*(Timestamps below)*

We are welcoming Dr. Elena Cima on Bariscope to finally discuss a climate-related subject on our podcast. Having studied International Law at Yale Law school and Tsinghua University before completing her Ph.D. at the Graduate institute in Geneva and joining the University of Geneva as a research and teaching fellow, Dr. Cima presents an impressive academic record focusing principally on international energy governance as well as on the role international trade, investment and dispute settlement can play in addressing climate change. Tune in to find out how actors and institutions that are not overly associated with green policies such as the WTO increasingly incorporate sustainability and environmental considerations into their actions and how the balance of power between corporations, governments and the civil society is changing.

Dr. Cima first explains the legal framework of international energy governance and illustrates how international environmental law boasts a challenging complexity and fragmentation. Next, we discuss how the introduction of sustainable development, on paper, allowed for the conciliation of the diverging interests of corporations, host countries in the global south and the environment and where this concept presents  shortcomings. We further examine how state autonomy can be preserved vis-à-vis foreign investors and how environmental considerations are increasingly incorporated in international agreements between actors and institutions that were not founded based on environmental imperatives.

On a more abstract level, Dr. Cima explains how law can be embraced as a tool to foster progressive and sustainable policies, for example in leading to governments being sued before national courts. We further discuss the concept of environmental democracy and overall changes in power relations between corporations, governments and the civil society. 

Lastly, Dr. Cima shares her experience at Yale Law School and illustrates how both academic life and the general approach to academia of this institution differ from continental European universities.

To find out more about Dr. Elena Cima check out her profile on the website of the university of Geneva.

We hope this conversation gives you some food for thought! Do send us any feedback you have, positive and negative, on Instagram @bariscope_ccc

As always, thank you for your time and interest!

Lea & Lukas

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(2:50) The role of the energy sector in addressing climate change and how this issue sparked Dr. Cima's interest

(6:00) The characteristics and actors that define the legal framework of energy governance

(11:29) The role of the WTO in addressing climate change

(16:58) How the concept of sustainable development allows to conciliate the different objectives of trade and environmental prospective

(21:11) How foreign investment can be conciliated with sustainability and respect the rights of the host states

(27:37) How disputes regarding trade and investment can be settled without resulting in power politics and the loss of state sovereignty

(31:00) Is law a static force or can it be embraced as a tool to promote more sustainable policies?

(36:14) As governments are being sued for their climate inaction, Dr. Cima explains the role of national courts and international law in enforcing sustainable policies.

(41:19) Dr. Cima’s experience at Yale Law school: how does the approach to academia of this institution compare to continental Europe?

(46:18) Three tips from Dr. Cima to her 20-year-old self

Season two of 'Bariscope - critically curious conversations' is starting off with a stellar guest : Professor Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Mohamedou, international history scholar and Chair of the 'International History and Politics Department' at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies here in Geneva. An expert in transnational terrorism and democratization in Africa and the Middle East, Prof. Mohamedou has spent many years in the US at Harvard University, the City University of New York, at the International Council on Human Rights Policy, prior to becoming Deputy Director and Academic Dean of the Geneva Centre for Security Policy. Between these academic appointments he served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Mauritania from 2008 to 2009 and is since 2017 a member of the High Level Panel on Migration set up by the UN and the African Union.

We couldn't hope for a more qualified guest to walk us through two major events in the 21st century: 9/11 and the Arab Spring, both events Prof. Mohamedou has published extensively on. Furthermore, we’ll be discussing why it’s important to understand terrorism in a historical context and not reduce it to radical Islamism, why we are seeing the election of authoritarian quote on quote strong men in Brasil, Hungary, the Philippines and so many other countries, the rising securitization and surveillance in the aftermath of 9/11 and why we as young people need to be courageous and call out injustices even if we are not directly effected by them.

For further information on Prof. Mohamedou check out his profile on the Graduate Institutes website.

This November, his book “State-Building in the Middle East and North Africa - one Hundred Years of Nationalism, Religion and Politics” will be published.

We hope this conversation gives you some food for thought! Do send us any feedback you have on Instagram @bariscope_ccc. 

As always: thank you for your time and interest!

