Podcast Archive

Thursday 10 DecemberLSE IDEAS, the New Strategy Center Bucharest (NSC) and the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) host a one-day conference to provide a comprehensive update on the challenges to NATO in the Arctic and Black Sea.
Whistleblowing Nation: The History of US National Security Disclosures
Monday 30 NovemberThe twenty-first century witnessed a new age of whistleblowing in the United States. Disclosures by Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden, and others have stoked heated public debates about the ethics of exposing institutional secrets, with roots in a longer history of state insiders revealing classified information. Bringing together contributors from a range of disciplines to consider political, legal, and cultural dimensions, Whistleblowing Nation (Columbia University Press, 2020) is a path breaking history of national security disclosures and state secrecy from World War I to the present.
Friday 27 NovemberWill US foreign and defence policy change in Central and South-Eastern Europe under Joe Biden’s presidency?
Documenting Human Rights Abuses and Transitional Justice in Syria
Friday 20 NovemberThe Syrian war is the most documented conflict in history. But is documentation paving the way for justice? Drawing on new research from the Conflict Research Programme, the panel discuss the current gaps in documentation and ways to address them.
"Mind the Gap": New Directions in History, Culture and Diplomacy in a Time of COVID
Co-hosted with the Department of International HistoryThursday 19 NovemberThis event was the first presentation of the History, Culture and Diplomacy Series. Blanche Wiesen Cook, Margaret Peacock, Audra Wolfe, and Patryk Babiracki set the stage for on-campus lectures by each scholar in the 2021/22 academic year.
Cities at War: global insecurity and urban resistance
Wednesday 18 NovemberListen to the panel discussion of the recently published book Cities at War and how urban environments are sites of contemporary warfare and insecurity.
Co-hosted with the Department of International History
Tuesday 17 NovemberSimon Miles discusses how the United States and the Soviet Union decided to move from covert engagement to overt conversation and how this laid the groundwork for the end of the Cold War.
Thursday 12 NovemberLee Kuan Yew once stated "The 21st century will be a contest for supremacy in the Pacific." As US-China competition escalates, how should regional powers respond?
Empires Past & Present: the idea of empire
Wednesday 11 NovemberThis is the first lecture in the 20/21 Engelsberg Chair series. Arne Westad discusses the concept of empire and resistance to empire in a long historical perspective.
The EU and the Romani People
Thursday 5 NovemberWhat is the European Union doing to address racism directed towards Romani communities, and race-related exclusion within its borders?
Meet the Leader: Naheed Nenshi
Thursday 5 NovemberIn the Meet the Leader series, LSE IDEAS hosts fireside chats with leading practitioners of strategy and diplomacy, who have achieved distinction in public and private sectors. This series is part of the LSE IDEAS Alumni Network. Our distinguished guest today is Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi.
Wednesday 28 OctoberThe nature of great power competition in the 21st century will shape the world. Are we in a new cold war between the US and China?
Thursday 22 OctoberWhile hawkishness on China is bi-partisan in the US, the 2020 presidential election will still have a major impact on US-China relations. What can we expect after November?
Tuesday 20 OctoberMichael Cox and Lucian Ashworth discuss Mitrany's impact on international relations and how his Romanian origins influenced his thinking.
Wednesday 14 OctoberThe panel discuss the policy recommendations proposed by the Conflict Research Programme to the UK Government’s Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy.
The Integrated Review - Towards a Conclusion
Monday 5 OctoberAhead of the UK Government’s final discussion on its Integrated Review of foreign, defence, security and development policy, a panel of LSE IDEAS experts consider what it should conclude.
Russia and China in South-East Europe
Co-hosted with the Ratiu Forum
Friday 2 OctoberWhat are Russia’s and China’s strategies and ambitions in South-East Europe?
Contemporary Challenges to Democracy
Co-hosted with the Ratiu Forum
Friday 18 SeptemberThis panel discussion explores how populist media and historical narratives are creating a crisis of self-belief in Western liberal democracies. This is part of the Ratiu Forum's "Dialogues on Democracy" event series.
The End of the End of History
Co-hosted with the Ratiu Forum
Wednesday 16 SeptemberHas liberalism failed to deliver on its promises? Professor Burleigh and Professor Cox discuss ‘the end of the end of history’. This is part of the Ratiu Forum's "Dialogues on Democracy" event series.
Crisis in Central and Eastern Europe?
Co-hosted with the Ratiu Forum
Tuesday 15 SeptemberPopulist and illiberal governments now dominate much of Central and Eastern European politics. Can liberal democracy survive? This is part of the Ratiu Forum's "Dialogues on Democracy" event series.
Immigration into Eastern Europe: new challenges
Monday 27 JulyCentral and Eastern Europe must address a new phenomenon: it is now a place of immigration. How is the region responding?
In the Streets and Online: peace, human security and civil unrest after COVID-19
Monday 6 JulyRecent events as well as the COVID-19 pandemic suggest that the world is becoming more turbulent both off and online. This panel discussion will present new global trends around peace, conflict and civil unrest, and examine their implications for online space and human security.
A Journey Through History, Populism and Nationalism
Friday 3 JulyMichael Burleigh delivers his third and final Engelsberg Chair Lecture. Many people consume bits of History as part of the entertainment industry, from costume dramas to how people lived ‘then’. Michael Burleigh explores a much wider sample of how History impacts on the present, from national stories/mythologies to inapt historical analogies. Can there be too much remembering? Would amnesia be better?
