Diplomacy and International Relations by Bastian Friborg
This podcast explores diplomacy, international relations, and cultural consulting. It covers diplomatic strategies, trade, cross-cultural dynamics, and the intersection of global affairs with business consulting. The content is AI-generated and human-verified, so minor errors may occur.
Episodes
How Filipino Workers Keep Denmark Afloat
In this episode we take a closer look at the relationship between the Philippines and Denmark.Please follow on Substack and Instagram.
How Diaspora Outpaced Denmark Pakistan Diplomacy
Listen to this episode about the relationship between Denmark and Pakistan. From the pakistani diaspora in Denmark to windmills and energy.Follow me on Substack and Instagram for more content.
The Secret Race for UN Secretary-General
The current race and election of the new UN Secretary.-General is happening in a vacuum. Few people outside IR circles even know that it is going on, that the world is about to get a new top-diplomat.Listen to learn more and follow me on Substack and Instagram for more content.
The Grand Mufti's Fatwa and the Return of Religious Legitimation in Middle East Conflict
Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti has explicitly sanctified the campaign against the Houthis as an "act of devotion," days after Riyadh, Islamabad and Ankara mobilized under their new Mecca/Makkah mutual-defense pact. This is a genuinely under-covered angle: a modern, technocratic Gulf state reaching for classical religious legitimation language exactly when it needs Pakistani and Turkish p
How Denmark Out-Negotiated Trump - Reading the Greenland Deal as a Small-State Win
Danish officials are calling this a diplomatic success, not a retreat and the signed text backs them up more than the "permanent US control" headlines suggested: no annexation, sovereignty and Greenlandic self-determination explicitly preserved, environmental and traditional-livelihood protections written in (inherited from the 2004 Igaliku Agreement, now strengthened), and for the first
Vatican Diplomacy and Gaze - A Journey of Hope
A new Vatican document, "A Journey of Hope," marks 60 years of Catholic-Jewish dialogue since Nostra Aetate — and admits, in careful diplomatic language, that the war in Gaza has strained that relationship more than anything since 1965. Meanwhile Gaza's only Catholic parish just reopened its school for 1,000 children with no desks.Please follow me on Instagram or Substack for more co
Religion as a new Geopolitical tool
Religion is being used as a tool in geopolitics, and have since 9/11 25 years ago.Listen in and subsribe.If you like what you hear please follow on Substack or Instagram.
Greenland Is Not For Sale - Sovereignty, Empire, and the Return of Territorial Appetite
Trump has doubled down on acquiring Greenland, NATO's Rutte has conceded he "has a point" on Arctic security, and a Greenlandic self-government report on independence alternatives is due by year's end.This episode goes beyond the headlines into what sovereignty actually means when a great power treats a NATO ally's territory as a bargaining chip.If you like what you hear plea
The Pope in Moscow's Shadow - Can Religious Diplomacy Do What States Can't?
In this episode I have found sources about the visit by the Vatican's foreign minister to Moscow. Talks circled around Ukraine.At the same time high level officials from CIA was in town.Listen in and get a grip on what is going on. Can the Church move the negotiations in a way that the US and EU haven't been able to?If you like what you hear, please visit Substack for more content and foll
Who Owns the Water - Hormuz After America
When 140 ships vanished from the Strait of Hormuz within days, it wasn't warfare that shut the route down — it was the insurance market. This episode traces the collapse of the Islamabad memorandum between the US and Iran, the asymmetric American escalation that followed, and how Iran has since stood up its own governing body, the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, charging tolls of up to $2 milli
Bamako Under Siege - The War the World Isn't Covering
Millions of people in Bamako are living without power, without fuel, without open roads out of the city. A coalition of insurgents has encircled Mali's capital and is strangling it economically — and almost no one in Western media is reporting it.In this episode we trace how a rural insurgency in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger became a full-blown urban siege; why the region's military juntas
Greenland Is Not a Real Estate Deal
In this episode, we analyse the tensing geopolitical situation over Greenland. We do a review of the American demand for control, the threats of punitive tariffs against European allies, and Denmark’s military response.Hear about the build-up of the Danish defense, the deployment of conscripts as a strategic ‘stumbling block’ and the EU’s countermeasures. Finally, we take a look at the complicated
Sacred Ground, Secular War: Religion as the Unspoken Variable in the Iran-Israel-Gulf Conflict
Listen in as we go another route than most coverage of the Hormuz crisis and the Turkey-Pakistan-Saudi defence pact treats it as pure realpolitik. But Shia-Sunni dynamics, Iran's revolutionary-Islamic self-conception, and the religious legitimacy stakes for Gulf monarchies are doing real work underneath the "interests" language. That is what we will look at now.If you like this conte
Denmark's Quiet Rearmament: Pragmatic Idealism or the End of an Illusion?
