The Fletcher Forum Podcast

In this latest episode of the Fletcher Forum podcast, editor-in-chief Elissa Miller and senior podcast editor Maria Ory sit down with Dr. Nussaibah Younis, an expert on the politics, foreign policy, and economy of Iraq and founder of the Iraq Leadership Fellows Program. Following parliamentary elections last May, Iraq’s new Prime Minister, Adil Abdul-Mahdi has only recently assumed office. Dr. Younis walks us through the current on-the-ground dynamics and sentiment of Iraq’s population and complex political system. The conversation then turns to the international level where we discuss the impact that U.S. sanctions on Iran will have on Iraq's economy. Listen in for the latest on politics in Iraq.

In this episode of the Fletcher Forum Podcast, podcast editor Alexander Thomas sits down with Ambassador Diego Arria, former President of the UN Security Council and a prominent member of the Venezuelan opposition. During their conversation, they discuss Ambassador Arria's career in diplomacy and his thoughts on the Venezuelan economic and migration crisis. Ambassador Arria shares his hopes for the future of Venezuela, and the role he sees the international community playing in their fruition. We hope you enjoy!

In this edition of the Fletcher Forum podcast, podcast editor Shawn Ghuman sits down with Dr. Amjad Saqib, the Executive Director of Akhuwat, the largest Islamic microfinance organization in the world. While microfinance takes many forms all over the world, Dr. Saqib's interest-free microloans program in Pakistan serves as a noteworthy testament to both human nature’s inherent generosity as well as every human’s desire to provide for themselves and their family. In this discussion with Dr. Saqib, we learn about what inspired him to start Akhuwat, the organization’s successes so far, and how he hopes to expand this model across the globe.

On the latest episode of the Fletcher Forum Podcast, senior print editor Emma Friedheim and senior podcast editor Maria Ory sit down with cybersecurity and policy experts Angela McKay of Microsoft and Herb Lin of Stanford University. Relatively speaking, cybersecurity is a fairly new field. The impact of cybersecurity on the intersecting roles of public and private institutions, challenges facing good governance, and personal responsibility remains contested. How does privacy relate to all of this? What about cultural norms? Listen to this episode of the Fletcher Forum Podcast to explore these questions and find out why one of our guests argues that the Russian election meddling isn’t necessarily a cyber issue. 

Kicking off the 2018-2019 school year, the Forum's Editor in Chief Elissa Miller and Senior Podcast Producer Maria Ory sit down with interim Dean Johnstone. In the inaugural podcast for the academic year, Dean Johnstone highlights why he chose to accept the position as interim Dean of the Fletcher School and what his hopes and priorities are for the upcoming year. Gleaning from Dean Johnstone’s extensive experience with the United Nations and international organizations more generally, he also discusses the upcoming opening for UN General Assembly and how international organizations can and should stay relevant in today’s ever-changing global order. Have a listen!