Geopolitics in the Balkans
Co-hosted with the Ratiu Forum
Monday 29 JuneThe COVID-19 outbreak, shifts in the global order, and rising tensions between great powers have brought new geopolitical dynamics into the Balkans. Against this backdrop, we will discuss these ongoing changes with a special focus on Serbia.
Peace and the Pandemic
Wednesday 24 JuneWill coronavirus contribute to the further escalation or new outbreaks of conflict? How can the international community –governments, international organisations, regional actors and civil society develop a peace-building response to COVID-19? Helen Clark, head of the United Nations Development Programme 2009-2017, and former Prime Minister of New Zealand leads an expert panel to discuss the development and security risks of the current pandemic.
Malign Foreign Influences in the Black Sea RegionCo-hosted with the UK Romania GroupMonday 22 JuneWhat threatens the Black Sea region? From border security to cyber intrusion, our panel examine current and future malign foreign influences in the Black Sea security environment.
China in One Country? Autarky, decoupling, and its implications
Thursday 11 JuneFacing international upheaval due to COVID-19, and an increasingly hostile West, some speculate that China may experience a semi-Stalinist turn inward, and widespread technological and economic decoupling from the rest of the world. What is the truth behind these speculations, what is the internal debate within China, and what might this mean for China and indeed for the international community?
Will Democracy Survive in Poland, Hungary and Serbia?
Co-hosted with the Ratiu Forum
Monday 8 JuneA recent Freedom House report singled out Poland, Hungary and Serbia for their alarming rate of democratic disintegration. The COVID-19 pandemic has provided these countries with an unusual opportunity to interfere with constitutional powers and scheduled elections. How have these three countries exploited this opportunity? And what longer-term impact will this have in these precarious times for democracy?
Meet the Leader: Jimmy Wales
Wednesday 3 JuneIn the Meet the Leader series, LSE IDEAS hosts fireside chats with leading practitioners of strategy and diplomacy, who have achieved distinction in public and private sectors. This series is part of the LSE IDEAS Alumni Network. Our distinguished guest is Jimmy Wales.
COVID-19 and Africa: pandemics and global politics
Monday 1 JuneA panel of leading African commentators reflect on the global response to the health dimensions of the pandemic in Africa.
COVID-19 Economic Response: a comparative, cross-border perspective
Friday 29 MayThis panel compare and contrast the economic policy response to COVID-19 undertaken by countries around the world in both developed and emerging economies. It will explore the immediate impact on supply-chains and the outlook for trade and cross-border investment from here.
COVID-19 and Deglobalisation
Thursday 30 AprilCOVID-19 was a significant supply shock for the global economy, among other things. With nations protecting their borders and even limiting some trade, will this accelerate a move toward deglobalisation?You can read the blog post based on this event here.
Radical Uncertainty: decision making for an unknowable future
Tuesday 10 MarchTwo leading economists, John Kay and Mervyn King, discuss decision making in conditions of radical uncertainty, where we can neither imagine all possible outcomes nor assign probabilities to future events.
Personalities and Progress: LSE and the world
This event was part of the Friday 6 MarchSince its foundation in 1895 LSE people and ideas have helped to shape the world. We will explore the lives and influence of six LSE people whose work and ideas have shaped our world – do their experiences hold any lessons for today as the 21st century progresses.
Monday 2 MarchThis panel discusses the challenges that China faces in avoiding the ‘middle-income trap’ of development and how this aims to be avoided through the ‘Made in China 2025’ industrial strategy.
2030 Sustainability Goals: can businesses rise to the challenge?Co-hosted with the LSE Systemic Risk Centre
Tuesday 25 FebruaryThis panel event asks whether the private sector can rise to the challenge of meeting the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Coalitions for Change: working with the private sector to improve peace and security
Tuesday 11 FebruaryDurable solutions to conflict, underdevelopment and humanitarian crises require new alliances between diverse and non-traditional actors from the private sector, government and civil society. What role should the Academy play in encouraging and supporting such partnerships?
Civilisation-States and the Future of World Order
Friday 7 FebruaryThis panel event explores the concept of ‘civilisation-states’, with specific reference to China, Russia and India, and what this may mean for the future of the world order.
The Future of Anglo-German Relations: beyond BrexitCo-hosted by the Dahrendorf Forum at LSE IDEAS and the European Institute
Monday 3 FebruaryThis panel discussion with Baroness Pauline Neville-Jones, Sir Malcolm Rifkind and Dr Norbert Röttgen focuses on assessing the implications of the Brexit process for the future of Anglo-German relations.
Thursday 30 JanuaryWhat do think tanks 'think'? Are they more than just advocates of special interests? How can they retain their independence? And what is—and should be—their role in the 'Age of Fake News'?
Engerland! Rossiya! Hyphenated-phantom-limb Nations on the Edges of Europe
Tuesday 21 JanuaryThe second Engelsberg Chair Lecture from Michael Burleigh examines how Britain and Russia have dealt with the loss of empire and what impact that has had on self-understanding and politics.
Co-hosted by the Dahrendorf Forum at LSE IDEAS and the European Institute
Thursday 16 JanuaryListen to Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, minister of defence & leader of the CDU in Germany, deliver a lecture at LSE on future German-British partnerships.