Lea & Lukas

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Minutes:

(2:50) - the Untold Story of IR

(6:55) - understanding transnational terrorism

(12:40) - the political framing in the post 9/11 of terrorism = extreme islamism

(15:40) - understanding 9/11 as more than a security question

(20:50) - on the securitization of our societies, the breeding of fear and the creation of dichotomic discourses (good or bad)

(26:40) - disenchantment in «liberal democracies», the anti-terrorism law in Switzerland and the electoral success of «strong men»

(35:00) - the impatience after democratization, the impact of economic instability and social inequalities

(39:20) - the responsibility of academia and us as individuals to name injustices and be more courageous when facing populists, racists and sexists…

(43:05) - can the constant of global challenges being a crisis be problematic?

(47:50) - social media &social movements and understanding the Arab Spring

(54:40) - 3 tips from Prof. Mohamedou to his 20-year-old self

Welcome back to season 2 of Bariscope! We are both looking very forward to sharing the upcoming episodes with you, which will be centred around topics which we feel like weren't sufficiently addressed in our lectures, such as terrorism and the post 9/11 world, climate change and international energy governance, plural economics, sexual violence in armed conflicts, the decolonization of humanitarian work and collective resilience and solidarity in the aftermath of crises (e.g. the Covid pandemic).

This intro explains all things new and old about our podcast - we hope you'll be back soon for one of our episodes!

Lea & Lukas

Before Bariscope takes a summer break we conclude our first season with a special episode!

We welcome Dr. Youngshik Bong who is currently a research fellow at Yonsei University’s institute for North Korean studies in Seoul. An expert on Korean domestic and international politics, Dr. Bong has been publishing on the interplay between nationalism and globalization in East Asia as well as current security challenges in the region.

On Bariscope he will provide first-hand insight on North and South Korean politics and give his opinion on the challenges facing East Asian states, a region that is crucial for the future of International Relations.

Tune in to find out whether Dr. Bong thinks there is a real possibility for regime change in Pyongyang, how South Korea managed to develop from one of the poorest countries into the World’s tenth largest economy within 60 years and why Donald Trump has been the US-president who hurt North Korea the most.

We will be back for the next semester, until then follow us on Instagram @bariscope_ccc for up-to-date information or to leave us a feedback on our podcast!

It is an honour and pleasure to welcome for today’s episode professor Simone Dietrich! Since 2017 she is an associate professor at the faculty of sciences de la société at the University of Geneva, specialised in foreign aid and international development. We will be talking to her about how domestic politics and civil society shape foreign aid allocation, the differences between the different development actors (NGOs, International Organisations, Public Private Partnerships), what effect a left-leaning government compared to a right-leaning government has on development spendings, what interests states pursue when allocating foreign aid and the geostrategic tensions in international development between the USA and China. In particular, we will hear about the motivations of Prof. Simone Dietrich to re-enter academia after having worked for several years in the field for various international organizations, NGOs, for the German foreign office as well as on election observation missions to Georgia, Kyrgyzstan and Bosnia and Herzegovina. We hope you enjoy this conversation, learn plenty and are inspired to curiously question current foreign aid practices.

As always: we would be happy to hear your thoughts and comments on Instagram, you’ll find us @bariscope_ccc!

Interesting ressource on foreign aid website for which Prof. Simone Dietrich publishes: https://www.aiddata.org

In case you’re interested in learning more about Prof. Simone Dietrich's research: http://simone-dietrich.com

This week we welcome Professor Didier Péclard on Bariscope. He directs the Master in African Studies and holds several lectures on the topic of African politics for both Bachelor and Master students at the University of Geneva. Primarily focusing on Africa, Professor Péclard is an expert on Angola with his research revolving around questions of religion and politics, conflict and state-formation as well as peacebuilding and development.

Tune in to hear professor Péclard’s take on the role of Western academia in the study of African politics, Ethiopia’s struggle as an example for the challenges of peacebuilding and development as well as the need of nuanced perspectives of African politics. As always, the conversation touches upon personal insight into academia and recommendations to everyone who is interested in the field.

For up-to-date information on Bariscope follow us on Instagram @bariscope_ccc where you can also leave us a feedback on our podcast!

