The World in Question

Episodes

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  Sacrificing the Ocean to Save the Planet 29.03.2026 50m

  Beneath the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean lies an unseen world: deep seabeds dotted with metal-rich nodules that some claim are vital for the green transition. As demand grows for minerals used in renewable technologies and batteries, governments and companies are increasingly turning their eyes toward the deep ocean.In this episode, King’s College London academics Dr Ben Tippet and Dr Rowan Gard unpack the promises, pitfalls and politics of deep-sea mining. Together, they explore whether harvesting minerals from the ocean floor offers a sustainable path forward, or whether it risks repeating historical patterns of extraction and inequality.As the world races toward net-zero goals, decisions made now will shape ocean health, community futures and global environmental justice for generations. This episode asks the question at the heart of the debate:Do we need deep-sea mining – or do we need to reimagine our relationship with the planet?Spheres of Knowledge on SubstackEnjoyed this episode? Get more accessible, thought‑provoking posts every weekday on Spheres of Knowledge. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kingsglobalaffairs.substack.com
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  Future-Proofing the UK 15.03.2026 54m

  In this episode, host Esau Williams explores how the UK can prepare for a future shaped by rising temperatures, heavier rainfall, and rapidly shifting social and environmental pressures. From heatwaves and flooding to community resilience and communication strategies that genuinely resonate, this conversation examines what “future-proofing” really looks like - not as a distant political ambition, but as an everyday reality already unfolding across the country.Esau is joined by three experts who bring complementary perspectives: Dr Helen Adams, Dr Giovanna Gini (King’s College London), and Chris Pollard (Climate Outreach). Together, they unpack how climate change affects daily life, why some people face greater risks than others, and what meaningful, fair adaptation looks like in practice. **Share Your Thoughts** Take our short, anonymous listener survey. It only takes a minute. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScxEqMCP5a1NEBI1HT0jxKWeZI-gWmzHA4xhuxjc7uDf8_Tuw/viewform?usp=publish-editorSpheres of Knowledge on SubstackEnjoyed this episode? Get more accessible, thought‑provoking posts every weekday on Spheres of Knowledge.https://kingsglobalaffairs.substack.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kingsglobalaffairs.substack.com
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  The Future of Overseas Aid 06.02.2026 49m

  In this episode of The World We Got This, host Esau Williams explores how international development is being reshaped as governments cut budgets, multilateral institutions restructure, and aid becomes increasingly tied to national interest. Recorded in the wake of the International Development Committee’s inquiry into UK aid, the discussion brings together leading scholars to unpack what these shifts mean for the world’s most vulnerable communities.Joining the conversation are Professor Andy Sumner (King’s College London), Dr Eduardo Ortiz Juárez (UNDP and King’s), and Professor Naomi Hossain (SOAS), who offer a global perspective on shrinking aid budgets, the future of multilateralism, accountability, and the moral case for development cooperation. Together, they ask whether aid is ending, transforming, or simply being redefined - and who stands to lose if it is.Read more about this episode hereThanks for reading Spheres of Knowledge! Subscribe for free to receive new posts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kingsglobalaffairs.substack.com
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  Invisible Water 01.12.2025 21m

  When you pick up a packet of food in the supermarket, you can see the calories, protein and fibre listed clearly. But there’s one ingredient you’ll never find on the label, even though it’s essential to producing almost everything we eat: water. And not just the water you can see in a juicy tomato or crisp lettuce, but the vast, hidden volumes used to grow crops, feed animals and process food.Globally, agriculture accounts for around 72 per cent of annual freshwater consumption. Every burger, avocado and cup of coffee carries an invisible price tag measured in litres of water. Yet most of us rarely think about it. Should we?In a special edition of our podcast, Ben Haines dives deep into these invisible waters...Read more about this episode hereThanks for reading Spheres of Knowledge! Subscribe for free to receive new posts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kingsglobalaffairs.substack.com
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  Dust Storm Diplomacy 18.09.2025 42m

  In March 2021, Seoul woke up under a thick yellow haze - the worst dust storm in a decade. South Korea blamed China, who promptly blamed Mongolia. Fingers were pointed, narratives emerged, and what seemed like a weather event quickly became a diplomatic one.Since then, dust storms have continued to blight the region, and have emerged as a source of continual transborder tension.Joining Esau in this episode, Dr Thomas White, co-author of the article Foul Weather Friends? The Transnational Politics of Dust Storms Between China and Mongolia, and Prof Andreas Baas, a physical geographer with expertise in desertification and land degradation.Together, they unpack how dust storms stir up more than sand - touching on nationalism, environmental diplomacy, and the politics of green solutions - questions that resonate far beyond the Gobi Desert.You can read more about this topic here This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kingsglobalaffairs.substack.com
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  Too hot to live 31.03.2025 41m