Tuesday 10 DecemberThis panel reassesses the Chinese economy and consider the effects of a slowing Chinese economy.
Co-hosted by the Dahrendorf Forum at LSE IDEAS and the European Institute
Monday 9 DecemberThe Dahrendorf Forum at LSE IDEAS and the European Institute welcome George Papaconstantinou and Panicos Demetriades for an evening of reflection and discussion to mark the launch of their latest publications.
Co-hosted by the New Strategy Center and NATO Public Diplomacy
Thursday 5 DecemberListen to the podcasts from the day-long conference that consider NATO's Next Ten Years, bringing together senior officials, military personnel, former practitioners and other experts. The conference was held the day after the NATO heads of state and government meeting in London in December 2019, held to mark the 70th anniversary of the alliance.
From 1919 to 2019: Pivotal Lessons from Versailles
Thursday 28 NovemberA panel of distinguished scholars discuss the legacy of the First World War, the Versailles Peace Treaty which followed, and why the treaty has been so hotly debated ever since by critics and defenders alike.
Tuesday 26 NovemberWith the Taiwan elections approaching in January 2020, there grows a stirring, yet precarious, potential of a redefining shift in the nation’s foreign policy. Join us for a panel discussion.
Towards a new Euromissile Crisis? Implications of the end of the INF Treaty
Thursday 21 NovemberIn light of the American and Russian withdrawals from the landmark 1987 INF Treaty, this event discusses the implications for European security, transatlantic relations, and nuclear disarmament.
"We, the People?" Some Thoughts from our Past on Contemporary European Populism
Tuesday 12 NovemberWhat can history contribute to an understanding of contemporary European populism, which is now as much in power as insurgent? This was the inaugural Engelsberg Chair lecture with Michael Burleigh.
Thursday 7 NovemberJoe Robinson from British technology company Improbable discusses how new advances in the games industry are being adopted by government departments in order to greatly improve the way nations prepare and plan for conflict.
India's Foreign Policy
Co-hosted with the South Asia Centre
Tuesday 29 OctoberIan Hall, Kate Sullivan, and Mukulika Banerjee discuss India's Foreign Policy.
Thursday 24 OctoberSean McFate talks about his newest book Goliath which looks at warfare in the 21st century and examines why the West doesn't win wars and what we need to do in this new age of war.
30 Years After the Fall of the Berlin Wall: German historical memory and national identityCo-hosted with the Department of International History
Wednesday 23 OctoberHope Harrison examines the arc of memory politics in Germany since 1989, including the impact of the rise of the far right as well as German plans for the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Wall.
Anatomies of RevolutionCo-hosted with the Department of International Relations
Tuesday 22 OctoberSome of the world's best-known and most acute scholars of revolution discuss the main themes that emerge from George Lawson's recently published book Anatomies of Revolution.
Wednesday 16 OctoberWorld-renowned think tank expert James McGann discusses the role of think tanks and the ways in which the industry is changing.
Wednesday 9 OctoberThe event examined the systematic injustices faced by Canada’s indigenous communities by the legal system, drawing on Matthew Eaton-Kent’s experience working in the country’s far north.
No Longer Special? The Death of Anglo-America?
Co-hosted with the Department of International Relations
Thursday 3 OctoberJohn Ikenberry, Kori Schake and Linda Yueh discuss the notion of 'Anglo-America', what the relationship between the USA and UK has meant for the world in the twentieth century, and how a retreat by both from the world - and perhaps from each other - will impact on the international system.
Challenges Facing the Euro
Tuesday 17 September 2019The Governor of the Bank of France recalls the tangible assets that the Euro has already provided to the Euro area and will focus on the efforts needed towards building a stronger Europe, against the backdrop of Brexit, while stressing three priorities: increasing resilience, increasing growth and affirming sovereignty.
Thursday 13 June 2019We heard from the High Commissioner of Bangladesh to UK, H.E. Ms. Saida Muna Tasneem, on women's empowerment in Bangladesh. The talk was followed by an interactive dialogue with Lutfey Siddiqi.
What would it mean for Britain's economic diplomacy if China becomes dominant in the world economy?
Thursday 6 June 2019Linda Yueh explores what Britain needs to consider in relation to economic diplomacy and China.
Friday 31 May 2019Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman from King's College London delivered the keynote lecture entitled 'Star Wars: A View from the Commentariat'. This was part of the conference 'Towards an International History of the Strategic Defence Initiative'.
Thursday 23 May 2019Reflecting on NATO’s 70 anniversary, this round-table discussion reflected on the challenges that the Alliance faces today in light of its long-term history and development.
Brexit, Britain and the Irish Question
Wednesday 22 May 2019Michael Burleigh and Michael Cox explore Brexit and the Irish Question. This event also marked the launch of the LSE IDEAS report: Ireland-UK Relations and Northern Ireland after Brexit.
Thursday 16 May 2019The event introduced a multi-dimensional comparative perspective on the Israeli-Turkish relations and provided comparative analyses from both Israeli and Turkish contributors.
From the "End of History" to the Crisis of the Liberal Order: rethinking the end of the Cold War
Wednesday 8 May 2019How and why has the liberal promise of the post-Cold War world not been realised? Where is the world now heading? Is the post-Cold War era over?
