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CSIS Podcasts

by Center for Strategic and International Studies · English · News

CSIS podcasts feature experts & scholars on a range of critical issues surrounding geopolitics, national security, defense, & international affairs topics.

New episodes: Several times a week
Typical length: 35 min
Latest: 10 Jul 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

10 Jul 2026

“Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Terrorism”: Audio Brief with Dan Byman

A short, spoken-word summary from CSIS’s Dan Byman on his brief with V.S. Subrahmanian, “Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Terrorism.”

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

15 Sep 2025 · 36 min
EU-U.S. Tensions, Economic Indicators, and Zeroing Out Tariffs
On this episode of the Trade Guys, we look at ongoing challenges to the EU-U.S. trade relationship, the early data on the macroeconomic impacts of the tariffs both home and abroad, and a recent executive order zeroing out tariffs on a select range of goods deemed not available in the United States. Trade continues to be the hottest policy topic in Washington, which is why we’re bringing back our ⁠Crash Course: Trade Policy with the Trade Guys⁠ this fall. If you missed our spring course, now is the perfect time to register. The course runs from October 8-9 at CSIS Headquarters or via Zoom.…
4 Sep 2025 · 35 min
China’s Quest to Engineer the Future: A Conversation with Dan Wang
In this joint episode of Pekingology and the ChinaPower Podcast, CSIS Freeman Chair Senior Fellow Henrietta Levin and co-host CSIS China Power Project Deputy Director and Fellow Brian Hart are joined by Dan Wang to discuss his new book, Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer the Future. The conversation unpacks China’s monumentalism in its grand engineering projects, the advantages and consequences of building at such scale, China’s push to lead in key technologies, Beijing’s social engineering efforts, and much more. Dan Wang is a research fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover History Lab.…
4 Sep 2025 · 27 min
Taiwan in the Western Hemisphere: A Status Update
Seven countries in Latin America and the Caribbean recognize Taiwan in lieu of the People’s Republic of China, the most of any other region in the world. However, the number of formal Taiwan allies has been in steady decline, particularly since 2017 when Panama changed its diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing and joined the Belt and Road Initiative. Today, Taiwan’s status among its remaining allies appears to be under increasing pressure. In this episode, Ryan C. Berg sits down with Henry Large, a Rhodes Scholar and Doctoral candidate in Latin American Studies at the University of…
22 Jul 2025 · 36 min
Why Aid Matters to Asia Strategy
This week Mike speaks with Michael Schiffer, former Assistant Administrator of the USAID Bureau for Asia from 2022 to 2025. Prior to that he was Senior Advisor and Counselor to the U.S. Senate Committee of Foreign Relations. They discuss foreign aid and its role in supporting U.S. interests abroad.
26 Jun 2025 · 39 min
An Indispensable Partner: U.S.-India Relations in the Indo-Pacific
This week Mike speaks with Richard Rossow, an esteemed expert who has focused on U.S.-India Relations for over 25 years. He is currently Senior Adviser and Chair on India and Emerging Asia Economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. They discuss the activities of the Quad, U.S.-India relations, how India could grow its trade partnership with the United States, and more.
5 Jun 2025 · 40 min
Russia, the Newest Disrupter in Southeast Asia?
This week Mike speaks with Ian Storey, Senior Fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute and Editor of the Contemporary Southeast Asia journal. His new book is Putin's Russia and Southeast Asia: The Kremlin's Pivot to Asia and the Impact of the Russia-Ukraine War and is the first single-authored book on Russia and Southeast Asia to be published since the end of the cold war. It can be found using this link.
2 Jun 2025 · 28 min
IEEPA Tariffs Struck Down, EU Tariff Threats, and the Big Beautiful Bill
On this episode of the Trade Guys, we walk through decisions by two federal courts blocking the Trump administration's use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). We then look at the president's recent threat of 50% tariffs on the EU and the "Big Beautiful" budget reconciliation bill moving through Congress.
20 May 2025 · 31 min
Indo-Pacific Strategy with U.S. Rep. Ami Bera
This week Mike speaks to Congressman Ami Bera, who represents California’s Sixth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Representative Bera is a senior Democrat serving as Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. They discuss the role of Congress in determining U.S. Indo Pacific Strategy.
15 May 2025 · 54 min
China’s Shipbuilding Dominance: A Conversation with Eric Labs and Matthew Funaiole
In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. Eric Labs and Dr. Matthew Funaiole join us to explore the widening gap in U.S.-China shipbuilding capabilities. They begin by examining the evolution in U.S.-China shipbuilding industrial capacity since World War II. Dr. Labs points out that while China’s shipbuilding industrial capacity has grown substantially due to large-scale state subsidies and government support, the U.S. has steadily fallen behind in production capacity since the 1960s with the rise of Japan and South Korea shipbuilding industries and the end of construction differential…
15 May 2025 · 45 min
Rest In Peace, the Status Quo: Romanian Elections, a “Brexit Reset,” and Clashes in Transatlantic Tech
