Global Get Down - A Global Affairs Podcast by IRSA: Recent Episodes
Global Get Down - A Global Affairs Podcast by IRSA
Welcome to the official channel for the UBC AMS International Relations Student Association's Podcast. The Global Get Down brings you bi-weekly episodes throughout the academic year with a new guest speaker each time! Ranging from political discourse with experts, insights into the workforce, and a special segment called IR Voices.
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/irsa.ubc/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/irsaubc/?hl=en Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2FZxpgMBWZIBky6SxHmzGV?si=BREKUrOURw6xi2xi_gpY2w
Join us for a conversation with Travis Misurell, the founder and leader of the non-profit Future is Now Coalition (FiNC) with a passion for amplifying the voices of everyday Americans and helping to promote grassroots movements and candidates. In this 45-minute interview, Misurell speaks on the outsized influence of party bosses and moneyed interests in American electoral politics, the importance of directly connecting voters to their elected officials with as few intermediaries as possible, and how his organization hopes to assist in the building of that political bridge.
Join us with a conversation with Nigel Fischer, an Officer of the Order of Canada, the former President and CEO of UNICEF Canada, and a former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations with experience in post-conflict and post-genocide negotiations in nations like Rwanda, Afghanistan, and Syria. In this 45-minute conversation, Fischer lays out the inner workings of post-conflict UN missions, as well as his personal philosophy on humanitarian assistance and the key episodes in his life that led him to a lifetime of international service.
Join us for an in-depth conversation with Jason Grillo, founder of the Super Pollutant Education and Credit Transaction Alliance (SPECTRA). In this half-hour conversation, Grillo lays out what super pollutants are, what measures are being taken to curb them, and what both international institutions and concerned consumers can do to help fight pollution, as well as his motivation for founding SPECTRA and hopes for the future of climate finance / action.
Join us for an interview with James Reeves, the founder and managing director of Challenger Research leading a multidisciplinary team in the creation of tailored insights on complex international situations. In this half-hour sit-down, our host Raza picks his brain on the evolving role of minerals, drones, and academic studies thereof in international analyses, as well as the benefits of approaching international crises from a plurality of perspectives and disciplines.
Join us for a conversation with Karen Mathiasen and Nico Martinez, a project director and research assistant both working at the Center for Global Development in Washington, D.C. on stablecoins and their use cases for international financial institutions. For the next half hour, our guests break down the definition of a stablecoin, the dangers of their adoption, the extent of existing regulation around them, and how they might be useful in the realm of development finance despite those risks.
Join us for an in-depth interview with Julian Lam and Nancy Luo, two ex-presidents of UBC's International Relations Student Association who have gone on to lead successful careers in in geopolitical risk-analysis and national economic development. Together with our hosts, Julian and Nancy provide a fresh perspective on the politics of AI governance and risk-negation, as well as some possible pathways for IR students after graduation and the day-to-day occupations of UBC law students.
Join us for a conversation with Charley Ward, a research assistant working on IMF reform, sovereign debt, and climate finance at the Center for Global Development. Together with hosts Raza and Guarav, Ward maps out the likely future of international trade and collaboration, and sheds some light on what it takes to work in a think tank and make a career for oneself in international development.
In this episode of Global Getdown, host Raza Sidhu sits down with special guest Sachiko Akashi, a longtime educator and scholar whose journey from studying English literature in Japan to researching international relations in the U.S. offers a unique lens on global politics and peacebuilding.Together, they unpack the big question: what exactly is international relations? Listeners get a clear and approachable guide to IR.
In an era where multilateralism is fragmenting, defining the Global South has never been more complicated. As new challenges like climate change, the concentration of technology and AI and increasing inequality emerge, older threats like militarism and even nuclear tensions are making a comeback. Every country today is moving towards strategic autonomy - charting their own paths through geopolitical uncertainty and being forced to view everything through the lens of individualism. And yet, as this happens, the global challenges we were supposed to be addressing loom closer. Talking specifically about the Global South, how can such a diverse group of nations, from rising global powers like China, India and Brazil to debt-ridden economies or small island states, find common ground? And what does global cooperation look like when the foundations of the world order, are shifting?Join us today with special guest Aude Darnal, an International Policy Researcher and Program Manager of the Global South in the World Order Project at the Stimson Center to explore multilateralism today on the Global Get Down podcast.