Chronicle of a Brexit Foretold? Britain and Europe in the Thatcher Era, 1975-85
Co-hosted with the LSE Department of International History and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Tuesday 26 March 2019This event examined the stresses, quarrels, compromises and ambitions which contributed to an unhappy relationship between the United Kingdom and her European partners.
European Parliament Elections Panel 2019
Co-hosted with the LSESU Grimshaw Club
Thursday 21 March 2019This panel discussed the upcoming European Parliament elections which are predicted to be a crucial and transformational event in the history of the European Union.
The Cauldron - NATO’s 2011 operation to protect civilians in Libya
Wednesday 20 March 2019Rob Weighill and Florence Gaub examine the formation, execution and aftermath of an operation marked with many firsts for NATO. A fascinating insight into the mechanics of NATO by experts on the subject.
Co-hosted with the LSESU Amnesty International Society
Thursday 14 March 2019At a time of international uncertainty, what is the role of women in peace and security? This panel event aims to answer this question, through a number of perspectives.
The Rise of the Civilizational State: China, Russia and Islamic Caliphate and the challenge to the liberal world order
Thursday 7 March 2019Christopher Coker discusses the rise of the civilizational state, drawing on China, Russia, and the Islamic Caliphate.
Co-hosted with the , a project of LSE IDEAS, and the LSE European InstituteWednesday 6 March 2019Paolo Gentiloni offers his insights on the future of Europe, drawing on his experience as prime minister of Italy from 2016 to 2018.
The Coming Asian Century: challenges for the West
Tuesday 5 March 2019In the 19th century, the world was Europeanized. In the 20th century, it was Americanized. Now, in the 21st century, the world is being irreversibly Asianized. The ‘Asian Century’ is even bigger than you think.
Co-hosted with the LSESU United Nations Society
Monday 4 March 2019This joint forum aims to provide students with a glimpse of what life is like at a leading university think tank.
Crisis of the Liberal World Order, or is the West in Decline - Again?This event was part of the Wednesday 27 February 2019John Ikenberry has for many years been insisting that the liberal world order created by the USA after WW2 has proved remarkably durable. Now, however, a series of major shifts in the world has placed the liberal order under immense strain. In this Roundtable, Professor John Ikenberry will be in conversation with leading LSE public intellectual Professor Mary Kaldor.
A Marketplace for World Order This event was part of the Tuesday 26 February 2019What forces will now shape the international system? Is disorder the only logical outcome with the breakdown of our current world order? Danny Quah suggests how an economic marketplace model for great power competition can help answer these questions, and guide thinking for constructing a world order that works for all the international community.
A Populist Wave? Unity and Division Among Europe's New Parties This event was part of the
Tuesday 26 February 2019This event explores two counterintuitive arguments about Europe’s populist parties. First, that populist parties may find more in common with traditional parties in their home countries than with their counterparts in other European contexts; second, that populist parties on the left and the right have more in common with each other than with the traditional parties they separated from.
Whatever Happened to the Revolution? LSE in the 60s This event was part of the
Tuesday 26 February 2019One British university above all others came to be associated with student rebellion in the 1960s - the LSE - later referred by one of the original rebels as that 'utopia at the end of the Kingsway rainbow - for a period'. But why the LSE? What did the students hope to achieve? And what legacy did they leave behind?
A New International Order? Peacemaking after the First World War This event was part of the
Monday 25 February 2019A century after the Treaty of Versailles was signed in 1919, this session reappraised the peace settlement that followed the First World War.
Thursday 31 January 2019A panel of five distinguished speakers with different academic interests and professional affiliation discussed ‘Why Facts and Think Tanks Matter in an Age of Disinformation’. This event formed part of the annual Why Think Tanks Matter Forum and the 2018 Global Go To Think Tank Report Launch event series.
China’s Peaceful Rise and the Thucydides Trap
Co-hosted with LSE IDEAS and LSE SU China Development Society
Tuesday 29 January 2019This Bridging Minds Symposium discussed whether the prospects of China's "peaceful rise" are indeed fading, approaching the question from different perspectives.
Europe’s Response to the Challenge of Migration and Security
Co-hosted with the LSE European Instituteand the , a project of LSE IDEAS
Wednesday 23 January 2019Dimitris Avramopoulos explores how Europe has reacted to the challenges brought about by migration in a globalised Europe.
Monday 21 January 2019Drawing on political theory, comparative politics, international relations, psychology and classics, Ned Lebow offered insights into why social and political orders form, how they evolve, and why and how they decline.
Co-hosted with the LSE Department of International History
Thursday 17 January 2019Philip Murphy offered a personal perspective on the Commonwealth, a complex and poorly understood institution, and asked if it can ever escape from the shadow of the British Empire to become an organisation based on shared values, rather than a shared history.
Wednesday 16 January 2019This event examined a crucial element of state behaviour: the use of international institutions, informal alignments and economic instruments such as sanctions, to constrain the power and threatening behaviour of dominant actors.

