Diplomatic Immunity

On November 13, ISD Director Ambassador (ret.) Barbara Bodine awarded New York Times correspondent Edward Wong with the Edward Weintal Prize for diplomatic reporting. 

Ed's lecture, "Empires in Extremis," covers his family's story as it intertwines with the rise of the CCP and Xi Jinping, leading into his own career as a diplomatic correspondent and NYT Beijing Bureau Chief for nine years. He concludes by comparing and contrasting the Chinese and U.S. models of empire, and the dangers they face as the two countries become more adversarial. Q&A with Ambassador Bodine covers US-China relations, the incoming Trump administration, and the journalistic profession.

Find his new book, "At the Edge of Empire A Family's Reckoning with China," here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/602734/at-the-edge-of-empire-by-edward-wong/

The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity.

Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Theo Malhotra.

Recorded on November 13, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.

Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

This week, Kelly talks with Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky about the history of Presidential transitions, and how the Biden-Trump transition is shaping up.

Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky is a presidential historian and Executive Director of the George Washington Presidential Library. Her research focuses on the development of political institutions and political culture in the Early Republic. Her first book, The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution, was published in April 2020. Her latest book, Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents that Forged the Republic, was published in September of this year. Her work has also appeared in the Wall Street Journal, The Daily Beast, Time Magazine, and the Washington Post.

https://www.amazon.com/Making-Presidency-Precedents-Forged-Republic/dp/0197653847 

The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity.

Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Theo Malhotra.

Recorded on November 12, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.

Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

This week, Kelly talks with Dr. Tristen Naylor, Founder and Managing Director of the geopolitical risk consultancy Diplomatic Solutions, about the outlooks for relationships with leaders in Europe, China, Iran, and other nations, as well as how America’s relationship with multilateral institutions like the United Nations might be impacted by either candidate’s victory. 

Tristen Naylor is the Founder and Managing Director of Diplomatic Solutions, a geopolitical risk consultancy based in London. He was previously also an Assistant Professor and Lecturer in History and Politics at Cambridge University. His first book, "Social Closure and International Society: Status Groups from the Family of Civilised Nations to the G20," examines how actors compete for a seat at the table in the management of international society:

https://www.amazon.com/Social-Closure-International-Society-Governance-ebook/dp/B07KY42HBK

The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity.

Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Jarrett Dang.

Recorded on October 15, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.

Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

Interview with Sara Moller - 13:00

This week, Kelly and Freddie talk through the UK's deal with Mauritius on the Chagos Islands, the Tunisian presidential election, and Kenya's police mission in Haiti. Kelly then talks with Professor Sara Moller about NATO's new Secretary General Mark Rutte. 

The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity.

Produced by Jarrett Dang and Freddie Mallinson. 

Recorded on October 14, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.

Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

For our seventh season of Diplomatic Immunity, we’ll be taking a look at the role of foreign policy in the upcoming 2024 presidential election. We’ll be taking you through the key things to know about where the candidates stand on international issues, how a win for either will affect US foreign policy, and how the rest of the world is watching with bated breath. Today, Kelly talks with Emma Ashford about the relative foreign policy platforms of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. 

Emma Ashford is a senior fellow with the Reimagining US Grand Strategy Program at the Stimson Center, where she works on a variety of issues related to the future of US foreign policy, international security, and the politics of global energy markets. Her first book, Oil, the State, and War: The Foreign Policies of Petrostates, was published by Georgetown University Press in 2022, and explored the international security ramifications of oil production and export in states such as Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Venezuela. Dr. Ashford also writes a bi-weekly column, “It’s Debatable,” for Foreign Policy Magazine.

Find her recent report exploring the future of US-European defense relations here: https://www.stimson.org/2024/american-roulette-scenarios-for-us-retrenchment-and-the-future-of-european-defense/ 

Find her regular column in Foreign Policy Magazine here: https://foreignpolicy.com/category/its-debatable/

The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity.

Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Jarrett Dang.

Recorded on October 7, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.

Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

11:40 - Interview with Stéphanie Fillion

This week, Kelly and Freddie discuss recent updates in Israel and the South China Sea. Kelly then talks with Stephanie Fillion, a UN correspondent, about high-level week at the UN General Assembly.