The Montreal Protocol from 1987 banned gases and refrigerants that deplete the ozone layer. This is something that even a backbencher in an elementary school science class could tell you. But what is less commonly known today in 2025, is that there are still millions of gas canisters all over the world containing dangerous and banned ozone refrigerants like R-12, either sitting around in warehouses, lying around in remote farms or being illegally traded. These gases are both ozone depleting substances and greenhouse gases, so they’re absolute environmental stinkers.But Tradewater’s work, essentially making them an agent of the Montreal Protocol, often involves shipping rotting refrigerant gasses halfway across the world to their secure destruction facilities. And when customs agencies and port authorities that they encounter midway, well-versed in the Basel Convention (the treaty moderating the shipment of waste), see what they are trying to ship, it looks an awful lot to them like waste being shipped across the world.Ana Fernandez, a Logistics Associate at Tradewater, joins us today to talk about how her work places her right in between two environmental treaties, and how one of them, the Basel Convention, ends up blocking her efforts to achieve the aims of the Montreal Protocol.Join us as we unpack a journey involving tense international negotiations, complex bureaucracy at security checkpoints and how in this odd instance, one race to save the world is being blocked by another.
In times like these, staying informed and engaged with political developments is more crucial than ever. With tensions between the US and Canada escalating over tariffs and trade wars, we need to tune in and understand the underlying issues at play.If there's one expert who can shed light on our current political climate, it's Bart W. Édes. As a Professor at McGill University, Bart brings invaluable insights into the dynamics shaping global politics and economics. At McGill, he contributes to the Institute for the Study of International Development (ISID), focusing on social protection in developing Asia, digital technologies for development, and investment by ASEAN-based enterprises in Canada.In our latest episode, Professor Édes explores the implications of the US’s tariffs on Canada, the motivations behind these moves, and what they mean for the future of US-Canada relations. From the fentanyl crisis to Canada’s response and the broader impact on global trade, this is a critical moment we all need to be paying attention to.Stay informed, stay educated, and listen to experts like Bart W. Édes to better understand the political landscape and its impact on our countries and economies.#PoliticalEngagement #USCanadaRelations #GlobalEconomy #StayInformed #Leadership #TradeWars #UBC #Canada
In this episode, we’re honoured to welcome Wenjie Chen, Deputy Division Chief in the IMF African Department, for an in-depth discussion on the region’s emerging role in the global clean energy transition. We begin by defining Sub-Saharan Africa and outlining the countries and territories that make up this vibrant, resource-rich region. Chen provides an overview of Sub-Saharan Africa’s current economic standing, highlighting both the region’s potential and challenges within the global development context.How can rising global demand for critical minerals, like cobalt, lithium, and nickel transform the region’s economies? From investment opportunities to the potential for local processing industries, Wenjie discusses how regional cooperation and policy reforms could help these countries maximise their mineral wealth, creating new jobs, stabilising economies, and fostering sustainable growth.Tune in to explore Sub-Saharan Africa’s potential as a powerhouse in the clean energy transition and hear firsthand insights from a leading IMF economist!
In this episode of the Global Get Down, host Gaurav is joined by climate finance expert Jonathan Beynon from the Center for Global Development for a primer on climate finance. They address the current scale of ambition to finance climate mitigation and adaptation, and discuss the different sources for the trillions of dollars in investment needed to address the impacts of climate change. They also speak about a third pillar of climate finance which goes beyond the traditional categories of mitigation and adaptation to address losses and damages. Together, they delve into the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) and what its pivotal role shall be in addressing the financial needs for global climate action. As a key provision of the Paris Agreement, climate finance has helped drive ambitious goals toward achieving net zero. Tune in to understand how the NCQG is shaping efforts to combat climate change and what it means for the future of global sustainability.