The Chocolate Case
Co-hosted with United Nations Cinema and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Thursday 6 December 2018Marking the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, LSE IDEAS and the UN Cinema presented a screening The Chocolate Case, followed by a panel discussion on the links between responsible business, consumers, and modern day slavery.
Trump, America, and the World: two years on
Tuesday 27 November 2018Two years ago Donald Trump’s election shocked the world. This event explored how far he has changed US foreign policy.
Wednesday 21 November 2018Derek Leebaert explored the Anglo-US relations in the years after World War Two – a period that redefined what has come to be the ‘special relationship’.
Thursday 8 November 2018Experts on international business discuss recent trends in conversation with Mahesh Joshi's new book Global Business - a straightforward commentary on mega trends in globalization.
Thursday 18 October 2018This event explores the causes of the 2008 global financial crash and the lessons we should learn from it with the policymakers who were there.
Crucible: Thirteen Months that Forged Our World
Tuesday 16 October 2018Jonathan Fenby extols his thesis on the crucial months between 1947-1948 which shaped the politics of the Cold War, and left an indelible mark on the modern world.
Reforms to Strengthen the European Monetary Union
Tuesday 2 October 2018Vítor Constâncio, the former Vice President of the European Central Bank, explored the possible reforms proposed to strengthen the EMU and their predicted consequences.
Tuesday 25 September 2018Ramachandra Guha tells the epic story of Gandhi's life and how he changed the world armed only with his arguments and example.
Monday 9 July 2018Can the work of the great European philosophers help solve Europe's problems today? At this event, scholars discussed how the ideas of thinkers such as Heidegger, Arendt, Anders, and Adorno can be applied to populism, climate change, and artificial intelligence.
To End A WarCo-hosted with the United Nations and the Embassy of Colombia
Tuesday 26 June 2018What does it takes for a nation of 50 million to move from hatred to forgiveness, from war to peace? Listen to the panel discussion on the Colombian peace process and the future of the country.
The Middle East after ISIS: what is at stake?
Monday 18 June 2018ISIS has been defeated militarily, but the fight for the Middle East is just beginning. Gilles Kepel, author of The Rise of Jihad in the West, discusses the future of the region and how it will shape global politics in the decades ahead.
The French Revolution: one year on Co-hosted with the LSE European InstituteThursday 24 May 2018How successful has Emmanuel Macron's first year as President of France been? Jean Pisani-Ferry, former Director of ideas on the Macron campaign, and journalist Christine Ockrent discuss.
Co-hosted with the LSE European Institute
Wednesday 16 May 2018Liberal ideas are under attack across Europe. In this lecture, Jan Zielonka explores the sources of this counter-revolution to the liberal establishment and asks if Europeans can feel secure again?
Transparency: the most important pillar in a functional democracy Co-hosted with the LSE Global South Unit, part of the CAF-LSE Leadership Series
Tuesday 15 May 2018Our event with Juan Carlos Varela, President of the Republic of Panama, where the President spoke about his battle against corruption, the 'Panama Papers', and building relations with China the 'Panama way'.
Wednesday 9 May 2018Most histories of the Cold War portray Italy as being passive, without its own ambitious foreign policy. This panel discussion challenges that assumption by exploring Italian diplomacy during the Cold War and how Italian foreign policy was shaped by the country's domestic economy and politics.
The Catalan Crisis: populism and secessionism Co-hosted with the LSE European Institute and The for Contemporary Spanish Studies
Tuesday 8 May 2018Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on the political, social and economic factors that have led to the growth of populism and secessionism in Catalonia and possible solutions to the current political blockade.
The Great Economists: how their ideas can help us today
Monday 9 April 2018Linda Yueh discusses her new book that helps us to think about the biggest economic challenges of our time by drawing on the ideas of the great economists whose thinking has already changed the world.
EU Foreign, Security, & Defence Policy after Brexit Co-hosted with the , a project of LSE IDEAS
Thursday 8 March 2018Does Brexit create an opportunity for more defence integration in Europe by removing the UK veto, or will the damage from losing British military capabilities be too great?
Why Post-Truth Matters to Think Tanks
Tuesday 30 January 2018As part of the Global Go To Think Tank Index launch, Chatham House, LSE IDEAS, and the Institute for Government joined hundreds of other leading world think tanks in hosting a simultaneous event discussing the role of think tanks in government and civil society.
Co-hosted by CAF - Development Bank of Latin America, the LSE Global South Unit, and LSE IDEASFriday 19 January 2018The 2018 CAF-LSE conference focused on the importance of leadership. How can leaders in the global south, in the public and private sectors, maintain stability and growth in turbulent times for the world?
The Cold War: a world history
Tuesday 9 January 2018Arne Westad and Michael Cox discusses the truly global nature of the Cold War, with East and West demanding absolute allegiance around the world.

