The global space economy is worth a whopping $469 billion, and growing fast. Commercial interests are proliferating; more and more countries are launching satellites into space. Some African leaders aspire for their continent to become a knowledge, technology, and manufacturing hub for this new space age and to leverage space technologies to advance economic development. They are looking for global partners to join them in this quest.In this episode of Europe Listens, ECFR’s Rafael Loss and Jana Puglierin welcome Ruvimbo Samanga, a space law and policy advisor at Access Partnership, a global tech advisory firm. How can Africans and Europeans benefit from cooperating on space access and technologies, and what pitfalls should they look out for? What is “space junk” and how might a clean-up effort work in practice? And how can the EU’s space law best promote responsible behaviour on Earth and in outer space?This podcast was recorded on 7 July 2023.Other episodes of this season:Episode 1: Overcoming the global digital divide with Jane Munga Episode 2: Combatting online disinformation with Flora Rebello ArduiniFurther reading:Why Africa needs to be in space by Val MunsamiSpace innovation in Zimbabwe and beyond: Interview with Ruvimbo SamangaAfrican space strategy for social, political and economic integration by the African UnionMultilateral space: A European space oddity by Rafael Loss and Silvia Samorè Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On 8 January 2023, following a contentious national election, protestors attacked government buildings in Brazil’s capital. The riots were preceded by years of online disinformation, targeting lawmakers and the country’s electoral process. Striking parallels with the storming of the US Capitol two years prior underline the role that transnational networks play in pushing disinformation globally, and that of big tech standing idly by (at best).In this episode of Europe Listens, ECFR’s Rafael Loss and Jana Puglierin welcome Flora Rebello Arduini, campaign director, disinformation researcher, and big-tech watcher at Ekō, a global non-profit organisation advancing corporate accountability. How does online disinformation affect Brazilian politics? What role do social media giants play in spreading fake news? And how can companies, legislators, and civil society in Brazil and Europe stem the tide of AI-powered disinformation in the future?This podcast was recorded on 16 June 2023.Other episodes of this season:Episode 1: Overcoming the global digital divide with Jane Munga Episode 3: Governing outer space with Ruvimbo SamangaFurther reading:Stop the steal 2.0. How Meta is subverting Brazilian democracy by SumOfUs (now Ekō)Everyone saw Brazil violence coming. Except social media giants by Mark ScottGendered disinformation: 6 reasons why liberal democracies need to respond to this threat by Ellen JudsonDemocratic defence: How Italy can lead the fight against Russian disinformation by Gabriele Carrer, Teresa Coratella and Silvia Samorè Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Digital technologies are set to transform African economies. Yet, only 40 per cent of Africans accessed the internet in 2022 – well below the proportion in the world’s other regions. Technological as well as socio-economic factors drive this digital divide, and US-Chinese competition risks making it worse.To kick off the second season of Europe Listens, ECFR’s Rafael Loss and Jana Puglierin welcome Jane Munga, a fellow in the Africa Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and former digital policy advisor to the government of Kenya. What are the most pressing priorities for African countries to overcome the global digital divide? How does Europe’s digital diplomacy compare to US and Chinese tech giants’ approaches? And what is Africa’s vision for “digital sovereignty”?This podcast was recorded on 8 August 2023.Other episodes of this season:Episode 2: Combatting online disinformation with Flora Rebello Arduini Episode 3: Governing outer space with Ruvimbo SamangaFurther reading:How the United States can effectively implement its new Digital Transformation with Africa initiative by Jane MungaHow Will U.S.