Season 8 Preview: History and our Current World

Diplomatic Immunity

#Politics #News #History #Institute for the Study of Diplomacy #Georgetown University #Diplomacy #Diplomatichistory #Foreignpolicy #Georgetownuniversity

1:14:43

Artificial intelligence is evolving at an unprecedented pace—what does that mean for the future of technology, venture capital, business, and even our understanding of ourselves? Award-winning journalist and writer Anil Ananthaswamy joins us for our latest episode to discuss his latest book Why Machines Learn: The Elegant Math Behind Modern AI . Anil helps us explore the journey and many breakthroughs that have propelled machine learning from simple perceptrons to the sophisticated algorithms shaping today’s AI revolution, powering GPT and other models. The discussion aims to demystify some of the underlying math that powers modern machine learning to help everyone grasp this technology impacting our lives, even if your last math class was in high school. Anil walks us through the power of scaling laws, the shift from training to inference optimization, and the debate among AI’s pioneers about the road to AGI—should we be concerned, or are we still missing key pieces of the puzzle? The conversation also delves into AI’s philosophical implications—could understanding how machines learn help us better understand ourselves? And what challenges remain before AI systems can truly operate with agency? If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform. Sign up for our newsletter at techsurgepodcast.com for exclusive insights and updates on upcoming TechSurge Live Summits. Links: Read Why Machines Learn, Anil’s latest book on the math behind AI https://www.amazon.com/Why-Machines-Learn-Elegant-Behind/dp/0593185749 Learn more about Anil Ananthaswamy’s work and writing https://anilananthaswamy.com/ Watch Anil Ananthaswamy’s TED Talk on AI and intelligence https://www.ted.com/speakers/anil_ananthaswamy Discover the MIT Knight Science Journalism Fellowship that shaped Anil’s AI research https://ksj.mit.edu/ Understand the Perceptron, the foundation of neural networks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perceptron Read about the Perceptron Convergence Theorem and its significance https://www.nature.com/articles/323533a0…

год назад 4:29

MP3•Главная эпизода

This week, Kelly teases the upcoming season of Diplomatic Immunity, titled "History and our Current World." The new series explores how history shapes foreign affairs—from the lessons of the Treaty of Versailles to the myths fueling conflicts in Ukraine and the South China Sea. Don’t miss our next episode on February 13th, when Kelly interviews renowned historian Margaret MacMillan to uncover how history is used, misused, and interpreted in global politics.

The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity.

Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson.

Recorded on January 27, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.

Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

93 эпизодов

Season 8 Preview: History and our Current World

Diplomatic Immunity

16 subscribers

published год назад

MP3•Главная эпизода

The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity.

Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson.

Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

93 эпизодов

#Politics #News #History #Institute for the Study of Diplomacy #Georgetown University #Diplomacy #Diplomatichistory #Foreignpolicy #Georgetownuniversity

Все серии

1
Katie Stallard on Mythmaking & History in Russia, China, and North Korea 46:41

6 дней назад46:41

46:41

For our third episode of "History and our Current World," Kelly welcomes journalist Katie Stallard to explore how historical mythmaking shapes foreign policy. We examine how Russia, China & North Korea have manipulated national narratives to legitimize their global ambitions and create powerful collective identities. Katie is a senior editor for China & global affairs at the News Statesman magazine, and was previously a foreign correspondent for Sky News, reporting from Ukraine, Russia, and China. She published Dancing on Bones in 2022, which was awarded best political book of the year by the Financial Times, the Sunday Times, and the BBC history magazine. Link to Dancing on Bones : https://www.amazon.com/Dancing-Bones-History-Power-Russia/dp/0197575358 The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on February 19, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown…

