This series was created by Harry Verschaffel, jurist, podcaster and international relations enthusiast, with the support of Simon Van Hoeymissen, a researcher at the Centre for Security and Defence Studies (CSDS).
Episode 1: Taiwan
Taiwan: 23 million inhabitants but a world leader in advanced chip manufacturing, is located at the epicenter of a very tense region, stretching from the South China Sea to the Korean peninsula.
In this episode, China expert Sara Van Hoeymissen of the Royal Military Academy (RMA) in Brussels elaborates on the geopolitical stakeholders in this particular region: Taiwan and China, but also the USA and its Asian allies.
Episode 2: Ukraine
The war in Ukraine has completely shifted the geopolitical dynamics of the European continent and has continued to escalate since it started over four years ago.
In this episode, Simon Van Hoeymissen, researcher at the Royal Higher Institute for Defence(RHID) in Brussels elaborates on the geopolitical stakeholders in this particular region: Ukraine, Russia, Europe and the United States.
Episode 3: Israel
Through the lens of political personalities and national interests, Didier Leroy Middle-East expert at the Royal Higher Institute for Defence(RHID) in Brussels, paints an extremely nuanced picture of the Hamas, Hezbollah and Israel.
Other topics covered include:
– the military developments since 7 October 2023;
– Iran’s influence via its militias, also known as the ‘Six Armies of Tehran’;
– the position of the EU and Belgium with regard to the ongoing conflict.
Episode 4: Sahel
Completely neglected by the media, the Sahel is one of the poorest regions in the world, as well as being heavily plagued by drugs and severely affected by climate change.
The region has also seen political instability unlike any other place in the world.
In this episode, Colonel Éric Kalajzic of the Royal Higher Institute for Defence(RHID) in Brussels, former head of private office to the MINUSMA Force Commander in Mali, delves deeper into this topic.
While parts of the region managed to reach a level of stability for a while, the Sahel has descended once again into political turmoil, marked by a series of coups.
Episode 5: French Nuclear Shield
In the 1980s, people protested against nuclear weapons production and the arms race.
The 1990s followed, were marked by a gradual downsizing of the nuclear arms arsenals.
Nowadays, however, we live in an era of increasingly aggressive rhetoric.
In this episode, Alain De Neve researcher at the Royal Higher Institute for Defence (RHID) in Brussels discusses the geopolitical stakes surrounding nuclear deterrence and the recent technological developments in this field.