About

The IR thinker features in-depth interviews with leading experts in international relations, foreign policy, and global affairs.

The IR thinker is an independent, non-partisan and non-aligned platform. It hosts a wide range of perspectives on international relations but does not endorse any political party, government or ideological position.

Since its first episode in 2023, The IR thinker has produced more than 100 episodes as a pro bono initiative established by Martin Zubko, an international relations scholar and lecturer.

The IR thinker: Conversations on International Relations

In a media landscape increasingly dominated by soundbites and hot takes, finding space for substantive discussion about international relations has become remarkably difficult. Twitter, sorry, X threads substitute for analysis, three-minute videos claim to explain complex geopolitical situations, and nuance is routinely sacrificed for engagement metrics. Against this backdrop, The IR thinker offers something increasingly rare: extended, thoughtful conversations with leading scholars and practitioners about the forces shaping our world.

With over 100 episodes archived since its inception, this podcast has carved out a distinctive niche in the crowded field of international relations content. Rather than chasing breaking news or offering instant commentary on every global crisis, The IR thinker takes a longer view, exploring the structural dynamics, theoretical frameworks, and historical patterns that help us understand contemporary events more deeply.

The Format: Depth Over Speed

The podcast’s approach is refreshingly straightforward. Each episode features an in-depth conversation with an expert on a specific topic within international relations and related disciplines:

• International Relations Theory

• International Security

• International Political Economy

• Foreign Policy Analysis

• Global Governance and International Organisations

• Geopolitics and Strategic Studies

• Peace and Conflict Studies

• Diplomacy and Negotiation

• International Law

• Research Methods

Episodes typically run for approximately an hour, providing sufficient time for ideas to develop properly, for guests to elaborate on complex arguments, and for listeners to genuinely engage with sophisticated concepts.

This commitment to extended conversation represents a conscious choice. In an era where podcast episodes are often trimmed to fit commute times or edited into digestible clips for social media, The IR thinker resists the pressure to condense. The format acknowledges that some ideas cannot be adequately explored in fifteen minutes, that some arguments require context and counter-arguments, and that genuine understanding takes time.

The result is content that rewards attention. These are not background podcasts to half-listen to whilst doing other tasks. They’re conversations that demand — and deserve — focused engagement. Yet this depth never feels self-indulgent. The discussions remain purposeful, with questions that advance understanding rather than simply filling time.

A Genuinely Global Perspective

Perhaps the most striking aspect of The IR thinker’s catalogue is its geographic and thematic range. Whilst many international relations platforms remain stubbornly focused on Western concerns and perspectives, this podcast ranges across continents with impressive breadth. Recent episodes alone span from nuclear weapons strategy to China’s institutional development, from questions about African IR theory to natural gas security in Germany, from Mongolia’s energy challenges to Australia’s defence posture.

This diversity is not merely cosmetic. It reflects a sophisticated understanding that international relations cannot be properly comprehended through a single lens. The contemporary international system is genuinely multipolar, with power distributed across different regions and issue areas. Security dynamics in the Indo-Pacific differ fundamentally from those in Europe or Africa. Energy politics in Central Asia operate according to different logics than those in the Middle East or Latin America.

By engaging with this complexity rather than simplifying it, The IR thinker offers listeners exposure to perspectives and concerns that rarely feature in mainstream coverage. When was the last time you encountered substantive analysis of Mongolian energy security in popular media? Yet understanding how a landlocked nation navigates dependence on neighbouring great powers whilst pursuing economic development illuminates broader patterns in small-state behaviour and regional power dynamics.

Similarly, episodes exploring whether African IR theory exists as a distinct body of thought challenge the Western-centric paradigm that has long dominated the discipline. These conversations acknowledge that scholars working from different historical experiences and geopolitical positions might ask different questions, employ different analytical frameworks, and arrive at different conclusions about how international relations work.

Bridging Theory and Practice

One of the podcast’s particular strengths lies in its ability to connect theoretical frameworks with practical applications. International relations theory can seem abstract, even arcane, to those not immersed in academic discourse. Concepts like soft balancing, security communities, or zones of peace might appear disconnected from real-world events. Yet The IR thinker consistently demonstrates how theory provides essential tools for understanding why states behave as they do, why some regions achieve stability whilst others remain conflict-prone, and how international order evolves over time.