It is a pleasure to welcome Professor Sandra Lavenex on the fourth episode of Bariscope! She is the director of the department of political science and international relations at the University of Geneva as well as a board member of the GSI. Her award-winning research focuses on European and International politics, with special regards on migration, European integration, global governance and power transitions. All of these issues will be treated in today’s conversation so tune in to find out why the EU is not anchored in human rights, which models of international governance are promising to tackle future challenges and why students should be courageous!

For up-to-date information on Bariscope follow us on Instagram @bariscope_ccc where you can also leave us a feedback on our podcast!

*en français* On se réjouit beaucoup de vous présenter notre troisième invitée : Pamela Ohene-Nyako, assistante-doctorante dans l’Unité d’histoire contemporaine à l’Université de Genève, alumna du BARI, qui enseigne entre autres le séminaire "Multilatéralisme et organisations internationales". Aujourd’hui, on va parler du féminisme intersectionnel, du racisme comme force structurante dans les relations internationales, de mouvements transnationaux féministes et anti-racistes entre autre Black Lives Matter, mais aussi de questions d’identité, en quoi l’art, la littérature et la musique peuvent nourrir le travail académique et enfin notre invité va partager une expérience très personnelle celui d’un burnout qu’elle a traversé quand elle avait 21 ans. Notre invitée est un vrai role model : à côté de sa thèse de doctorat qui porte sur l’activisme transnational des femmes noires-européennes depuis les années 1970s jusqu’à l’aube des années 2000s, elle est fondatrice de la plateforme Afrolitt, une plateforme qui veut favoriser la réflexion critique à partir d'œuvres littéraires émanant d'Afrique subsaharienne et de sa diaspora. 

On a vraiment beaucoup apprécié d'échanger avec Pamela Ohene-Nyako - c'est une conversation personnelle, chaleureuse et critique et on espère que vous allez être aussi inspiré de notre invitée comme nous deux on l'était ! Tout feedback est bienvenu sur Instagram : @bariscope

Afrolitt : https://www.afrolitt.com/fr/accueil/

Afrolitt Instagram : @afrolitt

unige.ch/lettres/istge/corps-enseignant/hco/ohene-nyako-pamela/ 

It is a great honour and pleasure to welcome for this second episode Prof. Jonas Pontusson who is since 2010 professor of comparative politics at the faculty of Sciences de la Société here at the University of Geneva. He has written extensively on Swedish social democracy, inequality, redistribution, capitalism, trade unions and is currently directing a five year research project on unequal democracies. Alongside Unequal Democracies, Jonas Pontusson is engaged in a project on post-Fordist growth models supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation. In today’s conversation we are looking forward to learn more about the just mentioned research project on unequal democracies, the rise of populism, neoliberalism, the fall of the left and the importance of redistribution. We will also dive into Jonas Pontusson's experience in academia, his perception of us students and hear all about why we should not treat University as a 9-to-5 job but an intellectual journey. Enjoy! And do send us any feeback - we're on Instagram @bariscope_ccc. 

You'll find more informations on his research project via https://unequaldemocracies.unige.ch/en/home/ 

*en français* Pour notre première épisode nous avons le grand plaisir et honneur d'accueillir la professeure Armelle Choplin, qui est depuis 2019 directrice de l’Institut GEDT (gouvernance de l'environnement et développement territorial) à l’Université de Genève ! Cette conversation est dédiée à des questions liées à l'urbanisation, l'effet de la pandémie sur notre mobilité, en quoi les villes sont les nouveaux acteurs internationaux, en quoi tout est lié (relations entre local et global) et nous avons aussi la chance d'apprendre plus sur les motivations de notre invitée de consacrer sa carrière à l'académie, ses expériences en Afrique de l'Ouest et ses conseils à nous jeunes. Si vous souhaitez apprendre plus sur son travail, vous trouverez toutes ses publications ici : https://www.unige.ch/sciences-societe/geo/membres/enseignants/choplinarmelle/ 

Merci pour votre temps et n'hésitez pas à partager vos commentaires et réflexions critiques concernant les sujets abordés avec nous sur Instagram @bariscope_ccc !