THE LOOKING GLASS
The Looking Glass is the premiere international relations podcast by The SAIS Review of International Affairs with support from the Foreign Policy Institute. Listen in on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or directly on this website.
Latest Episodes
The Libya Chronicles: A Nation in Flux
Jan. 9, 2025 –Welcome back everybody to “The Libya Chronicles” the first series of the Maghreb Voices Mini Series, a special co-production of The North Africa Initiative and the SAIS Review Looking Glass Podcast. This series delves into the rich and tumultuous history of Libya, a land of ancient kingdoms, vast natural resources, and a complex political landscape. To discuss the transformation of Libyan society under Gaddafi and the following social and economic developments domestically and globally, joining us on the episode: A Nation in Flux is Stephanie Williams.
AI Global Governance
Jan. 6, 2025 –Facing the intangible nature of AI, its on the ground consequences can seem out of reach at the best of times. To shine light on the environmental aspect of the trade-offs and approaches towards environmental sustainability and AI joining us on the podcast today is Dr. Benjamin Lee.
Developing AI Compliance
Dec. 19, 2024 –As the breadth and depth of AI applications grow, so do concerns regarding its development and functioning. To discuss the historical cases of compliance failure in the tech industry, how the AI ecosystem can better prepare to comply with the best practices, and the norms and principles to avoid similar risks in the future, joining us today on the podcast is Mariami Tkeshelashvili.
AI Semiconductors Security
Dec. 11, 2024 –AI and semiconductors have been at the forefront of recent domestic and foreign policy conversations, yielding questions around national security and supply chains. To discuss what AI chips are, the national security risks associated with them, and the US position in the global market for AI chips, joining us on the podcast today is Dr. Melissa K. Griffith.
Foreign Influences Operations
Nov. 5, 2024 –As we face the 2024 presidential elections, the possibilities of influence operations and disinformation in the media and public’s perceptions remain an ever increasing fear. To delve into what influence operations are and its developments since the 2020 elections, what and where our biggest threats lie, and how much impact these operations really have on the elections joining us on the podcast today is Gavin Wilde.
Space Cybersecurity and Resilience
Oct. 24, 2024 –As new technologies emerge, space operations and infrastructure have become critical to U.S. national security and economy. To understand the ongoing discussion on what the current status is on space technology and infrastructure, developing space policy communities, and the security issues that follow, joining us on the podcast today is Dr. Gregory Falco.
Sudan Famine Crisis
Oct. 14, 2024 –The Sudan Civil war has brought about the current largest famine and displacement crisis in the world, bringing with it questions around aid and international attention. To discuss the status of the conflict, the famine crisis and why it continues, and possible international actions that could be taken, joining us on the podcast today is Dan Sullivan.
AI Global Governance
Sep. 19, 2024 –The rise of AI and its use in private and public sectors has highlighted the need for AI regulations and have sparked debates on its contents globally. To understand the ongoing debates around what exactly the technology is, the pros and cons of adopting AI, and the current and future regulatory environment for an ethical AI, joining us on the podcast is Dr. Monica Lopez-Gonzalez.
Talos x TLG: Harnessing Equitable Tech Futures
Apr. 3, 2024 – We are joined by Vilas Dhar, President of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, AI ethicist, and appointee to the UN High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence. This week, it’s all about the need to support technology creation that is fair and equitable through public and third-sector efforts.
We are learning: the importance of curiosity and life-long learning; need for more involvement of the public sector in constructing technology; ability to go beyond actor-limited thinking when it comes to regulation; and ways to hone foundations and nonprofit participation in AI creation and regulation.
Talos x TLG: The Private Sector & Techno-Diversity
Mar. 26, 2024 – We are joined by Ronaldo Lemos, co-writer of the Brazilian Internet Bill of Rights and the National IoT Plan. Founder of the Institute for Technology of Rio de Janeiro, he is also a professor at Schwarzman College in Beijing, at Columbia University and still a lawyer. This week it’s all about how we need to build competitiveness and have different national regulations that fit what each country wants out of technology.
