INTR1001: After the Lecture

In this episode we sit down with Dr Iain D. Henry to discuss his perspectives on the strategic and security elements surrounding the ongoing tension between China and Taiwan. Dr Iain D. Henry is a Senior Lecturer in the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at the Australian National University. Show Notes: Dr Iain D. Henry on Australia’s obligations under ANZUS and to Taiwan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHsOtUaMD-Y&t=2045s

In this episode we sit down with Associate Professor Matthew Sussex to discuss Russia's War in Ukraine. Associate  Professor Matthew Sussex is a senior fellow at the Strategic and  Defence Studies Centre at the Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs at the Australian National University. He has provided regular news commentary and critical insight on the War in Ukraine to Australian and International media. You can find out more about Matthew here: https://twitter.com/matthew_sussex?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor  https://www.anu.edu.au/news/for-journalists/associate-professor-matthew-sussex https://theconversation.com/with-his-army-on-the-back-foot-is-escalation-over-ukraine-vladimir-putins-only-real-option-190046

Welcome to Season 3 of INTR:1001 After the Lecture! This year we will be discussing a variety of issues from current affairs to more general topics in international relations. We hope you enjoy!

This week’s episode is a throwback! Recorded in 2020, James Brasington interviews Dr Lauren Richardson,  Director of Studies and Lecturer at the Asia-Pacific College of Diplomacy at the Australian National University. Dr Richardson dives in deep to the relationship between South Korea and Japan, looking at their troubled relationship throughout contemporary history. She discusses historical and more recent events, looking at the resulting diplomatic relationship.

On this week's episode, Brad Saines, a past Ir Society Exec member, interviews Dr John Blaxland, professor of international security and intelligence studies. Dr Blaxland chats with Brad about various 2020 strategic developments in Australia. He speaks about Australia's defence planning and proposals, as well as the importance of Australia's neighbourhood to the future of its security.

This week James Brasington (President) is joined by Leonie Quinn, who leads a team at the James Curtin School of Medical Research at the ANU. Her team conducts discovery-driven fundamental research to provide novel insights into cancer initiation and progression. In particular, she works with fruit fly genetic models to produce understanding of cancer as a disease. In this episode, she introduces cancer, and speaks about the international involvement in combating cancer across the world.

This week James Brasington (President) is joined by Professor Benjamin Goldsmith, head of International Relations and Politics at the ANU. His work has appeared in leading academic journals including American Political Science Review, Comparative Political Studies, Journal of Conflict Resolution, Journal of Politics, and World Politics. In this episode, Professor Goldsmith discusses public diplomacy, foreign aid, soft power and high-level visits. He also mentions some future research he hopes to conduct surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and ‘vaccine diplomacy’.

In this episode we discuss the Iran-China 25-Year Cooperation Program, also dubbed the Sino-Iranian Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The deal signed between China and Iran on 27th March 2021 will further develop Iran-China relations, and is expected to boost their long-standing economic and political alliance. We are joined by Dr Alam Saleh, a Lecturer in Iranian Studies at the ANU’s Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies. Dr Saleh is a Council Member of the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies and Reviews Editor for the British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies. Dr Saleh has also been engaged with policy practitioners and external professional bodies, such as the U.K. Ministry of Defence, NATO, and European Council on Foreign Relations. Additionally, Dr Saleh has consulted for Transparency International Defence and Security, UNICEF, and the BBC.

Welcome back for Season 2 of ANU IR Society's Podcast INTR1001: After the Lecture! Our first episode will be launching Friday 10th September. We hope you enjoy the new season!

In this episode we discuss the recent political developments in Mali, including the role of radicalisation and COVID-19 in the coup. We are joined by guests Moctar Kane and Ernest Akuamoah Moctar is an expert on African politics. His is a current African Youth Ambassador for Peace in the African Union and an advisor to the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund, Mali. He has been a program manager in Conflict Stability and Security Fund Sahel with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office focussing specifically on Mali. He also conducted a research project at Oxford on issues of citizenship within Mali's democratic experience, after the collapse of democracy in the country in 2012.  He has a BA in English Language and Literature from the University of Bamako and a MPhil in Development Studies from Oxford University. Ernest is a PhD student in the School of Politics and International Relations at ANU. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Studies (First Class Honours) from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Ghana) and a Master of Philosophy in Political Science from the University of Ghana, Legon. Prior to his studies at ANU, he was pursuing a Master’s program in International Development Studies at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Canada. He has worked as a research assistant and tutored courses in Comparative Politics, Political Economy of Africa’s Underdevelopment and Issues in Africa’s International Relations. His PhD project is concerned with why some elections escalate into high-levels of violence but not others, focusing particularly on Africa.