1
Omar Mahmood on Somaliland's Political Future 31:30

13 дней назад31:30

31:30

Interview with Omar Mahmood on Somaliland - 16:40 This week, Kelly sits down with International Crisis Group Senior Analyst Omar Mahmood for an in-depth look at Somaliland's history and quest for international recognition. Before that, he and Freddie discuss Trump's USAID cuts, political turmoil in the Philippines, and Ecuador's presidential election results. As the senior analyst for Eastern Africa at the International Crisis Group, Omar conducts field research, provides written analysis, proposes policy recommendations and engages in advocacy efforts. Omar has previously worked as a senior researcher focusing on the Horn of Africa for the Institute for Security Studies in Addis Ababa, and as an international consultant covering Boko Haram and the Lake Chad Basin. Prior to that, he obtained his Master’s degree from the Fletcher School at Tufts University and served as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Burkina Faso. Ambassador (ret.) Gordon Gray's article on the impact of USAID in Tunisia: USAID Expertise is a Critical Foreign Policy Tool — https://medium.com/the-diplomatic-pouch/analysis-usaid-expertise-is-a-critical-foreign-policy-tool-bab558a27fb8 The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on February 13, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown…

1
Margaret Macmillan: Why Does History Matter? 41:18

20 дней назад41:18

41:18

For our first full episode of Season 8, Kelly is joined by Margaret MacMillan to discuss the importance of history in shaping the behavior of individuals, politicians, and entire societies. Margaret MacMillan is an emeritus professor of History at the University of Toronto and an emeritus professor of International History at Oxford University. She was provost of Trinity College, Toronto from 2002 to 2007 and warden of St Antony’s College, Oxford from 2007 to 2017. She is a trustee of the Imperial War Museum and sits on a number of non-profit advisory boards. Her research specializes in British imperial history and the international history of the 19th and 20th centuries. Her publications have been translated into 26 languages and include Paris, 1919, Nixon and Mao, and The War that Ended Peace. Her latest book, published in 2020, is War: How Conflict Shaped Us: https://www.amazon.com/War-How-Conflict-Shaped-Us/dp/1984856138 The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on February 10, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown…

1
Liana Fix on Germany’s Political Crisis 30:17

27 дней назад30:17

30:17

Interview with Liana Fix on Germany - 16:00 NOTE: This episode was recorded before the ceasefire in the DRC began to break down. This week, Kelly sits down with Council on Foreign Relations fellow Liana Fix for an update on Germany's political crisis just weeks ahead of the federal elections. Before that, Kelly and Freddie break down the release of DeepSeek, discuss the civil war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and give an update on South Korea's presidential crisis. Liana Fix is a fellow for Europe at the Council on Foreign Relations. She is a historian and political scientist, with expertise in German and European foreign and security policy, European security, transatlantic relations, Russia, Eastern Europe, and European China policy. Dr. Fix is also the author of A New German Power? Germany’s Role in European Russia Policy (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021). She is an adjunct faculty member at Georgetown University in the Center for German and European Studies and the Center for Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on February 5, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown…

1
Season 8 Preview: History and our Current World 4:29

5 weeks назад4:29

4:29

This week, Kelly teases the upcoming season of Diplomatic Immunity , titled "History and our Current World." The new series explores how history shapes foreign affairs—from the lessons of the Treaty of Versailles to the myths fueling conflicts in Ukraine and the South China Sea. Don’t miss our next episode on February 13th, when Kelly interviews renowned historian Margaret MacMillan to uncover how history is used, misused, and interpreted in global politics. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on January 27, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown…

1
Mona Yacoubian on Syria: HTS's Rise and Reconstruction Ahead 23:09

6 weeks назад23:09

23:09

Interview with Mona Yacoubian on Syria — 10:57 This week, Kelly interviews Mona Yacoubian from the U.S. Institute of Peace to provide insights into Syria's future, focusing on the rise of HTS, reconstruction challenges, and the role of international actors. Before that, Kelly and Freddie cover the latest developments in the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and reflect on the legacy of Jimmy Carter's foreign policy. Mona is the vice president of the Middle East and North Africa center at USIP. Prior to joining USIP, Mona was deputy assistant administrator in the Middle East Bureau at USAID from 2014 to 2017, where she had responsibility for Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. Mona also previously served as the North Africa analyst in the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on January 21, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown…