Listen to this episode where I look at how Denmark is hitting NATO's 2% target three years early, has troops in Latvia, and is funnelling billions into Ukraine and all of it under a foreign policy strategy explicitly branded "pragmatic idealism."If you like what you here please follow on Substack and Instagram (IQulture Talking).
Greenland and the collision of national myths
Listen to this episode on Greenland, US and the religious current underneath it all. When Donald Trump promises that Greenland will be “under US control” before his term ends, the story is usually told as one about minerals, military bases, and raw geopolitics. This episode asks whether it is really about something far more sacred: competing religions of sovereignty.We unfold three narratives: Gre
Abraham Accords - History and Religion in Action and the US and Saudi Nuclear Deal
How does ancient history and religion influence a modern nuclear deal? Listen
Tariff Loopholes and Diplomatic Theatre
This episode looks at tariffs and how a lot of diplomatic theatre is happening right now. Focus on Greenland.
From Global Diplomacy To Building Moratoriums
Listen as we take a closer look at Climate Diplomacy and how to understand Climate in relation to global politics.If you like what you hear and want to support this independent podcast, please visit https://www.patreon.com/cw/iqulture and follow and subscribe, you will also get access to more content.
Extra - Holy Sites as Fault Lines - Pope Leo, Saudi Normalization, and Sacred Statecraft
In this episode we take a closer look at how the Saudi nuclear deal is now formally conditioned on joining the Abraham Accords, which is a religious-symbolic act as much as a strategic one. Meanwhile Pope Leo warns against unilateral moves violating "the status quo of the holy sites."Religion is having a come-back in international relations and global politics.Follow IQulture Talking on
Summer 18: How the Victors Built International Relations
Listen to this final episode of Diplomacy and International Relations summer series where we reflect on IR's lessons for navigating Denmark's changing global role.If you want to support the podcast, please go to Patreon and subscribe for weekly and monthly briefings on Danish politics, and access to bonus episodes of the podcast. Follow this link: https://www.patreon.com/cw/iqulture/
Extra - EU Defense Billions and_Greenland's Independence
Everyone covers the Trump–Frederiksen soundbites. Almost no one covers that the European Commission just proposed doubling support for Greenland in the 2028–2034 budget, and that Commissioner Síkela was in Nuuk updating the EU Arctic strategy. The real Greenland story is a quiet bidding war in budget lines, not sale rumors.Follow IQulture Talking on Instagram for more content.