We are learning: To follow our passions (music!); how technology really is for people who want to understand humans; the necessity to produce indigenous technology; the need to fight the one size fits all model and have differentiated regulations; the growing importance of competitiveness and fostering national industries; digital public infrastructure’s state of the art; and working for the greater good and fostering techno diversity.
Talos x TLG: Reimagining Tech Accountability
Mar. 8, 2024 – This week’s episode, Mathilde is hosting Sabhanaz Diya, the founder of Tech Global Institute as well as a senior fellow for the Center for International Governance Innovation. Whilst working for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as well as for Meta as the Head for Bangladesh, she developed expertise at the intersection between advocacy and implementation – working to bridge the gaps in communities’ exposure in policy making.
We are learning about : Early role of journalism in her career; how to create more exposure for ‘so-called Global South’ Voices; impact driven career – from local to upstream policy making; revolving door phenomenon – how to create more link between private and public sectors; and finding purpose whilst advocating for greater exposure.
The Maghreb: The Era of Gaddafi
Mar. 4, 2024 – Across the dunes of time, the winds of change have often reshaped nations. Welcome to “The Looking Glass.” I’m Kosi Ogbuli, your guide through the intricate maze of history and politics. Today, we step back into 1969, when a young Muammar Gaddafi changed Libya forever. This is Episode 2: “The Winds of Change.”
Dirk Vandewalle, a renowned expert from Dartmouth College with extensive knowledge in US-Libya relations, joins us to unravel the complexities of this era. Professor Vandewalle, we are honored to have you here.
Talos x TLG: What Role(s) can the UN Play?
Feb. 20, 2024 – Welcome on Talos, a new podcast in partnership with the Looking Glass. My name is Mathilde Barge and I will be taking you on a journey across different technology policy profiles, asking real questions about what it entails, what we can do about it, and how it is evolving.
This week’s episode, I had the pleasure of talking with Eleonore Fournier Tombs, Head of Anticipatory Action and Innovation at United Nations University, about the potential role the UN can take as a new body for a global governance of Artificial Intelligence. She is also a professor, lead researcher for multiple projects across the UN System as well as a writer.
The Maghreb: The Birth of Libya
Feb. 14, 2024 – In the inaugural episode of this mini-series, we journey back to the early 20th century to witness the birth of a nation–Libya. It’s a tale of independence, monarchy, and the shaping of a country’s identity amid the waves of change sweeping through Africa and the Middle East.
We are joined by Hafed Al Ghwell, a respected voice on North African affairs and the Executive Director of the North Africa Initiative at the SAIS Foreign Policy Institute, to explore this pivotal period.
“The Left in 2024” with Vijay Prashad
Jan. 9, 2024 – Renowned historian, intellectual, and journalist Vijay Prashad joins the pod to discuss how the political left sees the year ahead.
Vijay Prashad is an Indian historian and journalist. Prashad is the author of forty books, including Washington Bullets, Red Star Over the Third World, The Darker Nations: A People’s History of the Third World and The Poorer Nations: A Possible History of the Global South. His latest book, The Withdrawal: Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, and the Fragility of U.S. Power (2022), was written with Noam Chomsky.
Gaza Situation Report with Jason Terry
Dec. 29, 2023 – Jason Terry (He/Him), Director of Strategic Programs at UNRWA USA, joins the pod to discuss the harrowing situation unfolding in Gaza.
Things will have changed by the time you have listened to this episode.
The World Bank and your Livelihood
Dec. 10, 2023 – Today, we’re exploring the critical role of the World Bank Inspection Panel in protecting livelihoods through its 30 years of operations. We’ll be discussing the insights and experiences gained from various inspection cases, particularly focusing on a recent investigation in Togo, West Africa.”
Don’t Call it a Farmer-Herder Conflict
Dec. 8, 2023 – Today, we’re joined by two experts: Laura Sanders from Cetus Global and Dougoukolu Alpha Oumar, a geopolitics analyst, clinical psychologist, and a SAIS alum and someone who can speak truth to power regarding Fulani communities across West Africa. “Don’t Call it a Farmer Herder Conflict.”