On this episode, Max and Donatienne cover the first round of the Romanian presidential election, where George Simion, a hard-right candidate, soared to a first-place finish ahead of the second round on May 18. Since recording this episode on May 5th, major developments, including the resignation and Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and rapid capital flight, have sparked a political crisis. This story is still developing. The hosts then break down British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s attempt to reset relations with the European Union ahead of a May 19 Brexit summit, and welcome Abe Newman,…
15 May 2025 · 30 min
The Aftermath of Canada’s Elections
Prime Minister Mark Carney led the Liberal Party to a narrow victory in Canada’s pivotal election in April 28. Running a campaign centered on uniting Canadians against U.S. President Trump’s annexation threats and punitive tariffs, Mr. Carney orchestrated a remarkable political comeback for the Liberals, who had been expected to suffer a landslide defeat until a few months earlier. Despite the win, Mr. Carney now faces the steep challenge of governing with a minority. His ability to deliver on domestic issues will shape his legacy as much as his handling of relations with Washington.…
29 Apr 2025 · 38 min
Is AI a Game Changer in U.S.-China Competition?
This week Mike speaks to Ben Buchanan, Assistant Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and former Director for Technology and National Security on the National Security Council and White House Special Advisor on AI. He was also the former Director of the CyberAI Project at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology at Georgetown University and has written several influential books. They discuss AI competition between the U.S. and China.
3 Apr 2025 · 24 min
Emergency Trade Guys: Reciprocal Tariff Reactions
On this week's episode of the Trade Guys, Bill and Andrew give their first takes on the April 2 tariff announcements from the White House.
3 Apr 2025 · 36 min
Dictatorship and Information
In this episode of Pekingology from January 2023, Freeman Chair Jude Blanchette is joined by Martin K. Dimitrov, a professor of political science at Tulane University, to discuss his recent book, ‘Dictatorship and Information’: Authoritarian Regime Resilience in Communist Europe and China.
3 Apr 2025 · 25 min
Accra’s housing crisis is forcing young people to delay the traditional milestones of adulthood.
Catherine Nzuki is joined by Naa Laryea, a software engineer living in Accra. She walks us through what apartment hunting is like in Accra, why some landlords ask for a year or two years’ worth of rent up front, and the causes of the housing crisis in Accra. Nelson C.J., West Africa Correspondent at OkayAfrica, joins the Afropolitan and zooms out to discuss the common drivers of the housing crunch in major West African cities. Nelson shares his findings from his recent article with OkayAfrica, examining how the National Tenants Union of Ghana is advocating for affordable housing and rent…
S8 · E63 · 3 Apr 2025 · 34 min
Dahlia Scheindlin: Israel’s Political Turmoil
This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Dr. Dahlia Scheindlin, a Tel Aviv-based political analyst and Haaretz columnist. Scheindlin also serves as a fellow at Century International and has advised on eight national Israeli election campaigns over a twenty-year period. Together, they discuss the sources of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s staying power, as well as his ongoing efforts to remodel key state institutions. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Ninar Fawal and Will Todman to evaluate how the changes underway in Israel might affect bilateral relations with the…
1 Apr 2025 · 35 min
South Korean Tumult and Strategic Direction
This week Mike joins Victor Cha, President, Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department and Korea Chair. From 2021 to 2025, he was appointed by Joseph R. Biden administration to serve on the Defense Policy Board in an advisory role to the secretary of defense. From 2004 to 2007, he served on the National Security Council (NSC) and was responsible for Japan, Korea, Australia/New Zealand, and Pacific Island nations. They discuss South Korea's recently failed coup in 2024, and the future of South Korean international relations in the region.
31 Mar 2025 · 27 min
Auto Tariffs and U.S.-India Trade Relations
On this week's episode of the Trade Guys, we unpack the recent tariffs on cars. We also do a deep dive on trade relations with India. Want to build your knowledge of American trade policy and politics by learning from top experts? Join the Trade Guys for a hybrid course on May 8-9. Learn more and sign up here: Crash Course: Trade Policy with the Trade Guys
28 Mar 2025 · 33 min
U.S.-China Artificial Intelligence Competition: A Conversation with Dr. Jeffrey Ding
In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. Jeffrey Ding joins us to discuss U.S.-China artificial intelligence (AI) competition and his book, Technology and the Rise of Great Powers: How Diffusion Shapes Economic Competition. Dr. Ding describes the framework he uses to understand the competition between the US and China on AI and explains that while many assume leading a technological competition comes from developing the next breakthrough invention, it should actually be centered around the diffusion of these technologies throughout their population of users. Technological leadership,…
28 Mar 2025 · 1 hr
Democratic Backsliding in Turkey, Steps Forward for EU Defense, and Decoding US-Russia-Ukraine Negotiations feat. Tom Wright