Summer 17: How Westphalia Invented the Modern State
Listen to this episode of Diplomacy and International Relations summer series where declining US hegemony reshapes NATO, EU, and Danish security strategy.If you want to support the podcast, please go to Patreon and subscribe for weekly and monthly briefings on Danish politics, and access to bonus episodes of the podcast.Follow this link: https://www.patreon.com/cw/iqulture/
Extra - Tariff Loopholes and Diplomatic Theater
In this episode we look at the Rubio–Lavrov talks in Manila that lasted barely 35 minutes with no framework, while in the meantime the real action happened in the Senate gallery with Zelensky watching a sanctions vote. It is an episode on what diplomatic rituals mean when everyone knows they're empty — and where leverage has actually migrated (sanctions law, Patriot co-production deals, jammin
Summer 16: Global Politics on Your Dinner Plate
Listen to this episode of Diplomacy and International Relations summer series where food security reveals the surprisingly political world of global agriculture.If you want to support the podcast, please go to Patreon and subscribe for weekly and monthly briefings on Danish politics, and access to bonus episodes of the podcast. Follow this link: https://www.patreon.com/cw/iqulture/
Summer 15: Why Countries are a Modern Hallucination
Listen to this episode of Diplomacy and International Relations summer series where climate negotiations test the limits of international cooperation.If you want support the podcast, please go to Patreon and subscribe for weekly and monthly on Danish politics, and access to bonus episodes of the podcast.Follow this link: https://www.patreon.com/cw/iqulture/
Summer 14: The Open Source Code of Modern Terror
Listen to this episode of Diplomacy and International Relations summer series where we unpack terrorist networks, radicalisation, and Denmark's security response.If you want to support the podcast, please go to Patreon and subscribe for weekly and monthly briefings on Danish politics, and access to bonus episodes of the podcast. Follow this link: https://www.patreon.com/cw/iqulture/
Summer 13: How Smartphones and Umbrellas Challenge Power
Listen to this episode of Diplomacy and International Relations summer series where protests, elections, and populism challenge elite foreign policymaking.If you want to support the podcast, please go to Patreon and subscribe for weekly and monthly briefings on Danish politics, and access to bonus episodes of the podcast.Follow this link: https://www.patreon.com/cw/iqulture/
Summer 12: Why States are Building Digital Walls
Listen to this episode of Diplomacy and International Relations summer series where internet governance and cyber threats reshape power and security.If you want to support the podcast, please go to Patreon and subscribe for weekly and monthly briefings on Danish politics, and access to bonus episodes of the podcast. Follow this link: https://www.patreon.com/cw/iqulture/
Summer 11: The Intervention Dilemma - When Should Nations Cross Sovereign Borders?
Listen to this episode of Diplomacy and International Relations summer series where Responsibility to Protect confronts sovereignty in intervention dilemmas.If you want support the podcast, please go to Patreon and subscribe for weekly and monthly briefings on Danish politics, and access to bonus episodes of the podcast.Follow this link: https://www.patreon.com/cw/iqulture/
Summer 10: Poverty and Wealth in a Global Perspective - Why Poverty Persists Despite Global Surplus
Listen to this episode of Diplomacy and International Relations summer series where aid, trade, and inequality politics explain why poverty persists despite globalgrowth.If you want to support the podcast, please go to Patreon and subscribe for weekly and monthly briefings on Danish politics, and access to bonus episodes of the podcast.Follow this link: https://www.patreon.com/cw/iqulture/
Summer 09: Culture and Religion - Why Ancient Beliefs Still Rule Global Power
Listen to this episode of Diplomacy and International Relations summer series where faith and identity return as powerful forces in modern diplomacy and conflict.If you want to support the podcast, please go to Patreon and subscribe for weekly and monthly briefings on Danish politics, and access to bonus episodes of the podcast.Follow this link: https://www.patreon.com/cw/iqulture/
Summer 08: How Global Markets Redefined Political Power
Listen to this episode of Diplomacy and International Relations summer series where trade, corporations, and crises reveal the economic forces driving internationalpolitics.If you want to support the podcast, please go to Patreon and subscribe for weekly and monthly briefings on Danish politics, and access to bonus episodes of the podcast.Follow this link: https://www.patreon.com/cw/iqulture/
Summer 07: Global Civil Society - How Activists Rewrite International Law
Listen to this episode of Diplomacy and International Relations summer series where NGOs and activists challenge governments and shape global norms from the outside.If you want support the podcast, please go to Patreon and subscribe for weekly and monthly on Danish politics, and access to bonus episodes of the podcast.Follow this link: https://www.patreon.com/cw/iqulture/