The Foreign Office, Commerce, and British Foreign Policy
Wednesday 29 November 2017How did the Foreign Office support British commerce? And how has commerce shaped British foreign policy?
Monday 13 November 2017How can the private sector play a role in addressing insecurity and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals?
Hard Brexit, Soft Brexit, No Brexit? LSE IDEAS-Konrad Adenauer Stiftung event
Thursday 19 October 2017David McAllister MEP, a member of Angela Merkel's CDU and vice president of the European People's Party, and Agata Gostyńska-Jakubowska of the Centre for European Reform discussed the likelihood and consequences of three Brexit scenarios, with a focus on UK-Germany relations.
LSE IDEAS-Open University event
Wednesday 11 October 2017Luc-André Brunet explains continuities from the wartime Vichy regime to the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), the forerunner to today’s European Union, and what this means for current debates about Europe.
LSE IDEAS - LSE Department of International History event
Thursday 5 October 2017How did a peasant boy rise to the top of the Soviet system and end it? Pulitzer Prize winner William Taubman explains how Gorbachev's biography and background influenced his unique role in world history.
LSE IDEAS - International Alert - LSE LACC event
Thursday 4 May 2017Joshua Mitrotti on the challenges and achievements of a ground-breaking approach to absorb thousands of former paramilitaries and guerrilla fighters into productive employment as part of the country’s post-conflict transition.
The Balkans in the Cold War: Book Launch Discussion
Friday 28 April 2017The edited volume ‘Balkans in the Cold War’ contains 16 contributions from renowned experts and scholars on how the global Cold War manifested in the Balkans. This Q&A with the editors includes introductory comments by Arne Westad and Vesselin Dimitrov.
Trump and China in the Asian Century Part of the 'Rethinking the Cold War' Lecture Series with the University of Sheffield
Tuesday 25 April 2017The election of Donald Trump as president signals a profound change in US foreign relations. Professor Arne Westad of Harvard University asks what the reactions to the Trump presidency are likely to be in eastern Asia and whether we are facing a fundamental power shift in the region.
The Life and Times of Clement Attlee: From Houghton Street to Downing Street
Thursday 14 March 2017Clement Attlee was one of the great sons of the LSE, yet he was looked down upon by many academics on the left. What does Attlee’s life say about the story of the left in modern Britain and indeed the part played by the LSE in that history? Attlee biographer John Bew discusses with IDEAS Director and LSE historian Michael Cox.
Part of the Rethinking the Cold War Lecture Series with the University of Sheffield
Tuesday 28 February 2017How did the idea of 'human rights' develop in the twentieth century? Mark Bradley explored how changes in US culture and thought in the 1970s reflected a changing global idea of 'universial human rights' and changed the American idea of what it means to be free.
Revolutions in the Afghan Desert Part of the
Friday 24 February 2017The story of how vast areas of desert in Afghanistan have been transformed into farming land through the use of revolutionary new technologies in the poppy and opium trade. This event was part of the IDEAS exhibition on the topic, and included insight from satellite imagery.
From One Cold War to Another?Part of
Thursday 23 February 2017In what sense did the Cold War represent a revolution in world history? Was 1989 yet another – very different kind of - revolution in international affairs? And why does the Cold War we all thought dead and buried continue to exercise such influence on our discourses about the modern world?
Drug Policies Beyond the 'War on Drugs'? Part of the lecture series
Wednesday 15 February 2017As countries examine new ways of managing drugs beyond the failed 'war on drugs' model, this event explored the future of drug policy and the role of LSE research in driving government policies around the world.
Looking Back: Looking Forward. Another 'Twenty Years' Crisis?
Thursday 9 February 2017The international system is facing a perfect storm. Can history teach us how to avoid crisis? Ken Booth, Mary Kaldor, and Michael Cox discuss E.H. Carr's Twenty Years Crisis.
Brexit - Britain at the Crossroads: European Consequences, Geopolitical Risks?
Tuesday 7 February 2017The FT's Gideon Rachman and New York Times Steven Erlanger assessed the international consequences of the referendum on the United Kingdom’s membership in the European Union. Select Alumni Breakfast Podcasts from the Alumni Network page to listen.
Decline of the West and Crisis of Democracy?
Tuesday 7 February 2017Populism is on the rise across the West. How far does this reflect a decline in Western economic power? And how much does it threaten liberal democratic institutions? Brian Klass, Gideon Rachman, and Leslie Vinjamuri debate. Select Alumni Breakfast Podcasts from the Alumni Network page to listen.

