
World Class
Podcast from the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI) at Stanford University, featuring Director Michael McFaul, former U.S. Ambassador to Russia. Mike and our scholars dive into critical international issues, offering insights into the history and context of the biggest stories in the news.
Latest episodes

Aug 10, 2017 • 28min
Religion in China
Fifty years after the cultural revolution made religious belief illegitimate in China, it's making a comeback. What are the religious experiences of the Chinese people today? Award-winning journalist Ian Johnson spoke at FSI's Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center about his new book, The Souls of China.
If you like what you hear, you can get additional content from scholars at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies by following us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and by subscribing to our newsletters and updates.

Aug 2, 2017 • 26min
How Safe Are We? The Road to Quality Health Care
After going in for a routine procedure, a man ends up with a punctured lung and a medical emergency. A woman's surgery goes well until her stomach is stitched up with a sponge inside. Most of us feel safe going to the doctor, but the road to high-quality care was not straightforward. Stanford Health Policy's Kathryn McDonald tells us how the safe, high-quality care we expect got where it is today and what we can do to maintain it. Kathryn McDonald is the Executive Director at the Center for Health Policy/Primary Care and Outcomes Research at Stanford University. Learn more about her work in patient safety and quality at https://healthpolicy.fsi.stanford.edu/people/kathryn_m_mcdonald.
If you like what you hear, you can get additional content from scholars at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies by following us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and by subscribing to our newsletters and updates.

Jul 19, 2017 • 41min
Asymmetric Warfare at the Ballot Box
Dictators use cyberwarfare to hit democracies where it hurts - the ballot box. Former Estonian president Toomas Ilves, a visiting fellow at FSI in 2016-17, explains.
If you like what you hear, you can get additional content from scholars at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies by following us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and by subscribing to our newsletters and updates.

Jul 12, 2017 • 34min
Macron, Brexit and the Future of European Politics
What can the U.K. and France's recent elections tell us about Europe's political climate? The Scholars' Circle brings together three top scholars to find out. The Europe Center's Patrick Chamorel, a senior resident scholar at the Stanford University Center in Washington DC, joins Jeroen Dewulf, an associate professor in the Department of German at UC Berkeley and Mark Amsler, an associate professor in the Department of European Languages and Literature at the University of Auckland.
If you like what you hear, you can get additional content from scholars at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies by following us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and by subscribing to our newsletters and updates.

Jul 6, 2017 • 1h 18min
Crisis in North Korea
North Korea's nuclear capabilities are growing. What's the rest of the world to do? APARC's Gi-Wook Shin and Kathleen Stephens, also the former U.S. ambassador to South Korea, are joined by the Wilson Center's James Person and CISAC visiting fellow Katharina Zellweger.
If you like what you hear, you can get additional content from scholars at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies by following us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and by subscribing to our newsletters and updates.

Jun 27, 2017 • 56min
Insider Threats
The greatest dangers to your organization may come from the inside. Security expert Matthew Bunn joins CISAC's Amy Zegart and Scott Sagan to explain.
If you like what you hear, you can get additional content from scholars at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies by following us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and by subscribing to our newsletters and updates.

Jun 21, 2017 • 1h 17min
Denis McDonough, Obama Chief of Staff
President Obama's chief of staff, Denis McDonough, visits FSI to talk about his tenure in the White House and his thoughts on its current occupants. He's interviewed by Stanford in Government chair Libby Scholz, '17.
If you like what you hear, you can get additional content from scholars at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies by following us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and by subscribing to our newsletters and updates.

Jun 14, 2017 • 1h 26min
Graham Allison and Niall Ferguson on War with China
National security scholar Graham Allison speaks with the Hoover Institution's Niall Ferguson at FSI. Allison's new book is called "Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides's Trap?"
If you like what you hear, you can get additional content from scholars at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies by following us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and by subscribing to our newsletters and updates.

Jun 6, 2017 • 1h 5min
Ivo Daalder, Former US Ambassador to NATO
What does the president's "America First" foreign policy mean for our relationship with the rest of the world? Former US ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder visits Stanford to discuss.
If you like what you hear, you can get additional content from scholars at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies by following us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and by subscribing to our newsletters and updates.

May 30, 2017 • 41min
Jake Sullivan, Senior Policy Advisor to Hillary Clinton
FSI's William J. Perry Fellow Matthew Spence interviews Jake Sullivan, former Deputy Assistant to President Obama and National Security Advisor to Vice President Biden.
If you like what you hear, you can get additional content from scholars at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies by following us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and by subscribing to our newsletters and updates.