The Race for Greenland's Rare Earths
A tiny island of just over 56,000 people has quietly become the most strategically contested territory in the Northern Hemisphere. In this bonus episode we map out why the United States, China, and Russia are suddenly tripping over themselves to reach Greenland — starting with the cold logic of the map. We trace the GIUK gap and the radar perched at the top of the world, then descend beneath the m
Summer 06: International Organizations - The Invisible Mechanics of Global Power
Listen to this episode of Diplomacy and International Relations summer series where UN, EU, NATO both constrain states and create new diplomatic opportunities.If you want to support the podcast, please go to Patreon and subscribe for weekly and monthly briefings on Danish politics, and access to bonus episodes of the podcast. Follow this link: https://www.patreon.com/cw/iqulture/
Summer 05: International Law Without a Global Cop
Listen to this episode of Diplomacy and International Relations summer series where sovereignty, treaties, and the Lotus case reveal what makes (and breaks)international law.If you want to support the podcast, please go to Patreon and subscribe for weekly and monthly briefings on Danish politics, and access to bonus episodes of the podcast.Follow this link: https://www.patreon.com/cw/iqulture/
Sacred Statecraft - When Religion Shapes Foreign Policy
What happens when states stop treating religion as background noise and start using it as foreign policy infrastructure? In this episode, Bastian breaks down four case studies — Morocco, Russia, the United States, and Nigeria — where theology isn't just decorating the statecraft, it is the statecraft. The rational calculus of traditional diplomacy doesn't survive contact with a divine mand
Summer 04: Theoretical Lenses for International Relations
Listen to this episode of Diplomacy and International Relations summer series where realism, liberalism, and critical theories explain world events and Danishforeign policy choices.If you want to support the podcast, please go to Patreon and subscribe for weekly and monthly briefings on Danish politics, and access to bonus episodes of the podcast.Follow this link: https://www.patreon.com/cw/iqultu
Summer 03: The Hidden Actors of Global Politics
Listen to this episode of Diplomacy and International Relations summer series where we unpack states, organizations, corporations, and individuals and their role on the global stage.If you want to support the podcast, please go to Patreon and subscribe for weekly and monthlybriefings on Danish politics, and access to bonus episodes of the podcast.Follow this link: https://www.patreon.com/cw/iqultu
Summer 02: Diplomacy - The Hidden Machinery of Global Power
Listen to this episode of Diplomacy and International Relations summer series where we explore the US-Iran hostage crisis to nuclear deal, revealing how diplomatsmaintain the "long peace."If you want to support the podcast, please go toPatreon and subscribe for weekly and monthly briefings on Danish politics, and access to bonus episodes of the podcast. Follow this link: https://www.patr
Summer 01: The Violent Invention of the Modern State
Listen to this episode of Diplomacy and International Relations summer series where we trace how empires, wars, and state formation created today's international system — and Denmark's place within it.If you want to support the podcast, please go to Patreon and subscribe for weekly and monthlybriefings on Danish politics, and access to bonus episodes of the podcast.Follow this link: https://www.pa
Summer Intro: Why World War 3 Hasn't Happend
Listen to this first episode of the summer series that will take the listener through the basics of International Relations. Relevant for students and practitioners alike.If you wantto support the podcast, please go to Patreon and subscribe for weekly and monthlybriefings on Danish politics, and access to bonus episodes of the podcast.Follow this link: https://www.patreon.com/cw/iqulture/
Plato and Diplomacy
Plato’s political failures, ethical insights, and critique of democracy still shape how we think about power, war, and justice today. In this episode of Diplomacy and International Relations, we revisit Plato’s Seventh Letter, his doubts about democracy and written words, and the evolution of just war theory through Christian thought to ask what his legacy means for modern diplomacy and global con
When AI and Algorithms Rewrite the Rules of Statecraft
Listen to this episode of Diplomacy and International Relations if you are interested in how the algorithms of Big Tech and AI influence how we see the world and thereby Statecraft.Also, follow on Patreon where you can gain access to briefings and insights from Danish politics.https://www.patreon.com/cw/iqulture/
How Consultants and Lobbyists Shape Power
In today’s political landscape, decision-making is no longer confined to elected officials alone. A powerful, professionalized class of consultants and lobbyists now operates behind the scenes, using advanced data analytics, psychological insights, and strategic communication to shape both policy and electoral outcomes.In this episode of Diplomacy and International Relations, we explore how politi
