The International Risk Podcast
Welcome to The International Risk Podcast — the premier destination for high-level insights into global risk dynamics. Hosted by Dominic Bowen, an accomplished senior advisor, each episode delivers expert analysis and actionable intelligence on today’s most pressing international risks. From geopolitical tensions and economic upheavals to cybersecurity threats and environmental challenges, we bring clarity to the complex risks shaping our world.
Tailored for CEOs, Board Members, senior managers, and risk professionals, our weekly episodes are essential listening for those making strategic decisions in volatile environments. With distinguished guests from diverse sectors and geographies — including renowned industry experts, policymakers, and thought leaders — we provide a multidimensional perspective, equipping you with insights to stay ahead of emerging threats and capitalize on new opportunities.
Our host, Dominic Bowen, is a senior business leader, and Partner at 2Secure where he is Head of Strategic Advisory and leads a team of senior management consultants and advisors.
Join us for engaging, thought-provoking conversations that go beyond the headlines. Stay informed, stay ahead, and transform the way you perceive and manage international risks. The International Risk Podcast is not just a podcast; it’s is crucial listening for today's leaders.
Episodes
343 episodes
Episode 342: You Can't Kill an Idea: War, Power and 40 Years as a Foreign Correspondent with Humphrey Hawksley
The global landscape feels increasingly unsettled. Conflict in the Middle East, Sudan and Ukraine to wider geoplitical, technological and climatic shifts, the world is going though a period of rapid change. At the same time, the nature of confl...
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41:26
Episode 341: Taiwanese Politics, Shifting Attitudes, and the ‘China Question’
In this episode we host Ava Shen to unpack the dynamics of Taiwanese politics, the role of the DPP, KMT, and TPP, and how cross-strait tensions shape both domestic discourse and international perceptions. The conversation explores disinformatio...
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31:19
Episode 340: Iran Escalates: How Geopolitical Shocks and the Strait of Hormuz Becomes an Organisational Crisis
In this episode, we host K. Campbell to examine how the escalating conflict with Iran should be understood not only as a military confrontation but as a wider risk event with implications for shipping, supply chains, critical infrastruct...
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Season 6
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Episode 340
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35:06
Episode 339: Disinformation, Information Disorder, and Democratic Resilience in a Fragmented Media Environment with Natalie Martin and Eliot Higgins
In this episode of The International Risk Podcast, Dominic Bowen speaks with Natalie Martin and Eliot Higgins about the growing impact of disinformation, digital media, and information disorder on global security and democratic re...
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35:55
Episode 338: Louis Theroux & the Manosphere: When Misogyny Goes Mainstream with Dr. Allysa Czerwinsky
You might've seen the recent Inside the Manosphere documentary by Louis Theroux. About a year ago we had this episode with Dr. Allysa Czwerinsky discussing this exact topic! If Louis Theroux’s Netflix series Inside the Manosphere
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Season 6
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Episode 338
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39:15
Episode 337: Inside Russia’s Political War Against the West with Professor Mark Galeotti
In this episode, we host Professor Mark Galeotti to explore how Russia wages political warfare against the West beyond the conventional battlefield. Drawing on decades of work on Russian power, intelligence, organised crime, and state co...
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53:02
Episode 336: Climate Change as a Threat Multiplier: Why the Lake Chad Basin Matters for Global Security with Cedric de Coning and Andrew E. Yaw Tchie
In this episode of The International Risk Podcast, Dominic Bowen speaks with Cedric de Coning and Andrew E. Yaw Tchie about the complex relationship between climate change, conflict, and human security in the Lake Chad Basin. Once...
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Season 6
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Episode 336
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28:51
Episode 335: Water Scarcity and Systemic Risk in Iran with Milad Jafari
Iran is facing what many experts describe as a looming state of “water bankruptcy”, a crisis where demand has so profoundly outstripped supply that the very foundations of economic stability, social cohesion, and national security are und...
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Season 6
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Episode 335
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28:31
Episode 334: North Korea: Strategic Signalling, Economic Constraint, and Regional Risk with Rachel Minyoung Lee
This episode with Rachel Minyoung Lee examines the evolving risk landscape surrounding North Korea, moving beyond headlines focused solely on nuclear escalat...
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Season 6
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Episode 334
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32:00
Episode 333: Securing the State: Crisis Management and Counterterrorism Strategy with Professor Sir David Omand
In this episode, we host Professor Sir David Omand to explore crisis management, counterterrorism, and intelligence at the highest levels of the British state. Drawing on a career that includes senior roles at GCHQ, the Home Office, the ...
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Season 6
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Episode 333
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40:31
Episode 332: Who Pays for Climate Damage? Climate Litigation, Risk, and Accountability with Dr Rupert Stuart-Smith
In this episode of The International Risk Podcast, Dominic Bowen speaks with Dr Rupert Stuart-Smith about the rapid expansion of climate litigation and what it means for corporate strategy, financial stability, and intern...
