccupies many countries around the world and this new episode looks at some of the current global challenges around migration including exploring what impact immigrants have on jobs and public services, whether politicians are in step with public attitudes towards migrants and refugees, plus what it is like for those trying to move in search of a better life. It features academics from the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy at King’s College London: Dr Leonie Ansems de Vries, Reader in International Politics in the Department of War Studies and Director of King’s Sanctuary Programme; Professor Jonathan Portes, Professor of Economics and Public Policy in the School of Politics & Economics and the Policy Institute; and Dr Mollie Gerver, Lecturer in International Ethics of the School of Politics & Economics.9. In conversation about China and UK relations through film
23:27Why aren't mainland Chinese films box office hits in the UK? Do Chinese people watch films produced in the UK? PhD student, Giulia D'Aquila researches an agreement between China and the UK on film production and distribution.In this episode, she reflects on how films from mainland China are received in the UK, what is considered propaganda in each country and why other foreign-language exports are popular with Western audiences. She also shares more about her PhD journey with Professor Kerry Brown, Director of the Lau China Institute.8. In conversation about digitalisation and welfare entitlements in India
36:02Is technology really helping people in India to receive their welfare entitlements? Or is digitalisation affecting their agency? And how does it affect local state actors? These are some of the questions PhD student, Vanita Leah Falcao is exploring in her thesis. In this episode, she speaks with Professor Louise Tillin about her time as a policy worker in India, her experiences doing research field work and how her thesis question has shifted over the course of her PhD studies.7. Guest episode - A year of war in Ukraine: what have we learned?
46:16As we recently marked a year since Russia invaded Ukraine, we are sharing an episode of The War Studies Podcast produced by our Department of War Studies looking back at what we have learned over the past year of fighting and what it might mean for the future.It features Dr Marina Miron, who uses her knowledge of Russian military strategy, information warfare, and technology to explore what has happened over the past year and why, as well looking at the implications for future global security.Find out more about the Department of War Studies, which sits within the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy at King's College London. Find out more about the podcast here or search for "The War Studies Podcast" to listen to more episodes.6. Are public protests challenging authoritarian regimes around the world?
42:43This new episode looks at recent large-scale public protests in Russia, China and Iran including what has sparked them and what they tell us about the balance of power of these regimes.The episode, featuring academics from the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy, looks at the effects of the protests, the response of those in power to the public dissent, and asks whether they are a sign that authoritarian regimes are losing their grip or whether they could use them to justify increasing control.It features Ahou Koutchesfahani, a PhD candidate in our War Studies Department, Dr Jane Hayward, a lecturer in China and Global Affairs at King’s Lau China Institute, and Dr Maxim Alyukov, a postdoctoral fellow at King’s Russia Institute.5. In conversation about state-society relations and studying at King's
28:34Master's alumna Linette Lim's focused her dissertation looked at why some Indian states far out-perform others in the Human Development Index (HDI). In this episode, she shares how she came up with this research puzzle and her journey post-master's degree. This includes her life as a foreign correspondent in China and how her experience with censorship led to her PhD thesis.4. In conversation about sand dunes, climate change and Mars
27:40What can the life of sand dunes on Mars tell us about climate change on Earth? In this episode, PhD student Lucie Delobel shares her love of sand dunes and how she went from studying them on Earth to studying them on Mars.Her master's dissertation became a leading article for Nature Climate Change and is shaping the discussion on using wind patterns to examine climate change. Now doing a PhD at King's, she has taken her knowledge of wind patterns to outer space.Hear Lucie share her academic story with Andreas Baas, Reader in Geomorphology in the Department of Geography.3. Are we at a pivotal moment in the climate crisis?
39:09This episode looks at where we are in the climate crisis, how recent events including war and economic crises have affected the priority of environmental issues and whether we still have time to make a difference.It features two academics from the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy at King’s College London who explore whether we are at a pivotal moment in the climate crisis.Professor Frans Berkhout, from King’s Department of Geography, outlines some of the impacts of global warming that are we already seeing, discusses whether he thinks we will be able to adapt to our new world and assesses where we are on progress against global commitments.Dr Duraid Jalili, from King’s Defence Studies Department and Co-director of its Environmental Security Research group, highlights ways in which environmental issues have already affected the geopolitical, economic and social order of our world, looks at how the war in Ukraine has affected public focus on climate change and discusses whether we are at a critical moment in public and political understanding of the need to take action.They also share their thoughts for the future, including how hopeful they feel about our ability to take the steps needed to address climate change, and what we can all do to play our part.