Ever come across the term ‘Special Drawing Rights’ or ‘SDRs’ and felt completely bewildered? Check out this latest episode of the Global Get Down, where Host Gaurav has a conversation with an expert on the IMF and the SDRs.Mark Plant joins us as Senior Policy Fellow at the Center for Global Development, where he currently dedicates the bulk of his research on making the case that Central Banks should Recycle their excess SDRs issued by the IMF, to promote international development and climate finance goals and prevent these potential assets from “sitting around” in a “clumsy” financial order.They cover the basics of how SDRs are allocated to IMF member countries according to their Quota Formula, and how this can lead to inefficient distribution where advanced economies with no explicit need for these excess SDRs get allocated the most while vulnerable countries who have the highest need for SDRs have access to the least. They analyse some different options for well-meaning advanced economies to ‘recycle’ their excess SDRs to allow vulnerable nations to benefit from them and talk about why Central Banks today are sometimes hesitant to let their SDRs go. This is based in the context of the history of the SDR and their establishment in 1969.Mark Plant is championing the cause of distributing SDRs in a careful and prudent manner through the different Trust Funds of the IMF. We’re pleased that he could join this episode and help us understand the opportunities, challenges and prospectus for SDRs in the context of increasing development and climate finance.Link to CGD's YouTube Video on 'Fighting Climate Change with SDRs': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Un5ywRiObALink to the CGD Blog on SDRs: https://www.cgdev.org/tags/imf-support-covid-19-recovery
Renowned American historian, journalist and author Adam Hochschild joins us for a deep dive into the colonial history of what is today the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and to help explain how the 'Resource Curse' phenomenon has shaped this tragic history of exploitation.
Rachel Silverman Bonnifield, currently Senior Fellow at the Center for Global Development in Washington DC joins us to talk about her extensive research on addressing neglected global health crises: specifically, her work on Widespread Lead Poisoning of Children.Rachel and Host Gaurav cover, among other things, the scope of the problem, a brief history of action to address Lead Poisoning, specific case studies of action around the world, what the role of institutions like hers can be to help make this issue more visible, and the scale of global financing required to address this issue by 2030.
Karen Mathiasen, Project Director at the Center for Global Development (CGD) in Washington DC, joins us for a Deep Dive into Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) Reform.She discusses, among other things, shareholder dynamics at the World Bank, the Bridgetown Agenda, the recently concluded Spring Meetings, her appraisal of the World Bank’s reform agenda and some of the issues to watch out for in MDB Reform, with Host Gaurav.
Today, the Global Get Down podcast is joined by Jonathan Tee, Recruiter for the Master of Public Policy and Global Affairs (MPPGA) program at UBC, who talks to Host Gaurav about what recruiters and the admissions team at the program are looking for. They talk about the ideal student profile for applicants and how they can aim to set themselves apart in this very competitive program.
In the first part of our 2-day collaboration with the Master of Public Policy and Global Affairs (MPPGA) program at UBC, we are joined by Mercy Muthuuri. She is a current student in the MPPGA program with a background in climate finance and talks to Host Gaurav about how the program is structured, student life and coursework in the MPPGA. This episode is immensely helpful to anyone looking at MA programs in Canada, to help compare how the MPPGA fits into the mix and the unique experiences it can provide.
Adva Saldinger, Senior Reporter at Devex, who covered the recently-concluded Spring Meetings of the World Bank and IMF on the ground from Washington DC, joins us for a primer on the Meetings and discusses World Bank Reform with our Host Gaurav.They cover the main outcomes and announcements from the Spring Meetings and talk about who attended, touching on both the high profile personnel and the various civil society actors who made their presence felt.Tune in to get a sense of the issues currently being discussed at the meeting of the two biggest multilateral development institutions, and get a sense of some of the aspects of the World Bank’s new reform agenda under President Ajay Banga.
Jonathan Arnold from the Canadian Climate Institute joins us to kickstart the mini-series on Sustainable Finance Taxonomies.Our host Gaurav asks Jonathan about the premise of a Climate Taxonomy in Canada, the bureaucratic process it took to set this up and the current political holdup this taxonomy is facing.They also touch upon how the Canadian Taxonomy is unique because of its 'transition' label that includes certain controversial oil and gas projects. Tune in to better understand this unique financial sorting instrument, and witness a 'Sorting Hat' exercise for clean investments.
Join hosts Sriya and Ishita as they explore the history of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in this special episode of the Global Get Down. Our guest, esteemed professor and expert on the topic, Professor Ibrahim Muradov, takes center stage to shed light on the intricacies of this geopolitical saga. His expertise and thorough analysis shed new light on the multifaceted aspects of the conflict.Professor Muradov shares insights into his research journey and personal connection to the topic, highlighting key gaps in existing research that drove his investigation. He discusses the role of internal politics in Ukraine, the differences between the conflicts of 2022 and 2014, and Ukraine’s historical significance to Russia.Tune in as Professor Muradov reframes the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, offering fresh perspectives on its impact on contemporary international relations.