War and PCs: Cyber and Violence in the 21st Century
Monday 5 December 2016Lecture by General Sir Richard Barrons, who served as Commander Joint Forces Command until April 2016 in a military career including operations in Bosnia, Kosovo, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan. Sir Richard outlines how disruptive technology will transform defence and security thinking worldwide.

LSE IDEAS - NATO - LSE Department of International History conference
Monday 5 December 2016 Margaret Gowing was an LSE alumna & leading nuclear historian, who wrote the ground breaking official history of Britain & Atomic Energy. Members of the Gowing family, NATO officials, civil servants, leading historians, & LSE students attended this one day conference to explore her personal and academic legacy.

Thursday 1 December 2016 When Nixon opened a door to China in 1972 the world was turned upside down for ever. But what is the state of the US-China relationship nearly fifty years on? Margaret Macmillan and Christopher Coker discuss the past, present, and future of arguably the most significant relationship of the modern era.

The Yanks are Coming! LSE in the American Century
Thursday 17 November 2016LSE has helped shape the United States and Americans have helped define the LSE since its foundation in 1895. Professor Mick Cox explains what has been a very "special relationship".

LSE IDEAS - LSE Department of International History event
Tuesday 8 November 2016Fourty years ago, a British politician was appointed President of the European Commission. Dr Piers Ludlow explored what Jenkins' tenure reveals about the nature of the job and the history of Britain in Europe.

LSE IDEAS - LSE LACCevent
Wednesday 2 November 2016LSE IDEAS was honoured to welcome President of Colombia and 2016 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Juan Manuel Santos to the LSE. In his lecture President Santos said the referendum vote agaisnt the peace deal could be a "blessing in disguise" for the peace process, spoke about Colombia's biodiversity and environmental policies inspired by the Stern Report, and revealed his favourite memory of being an LSE student.

The European Union at the Crossroads: Brexit and After
Monday 31 October 2016With the UK heading for Brexit, the European Union faces a historic challenge but also an opportunity to rethink its own future. French Minister Axelle Lemaire, historian Margaret MacMillan, and Lord Giddens debated Brexit and the future of Europe.

Part of the Rethinking the Cold War Lecture Series with the University of Sheffield
Wednesday 19 October 2016 Collective imaginations of nuclear warfare were a central battleground of the Cold War, fought through war-games and fictitious scenarios. This panel debate explored the 'imaginary war' and how culture and individuals struggled to comprehend nuclear war.

The Decline of the West in the New Asian Century?
Tuesday 4 October 2016Financial Times columnist Gideon Rachman and experts from LSE IDEAS discussed his new book Easternisation, debating how far Asia's growing wealth will move the international balance of power away from the West, Chinese nationalism, and the US-China competition for allies in Asia.

Power and Pragmatism: Sir Malcolm Rifkind
Monday 25 July 2016For almost fourty years, Malcolm Rifkind served at the forefront of British politics. In this lecture, former Foreign Secretary Sir Malcolm gave a lively account of his involvement in some of recent history’s most important events - such as early meetings between Thatcher and Gorbachev, and secret negotiations with the Argentine government on the Falklands Islands.

NATO at the Crossroads
Wednesday 29 June 2016Confronting Putin? Surviving Trump? Where is NATO – and indeed the whole Transatlantic relationship – likely to be heading in these deeply uncertain times? NATO's Jamie Shea and Anne Applebaum discuss. Select Alumni Breakfast Podcasts from the Alumni Network page to listen.

LSE IDEAS - Sarasin & Partnersevent
Monday 27 June 2016The Monday after the UK voted for Brexit, this event asked what happens now, with LSE experts and guests from business and politics discussed the impact on the global markets, the UK economy, British politics, and the wider world.

Thursday 9 June 2016In this Global Strategieslecture, economist John Kay discusses what business strategy can learn from military or political strategies. John Kay is one of Britain's leading economists, whose career has spanned the academic world, business and public affairs.

Dahrendorf Symposium: Europe and the World - Global Insecurity & Power Shifts
Wednesday 25 - Friday 27 May 2016The Dahrendorf Symposium is a high-profile event debating Europe’s future, attended by around 300 European policymakers and foreign policy experts. View full videos, Symposium publications, and a cartoon summary from the 2016 event in Berlin.

Changing Waters: Towards a New EU Asia Strategy
Thursday 28 April 2016The EU-Asia relationship has changed. At this event, contributors to the LSE IDEAS report Changing Waters spoke about the future of EU-Asia relations from building a new development relationship, expanding the EU's role in Asian security, and Chinese perspectives on the EU.

Thursday 7 April 2016Lecture by Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman, Emeritus Professor of War Studies at King's College London and author of Strategy: A History.

