Welcome to the podcast of the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs (NZIIA). Here we foster expert discussion of international affairs, especially as they relate to Aotearoa New Zealand. These are the views of those speaking, and not of the Institute. To find out more visit www.nziia.org.nz.
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Geostrategy Podcasts
From Salamis to Trafalgar to midway to the 21st Century: A history of sea power and naval warfare from prehistory to the present.
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Projectified[R] is your guide to the future of project management. Created by Project Management Institute, this podcast is for people who lead strategic initiatives and collaborate on teams to deliver value to their organizations. It features dynamic thought leaders and practitioners who share their real-world experiences and expertise to inform, inspire and prepare you for success.
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Babel will take you beyond the headlines to discuss what’s really happening in the Middle East and North Africa. It features regional experts who explain what’s going on, provide context on pivotal developments, and highlight trends you may have missed. Jon Alterman, Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, hosts the podcast along with his colleagues from the Middle East Program. This podcast is made possible through ...
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Iterating has become the business norm—but project teams are struggling to keep up with the relentless pace of change. How can change management professionals and project leaders help? We discuss this with: Sharon Casey, director, change management, Adobe, Austin, Texas, USA: Casey discusses how the persistent pace of change is affecting project te…
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Is climate change an insurmountable challenge?
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This conversation occurred at the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs flagship conference in Wellington on June 2025. Climate change is one of the gravest threats to New Zealand’s security and prosperity, and ultimately our wellbeing. The New Zealand Government has three priorities in addressing this challenge, including climate diplomac…
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Trump 2.0: what it means for New Zealand and the World
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This discussion occurred at the NZIIA flagship conference in Wellington in June 2025. The return of US President Donald Trump to the White House has created tumultuous news on a daily basis. The Administration’s approach to Ukraine, the Middle East, international trade, competition with China and reform of US Government institutions are creating sh…
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Trade and economics in a geopolitical maelstrom
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This discussion occurred at the NZIIA flagship conference in Wellington in June 2025. The New Zealand Government has unveiled a ‘Going for Growth’ strategy to enable economic growth, deliver more jobs and grow incomes. Central to the strategy are efforts to double exports by value in 10 years and increase foreign investment. Yet many nations are pl…
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A changing international (dis)order: implications for New Zealand & the region
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This discussion occurred at the NZIIA Conference in Wellington in June 2025. For decades, New Zealand’s approach to international relations has been driven by a pursuit of multilateralism, collective security and free trade. Since the end of the Cold War, this has been enabled to some extent by the pre-eminence of US power. However, the internation…
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Geostrategy Imperative: How it Elevates Risk Management
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As geopolitical volatility reigns, organizations must increasingly anticipate, assess and manage the risks that come in such a complex project environment. How is this turbulence affecting project leaders? How are they incorporating geostrategy into their risk management processes? We discuss this with: Heather Buchanan, PMI-RMP, PMP, supply chain …
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How Next-Gen Project Professionals Deliver Positive Social Impact
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The youngest generations in the workforce don’t just want jobs—they want to deliver impact. What skills do project professionals need to ensure their efforts lead to deep social impact? And how do they build support for these initiatives? We discuss this with: Martin Irungu, founder and executive director, Empower and Serve Kenya (EmpServe), Nairob…
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How Talent Development Can Boost Engagement and Retain Top Talent
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Across the globe, employees are leaving their jobs because they are not fulfilled—and it’s costing organizations big time. One way to fix this? Investing in your talent. Our roundtable discussion outlines the benefits of internal talent development, how to identify team members with potential and steps to keep team members engaged when they’re stru…
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Babel Special: Jon Alterman's Next Chapter
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This week on a special edition of Babel, Will Todman speaks with Jon Alterman, the creator of Babel and the show’s host since it began in 2019. They discuss Jon’s reflections on 22 years directing the CSIS Middle East Program, his analysis of how the Middle East policy ecosystem has changed during that time, and his advice to those entering the fie…
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In today’s hypercompetitive job market, organizations are looking for change-ready project talent that can add value from the get-go. In a group discussion, three project professionals share which must-have skills and acumen—from artificial intelligence proficiency and data analysis to communication and active listening—have bubbled up in 2025. The…
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Mohanad Hage Ali: Hezbollah and the Captagon Trade
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This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Dr. Mohanad Hage Ali, deputy director for research at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. Mohanad's latest paper for Carnegie investigates the rise of a new form of drug smuggling in Lebanon. Together, they discuss Hezbollah’s involvement in these drug networks, as well as the opportunities to bol…
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EVENT AUDIO: NZIIA Annual Lecture 2025 with Hon Judith Collins KC, Minister of Defence
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At the NZIIA Annual Lecture 2025 on 6 May, held at the National Library of New Zealand, Hon Judith Collins KC, New Zealand Minister of Defence discussed the importance of New Zealand’s Defence Capability Plan announced on 7 April. The plan outlines investments to enhance the New Zealand Defence Force over the next 15 years, with a focus on the crit…
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On Tuesday, May 6, President Trump declared that the United States would immediately halt its bombing of Houthi targets, bringing an end to months of intensified U.S. strikes across Yemen. The president linked the policy reversal to what he described as the Iran-backed Houthis’ capitulation to U.S. demands, stating that the group had agreed to ceas…
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Dina Esfandiary: Will Iran Make a Deal with Trump?