Incoming Chairperson of the World Bank Inspection Panel, Mark Goldsmith joins our hosts Belle and Gaurav on this special episode of the Global Get Down to introduce the organisation and tell us about the work it has done in its 30 years of existence.Mark gives us an outline of what the Inspection Panel is and how it functions and talks through his personal journey and the career path that led him to this point. He answers questions about the legacies of the Panel and the impacts he hopes to have in his year of chairmanship. He also briefly touches on some ongoing cases that the Inspection Panel shall deal with over the next few months.
Back for our third episode in the Environmental Policy series running parallel to COP 28, Professor Naoko Ellis from the Chemical and Biological Engineering (CHBE) Department at UBC joins us to explain how Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) works.Hosts Gaurav and Sriya get Professor Ellis's view on when and under which circumstances CCS is a good policy option to encourage, and get a primer on how this technology works, along with learning what the different options to capture, sequester and utilise Carbon Dioxide from the Atmosphere are.This is the Global Get Down's first attempt at instituting an interdisciplinary bridge across the technical and policy facets of a problem. This episode should be of interest to both Engineering and Arts students and faculty.
Our Team spoke to Dr. Peter Arcese from the Faculty of Forestry at The University of British Columbia to help understand what Biodiversity Credits are, how they work and how they link to the more traditional Carbon Credits. Co-hosts Gaurav and Alyssa get Dr. Arcese's take on the inter-disciplinarity involved to make Biodiversity Credits a reality, and dig into the complex researcher-financier-policymaker nexus that this involves. This episode also gets into some of the global diplomacy that has been involved in the pursuit to cash in on conservation.This episode is Part 2 in our Environment Policy series running parallel to COP 28.
As COP 28 kicks off in Dubai, our team sat down with Professor Simon Donner, host of the Podcast Pacific Voices (that highlights his engagement with the Pacific Island of Kiribati) and a Lead Author for the most recent 6th Assessment Report published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).Professor Donner joins your hosts Alessia and Gaurav and reflects on his time spent at COP 27 in Sharm-el-Sheikh last year. They connect this journey to the now ongoing COP 28 in Dubai and discuss some realistic expectations we could have from the Event, especially dealing with the much-awaited "operationalisation of a loss-and-damages fund".This is Part 1 in our Environmental Policy series to commemorate the ongoing debate and discussion taking place at COP 28, and at dinner tables across the world, in the spirit of advancing further conversation on these crucial topics as the world heads towards a greater mean global temperature.
Starting today, the UBC IRSA, PSSA and VSEUS Clubs are hosting this year's rendition of the Canadian Undergraduate Policy Competition (CUPC) on the theme 'Emerging Technologies'. The event shall run from November 24th-26th, 2023.Join us in our conversation with Bridget Chu, one of the co-chairs for CUPC 2023 as we address some FAQs about the event.Register here for the Minister's Box Free Workshop on November 24th, 2023: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeBYi3Urd15iyEe3NzKRF2lDsF_aGX_BphADlOUmc9oc0ldRQ/viewformAccess previous years' CUPC archives through their website: https://www.thecupc.ca/Thanks for listening!
