
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

Feb 21, 2017 • 45min
Don't Overreact: Countering Terrorism
How governments should respond to terror attacks: FSI senior fellow Martha Crenshaw and University of Maryland professor Gary LaFree discuss their new book, "Countering Terrorism."
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.

Feb 14, 2017 • 41min
The European Crisis
Princeton professor Andrew Moravchik speaks at FSI's Europe Center on the latest shock waves of world events across Europe.
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.

Feb 7, 2017 • 1h 22min
Can India Ever Become a Great Power?
What does India's rise look like in today's Asia? Carnegie Fellow Ashley J. Tellis speaks at FSI's Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center, as part of a seminar series co-sponsored by Stanford's Center on South Asia.
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.

Jan 30, 2017 • 22min
What Will Happen When the Wall Goes Up?
FSI senior fellow Alberto Diaz-Cayeros, director of Stanford's Center on Latin American Studies, discusses the diplomatic and economic issues around President Trump's order to build a border wall.
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.

Jan 20, 2017 • 1h 20min
The Election from Both Sides of the Border
What will Donald Trump's administration mean on the US's southern border? LatinX scholars, students, and staff at Stanford discussed their response to the election in November.
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.

Jan 11, 2017 • 1h 28min
Ethics in War
Are nukes ever OK to use? How can you fight insurgency without fighting civilians? FSI scholars Scott Sagan, Joe Felter and Paul Wise discuss new ethical models for new kinds of conflict.
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.

Jan 4, 2017 • 1h 8min
Foreign Policy Prescriptions for the New President
From the archives: In Oct 2016, foreign policy experts Michael McFaul, Amy Zegart, Abbas Milani, Martha Crenshaw and Larry Diamond discuss the challenges of 2017.
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.

Dec 20, 2016 • 1h 36min
Russia: Looking Back and Looking Ahead
What happens now with Russia? Panel discussion with former ambassador Michael McFaul, former defense secretary William Perry, former Los Alamos director Siegfried Hecker, and nuclear history professor David Holloway.
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.

Dec 13, 2016 • 1h 27min
Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak
Russia's ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak, speaks at FSI about the state of US-Russia relations. Recorded on Nov 10.
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.

Dec 6, 2016 • 31min
Global Health Policy in 2020
What will the biggest health concerns around the world be in the next few years? Not the ones you think. Stanford Health Policy experts 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.