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This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Dina Esfandiary, the Middle East Geoeconomics Lead at Bloomberg. Previously, Dr. Esfandiary served as a senior adviser for the Middle East and North Africa at the International Crisis Group and was a fellow at The Century Foundation. Her research focuses on security in the Persian Gulf and Iran’s foreign…
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Analysis: Trump’s Novel Middle East Diplomacy
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The United States is currently engaged in several high-stakes negotiations across the Middle East and around the world. President Trump has departed from traditional diplomatic norms, opting instead for unconventional negotiating strategies to address the crisis in Gaza, the war in Ukraine, Iran’s nuclear program, Venezuela, and trade. His approach…
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Tech Reboot for Wildlife Conservation Projects
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With wildlife populations plummeting, conservation teams are fighting back, using cutting-edge technology to track and protect the world’s flora and fauna. We discuss this with: Shannon Dubay, director of conservation technology, Panthera, Cape Town, South Africa: Dubay discusses how teams use camera traps, satellite imagery, AI and other technolog…
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Craig Larkin: The Politics of Memory, From Mosul to Beirut to Gaza
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This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Dr. Craig Larkin, director of the Center for the Study of Divided Societies at King’s College London. Dr. Larkin is also a research lead on Memory and Conflict for XCEPT, a research consortium studying cross-border conflict. There, he focuses on the relationship between communal memory and violence. Toge…
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While seated beside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on April 7, President Trump announced that the United States will imminently initiate talks with Iran over its nuclear program. The announcement comes amid a rise in U.S. military activity in the Persian Gulf and a string of threats directed at Iran by President Trump, citing Tehran's nu…
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Dahlia Scheindlin: Israel’s Political Turmoil
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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 Netany…
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On March 15, the United States launched a wave of attacks on Houthi targets in Yemen. The Trump administration had pledged to step up efforts initiated by President Biden to combat Houthi assaults on commercial shipping and U.S. regional assets. As reports swirl of new U.S. strikes, the U.S. government has also been clearer in blaming Iran for Hout…
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More and more project professionals are managing artificial intelligence (AI) projects, but teams are struggling to make sure they deliver real value. What makes AI projects different—and what are some common reasons they fail? What does it take to lead successful AI projects—and how do you build those must-have skills? We discuss the big issues wi…
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Nicolas Pelham: Ahmed al-Sharaa and Syria’s Future
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This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Nicolas Pelham, the Middle East correspondent for The Economist. Nicolas has worked in the Middle East and North Africa for more than 30 years and has reported from every state in the region. Together, they discuss his latest article, “The Great Pretender: How Ahmed al-Sharaa Won Syria,” an in-depth prof…
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Renad Mansour and Sanam Vakil: Iranian Networks in the Middle East
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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…
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On Tuesday night, President Trump delivered the first broadcast address of his second term to Congress. Though his remarks on the Middle East were sparing and largely expected, U.S. policy in the region has largely been the opposite. Trump’s pronouncements on Gaza have sent especially powerful shockwaves throughout the Middle East, and hints of a n…
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Max Bergmann: Does Europe Matter in the Middle East?
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This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Max Bergmann, head of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at CSIS. Previously, Max held a variety of positions at the State Department, including senior adviser to the assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs. He later went on to serve as a senior fellow at the Center for American …
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Gender Equality in Action: The Role of Project Leaders
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International Women’s Day is a clarion call for gender equality—and project professionals around the globe are taking bold action to advance the cause. Our guests discuss the projects they’re leading to empower girls and women, how they ensure they’re delivering positive social impact, and how they keep themselves—and their teams—motivated in the f…
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Analysis: Are U.S.-Russia Talks a Win for the Saudis?
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On Tuesday this week, Saudi Arabia hosted the first set of high-level talks between the United States and Russia since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Saudi Arabia’s role in facilitating the negotiations has drawn attention to Riyadh’s pursuit of an increasingly elevated status on the world stage. It also comes amid intensive U.S. efforts to win Saud…
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Alessandro Accorsi: Disinformation Warfare in the Middle East
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This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Alessandro Accorsi, a senior analyst for social media and conflict at the International Crisis Group. Prior to joining ICG, he worked for five years at the European External Action Service, where he led a taskforce countering foreign interference and information manipulation in the Middle East. He also w…
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