In Part 2 of 2 of our very special collaboration with the World Bank’s Air Quality Management (AQM) team on South Asia, based in New Delhi, co-hosts Gaurav and Thalin go deeper into the report ‘Striving for Clean Air’ with guests Jostein Nygard and Sayantan Sarkar.They address the methodology recommended in the report, which speaks of three policy priorities that South Asian governments should follow to effectively attain cleaner air across airsheds by 2030. Also discussed are lessons from AQM in the rest of the world, synergies and tradeoffs between national strategies on AQM and climate action, and positive actions that the World Bank is taking to help counter this problem.Listeners can find brief bios for both our guests and a link to the report ‘Striving for Clean Air’ below.Jostein NygardJostein Nygard, a Norwegian national, is an environmental economist with the World Bank where he has worked on Pollution Management and Environmental Health programs for over 20 years. He has developed the World Bank’s methodology for Air Quality Management (AQM) worldwide and developed the largest-scale AQM programs for the Bank in East Asia - particularly in China, Mongolia and Vietnam - as well as in other regions like Africa, South America and the Middle East, and more recently in South Asia. Jostein is presently based in New Delhi, where he coordinates the Bank’s regional AQM program in the South Asian region (particularly India, Pakistan and Bangladesh). Jostein is educated as an economist from Aalborg University in Denmark and Beijing University in China.Sayantan Sarkar Sayantan Sarkar has worked on air pollution and climate change issues for over a decade. He currently works with the World Bank’s Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy Practice, based in New Delhi. He supports the India Air Quality Management Program, and also works on regional air quality issues in South Asia. He has previously worked with bilateral and non-profit organisations including the UK FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office), the University of Chicago’s India Centre, and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) on a range of issues like international climate negotiations, low-carbon development policy, environmental transparency initiatives, air quality planning, and extreme heat resilience. Sayantan has a Master’s degree in Environmental Science from The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) University in New Delhi.Link to the report: https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/sar/publication/striving-for-clean-air
Join your host Gaurav as he gets a 101 on Canadian Climate Politics from UBC Professor Kathryn Harrison.
Welcome to Part 1 of 2 of a very special collaboration that the Global Get Down conducted with the World Bank’s Air Quality Management (AQM) team in South Asia. We discuss their report ‘Striving for Clean Air’ on how best to combat the deteriorating condition of Air Pollution in the region (encompassing India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and parts of Afghanistan and Iran).This episode, co-hosts Gaurav and Thalin introduce the contentious topic of Air Pollution with our guests, Jostein Nygard and Sayantan Sarkar and talk to them about the approach they followed in their report. They discuss the basic economic, social and political implications of this regional crisis and the unique character that the problem is demonstrating in South Asia.Listeners can find brief bios for both our guests and a link to the report ‘Striving for Clean Air’ below:Jostein NygardJostein Nygard, a Norwegian national, is an environmental economist with the World Bank where he has worked on Pollution Management and Environmental Health programs for over 20 years. He has developed the World Bank’s methodology for Air Quality Management (AQM) worldwide and developed the largest-scale AQM programs for the Bank in East Asia - particularly in China, Mongolia and Vietnam - as well as in other regions like Africa, South America and the Middle East, and more recently in South Asia. Jostein is presently based in New Delhi, where he coordinates the Bank’s regional AQM program in the South Asian region (particularly India, Pakistan and Bangladesh). Jostein is educated as an economist from Aalborg University in Denmark and Beijing University in China.Sayantan SarkarSayantan Sarkar has worked on air pollution and climate change issues for over a decade. He currently works with the World Bank’s Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy Practice, based in New Delhi. He supports the India Air Quality Management Program, and also works on regional air quality issues in South Asia. He has previously worked with bilateral and non-profit organisations including the UK FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office), the University of Chicago’s India Centre, and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) on a range of issues like international climate negotiations, low-carbon development policy, environmental transparency initiatives, air quality planning, and extreme heat resilience. Sayantan has a Master’s degree in Environmental Science from The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) University in New Delhi.Link to the report: https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/sar/publication/striving-for-clean-air
In this episode, host Belle is joined by Professor Christopher Kam, a researcher on comparative politics, to explore the demographic challenge that advanced industrial democracies worldwide are currently experiencing: the problem of simultaneously aging societies and falling birth rates. Integrating topics such as tax regimes, cultural shifts, economic productivity, and immigration, we discuss what smaller labour cohorts mean for national policy planning in the future, as well as the medium- and long-term consequences of the new way we think about children and families.
In this episode, cohosts Gaurav and Thalin are joined by Dr. James Jay Carney to explore the intersection of religion and politics in Central Africa.The Catholic Church has become an integral part of African national identity. It plays a significant role in the daily lives of communities at the grassroots level in post-colonial Africa. However, this position is not without conflicts and issues that revolve around society. With a focus on Uganda and Rwanda, we discuss the impact of Catholicism and the Church on national identity, social welfare, and political discourse in these countries and globally.Dr. Jay Carney is an Associate Professor of Theology at Creighton University, a U.S. Fulbright Scholar, and Visiting Professor at Uganda Martyrs University in Nkosi, Uganda. His work specializes in the intersection of history and theology, focusing on the Catholic experience in eastern and central Africa.