This week, Max and Donatienne discuss the state of Turkey’s democracy after the jailing of Istanbul’s mayor days before becoming presidential candidate, the latest European Council meeting and a new EU white paper for European defense. Then, our hosts turn to a conversation with Tom Wright, senior fellow at Brookings and former Senior Director for Strategic Planning at the United States National Security Council (NSC) in the Biden administration, to discuss his recent article in Foreign Affairs outlining a U.S. strategy for Russia-Ukraine negotiations. Learn more: Russian Roulette | CSIS…
26 Mar 2025 · 47 min
Venture Capital to Win the Tech Race featuring Mike Brown
Mike Brown, Partner at Shield Capital and former Director of the Defense Innovation unit, joined Navin Girishankar on this episode of Betting on America to explore the role of venture capital in growing our technological and industrial base, and ensuring our economic security.
20 Mar 2025 · 28 min
The think tank making impact evaluation skills accessible to every Tanzanian
We traditionally think of impact evaluation as an academic or technical skill. The Impact Evaluation (IE) Lab at the Economic and Social Research Foundation (ESRF), a think tank in Dar es Salaam, is working to change that. Catherine Nzuki is joined by Dr. Constantine Manda, the co-founder and inaugural Director of the IE Lab at ESRF, and Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Irvine. The core mission of the IE Lab is to expose every Tanzanian to IE, even in its simplest form, regardless of education level. They discuss what impact evaluation is, why it’s…
20 Mar 2025 · 28 min
Dr. Jeffrey Gold, President, University of Nebraska system: lately it’s been “a day-by-day, week-by-week course adjustment.”
Dr. Jeffrey Gold, President of the University of Nebraska system, testified recently before the House Committee on Veteran Affairs Health Subcommittee on plans to replace a 1950 VA hospital with a hospital on the university grounds, with projected savings of half a billion dollars. Since the Trump administration began two months ago, it has been “a day-by-day, week-by-week course adjustment,” featuring ongoing court deliberations, cuts to programs, and the rollout of tariffs, amid great uncertainty. Anxiety has risen due to the unusual speed of change, which has permitted little time to…
18 Mar 2025 · 42 min
Abe's Legacy and Japan's Next Moves
This week Mike joins Nobukatsu Kanehara, Professor at Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan. Mr. Kanehara previously served as assistant chief cabinet secretary to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe from 2012 to 2019. In 2013, he also became the inaugural deputy secretary-general of the National Security Secretariat. He also served as deputy director of the Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office. They discuss Japan's foreign policy and what to expect in the coming years.
17 Mar 2025 · 22 min
Scholl Chair Phil Luck and the Trade Guys Provide a Tariff Update
The Trade Guys are joined by the new Scholl Chair in International Business, Dr. Philip Luck, to provide an update on tariffs on Canada and Mexico and to discuss the Mar-a-lago Accords.
S8 · E60 · 13 Mar 2025 · 47 min
Renad Mansour and Sanam Vakil: Iranian Networks in the Middle East
On March 4, Jon Alterman spoke with Renad Mansour, senior research fellow and director of the Iraq Initiative at Chatham House, and Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at Chatham House, about the resilience of Iranian networks in the Middle East. Their discussion builds upon a recent Chatham House report Renad co-wrote on the topic. The following episode is a slightly condensed version of their conversation. You can find a link to the video of the complete discussion below. Transcript: "Renad Mansour and Sanam Vakil: Iranian Networks in the Middle East," CSIS,…
13 Mar 2025 · 36 min
Why Does the CCP Need a Core?
In this episode of Pekingology which aired in February 2022, Jude Blanchette is joined by Xuezhi Guo, the Lincoln Financial Professor of Political Science at Gilford College, to discuss his book, The Politics of the Core Leader in China: Culture, Institution, Legitimacy, and Power.
12 Mar 2025 · 25 min
Deepseek Report, Manus AI, and the DOD’s New Acquisition Approach
In this episode, we discuss the Wadhwani AI Center’s latest publication on the implications of DeepSeek for the future of export controls (0:40), Chinese company Manus AI (9:05), what Secretary Hegseth’s memo means for the DOD AI ecosystem (15:27), and xAI’s acquisition of 1 million square feet for its new data center in Memphis (21:28).
12 Mar 2025 · 41 min
A Tech Power Playbook for the United States featuring Sen. Todd Young
Senator Todd Young (R-IN), a national champion of U.S. technology leadership in the global competition with China, joins Navin Girishankar on the Economic Security and Technology Department’s new series: Betting on America. Girishankar and Senator Young discuss a ‘tech power playbook’ for the United States including investments in chipmaking and biotech, tech diplomacy abroad, and the importance of investing in basic research.

About CSIS Podcasts

CSIS podcasts feature experts & scholars on a range of critical issues surrounding geopolitics, national security, defense, & international affairs topics.

CSIS Podcasts is a English news podcast from Center for Strategic and International Studies. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Center for Strategic and International Studies
Language: English
Category: News
New episodes: Several times a week
Typical length: 35 min
Latest episode: 10 Jul 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1758742304
Rights: 2024 Center for Strategic and International Studies

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