Consider episodes exploring soft balancing within EU governance or the zones of peace concept. These aren’t merely intellectual exercises. They help explain why certain institutional arrangements emerge, why some conflicts escalate whilst others don’t, and how actors pursue their interests through various means. Theory, properly explained, becomes a lens through which contemporary events come into sharper focus.

The podcast also benefits from featuring guests who move between academic research and policy work, or who study policy processes directly. This combination means discussions remain grounded in real-world dynamics whilst maintaining analytical rigour. Listeners gain insight not just into what’s happening but why it matters and how to think about it systematically.

Timeless Questions, Contemporary Relevance

Whilst The IR thinker maintains a steady publishing schedule that engages with current developments, it avoids the trap of becoming purely reactive to news cycles. Yes, there are episodes addressing Trump’s foreign policy, Syria’s post-conflict reconstruction, and evolving Indo-Pacific security dynamics. These topics are undeniably timely. However, the conversations are structured to transcend immediate headlines.

Take discussions on US foreign policy. Rather than offering predictable hot takes, episodes examine deeper structural factors shaping American grand strategy, explore how domestic political culture influences foreign policy formulation, and consider historical parallels that provide context. The result is analysis that remains valuable long after specific policy announcements have been superseded by new developments.

This approach means the podcast’s archive remains relevant. An episode from two years ago on energy security or maritime governance still offers valuable insights because it prioritises enduring dynamics over ephemeral events. New listeners can start anywhere in the catalogue and find material that enriches their understanding of current affairs.

The Scope of Inquiry

Surveying the podcast’s extensive catalogue reveals the breadth of contemporary international relations as a field of study. Episodes cover traditional security concerns: nuclear strategy, alliance dynamics, military posture, alongside emerging challenges like cyber security, climate change implications, and protection of critical infrastructure. There are discussions of great power competition and analyses of small-state strategies. Regional deep dives sit alongside thematic explorations of particular issue areas.

This range serves multiple audiences. Students of international relations gain exposure to scholarship across different sub-fields and approaches. Professionals working in foreign policy, defence, diplomacy, or related areas find continuing education and fresh perspectives. Informed citizens committed to understanding global affairs encounter analysis that respects their intelligence whilst expanding their knowledge.

The podcast excels particularly in episodes that examine understudied relationships or regions. A conversation on Japan-Philippines strategic partnership, for instance, explores a bilateral relationship that receives far less attention than US-China rivalry yet which reveals much about evolving security architecture in the Indo-Pacific. By focusing on such topics, The IR thinker fills genuine gaps in mainstream coverage whilst demonstrating that ostensibly peripheral dynamics can be centrally important.

Regional Security and Strategic Thinking

Several episodes showcase the podcast’s engagement with regional security dynamics in their full complexity. The discussion on Australia’s security challenges, for example, examines how geography, alliance structures, economic dependencies, and threat perceptions interact to shape strategic thinking. Rather than offering superficial geopolitical commentary, the conversation explores how specific national contexts illuminate broader patterns in alliance behaviour and regional power dynamics.

Similarly, episodes on natural gas security in Germany or energy challenges in Mongolia demonstrate how technical issues connect to broader strategic questions. Energy security isn’t merely about supply chains and infrastructure; it involves questions of sovereignty, economic development, alliance relationships, and geopolitical vulnerability. By treating these topics with appropriate seriousness, the The IR thinker helps listeners understand how different issue areas intersect in international relations.

Emerging Security Challenges

The podcast also demonstrates awareness of how security challenges are evolving beyond traditional state-centric frameworks. Episodes on maritime security explore piracy, grey-zone tactics, and protection of undersea infrastructure, issues that rarely make headlines but profoundly affect global commerce and connectivity. Discussions of cyber security, information warfare, and technological change examine how the means and methods of international competition are transforming.

These conversations about emerging challenges complement coverage of traditional security concerns, painting a more complete picture of contemporary international relations. They acknowledge that whilst great power competition and nuclear strategy remain relevant, the international system faces challenges that don’t fit neatly into conventional analytical categories.