Is Oat Milk, Milk [TLG-Archives]
Dec. 7, 2023 – Dr. Marsha A. Echols is the Director of The World Food Law Institute and a Professor at Howard University School of Law, where she teaches commercial, international business and trade, and world food law. She is a recognized expert in the fields of international food regulation, international trade and dispute settlement.
Shell Shocked: The Untold Story of Environmental Ruin in the Niger Delta
Sept. 20, 2023 – The politics of disaster series continues with a dive into the devastating environmental and human rights abuses perpetrated by the Royal Dutch Shell oil company in the Niger Delta region.
For decades, the local communities have suffered from massive oil spills, gas flaring, and deforestation, leading to loss of livelihoods, contaminated water, and severe health impacts.
Despite ongoing legal battles and international pressure, Shell continues to avoid accountability, highlighting the need for a global response to corporate environmental negligence.
13 Years Underwater: The Lingering Impact of Deepwater Horizon
June 12, 2023 – In a special series, The Looking Glass and The Politics of Disaster Podcast will explore powerful stories at the intersection of policy and climate disaster. This episode explores the Lingering Impact of Deepwater Horizon. On the mic are:
Guest(s):
Ben Casselman, NY Times Reporter
Allen Lindsay Jr., Attorney
Jeffrey Gorham (MAIR 2024/narrator)
Rowan Humphries (MAIR 2024/interviewed Ben Casselman)
Nathan Felmus (BA/MAIR 2024/interviewed Allen Lindsay Jr.)
Defeating the Dictators: A conversation with Charles Dunst
June 5, 2023 – Back in March, we had the pleasure of Speaking with Charles Dunst about his new book, Defeating the Dictators: How Democracy Can Prevail in the Age of the Strongman.
In a world where democracy is in decline and autocracy is on the rise, Dunst argues autocracy is not the solution despite being an attractive alternative for those disillusioned with current democratic institutions. He argues that the only way to defeat dictators is to have better democracy. We cover his life, his book, and his fandom for New York sports teams on this episode of The Looking Glass.
Guest: Charles Dunst, Deputy Director of research & analytics at The Asia Group, an adjunct fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and a contributing editor of American Purpose.
Unpacking Digital Authoritarianism: Definitions and Considerations
March 27, 2023 – Digital Authoritarianism is a wide-ranging and, at times, difficult to define area of international security analysis. To help us tease out some key terms and analytical frameworks in this ever-evolving domain, we brought on international security expert and analyst Mr. Erol Yayboke, Director of the Project on Fragility and Mobility and Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
In 2020, Mr. Yayboke and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Plans and Posture Samuel Brannen jointly published a CSIS brief, “Promote and Build: A Strategic Approach to Digital Authoritarianism.” The publication puts forth a useful set of analytical concepts to develop a deeper understanding of the modern landscape of digital authoritarianism as a threat to global democracies and a force for the subversion of human rights, while also highlighting some specific key actors, models, and methods of the practice, and other overlapping challenges in our rapidly digitizing world. You can read Mr. Yayboke and Deputy Assistant Brannen’s full CSIS brief here.
Guest: Erol Yayboke, Director, Project on Fragility and Mobility and Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
Obi or Not Obi: The 2023 Nigerian Elections
Feb. 28, 2023 – At the posting of this episode, Nigeria’s tightest presidential election in a generation has yet to be decided. However, Nigeria’s political map will never be the same after this election. This phenomenon has been years in the making. Joining us to discuss these dynamics is Ebenezer Obadare, Douglass Dillon senior fellow for Africa at the Council on Foreign Relations. Before joining CFR, Obadare was a political lecturer in international relations at the Obafemi Awolowo University from 1995 to 2001. His primary areas of interest are civil society and the state, and religion and politics in Africa.
Guest: Ebenezer Obadare, Douglas Dillon Senior Fellow for Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).