Denmark's Foreign Policy Explained
This episode will take a look at Danish Foreign Policy and how it has changed in recent years.Listen if foreign policy interest you and you want to hear how it can change due to circumstances.Also, get this episode and much more on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/cw/iqulture/
How a Tiny State can Influence European Energy Politics
Denmark is small, but in EU climate policy it’s a heavyweight. In this episode of “Diplomacy and International Relations,” we unpack how the 2012 Danish EU Presidency used a smart toolbox of coalitions, technical expertise and non‑state actors to shape the Energy Efficiency Directive—and how today’s ambitious climate goals and public‑private partnerships make Denmark a green front‑runner setting s
Geopolitics when the map washes away
In this episode of Diplomacy and International Relations we take a look at Climate politics and its consequences. Listen along.If you like what you hear and want briefings on Danish Politics, please follow me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/iqulture/
The Danish Model - The Economic Bumblebee
Denmark stands at a crossroads: a small, high-tech economy riding a pharmaceutical boom, yet increasingly aware of how dependent it has become on a few winners like Novo Nordisk. At the same time, long-run trade data suggest that export patterns are surprisingly sticky, changing only slowly even as governments talk about diversification and resilience.In this episode, we unpack new insights from a
Extra - Danish Election and How Danish Prime Ministers have navigated internationally
This extra episode of Diplomacy and International Relations explores the results of the recent general election and Denmark’s evolution into a "super‑Atlanticist" state, moving from Cold War restraint to a more militarized, activist foreign policy aimed at securing top‑tier status with the United States. We connect increased defense spending, the end of the EU defense opt‑out, and deeper
Denmark's Diplomatic Ties to Latin America - A Green Pivot
In this episode of Diplomacy and International Relations, we trace nearly two centuries of ties between Denmark and Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Argentina, from 19th‑century trade treaties to today’s partnerships on green energy, technology, and climate diplomacy. We look at how commerce, royal and presidential visits, and a shared agenda on sustainability have turned distant partners into strategic
Denmark Becomes Architect of European Security
In this episode of Diplomacy and International Relations, we unpack the 2025 European Defence Fund (EDF) work programme and its €1.065 billion push to hard‑wire strategic autonomy into Europe’s security architecture. From cyber defense, space technologies, and next‑generation combat systems to the role of Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) in knitting together Europe’s armed forces, we explo
Expat in Denmark - what to know
Moving to and working in Denmark involves navigating a comprehensive welfare state that prioritizes a high quality of life and a healthy work-life balance. Professional life is defined by flat hierarchies, informal communication, and the "Flexicurity" model, which blends labor market flexibility with strong social safety nets. Newcomers must manage a highly digitalized bureaucracy, cente
Arctic power shifts from Copenhagen to Nuuk
An arena of ice is turning into a frontline of power politics. In this episode of Diplomacy and International Relations, we unpack how the Arctic, and especially Greenland, is becoming a strategic hotspot as great‑power rivalry moves northward.We explore Greenland’s evolving relationship with the Kingdom of Denmark, and how melting ice is opening new shipping routes and access to vast mineral reso
Make-Believe Statehood in Turkey and Cyprus. The power of documents
In this episode of Diplomacy and International Relations, we take a closer look into the anthropology of documents and the affective life of the state: how passports, ID cards, forms, and borders become “phantasmatic” objects that provoke anxiety, dependence, and desire. Drawing on research from Turkey and Northern Cyprus, we explore how secularist and Islamist identities are crafted and contested
Denmark's Pivot from F-16s to Wind Turbines - Diplomatic Relations with the Middle East
In this episode Diplomacy and International Relations focus on Denmark and the Middle East and North Africa. From Enlightenment-era expeditions and cultural curiosity to post-9/11 military interventions, alliance politics, and climate-driven “green” diplomacy, the show unpacks how a small state navigates a turbulent region at a geopolitical crossroads. If you like what you hear and want to support
Denmark Between Arctic Foes and Risky Allies
Listen to this episode on how small and medium states deal with the uncertainties of today's world.We focus on Denmark and what a small state can secure itself.We talk APECC and Arctic.If you enjoy this podcast, please consider subscribing via this link or on Apple Podcast.https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/iqulture/subscribe
Losing Sovereignty to the Digital?
