Independent Thinking

Independent Thinking

Author: Chatham House Language: English Episodes: 100
Hosted by Chatham House director Bronwen Maddox, Independent Thinking brings the institute’s private deliberations into the public ear. This isn’t a rehearsed lecture series, but a direct channel into candid, high-level discussions typically held behind closed doors. Maddox guides conversations with a carefully selected mix of leading policymakers, frontline journalists, and Chatham House’s own deep bench of experts, focusing on the international political issues that are shaping headlines and rewriting global strategies. The tone is analytical yet accessible, privileging substance and nuance over soundbites. Each episode feels like a privileged seat at a crucial roundtable, where complex topics-from shifting alliances and economic sanctions to climate diplomacy and conflict-are unpacked with clarity and intellectual rigor. Listeners gain a clearer understanding of the forces driving world events, hearing diverse perspectives clash and converge in real time. For anyone looking to move beyond the superficial news cycle and engage with the substantive arguments defining our geopolitics, this podcast offers an essential and thoughtful resource. It’s where informed opinion meets the pressing questions of our moment, fostering a deeper kind of political literacy.
Episodes
Is the far-right a threat to the European Union? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:29
With Bronwen Maddox this week is Suzanne Lynch, the Global Playbook author and Associate Editor at POLITICO Europe. Joining them are Armida van Rij, Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Europe Programme at Chatham Hous…
What's next for Israel after events at the ICC and ICJ? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:55
Bronwen Maddox is joined by Philippe Sands, a barrister specialising in international law and a Professor of the Public Understanding of Law at University College London. Joining them both are Lawrence Hill-Cawthorne, an…
How will foreign affairs shape the UK election? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:52
Rishi Sunak called a 4 July election saying the world is more dangerous than at any time since the end of the Cold War. Bronwen Maddox discusses those threats with Chatham House experts Olivia O'Sullivan, director of our…
What choices will the next UK Foreign Secretary face? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:37
Bronwen Maddox is joined by Shashank Joshi, defence editor of The Economist and historian and commentator Helene von Bismarck to discuss what the next government must prioritize in the UK's foreign policy. With them is O…
Will the US continue to support Israel? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:58
In this special episode, Bronwen Maddox interviews a key figure in US foreign policy to the Middle East for over a decade, Ambassador Dennis Ross. Ambassador Ross engaged directly with both Israeli and Palestinian partie…
Which country is next to go nuclear? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:30
This week, Bronwen Maddox discusses whether we are seeing a resurgence of the threat posed by nuclear weapons, given recent events in the Middle East and rhetoric from world leaders. She is joined by Robert E Kelly, Prof…
Is time running out for Ukraine? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:48
Bronwen Maddox is joined this week by journalist Oz Katerji and Phillips P. O'Brien, a Professor of Strategic Studies at the University of St Andrews. Joining them both in the studio is Ukrainian journalist Olga Tokariuk…
Are Israel and Iran on the brink of all out war? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:07
Bronwen Maddox is joined this week by Sanam Vakil, the director of our Middle East programme to discuss Iran's missile attack on Israel and the possible consequences across the region. Joining them both are Professor Yos…
Has the world forgotten Sudan? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:51
Bronwen Maddox is joined this week by Mohammed al-Ta'ishi, a civilian member of Sudan's Sovereignty Council - where he served as the chief negotiator and main architect of the Juba Peace Agreement. Joining them both are…
Has Turkey turned against Recep Tayyip Erdoğan? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:33
Bronwen Maddox is joined by Soli Özel, a Professor of International Relations at Istanbul Kadir Has University, and Hürcan Aslı Aksoy, the Head of the Centre for Applied Turkey Studies at the German Institute for Interna…

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