Accessibility Without Simplification

The IR thinker manages something quite difficult: making sophisticated analysis accessible without dumbing it down. The conversations are substantive, these are not simple topics, and the podcast doesn’t pretend they are. Yet the format and interviewing approach consistently draw out explanations that illuminate rather than obscure.

Questions are framed to help listeners understand not just what experts think but how they arrived at their conclusions. Guests are encouraged to explain their reasoning, acknowledge complexity and uncertainty, and engage with alternative viewpoints. The result is content that respects listeners’ intelligence whilst recognising that not everyone brings specialist knowledge to every topic.

This accessibility proves particularly valuable when exploring theoretical frameworks or methodological approaches. Rather than assuming familiarity with academic debates, episodes provide sufficient context for listeners to engage meaningfully with sophisticated ideas. Yet this context never feels patronising or elementary to those already familiar with the terrain.

All audio and video content is freely available without advertisements, reflecting a commitment to making substantive international relations discourse accessible to anyone interested, regardless of their ability to pay for premium subscriptions or tolerate commercial interruptions.

Building an Intellectual Resource

With more than 100 episodes archived, The IR thinker has assembled a substantial intellectual resource. Want to understand EU diplomatic instruments? There’s an episode on universities as EU diplomatic actors. Curious about nuclear strategy? Multiple conversations explore different dimensions. Interested in energy geopolitics? Episodes examine cases from Germany to Mongolia. Fascinated by theoretical debates? Discussions range from African IR theory to zones of peace.

This accumulation of content means the podcast functions not merely as episodic entertainment but as an evolving library of expert knowledge. It’s a resource that students might mine for research projects, that professionals could consult for background on unfamiliar topics, that curious citizens might explore to deepen their understanding of particular issues.

The archive also reveals how conversations on the podcast connect to and build upon each other. Episodes on different aspects of energy security, when considered together, provide a comprehensive education on the topic. Multiple discussions of Indo-Pacific security dynamics offer varied perspectives on the region’s evolving strategic landscape. The podcast’s depth and breadth mean that sustained engagement yields compounding returns.

The Value Proposition

The IR thinker occupies a distinctive space: rigorous without being inaccessible, substantive without being boring, engaged with contemporary events without being reactive, and broad in scope without sacrificing depth. It serves people who want to genuinely understand international relations, not in slogans or simplifications, but in appropriate complexity. Other podcasts might offer more entertainment value but less intellectual substance.

For students, the podcast offers invaluable exposure to how leading scholars think about their subjects, how they frame questions and construct arguments. For professionals, it provides continuing education and exposure to perspectives outside one’s immediate specialisation. For engaged citizens, it offers what democratic discourse desperately needs: informed, thoughtful analysis that treats its audience as intelligent adults capable of engaging with difficult ideas.

The Intellectual Patience Factor

Perhaps the podcast’s greatest virtue is its intellectual patience. There’s time for guests to elaborate arguments, provide examples, acknowledge complexity, and explore counter-arguments. In an age of soundbites and viral clips, this commitment to sustained attention feels almost countercultural, and deeply valuable.

This patience extends beyond individual episodes to the podcast’s overall approach. Rather than trying to cover everything, The IR thinker explores specific topics in depth. Rather than offering instant analysis, it takes time to develop understanding. Rather than chasing maximum audience size, it serves a specific community of listeners who value substantive content.

Conclusion

The IR thinker demonstrates that there’s an appetite for serious, extended conversations about international relations. Not everyone wants their geopolitics served up in three-minute clips or reduced to partisan talking points. Some of us want to understand how the world actually works — not in slogans, but in its full, frustrating, fascinating complexity.

With over 100 episodes available, the podcast has established itself as a valuable resource for anyone serious about understanding global affairs. It doesn’t chase clicks, pander to prejudices, or oversimplify for mass appeal. Instead, it facilitates genuine intellectual discourse about matters of global importance, proving that thoughtful content finds its audience.

In a world that seems to grow more complicated by the day, where understanding international dynamics feels simultaneously more important and more difficult, The IR thinker provides a model for how long-form conversation can serve the public interest. The podcast’s very name, with its deliberately lowercase ‘t’, embodies a fundamental humility: international relations are vast and complex, far larger than any individual thinker or scholar attempting to comprehend them. It’s the kind of resource that makes you better informed, more thoughtful, and better equipped to understand the forces shaping our collective future.