Join us for a special episode with Jordan Hattar as we delve into his strategy to change how we should think about refugees globally and why he focuses mainly on educating children. We also hear about the unorthodox path Jordan took to get to where he is today and the many hurdles he encountered along the way - a valuable insight for anyone looking to make the sort of impact he has in the IR world. Other issues addressed are notions of physicality and the failure of current education practises in representing the refugee crisis, the present and future of the refugee camp (specifically Zaatari, where Jordan works) and what sort of foreign policies the world needs nation-states to adopt to help alleviate some of the plights felt by refugees daily - which the privileged can scarcely imagine.Check out Jordan’s website below:https://www.help4refugees.org/
Welcome to another episode of the Global Get Down podcast. We are your hosts, Johnny and Thalin. Today, we present the issue of Neo-Liberal expansion in the agriculture sector and the damages this model has caused against smallholder farmers of rural African communities through the lenses of economic, sociopolitical, and gender perspectives. Since the 2008 global food crisis, African governments, with the help of foreign donors, have financed the agriculture sector. Initially, this was a programme centred on the efforts of smallholder farmers as they recognized that these farmers were pivotal to the economy. However, these programmes failed to bring much progress because their models have failed to assist smallholders, ultimately forcing them to leave their farmlands and causing mass displacement. As a result, this so-called “Green Revolution” has brought more harm than good. With this being said, we would like to introduce Alex Park and Dr. Sierra Vercillo, who have co-written the opinion pieces “The new US nutrition aid strategy undermines Africa’s hungriest” and “African agriculture without African farmers” for Aljazeera.Alex Park is an independent journalist specializing in foreign direct investment in Africa and a researcher investigating capital flows for a non-profit group representing small African farmers. He has authored pieces in Mother Jones, HuffPost, The Correspondent, The Washington Post, Africa is a Country and many other publications. He is also working on a book about the global fast-food industry. Dr. Siera Vercillo is a Post Doctoral Fellow and Adjunct Professor at the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development at the University of Waterloo. She is currently working as a Postdoctoral Fellow and Instructor in Sustainable Food and Farming Futures at the University of Toronto, Scarborough. She also sits on the Board of Advisors for Initiative for Equality.
The fact that Western Corporations engage heedlessly in corruptactivities in Africa and the rest of the Global South fail to getenough mention in mainstream IR discourse. Cases such as the $10.35million fine imposed upon Griffiths Energy International, an oil-and-gas exploration firm (operating out of Calgary) in 2013 for their attemptsto win over foreign officials from Chad (courtesy of a "consulting fee."paid to the Ambassador's wife) are largely unknown amongst scholars andstudents alike. In keeping with our new season theme of ‘Unconventional IR,’ hosts Belleand Gaurav sit down with Dolapo Makinde, a Liu Scholar and current PhDcandidate at UBC focusing her research on fusing corporate governanceand CSR to tackle corruption by Canadian businesses in the Global South. Dolapo has an interesting ‘silver bullet’ solution to propose: AI. Listen in for a critique of the current global governance mechanism forcorporations and the inability of existing voluntary and non-enforceable norms on anti-corruption. Issues such as human rights, workerexploitation and undue profits are broken down, and ArtificialIntelligence is presented as something that can help govern thesesocietal ills. We also touch upon the negative potential of AI as beingused by corporations to promote illicit means, along with what anAI-regulated corporate governance model might look like this in the realworld.
China, a massive country with a long and intricate history, has spent the last century engaging in a tumultuous process of modernization, finally making its way to the center of the international stage these past years. Living during this critical point in history raises interesting questions regarding China's position in the international system: How did the rise of China come about? What does it mean for the rest of the world? Join our cohosts, Jessica and Gaurav with special guest, Dr. Yves Tiberghien to Unlearn the Rise of China in this week's episode!
This episode, co-hosted by Shreya and Johnny, will explore the history of American hegemony and how it came to be. We will divulge into various topics such as the development of American hegemony, soft power, and competitors in the international system. Guest Dr. Jessica Wang, a professor and co-chair of International Relations at UBC, will be joining us to discuss this important topic that is vital to understanding International Relations.
Join Alex and Jessica as they have a conversation with the President of the International Relations Student Association about what it's like to be an IR student!