  A recent assessment found that the area of Earth's landmass that will be too hot for even healthy adults to keep a safe core body temperature will approximately triple - to an area almost the size of the US – if global warming reaches 2°C above the preindustrial average. We've already reached 1.5°C.This week Esau asks: what does 'too hot' actually mean? What will happen to the people who live in these areas? And what might be done to help combat the impacts?Joining him are Dr Tom Matthews, lead author of the study and Senior Lecturer in Environmental Geography, and Aditya Pillai, who is a doctoral researcher in King’s India Institute, a Visiting Fellow at the Sustainable Futures Collaborative, New Delhi, and author of a recent report investigating India’s readiness for the extreme heat of a much, much hotter world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kingsglobalaffairs.substack.com
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  Dam clever: is world's biggest hydro scheme a good idea? 10.03.2025 50m

  The proposed Grand Inga dam in the Democratic Republic of Congo would be the largest power station in the world - if its ever built. With twice the output of China's Three Gorges, the dam could potentially bring electricity to those 600 million in sub-Saharan Africa currently without.But after decades of delay, investors withdrawing, environmental concerns, and its ballooning $80bn price tag, does the dream still hold water?Joining Esau this time are Barnaby Dye, Lecturer in Development Policy and Practice; Mark Mulligan, Professor of Physical & Environmental Geography; and Clement Sefa-Nyarko, Lecturer in Security, Development and Leadership in Africa. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kingsglobalaffairs.substack.com
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  A deep dive into DeepSeek 17.02.2025 40m

  What is the new app DeepSeek? How does it differ from other LLM providers? And why has it caused such a significant impact on the US AI industry? In this episode, Esau is joined by Sean Starrs and Juan Grigera, from the Department of International Development, King's College London to discuss all things AI. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kingsglobalaffairs.substack.com
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  Forty years on from Band Aid, what is the UK-Africa relationship? And what happened at COP29? 26.11.2024 1h

  As the 40th anniversary version of 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' hits the charts, and with Ed Sheeran igniting a row over whether it and similar charity initiatives reinforce African poverty stereotypes, Esau and guests discuss the current state of the UK-African relationship. Plus, what the heck happened in Baku, as COP29 negotiations overran and left many feeling let down? Is the developing nations settlement too little too late? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kingsglobalaffairs.substack.com
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  What Trump 2.0 means for Ukraine, India, China and the world 14.11.2024 34m

  Donald J Trump is set to make a historic comeback as the 47th US President after a decisive electoral victory over Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. In this episode, host Esau Williams talks to Dr Sean Starrs, an expert in international development, and Dr Anastasia Piliavsky, a Ukrainian who studies Indian politics, on what to expect when Trump takes office in January 2025. They discuss the implications of a Trump presidency for India, Ukraine, China, the Middle East, and the rest of the world, and how Trump's MAGA base may influence his policies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kingsglobalaffairs.substack.com
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  Should we super tax the super rich? And what happened at the BRICS+summit 04.11.2024 39m

  In the wake of the UK budget, and a report from Greenpeace on the feasibility of a wealth tax on the super rich, the panel discuss whether such a measure is possible or even likely. Plus, what happened at the BRICS+ summit, and was it a success for Putin and his allies?Joining Esau this episode are Sean Kenji Starrs, Barnaby Dye, and Benjamin Tippet from the Department of International Development.World: We Got This is brought to you by the School of Global Affairs, King's College London. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kingsglobalaffairs.substack.com
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  Spotlight on China – SEZs in Africa, China’s ghost cities and China in the US elections 18.10.2024 41m

  In this special episode for the Lau China Institute’s China Week, Esau is joined by Dr Charlotte Goodburn to discuss her new report on the impact of China-linked economic development zones in Africa, Dr Jane Hayward explains China’s many vacant cities, and Professor Astrid Nordin and Dr Sean Kenji-Starrs discuss the China question in the US elections. Learn more about the Lau China Institute's China Week: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/china-weekRead about the new report on China-linked SEZs in Africa co-authored by Dr Charlotte Goodburn: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/impacts-of-china-associated-economic-development-zones-in-africaLearn more about the School of Global Affairs: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/global-affairs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kingsglobalaffairs.substack.com
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  Nuclear energy; Modi in US; September flooding 08.10.2024 26m