In a world where minds, not borders, have become the new battleground, national sovereignty begins with the sovereignty of thought. This episode of Diplomacy and International Relations explores how technology, data, and psychopolitics have colonized the human interior—and what it will take for leaders and citizens to reclaim autonomy.From Byung-Chul Han’s “digital camp” to Heidegger’s “They” and
Europe's Fragmented Fight for Space Power
Europe’s space sector is rapidly evolving from a niche industry into a strategic pillar of economic stability, digital sovereignty, and geopolitical security. In this episode, we examine the growing recognition of space infrastructure as essential to the EU’s competitiveness and resilience — underpinning navigation systems, Earth observation, climate monitoring, and secure connectivity.Drawing fro
Cyber Diplomacy, AI, and Energy Security
Listen to this episode of “Diplomacy and International Relations” explores how cyber diplomacy has evolved from a marginal specialization into a central pillar of modern statecraft, beginning with the watershed 2007 attacks on Estonia and the rise of countries that now punch above their weight in cyber governance. The conversation unpacks how AI is transforming both cyber defense and offensive ope
Aristotle vs Machiavelli on Virtue and Survival
Listen to this episode to learn more about Aristotle and Machiavelli and how they have both been important for shaping diplomacy and negotiations.If you like what you hear, please consider subscribing on Spotify or Apple Podcast. It all helps keeping this podcast running as my hobby project.Link for subscription on Spotify here: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/iqulture/subscribe
Denmark's Diplomatic Ties with the EU - A Focus on the Current Relationship
This episode builds on the last one and look more at the diplomatic relations between Denmark and the EU. Listeners might find some of the information repeated in this episode - hopefully it is not too bad.I hope you will enjoy and subscribe - next episode will be a subscribers only, where the topic is Robert Putnam and Bowling Alone.Subscribe here: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/iqultur
Denmark's EU opt-outs: A Cognitive Dissonance?
Listen in here: Denmark’s rapid strategic shift after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine is the focus of this episode, as the country moves from EU opt-outs and fiscal caution to the front line of European security and defense integration. Centered on the historic 2022 referendum ending Denmark’s 30-year EU defense opt-out and the new pledge to spend over 3% of GDP on defense by 2025–26, the conver
Geopolitics: Heartland and Rimland in Global Rivalry
In this episode, we revisit the classics of geopolitical thought to understand today’s strategic rivalries. How do Halford Mackinder’s Heartland theory and Nicholas Spykman’s Rimland theory still shape global power politics? We explore the modern contest over Eurasia—where Russia, China, and the United States each seek to define the region’s future. From Russia’s use of the Heartland concept and t
AI Framework and Diplomacy
Algorithmic diplomacy is no longer science fiction; it is quietly reshaping how states compete, cooperate, and construct reality itself. In this episode, we unpack the emerging world of AI‑driven foreign policy: from Washington and Beijing’s clashing models of AI governance to Brussels’ ambitious AI Act and the UN’s Global Digital Compact agenda.Drawing on cutting‑edge research in multi‑agent neg
Global Democracy under Pressure and Civil Society
Explore the challenges facing global democracy in today's interconnected world. This episode examines how civil society organizations, social movements, and human rights advocacy groups are responding to democratic backsliding and threats to political participation. We discuss the critical role of global governance in supporting democratic institutions and analyze how civil society can strengt
Denmark’s Diplomatic Ties with Asia
Explore how Denmark is redefining the future of diplomacy in Asia, transforming traditional alliances into a cutting-edge network focused on green technology, economic innovation, and mutual prosperity. This episode reveals how Denmark leverages its global leadership in sustainability to meet Asia’s urgent demand for green transition solutions, unlocking vast market opportunities for Danish compan
The Security Dilemma - Theory and Practice
Discover why the security dilemma remains one of the most crucial concepts in international relations and political science. In this episode, we break down the origins and core theories behind the security dilemma—from classical realism to contemporary debates—and analyze how it drives arms races, mistrust, and unintended conflict between states.Our in-depth discussion covers famous case studies s
Marxism & Critical Theory- Economic power structures