This episode, co-hosted by Shreya and Johnny, will focus on breaking down international issues to their roots. This first episode will be breaking down the discipline of international relations and exploring the different theories, philosophies, and institutions that created IR. Guest Dr. Jovian Radheshwar, a professor at Douglas College, will be joining us to discuss these fundamental ideas and investigate how the history of IR affects the discipline today.
On this episode of Global Get Down, co-hosts Theresa and Nanna will dive into the unrest in Myanmar following the coup in February of this year. Since mass protests began against the military junta, hundreds of civilians have been killed, alarming the international community and boding ill for the future of the country. Joined by Isabel Chew, a PhD candidate at UBC, and Calvin Yin, a student leader of the BC Myanmar Students Coalition, this episode will explore the country’s political history, its experience with military rule and struggle for democracy, and other relevant factors in the unfolding civil unrest.
As graduation nears, co-hosts Gizel and Nanna take the chance to reflect with Yoojung Lee, a fourth-year student graduating in May. Having had the opportunity to take part in a research project on democratic health communications during Covid-19, Yoojung shares her experience working alongside UBC professors to create the RAPID Principles of Democratic Public Health Communications.
Listen for her insights into entering the field of research during your undergrad, putting yourself out there, and getting involved on campus. Whether you’re looking to get a research position with your professor, are new to UBC, or thinking about majoring in IR, this is the Global Get Down’s episode for advice on making the best out of your degree.
RAPID Report: https://democracy.arts.ubc.ca/2020/09/14/covid-19/
On this episode, co-hosts Miguel and Theresa are joined by Professor Michael Byers, who holds the Canada Research Chair in Global Politics and International Law, to discuss the Politics of Outer Space. From thousands of pieces of debris in Low Earth Orbit, to satellite constellations, human settlement on other celestial bodies, or more importantly, whether Elon Musk could become President of Mars, the team will address these topics and more.
On this episode, co-hosts Nanna and Theresa will be discussing the procurement and distribution of Covid-19 vaccines and the implications for global health governance with Dr. Prince Adu from the School of Population and Public Health and Godwin Dzah from the Peter Allard School of Law. In the meantime, don’t forget to check out all our previous episodes on Spotify, Soundcloud, or Youtube!
On this week’s episode, your host Gizel Gedik is joined by Hailey Dash, an undergraduate student at UBC and co-founder of ASILU Collective, working to abolish police presence in Ottawa school’s. School Resource Officers are law enforcement officers placed in many schools in Canada. While their explicit purpose is to aid in safety and crime prevention, it has led to the unjust targeting of racialized students, especially Black and Indigenous students. Learn more about organizing your own collective, the school-to-prison pipeline, and how movements like BLM, EndSARS, and ASILU address larger systems of oppression through abolitionist principles.
On this week’s episode, co-hosts Nanna and Miguel are joined by Professor Zaraí Toledo Orozco and UBC IR student Tomas Kantor to discuss the political developments in Chile following the October 25th (2020) referendum.
The referendum resulted in a landslide approval to rewrite the Chilean constitution. It also resulted in the approval of a constitutional convention, which will be made up of elected members specifically for the purposes of drafting the new constitution. This marks the beginning of the end of the constitution of 1980 - a constitution which was written under the Pinochet military dictatorship and had been considered illegitimate by many. We explore the historical context dating back to the Allende era, the Pinochet dictatorship, the recent protests, how the referendum has been received in Santiago, and what this could mean for the rest of the region moving forward.
On this weeks episode, co-hosts Nanna and Theresa sit down for a conversation with Clark Schofield, the executive director of Collective Aid, a grassroots NGO operating in Europe to support refugees, migrants, and asylum-seekers on the move. We explore insights into NGO work, the ins and outs of running a non-profit organization, the status of the refugee crisis in Europe today, and some of the most important lessons Clark has learned during his time as director.
Collective Aid: https://www.collectiveaidngo.org/
We are starting the new season with our first episode discussing U.S. foreign policy during what has been one of the more controversial presidential terms in modern American politics. To give us a better idea of how Trump’s foreign policy has played out during his first term, we were joined by Dr Richard Price, a professor and head of the Department of Political Science at the University of British Columbia. He specializes in international relations and his research interests focus on the role of norms in world politics.
S1E03: Globalization - Is it a Small World After All? by Global Get Down - An IRSA Podcast