1
Richard Fontaine: The Russo-Chinese Alliance & U.S. Foreign Policy 31:38

7 weeks назад31:38

31:38

To kick off 2025, Kelly talks with Richard Fontaine, CEO of the Center for New American Security, about his new report with the Council on Foreign Relations: No Limits? The China-Russia Relationship and U.S. Foreign Policy . Richard is the chief executive officer of the Center for a New American Security. Prior to CNAS, Richard was a foreign policy advisor to Senator John McCain and served in the State Department and on the staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He also served as associate director for Near Eastern affairs at the National Security Council and worked on Southeast Asian issues in the NSC’s Asian Affairs directorate. In 2024, Richard co-authored the Lost Decade: The U.S. Pivot to Asia and the Rise of Chinese Power, with Ambassador Robert Blackwill. Please find the book in our show notes, as well as a link to Robert and Richard’s recent report. CFR | No Limits? The China-Russia Relationship and U.S. Foreign Policy: https://www.cfr.org/report/no-limits-china-russia-relationship-and-us-foreign-policy The Lost Decade: https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Decade-Pivot-Chinese-Power/dp/0197677940 The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Theo Malhotra. Recorded on January 10, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown…

1
2024: Year in Review with Amy Mackinnon and Ellen Laipson 31:33

11 weeks назад31:33

31:33

This week, Kelly looks back on the major events of 2024 with Amy Mackinnon and Ellen Laipson. Amy Mackinnon is an award-winning national security and intelligence reporter at Foreign Policy. She has reported from across Eastern Europe and was previously based in Moscow and in Tbilisi, Georgia, as senior editor for the crisis reporting site Coda Story. Mackinnon is a recipient of the duPont-Columbia award for her reporting on homophobic vigilantes in Russia. She is a regular commentator for BBC World Service radio and television and her work has been published and broadcast by Coda Story, Slate Magazine, Vice News, and CNN among others. Ellen Laipson is the Director of the International Security Program at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. She joined GMU after a distinguished 25-year career in government and as President of the Stimson Center (2002-2015). Her last post in the US government was Vice Chair of the National Intelligence Council (1997-2002). She also served on the State Department’s Policy Planning Staff, the National Security Council staff, and the Congressional Research Service. She was a member of the CIA External Advisory Panel from 2006 to 2009, President Obama’s Intelligence Advisory Board from 2009 to 2013, and the Secretary of State’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board from 2011 to 2014. Ellen currently serves on the ISD board of advisers. Amy and Ellen's recommended books for the holidays: The Ecology of Nations by John M. Owen IV The Achilles Trap by Steve Coll The Cure of Troy by Seamus Heaney The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Theo Malhotra. Recorded on December 16, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown…

1
Lessons in Diplomacy with Former UK Ambassador Leigh Turner 53:21

12 weeks назад53:21

53:21

This week, Kelly talks with former British Ambassador Leigh Turner about a wide range of topics, from crisis and safety issues facing embassies around the world to how technology is transforming the role of the diplomat, and how he sees European, Russian, and British foreign policy developing in the next few years. Leigh Turner is a writer based in London. He was the UK ambassador to Austria and UK permanent representative to the United Nations in Vienna from September 2016 to September 2021. Leigh's previous roles were as Her Majesty’s consul general in Istanbul and director general for trade and investment for Turkey, Central Asia and the South Caucasus; Her Majesty’s ambassador in Kyiv, Ukraine, and director of Overseas Territories in London, responsible for territories including St Helena, the Falklands and Bermuda. https://www.amazon.com/Lessons-Diplomacy-Politics-Power-Parties/dp/1447373928 https://rleighturner.com/ The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Theo Malhotra. Recorded on December 9, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown…