Stephanie Fillion is an international reporter who covers the UN from its headquarters in New York City. Her work has been featured in Forbes Magazine, Foreign Policy Magazine, and CNN among others. Her coverage received two UN Correspondent Association awards as well as a Gracie award from the Alliance for Women in Media.

The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity.

Produced by Jarrett Dang and Freddie Mallinson. 

Recorded on September 30, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.

Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

For our seventh season of Diplomatic Immunity, we’ll be taking a look at the role of foreign policy in the upcoming 2024 presidential election. We’ll be taking you through the key things to know about where the candidates stand on international issues, how a win for either will affect U.S. foreign policy, and how the rest of the world is watching with bated breath. Today, Kelly talks with Elizabeth Saunders about how Americans do and don’t consider foreign policy in their election decision-making. 

Elizabeth is Professor of Political Science at Columbia University, where she specializes in issues of U.S. foreign policy and international security. She is also a non-resident fellow at the Brookings Institution and previously taught at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. Her first book, Leaders at War: How Presidents Shape Military Interventions, was published in 2011 and won the 2012 Jervis-Schroeder Best Book Award from the American Political Science Association’s International History and Politics section. Her most recent book, The Insiders’ Game: How Elites Make War and Peace, was published in 2024 by Princeton University Press:

https://www.amazon.com/Insiders-Game-Princeton-International-Politics/dp/0691215804

The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity.

Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Jarrett Dang.

Recorded on September 24, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.

Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

Kelly speaks with Richard Horsey, Myanmar expert and advisor to the International Crisis Group, for a deep dive into the history of Myanmar's ongoing civil war. 

Richard is a political analyst and has been a close observer of Myanmar for over 25 years. He specializes in the politics and political economy of the country, as well as armed conflict and the illicit economy. Since 2009, he has been Myanmar adviser to the International Crisis Group, and also advises a number of other organizations on political and conflict risk issues. He was formerly the Myanmar representative of the International Labour Organization working to end the practice of forced labor imposed by the previous military regime. He was subsequently a senior adviser and spokesperson for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs following Cyclone Nargis. He is the author of more than a hundred reports on the country, as well as numerous articles and opinion pieces. He is a fluent Burmese speaker and holds a PhD in psychology from University College London. 

Read Richard's recent article on Myanmar in Foreign Affairs here: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/burma-myanmar/myanmar-fragmenting-not-falling-apart 

The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity.

Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Nicole Butler.

Recorded on July 9, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.

Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

13:10 - Interview with Chris Tuttle

This week, Kelly and Freddie talk through Secretary of State Blinken's recent visit to China, U.S. troops leaving Niger, and an election in Maldives that saw the country move closer to China. Kelly then talks with Chris Tuttle, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, about recent Congressional action on Ukraine and TikTok.

Chris Tuttle is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations who focuses on the politics and process behind U.S. foreign policy. He previously directed CFR’s Renewing America Initiative and served from 2015 to 2019 as policy director on the majority staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations under Chairman Bob Corker. 

The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity.

Produced by Jarrett Dang and Freddie Mallinson. 

Recorded on April 30, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.

Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

10:40 - Interview with Yuki Tatsumi.

This week, Kelly and Freddie talk through Iran's Strike on Israel, Ecudaro's raid on the Mexican embassy in Quito, and the losses for President Erdogan's party in recent Turkish municipal elections. Kelly then talks with the Stimson Center's Yuki Tatsumi about the recent summit between the US, Japan, and the Philippines held in Washington last week. 

Yuki Tatsumi is a senior fellow and co-director of the East Asia Program at the Stimson Center and the director of Stimson's Japan program. Prior to her current role, Tatsumi worked as a research associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and as the special assistant for political affairs at the Embassy of Japan in Washington.

Tatsumi’s most recent publications include Balancing Between Nuclear Deterrence and Disarmament: Views from the Next Generation (ed.; Stimson Center, 2018) Lost in Translation? U.S. Defense Innovation and Northeast Asia (Stimson Center, 2017).

The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity.

Produced by Jarrett Dang and Freddie Mallinson. 

Recorded on April 15, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.

Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown