The Fletcher Forum Podcast

Shawn Ghuman sat down with Kaiser Kuo, Co-Founder of the Sinica Podcast, Editor-at-Large of SupChina, and was a founder of China’s first heavy metal band, Tang Dynasty, during his time in town for a panel on “The Digital Silk Road: Spreading the Chinese Internet Control Model.” In this podcast, we discuss with Kaiser how he went from being a rock musician to being a preeminent pundit on U.S.-China relations and his thoughts on key issues related to China as a hegemonic power in the 21stcentury.

Senior Web Editor for the Fletcher Forum Markian Kuzmowycz has a conversation with Meredith Sumpter, Research, Strategy, and Operations Head at Eurasia Group and Zoltan Feher, co-chair of the Fletcher Political Risk Group. Sumpter was the keynote speaker at the Fletcher Political Risk Conference in March 2019, discussing the changes in political power dynamics. Her experience of fifteen years has made her a leading strategic thinker in the fields of foreign policy and global business.

Robin Chase, co-founder of Zipcar, discusses the collaborative economy in 'Peers Inc' and how excess capacity can spur innovation. Topics include self-driving cars, automated buses, urban transportation challenges, and sustainable solutions like electric scooters.

Fletcher Forum Podcast Editor Mark Benedetti sits down with Professor Michael Beckley to discuss the complicated geopolitical situation between the United States and China. Author of the recently published book, Unrivaled: Why America will Remain the World’s Sole Superpower, Beckley argues that although China poses threats to American security and economic interests, it is still very far behind from dethroning the United States as a superpower. Amidst the current rhetoric and hype against China, Beckley explains that there isn’t a reason to view China’s rise with worry. 

In the latest Fletcher Forum podcast, Editor in Chief Elissa Miller and Senior Podcast Editor Maria Ory sit down with retired Colonel and Fletcher PhD candidate Frank Sobchak to discuss the recently published two-part volume on the history of the U.S. Army in the Iraq War from 2003-2011. The nearly 1,500 page report, according to Sobhack, one of the lead authors, aims to provide a comprehensive operational-level history of the war and examine and incorporate lessons learned within an official narrative. The panel discusses key takeaways from the report, including insights into civil-military relations and future military planning. Tune in!

In the latest episode of the Fletcher Forum podcast, Editor-in-Chief Elissa Miller and Senior Web Editor Chloe Logan sit down with former FBI General Counsel James Baker to discuss the latest developments in counterintelligence and artificial intelligence. Baker reflects on his time as a public servant at the FBI, gives listeners an inside glance into the world of technology and cybersecurity, and sheds light on how the United States aims to advance and protect its interests in these evolving domains. Listen in for an engaging conversation that looks to the future.

In the latest episode of the Fletcher Forum podcast, Elissa Miller, Courtney Hulse, and Maria Ory sit down with Fletcher alumna and former first-ever Special Representative to Muslim Communities at the US Department of State, Farah Pandith. As Pandith argues in her forthcoming book, How We Win: How Cutting-Edge Entrepreneurs, Political Visionaries, Enlightened Business Leaders, and Social Media Mavens Can Defeat the Extremist Threat, we must go “all in” to stop the spread of violent extremism worldwide. Drawing upon her time at the State Department and on the National Security Council, she shares her wisdom with Fletcher students and makes the case that we can stem the threat of extremist ideologies once and for all. The full interview can be found in the latest Winter print edition of the Fletcher Forum. 

In this year’s first Fletcher Forum podcast, Professor Sulmaan Khan sits down with Fletcher students Sarah Davis, Karst Brandsma, and Kacie Yearout to reflect on the origins of World War I and the centenary of the end of the war. Drawing parallels between the lead up to World War I and today’s current state of global affairs, this episode's guests discuss the similarities and differences of today's world and that of the early 1900s, as well as the role of analogies in historical analysis. This episode gives listeners a peek inside the themes explored in the Forum’s Winter print edition, "Global Transformations: A Century Since the Great War," which will be published this month. Stay tuned for more episodes this semester!

In this episode of the Fletcher Forum Podcast, podcast editor Alexander Thomas sits down with Ambassador Sinead Walsh and Dr. Oliver Johnson to talk about their new book Getting to Zero: A Doctor and a Diplomat on the Ebola Frontline. During their conversation, they discuss Ambassador Walsh's and Dr. Johnson's involvement in the West African Ebola outbreak in 2014, the international community's response since, and the currently unfolding Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Tune in to hear the latest.

In the latest episode of the Fletcher Forum podcast, Forum staff members Lexi Kriss and Siobhan Heekin-Canedy sit down with Assistant Washington Editor of the New York Times and Fletcher alum Thom Shanker. Drawing on his extensive career, including as a Pentagon correspondent at the Times, Shanker discusses the evolving role of journalism in today’s digital era. He also reflects upon his time at Fletcher and how his education informed his reporting and offers sage advice to current and future Fletcher students. Tune in!