1
Ambassador Samuel Ducroquet: Sports Diplomacy After Paris 2024 36:00

13 weeks назад36:00

36:00

This week, Kelly talks with the French Ambassador for Sports, Samuel Ducroquet, about the growing role of sports in diplomatic efforts. Samuel Ducroquet was appointed French ambassador for sport in February 2023. He joined the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs in 2007 as an International Civilian Volunteer at the French Permanent Mission to the EU in Brussels, and has since worked as a political advisor at the French Embassy in Qatar. His experience as an Olympic attaché at the French Embassy in Tokyo allowed him to develop a real expertise on sports diplomacy, reinforced by his position as senior manager in charge of the dignitaries programme in the International Relations Department of the Paris 2024 Games organizing committee, from 2022 to 2023. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Theo Malhotra. Recorded on December 2, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown…

1
Dan Byman on Israel; updates on Georgian Elections, COP29, and Venezuela 32:25

14 weeks назад32:25

32:25

Interview with Dan Byman on Israel — 14:36 This week, Kelly speaks with Georgetown Professor Dan Byman for an update on Israel and Lebanon, days before a ceasefire was announced in the year-long conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Before that, Kelly and Freddie talk through the recent elections in Georgia and Venezuela, and the negotiations at the COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on November 22, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown…

1
ISD Live: NYT's Edward Wong Receives the 2024 Weintal Prize 1:04:07

15 weeks назад1:04:07

1:04:07

On November 13, ISD Director Ambassador (ret.) Barbara Bodine awarded New York Times correspondent Edward Wong with the Edward Weintal Prize for diplomatic reporting. Ed's lecture, "Empires in Extremis," covers his family's story as it intertwines with the rise of the CCP and Xi Jinping, leading into his own career as a diplomatic correspondent and NYT Beijing Bureau Chief for nine years. He concludes by comparing and contrasting the Chinese and U.S. models of empire, and the dangers they face as the two countries become more adversarial. Q&A with Ambassador Bodine covers US-China relations, the incoming Trump administration, and the journalistic profession. Find his new book, "At the Edge of Empire A Family's Reckoning with China," here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/602734/at-the-edge-of-empire-by-edward-wong/ The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Theo Malhotra. Recorded on November 13, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown…

1
Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky: U.S. History & the Biden-Trump Transition 22:18

16 weeks назад22:18

22:18

This week, Kelly talks with Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky about the history of Presidential transitions, and how the Biden-Trump transition is shaping up. Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky is a presidential historian and Executive Director of the George Washington Presidential Library. Her research focuses on the development of political institutions and political culture in the Early Republic. Her first book, The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution, was published in April 2020. Her latest book, Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents that Forged the Republic, was published in September of this year. Her work has also appeared in the Wall Street Journal, The Daily Beast, Time Magazine, and the Washington Post. https://www.amazon.com/Making-Presidency-Precedents-Forged-Republic/dp/0197653847 The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Theo Malhotra. Recorded on November 12, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown…

1
Tristen Naylor: How is the World Viewing the 2024 Election? 26:27

19 weeks назад26:27

26:27

This week, Kelly talks with Dr. Tristen Naylor, Founder and Managing Director of the geopolitical risk consultancy Diplomatic Solutions, about the outlooks for relationships with leaders in Europe, China, Iran, and other nations, as well as how America’s relationship with multilateral institutions like the United Nations might be impacted by either candidate’s victory. Tristen Naylor is the Founder and Managing Director of Diplomatic Solutions, a geopolitical risk consultancy based in London. He was previously also an Assistant Professor and Lecturer in History and Politics at Cambridge University. His first book, "Social Closure and International Society: Status Groups from the Family of Civilised Nations to the G20," examines how actors compete for a seat at the table in the management of international society: https://www.amazon.com/Social-Closure-International-Society-Governance-ebook/dp/B07KY42HBK The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Jarrett Dang. Recorded on October 15, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown…

1
Sara Moller on NATO's new Secretary General; updates on Kenya, Tunisia and the Chagos Islands 29:44

20 weeks назад29:44