Europe & the Return of Geopolitics
Tuesday 22 March 2016In this lecture, Ambassador Pierre Vimont, first executive secretary-general of the European External Action Service, asked whether the EU - designed to prevent geopolitics - can meet the challenge of their return in the Ukraine crisis.

Thursday 17 March 2016British Ambassador to China Barbara Woodward on the 'Golden Era' of UK-China relations, the importance of public diplomacy, and building a strategic partnership.

Each Age Gets the Inequality It Needs: 20,000 Years of Hierarchy Part of the Philippe Roman Chair Lecture SeriesTuesday 15 March 2016Through most of history, humans lived in small groups with low hierarchy. The invention of farming increased the size of societies and inequality. Ian Morris explains how the ways we capture energy from the environment has affected hierarchy and what that tells us about where inequality will go in the coming decades.Twitter: #LSEMorris / Download Audio / Listen

After the Drug Wars report launch
Monday 15 February 2016In this event, contributors to After the Drug Wars from the LSE Expert Group on the Economics of Drug Policy set out a new framework for drug control based on the Sustainable Development Goals.

Each Age Gets the Bloodshed It Needs: 20,000 Years of Violence Part of the Philippe Roman Chair Lecture SeriesTuesday 9 February 201620,000 years ago, the average person stood a 10-20% chance of dying violently. Today, the chance is under 1%. How has this happened? Ian Morris argues that violence has slowly been putting itself out of business, with war creating large organisations that impose peace.Twitter: #LSEMorris / Download Audio / Listen

Russia and the EU: back to realism?
Wednesday 3 February 2016At this lecture, leading Moscow analyst and Editor-in-Chief of Russia in Global Affairs Fyodor Lukyanov argued that it's time to redefine the Europe - Russia relationship based on a pragmatic understanding of respective interests and capabilities.

Each Age Gets the Great Powers It Needs: 20,000 Years of International Relations Part of the Philippe Roman Chair Lecture Series

Tuesday 8 December 2015

Ian Morris traces the 20,000 year story of ‘International Relations’ asking why the world’s greatest powers were concentrated in western Eurasia until about AD 500, why they shifted to East Asia until AD 1750, why they returned to the shores of the North Atlantic, and where they will go next.

Twitter: #LSEMorris / Download Audio / Listen

Russian Foreign Policy as an Exercise in Nation-Building LSE IDEAS - LSE Department of International Relationsevent
Wednesday 3 November 2015

Leading Moscow-based analyst Dimitri Trenin opens up the black-box of Russia’s foreign policy and sheds light in particular on the role of the internal factors driving the country's policy.

Will the 21st Century be Asian?
Monday 2 November 2015

If the 19th century was Europe's - and the 20th century became America's - is there any reason why the 21st century should not be Asia's?

A Theory of Everything: Evolution, History and the Shape of Things to Come Part of the Philippe Roman Chair Lecture SeriesTuesday 27 October 2015

In the last 50 years, knowledge of archaeology, anthropology, history, evolution, genetics and linguistics has exploded. Biology and geography have driven a 150,000-year story of cooperation and competition. Ian Morris argues that by projecting forward the patterns of the past and the forces that disrupt them, we can begin to see where the 21st century might take us.

Twitter: #LSEMorris / Download Audio / Listen

The Crisis in European Security
Thursday 8 October 2015

Experienced European diplomats Robert Cooper and Wolfgang Ischinger were joined by Professors Karen Smith and Robert Falkner for this Dahrendorf Forum discussion on the Ukraine crisis and how to restore a "Europe whole and free".

Does Europe Have a Future? LSE IDEAS - LSE US Centreevent
Thursday 1 October 2015

Professor Walt of the Kennedy School at Harvard spoke at this on the strategic challenges facing the EU and if it can meet them.

Black Earth: the Holocaust as history and warning
Monday 14 September 2015

Timothy Snyder (@TimothyDSnyder) will talk about his new book, Black Earth: The Holocaust as History and Warning, in which he argues we have missed basic lessons of the history of the Holocaust, and that some of our beliefs are frighteningly close to the panic that Hitler expressed in the 1920’s. As ideological and environmental challenges to the world order mount, our societies might be more vulnerable than we would like to think.

China, the United States and Asia in the Twenty-first Century
Tuesday 5 May 2015

The rivalry between China and the United States for influence in Asia will determine the geopolitical landscape in this century. Arne Westad on what China can do to mobilise its undeniable resources in the exercise of a more effective foreign policy and how domestic developments in the two countries influence their long-term Asia policies.

Crowd-Sourcing, Surveillance, and the Era of the Synopticon Part of the Philippe Roman Chair Lecture SeriesWednesday 18 March 2015

‘Big data’ poses a massive challenge to the democratic accountability. Over the last four years the U.S. has quadrupled the amount of information that it classifies annually. But the information revolution has also provided citizens with the means to address these challenges.

In his concluding Philippe Roman lecture, Matthew Connelly explains how data-mining can help preserve the principle of open government.

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