SGIA & Global Policy Book podcast

Episod

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  Discourse, Identity and the Politics of Insurgency: Nigeria’s Counter-terrorism Strategy 18.09.2026 30min

  In this episode, Dr Judith Koch hosts Dr Kodili Chukwuma, Assistant Professor of Interna-tional Security at Durham University's School of Government and International Affairs. They discuss his new book, Nigeria's Counter-terrorism Strategy: Constructions of Threat, Re-sponse and Identity (Edinburgh University Press, 2025). Drawing on critical, constructivist and discursive approaches, Chukwuma challenges conven-tional understandings of counterterrorism in Nigeria, showing how counterterrorism policies not only respond to perceived threats but also shape constructions of the Nigerian state, society and national identity. In this conversation, he reflects on the importance of positionality and histori-cal experience and discusses the concept of counterterrorism as a pharmakon - simultaneously remedy and poison. He also examines the relationship between discourse and the political economy of insurgency, asking how material conditions and political interests shape the construction of security threats. Finally, they talk about the contemporary relevance of these questions for scholars, policymakers and broader publics, and discuss Chukwuma’s current and forthcoming research.
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  Colonial Logics and Everyday Violence: Counterterrorism in Britain and Egypt 18.09.2026 35min

  In this episode, host Dr Judith Koch speaks with Dr Alice Finden about her book, Counterterrorism and Colonialism: Everyday Violence in Britain and Egypt (Routledge, 2025). Drawing on feminist, postcolonial and socio-legal approaches, Finden challenges con-ventional accounts of counterterrorism, reframing it as a continuation of colonial governance and everyday violence. They discuss the ethical and practical challenges of conducting research in politically charged contexts, and how colonial archives can be read against the imperial logics they encode. The conversation also explored Finden’s engagement with theorists including Achille Mbembe and Giorgio Agamben, and her argument that counterterrorism operates not only through exception-al measures but through ordinary administrative and legal practices that reproduce unequal power. Finally, they consider contemporary counter-extremism policies in Britain, their colonial continuities, and the possibilities for resistance, refusal and hope within systems of violence.
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  Methods, Doubt and Discovery: Research Design in Politics and International Relations 18.09.2026 40min

  What does it take to turn a political question into meaningful research? In this episode of the freshly relaunched SGIA & Global Policy Book podcast, Dr Judith Koch hosts Dr Anouk S. Rigterink, Associate Professor in Quantitative Comparative Politics at Durham University, and Dr Mareike Schomerus, Vice President at Busara and Visiting Lecturer at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy. They discuss their new book, Research Design in Politics and International Rela-tions (SAGE, 2026), a practical guide for launching research projects in Politics and IR. The conversation explores why research methods still matter in the age of AI, how to connect re-search design to real-world political dilemmas, and why they begin with pressing issues such as climate change and violent conflict rather than methods alone. Rigterink and Schomerus also reflect on the challenges - and rewards - of doing research, from doubt and distraction to the frustration that can ultimately lead to a lightbulb moment. Drawing on their experience as researchers and teachers, they share practical advice for making the re-search journey not only more rigorous, but more rewarding.
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  Trailer 16.09.2026 2min

  The SGIA & Global Policy podcast will be relaunched soon, bringing you new conversations and insights on books recently published by scholars in the School of Government and International Affairs at Durham University.