  With Esau this episode: Prof Frans Berkhout talks about the pledge by the big banks to triple nuclear energy by 2050; Dr Anastasia Piliavsky digs deeper into Narendra Modi's visit to the US; and PhD candidate Teyah Payne discusses recent flooding in the global north and south.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kingsglobalaffairs.substack.com
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  In conversation about studying loneliness and ageing in Southeast Asia 17.06.2024 23m

  When Samia Akhter-Khan spent a year in Myanmar with older adults, she became curious to understand how loneliness operates in such social contexts where communities are tight knit. So for her PhD project, she chose to conduct research into loneliness in later life in Thailand and Myanmar. In this episode, Samia talks to her supervisor Dr Rosie Mayston about the challenges of studying loneliness in different cultural contexts, how she learned a new language, and the theory she developed for understanding loneliness. Learn more about Samia's research: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/samia-akhter-khan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kingsglobalaffairs.substack.com
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  The far-right and the changing politics of Europe 15.04.2024 27m

  The far-right has seen its popularity grow across Europe in recent years and is expected to gain a quarter of the seats in the European Parliamentary elections this year. In this episode, Dr Georgios Samaras, Assistant Professor in Public Policy at King’s College London’s International School for Government, looks at what is behind the rise of the far-right, its wider implications and what society and individuals can do to halt or reverse this trend.If you are interested in gaining further insights from Dr Samaras and other experts across King’s around this extraordinary year of elections, check out our Poll to Poll 2024 series of comment pieces and events. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kingsglobalaffairs.substack.com
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  In conversation about the disruptive potential of Argentina’s feminist movements 11.03.2024 25m

  What can feminist movements worldwide learn from Argentina? A lot it seems.In this episode, Lea Happ, PhD student in the Department of Global Health & Social Medicine talks to her supervisor Dominique Béhague about her research on the feminist activist networks in Argentina. She studies how the movement to legalise abortion transformed when that goal was realised in December 2020. Lea shares the insights we can learn from Argentina to inform feminist movements working for reproductive rights in other parts of the world.Learn more about Lea's research. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kingsglobalaffairs.substack.com
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  What do current conflicts tell us about the world today and our prospects for peace? 23.02.2024 44m

  As the war in Ukraine enters its third year, there is also ongoing fighting in Gaza, attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea and subsequent US and UK air strikes. This has prompted some to warn we are a moving from a post-war to a pre-war world.In this latest episode, Dr Marina Miron, a post-doctoral researcher in the Department of War Studies at King's College London, explores whether we are in a time of increased conflicts, what lies behind the current wars, the role of NATO and what we need to do differently if we want a more peaceful future.*Note this episode was recorded prior to the appointment of General O. Syrkyi. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kingsglobalaffairs.substack.com
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  Can we really rely on planting trees to help limit climate change? 09.01.2024 42m

  In this episode, researcher Ol Perkins explores whether land-based carbon dioxide removal schemes such as reforestation can live up to their promises and help us meet global pledges to limit climate change.Ol outlines some of the challenging implications of this approach and why experts and policymakers also need to consider the socio-cultural, environmental, and institutional factors that seem to have been overlooked to date.If you’d like to read the full paper mentioned in the episode, you can find it here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kingsglobalaffairs.substack.com
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  In conversation about Nigeria's strategic role in West Africa 11.12.2023 22m

  What strategic role has Nigeria played on issues of peace and security in West Africa? What do Nigeria's past interventions in Liberia and Sierra Leone tell us about its role in the region today? In this episode, Dr Folahanmi Aina, who recently completed his PhD from the African Leadership Centre at King's, talks to Dr Olawale Ismail, Senior Lecturer at ALC, about the findings of his PhD research and how he navigated the ups and downs of the PhD journey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kingsglobalaffairs.substack.com
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  The impact of colourism on people and societies around the world 21.11.2023 18m

  This episode looks at how colourism affects people and their life chances, plus how research is helping to fill the gaps in our knowledge around this pervasive, but perhaps not widely known form of discrimination.Featuring Dr Aisha Phoenix, a social justice lecturer from the School of Education, Communication & Society at King’s College London, the episode also explores what lies behind colourism and hears about her research that is helping improve understanding around the prevalence and effects of colourism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kingsglobalaffairs.substack.com