-China Tech Decoupling Affect Africa’s Mobile Phone Market? By Jane Munga and Kyla DenwoodMeasuring digital development: Facts and figures 2022 by the International Telecommunication UnionThe geopolitics of technology: How the EU can become a global player by Julian Ringhof and José Ignacio Torreblanca Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The second episode of ECFR’s WOMENP mini-series considers the geo-economic trends in the Middle East and emerging opportunities following recent developments, such as the detente between Iran and Saudi Arabia and the new government in Iraq almost one year after its formation. Does Iran seek and stand to benefit economically from the opening with the Arab world? How do broader dynamics, including the United States’ sanctions framework limit these prospects? In which areas would investments by the Gulf Cooperation Council in Iran benefit the Iranian people? Will Iraq be a testing ground for economic cooperation? In this episode, ECFR’s Ellie Geranmayeh speaks to Nadereh Chamlou, non-resident senior fellow, Atlantic Council and Sheikha Najla Al Qassimi, director of the Global Affairs Division, Dubai Public Policy Research Centre (B’huth). This podcast was recorded on 12 July 2023. Suggested reading by experts: Liberalism and Its Discontents by Francis Fukuyama A political economy of the Middle East by Alan Richards and John Waterbury On China by Henry Kissinger Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

China is becoming ever more important to global affairs. But political and geopolitical challenges, as well as the covid-19 pandemic, have diminished Europeans’ ability to engage with Chinese thinkers and understand their views and ideas about the world. In this mini-series, Mark Leonard and Janka Oertel try to change that by engaging in conversations with some of the best Chinese academics, researchers, writers, and journalists on diverse topics in Chinese internal debates that matter most to Europeans.  --  In this episode, we are joined by research assistant professor of political science at Tsinghua University, Duan Jiuzhou, who is an expert on the Middle East and North Africa with a special interest in civil-military relations and the political economy of development. Duan talks us through how Chinese scholars view the dynamics in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as China’s role in the region. Which countries do Chinese experts view as the major players? What does the Saudi-Iranian detente mean for China’s ambitions as a global peace-broker? And what does the development of Chinese-Middle Eastern relations mean for the world order in the coming decade?China-Egypt Relations During the BRI Era and Beyond by Duan Jiuzhou in Routledge Handbook on China-Middle East RelationsInitiative and Visions: Synergy between Development Strategies of China and the Arab States in Asian Journal of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies by Duan Jiuzhou & She Gangzheng This podcast was recorded on 19 May 2023. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

China is becoming ever more important to global affairs. But political and geopolitical challenges, as well as the covid-19 pandemic, have diminished Europeans’ ability to engage with Chinese thinkers and understand their views and ideas about the world. In this mini-series, Mark Leonard and Janka Oertel try to change that by engaging in conversations with some of the best Chinese academics, researchers, writers, and journalists on diverse topics in Chinese internal debates that matter most to Europeans.   --   In our fourth episode, we are joined by one of China’s leading scholars in Sino-American relations and east Asian security, Professor Wang Dong, from the School of International Studies and the Institute for Global Health and Development at Peking University. Wang talks us through the current tensions between Washington and Beijing, as well as giving his thoughts on their future trajectory. What are the main reasons for the deterioration of bilateral ties between China and the United States? How can the international community ensure that the tensions do not spiral out of control? And what is the role of the EU in the accelerating China-US rivalry? The Case for a New Engagement Consensus, by Wang Dong Avoiding the 'Thucydides Trap': US-China Relations in Strategic Domain, by Wang Dong and Travis Tanner (eds.) Reglobalisation: When China Meets the World Again, by Wang Dong and Cao Dejun This podcast was recorded on 5 June 2023. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The first episode of ECFR’s WOMENP mini-series brings together leading experts to discuss what can be expected from Iran and Saudi Arabia’s de-escalation after the two countries signed an agreement to normalise relations last March and following the recent Arab League Summit. What are Iran and Saudi Arabia hoping to achieve with this deal, especially in view of the US election next year? What factors changed to lead Saudi Arabia to the table? Is there consensus in Iran on the de-escalation and normalisation with Riyadh? How does the region view Iran following the latest nationwide protests? In this episode, ECFR’s Ellie Geranmayeh speaks to Roxane Farmanfarmaian, lecturer in