In this episode of Diplomacy and International Relations by Bastian Friborg, we dive deep into the power structures shaping the global economy through Marxist and critical theory lenses. Explore provocative frameworks like dependency theory and world-systems analysis, which challenge mainstream economic narratives and reveal the underlying dynamics driving global inequality.We discuss key theorist
Feminist & Postcolonial Perspectives
In this episode of Diplomacy and International Relations by Bastian Friborg, looks beyond the usual power politics and discover the hidden structures shaping our world. We explore how feminist international relations (FIR) and post-colonial theory reveal the often-invisible gendered and racial systems underlying global politics: from war and diplomacy to economic power.Learn how concepts like war,
Liberalism and Neoliberal Institutionalism
Look into this episode as we explore Liberal Institutionalism and its practical relevance in today's world of international diplomacy. Join Bastian Friborg and guests as they unpack the theories of Robert Keohane and Joseph Nye, delving into how countries achieve complex, sustained cooperation—even when there's no major global power enforcing order. We break down essential concepts like co
Constructivism & English School: Diplomacy of Ideas
In this episode, we unpack one of the most influential theoretical debates in modern International Relations: the rise of constructivism as a challenge to the materialist and individualist assumptions of neorealism and neoliberalism. The discussion begins by laying out the core tenets of constructivism, highlighting how it reframes our understanding of power, identity, and global order.From there,
Realism and Neorealism
Understanding Realism: The Power Struggle at the Heart of International RelationsDive into the enduring tradition of Realism—one of the most influential frameworks for interpreting world politics. In this episode, we break down the essential ideas at the core of Realist thinking, exploring how states navigate a global arena defined by competition, power, and insecurity under anarchy. Discover the
ASEAN Navigating US-China Rivalry
Follow the show and together we will explore the dynamics of ASEAN navigating US-China rivalry in this comprehensive analysis of Southeast Asian geopolitics. This episode examines how the Association of Southeast Asian Nations balances regional diplomacy amid intensifying power competition between the United States and China. Discover ASEAN's strategic approach to international relations, the
Fukuyamas End of History - Still valid?
Press play and let us explore the relevance of Francis Fukuyama's groundbreaking essay 'The End of History' in this comprehensive historical analysis. This episode examines Fukuyama End of History theory and its implications for liberal democracy, modern political theory, and contemporary global trends.Together we look into international relations discourse as we assess whether Fukuyam
Is the UN Still the World’s Best Last Hope?
Celebrating the UN's 80th BirthdayAs the United Nations turns 80, we celebrate eight decades of global dialogue, peace-building, and humanitarian leadership. Since 1945, the UN has stood as the world's essential forum for international cooperation, tackling everything from poverty and conflict to human rights and climate action. Despite facing profound geopolitical paralysis, financial sho
Climate-Conflict and Peacebuilding
Listen now! Together we will explore the relationship between climate conflict and peacebuilding in this comprehensive episode on environmental security and global diplomacy. Discover how climate change acts as a threat multiplier, intensifying resource competition and challenging traditional conflict resolution approaches.This episode will look into:• Climate conflict dynamics and environmental s
Denmarks Green Push - Leading Europe Towards Sustainability
Listen up folks! Let's explore Denmark's role in the European sustainability revolution. This episode examines how Denmark's green transition is setting the standard for renewable energy adoption across Europe, showcasing Nordic innovation in environmental policy and climate leadership.Discover how Danish green diplomacy is influencing EU climate strategies, from cutting-edge renewable
Denmarks Fight Against Human Trafficking
Listen now! Together we explore Denmark's comprehensive approach to combating human trafficking in this detailed examination of the country's sustained political commitment since 2002. This episode analyzes Denmark's fight against human trafficking through systematic policy development, international cooperation, and innovative enforcement strategies that have made it a European leader
Denmarks work with Human Rights and Sustainable Development Goals
In this episode, we dive into Denmark’s evolving journey on human rights and sustainable development, tracing how the country aligns its domestic policies with its international commitments. We explore how Denmark positions itself as a global leader—advancing the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and upholding core standards under the Convention Against Torture—through a mix of legislativ