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Season 6
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Episode 332
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27:05
Episode 331: Hypersonic Missiles, Nuclear Deterrence and the New Arms Race
In this episode of the International Risk Podcast, Dominic Bowen speaks with Ankit Panda, Stanton Senior Fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and author of The New Nuclear Age: At the Precip...
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Season 6
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Episode 331
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27:42
Episode 330: Current State of Sudan in 2026
This episode with Hamid Khalafallah examines the current state of Sudan’s civil war beyond shifting battlefield developments. We explore how patterns of territorial contro...
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Season 6
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Episode 330
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32:35
Episode 329: Inside Russia's War: Strategy, Technology and the Future of Security with Elizabeth Bullock
This episode with Elizabeth Bullock examines the lived reality of Russia’s modern warfare, drawing on her three years working in frontline Ukraine.From evacuating civilians under fire to navigating the evolving threats of drones, hypersonic mis...
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Season 6
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Episode 329
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36:18
Episode 328: Food Security and Systemic Resilience: National Preparedness in Globally Integrated Food Systems with Tim Lang
In this episode of The International Risk Podcast, Dominic Bowen speaks with Professor Tim Lang about food security as a systemic risk embedded within highly interdependent global supply, trade, and governance networks. The conver...
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Season 6
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Episode 325
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22:45
Episode 327: Hypersonic Missiles and Global Strategy: Implications for Hegemony, Arms Control, and Systemic Security with Dr Jacob Parakilas
This episode of the International Risk Podcast explores hypersonic missiles through the lens of global strategy, defense policy, and international security. Host Dominic Bowen interviews Dr. Jacob Parakilas from Rand Europe about what makes hyp...
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Season 6
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Episode 327
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33:28
Episode 326: Iran Under Pressure: Economic Strain, Political Stability, and Regional Risk with Professor Djavad Salehi-Isfahani
This episode with Professor Djavad Salehi-Isfahani examines how prolonged sanctions, inflation, and structural economic stagnation have reshaped Iran’...
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Season 6
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Episode 326
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30:54
Episode 325: BRICS and the Economic Role of Emerging Global Powers with Mihaela Papa
In this episode host Dominic Bowen unpacks the growing influence, and mounting challenges, facing BRICS as the bloc expands and expectations rise with Mihaela Papa.From Brazil’s 2025 presidency and AI regulation to climate finance...
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Season 6
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Episode 325
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26:50
Episode 324: Syria’s Shifting Identity and Political Landscape with Ola Rifai
In this episode of the International Risk Podcast, Dominic Bowen speaks with Dr Ola Rifai about the evolution of Syrian identity and how competing narratives of nationalism, sectarianism, and statehood have shaped the country’s political trajec...
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Season 6
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Episode 324
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29:15
Episode 323: Live from Syria: The Risks That Lie Between Liberation and Reconstruction with Dominic Bowen
There are some days in the calendar that people will never forget. 8 December 2024 is a day Syrians will certainlt remember: Liberation Day. Now a national holiday, it marks the fall of the Assad family regime—a dictatorship that had ruled Syri...
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Season 6
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Episode 323
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39:25
Episode 322: Getting enterprise risk management right with Simon Grima
In this episode, we host Professor Simon Grima to explore why risk management is too often treated as paperwork and how it can become a genuine strategic superpower when anchored to clear objectives and stakeholder needs. We unpack...
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Season 6
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Episode 322
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22:41
Episode 321: Understanding Radicalisation and Violence with Allizandra Herberhold
In this episode, we host Allizandra Herberhold. We explore how curiosity can become a pathway to radicalisation, and what families, educators, and communities can do before it’s too late. From recognising early warning signs such as isol...
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Season 6
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Episode 321
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26:28
Episode 320: Skyrocketing Gold prices: geopolitical risks and trends
Due to popular requests, we are re-releasing this episode, where Dominic Bowen and Dr. Moshe Lander discuss the recent spike in gold prices, the opportunities, and internati...
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Season 6
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Episode 320
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36:37
Episode 319: From AI to Bullion: What Gold Tells Us About Market Risks in 2026
In this episode, Dominic Bowen and Russ Mould discuss why gold has returned to the centre of global finance amid rising geopolitical risk, sanctions, and record government debt.Find out more about what is driving gold’s surge beyond ...
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Season 6
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Episode 319
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29:26
Episode 318: Behavioural Risk with Simon Keslake
In this episode Dominic Bowen speaks with Simon Keslake, co-founder of Behavioural Risk Intelligence, about why organisational failure is so often driven by behaviour rather than systems or policies. They explore what behavioural risk re...
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Season 6
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Episode 318
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30:50