international politics, Cambridge University; Yasmine Farouk, non-resident scholar, Middle East Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; Dania Thafer, executive director, Gulf International Forum; and Sanam Vakil, director, MENA programme, Chatham House. This podcast was recorded on 22 May 2023. Must read and see items suggested by experts: The SwimmersIran-Saudi Arabia reconciliation can help the Middle East's climate change fight, by Ellie Geranmayeh English, by Sanaz Toosi Women, Peace and Security – Gulf Perspectives on Integration, Inclusion and Integrity, by Dania Thafer Creative Insecurity, by Dania Thafer Grand Delusion, by Steven Simon Holy Spider Leila's BrothersArabicity - Contemporary Arab Art, Edited by Juliet Cestar, Rose Issa Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beyond the UN formats, countries around the world are forging hundreds of bilateral and multilateral agreements to advance the clean energy transition. India has emerged as a prominent player in these initiatives, with prime minister Narendra Modi describing his country’s potential in green energy as no less than a “goldmine”. Since 2016, India and the EU have set up new schemes to deepen their green technology partnership, and they could go even further. In this episode of Europe Listens, ECFR’s Rafael Loss and Jana Puglierin welcome Dhanasree Jayaram, assistant professor of geopolitics and international relations and co-coordinator of the Centre for Climate Studies at Manipal Academy of Higher Education in Karnataka, India. How do India and the EU benefit from cooperating on green technology, and what issues and potential obstacles should they need be mindful of? What role do grassroots initiatives and India’s private sector play in advancing its green transition? And what is the relation between democracy and climate action? This podcast was recorded on 22 March 2023. Further reading: Building green hydrogen value chains in the Indo-Pacific: Prospects for EU-Japan-India cooperation by Ramu C. M. and Dhanasree Jayaram India’s 2023 National Green Hydrogen Mission The EU “Green Deal”: An opportunity to strengthen EU-India relationship by Souvik Bhattacharjya Circuit breakers: Securing Europe’s green energy supply chains by Agatha Kratz, Janka Oertel and Charlie Vest Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Action on climate financing is long overdue. Inadequate mitigation and adaptation have already led to substantial loss and damage in the most vulnerable countries. But the scale of investment required to mitigate global warming is beyond the capacity of rich governments, far less developing countries. To square this circle, Barbados’s prime minister, Mia Mottley, last year made a bold proposal: the Bridgetown Initiative. In this episode of Europe Listens, ECFR’s Rafael Loss and Jana Puglierin welcome Avinash Persaud, special envoy on climate finance to Mia Mottley. How can the Bridgetown Initiative prevent nations on the climate frontline getting trapped in endless cycles of disaster and debt? What role can private-sector capital play in combatting climate change? And how can transformative ideas succeed in international climate diplomacy? This podcast was recorded on 4 April 2023. Further reading: Breaking the deadlock on climate: The Bridgetown Initiative by Avinash Persaud Speech at the opening of the COP27 World Leaders Summit by Mia Mottley The 2022 Bridgetown Initiative We’ll always have Paris: How to adapt multilateral climate cooperation to new realities by Anthony Dworkin and Mats Engström Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Climate change is an immediate existential threat to the coral islands that make up the Maldives, one of the lowest-lying countries in the world. Recent predictions estimate that, by 2050, rising sea levels could render 80 per cent of the country uninhabitable. By 2100 – in just 77 years time – the entire country could be submerged. None of this is news to the Maldives. To kick off this series of Europe Listens, ECFR’s Rafael Loss and Jana Puglierin welcome Shauna Aminath, the Maldives’ minister of environment, climate change, and technology. What are the most pressing priorities for the Maldives in the fight against climate change? Is international climate diplomacy delivering for those nations on the climate frontline? And what to expect from COP28 later this year? This podcast was recorded on 3 May 2023. Further reading: Climate risk country profile: Maldives by the Asian Development Bank Adaptation gap report 2022 by the UN Environment Programme Decarbonisation nations: How EU climate diplomacy can save the world by Susi Dennison and Mats Engström Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.