The G20 summits are a forum where global economic priorities and development agendas take shape. As a G20 member, China has pledged to promote more inclusive growth — and big infrastructure projects are a central part of that story. For China, the summit in Johannesburg is an opportunity to showcase its expanding development agenda in Africa and beyond, with infrastructure being one of its main tools. Lunting Wu and Valentin Krüsmann have researched how China’s Belt and Road Initiative is unfolding in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Latin America and Southeast Asia. In this podcast episode, they discuss their insights with ZOiS researcher Julia Langbein.

Music: “Complete” by Modul is licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0-License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

Speakers:

Lunting Wu (NUPI and GIGA)

Valentin Krüsmann (ZOiS)

Chair: Julia Langbein (ZOiS):

Read more:

Article by Tanja A. Börzel, Julia Langbein, Lunting Wu, Valentin Krüsmann: ‘Collision, Competition or Cooperation? China's BRI and the EU's Development Policies Towards Eastern Europe’ In: Global Policy, 2025 (online first).https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1758-5899.70086

Book by Lunting Wu: Belt and Road Initiative in South America. Explaining the Varying Responses, https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-97-1545-9

The theme for South Africa’s G20 Presidency is Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability: https://g20.org/g20-south-africa/g20-logo-and-theme/.

Music: “Complete” by Modul is licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0-License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

Gäste:

PD Dr. Tsypylma Darieva (ZOiS, Leitung des Forschungsschwerpunkts Migration und Diversität): https://www.zois-berlin.de/ueber-uns/mitarbeiterinnen/pd-dr-tsypylma-darieva

Moderation: Dr. Stefanie Orphal (ZOiS, Leitung Kommunikation): https://www.zois-berlin.de/ueber-uns/mitarbeiterinnen/dr-stefanie-orphal/

Weiterlesen:

Russian Migrants in Georgia and Germany: Activism in the Context of Russia’s War against Ukraine, ZOiS Report by Tsypylma Darieva and Tatiana Golova: https://www.zois-berlin.de/en/publications/zois-report/russian-migrants-in-georgia-and-germany-activism-in-the-context-of-russias-war-against-ukraine

Russia’s 650,000 wartime emigres by Peter Mironenko, the Bell: https://en.thebell.io/russias-650-000-wartime-emigres/

Outreach: A research project on Russian emigration, which surveys of Russians who left the country after February 24, 2022: https://outrush.io/eng

Russians in the South Caucasus: Political Attitudes and the War in Ukraine, ZOiS Report by Félix Krawatzek George Soroka Isabelle DeSistohttps://www.zois-berlin.de/en/publications/zois-report/russians-in-the-south-caucasus-political-attitudes-and-the-war-in-ukraine

The Political Diversity of the New Migration from Russia Since February 2022, ZOiS Report by Félix Krawatzek and Gwendolyn Sasse : https://www.zois-berlin.de/en/publications/zois-report/the-political-diversity-of-the-new-migration-from-russia-since-february-2022

Music: “Complete” by Modul is licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0-License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

Gäste:

Dr. Félix Krawatzek (ZOiS, Leiter des Projekts MoveMeRu): https://www.zois-berlin.de/ueber-uns/mitarbeiterinnen/dr-felix-krawatzek/

Moderation: Sophia Winkler (ZOiS): https://www.zois-berlin.de/ueber-uns/mitarbeiterinnen/sophia-winkler

Weiterlesen:

ZOIS Drittmittelgefördertes Projekt – Moving Russia(ns): Weitergabe von Erinnerungen zwischen den Generationen im Ausland und in der Heimat (MoveMeRU): https://www.zois-berlin.de/forschung/drittmittelprojekte/movemeru

DeZIM Factsheet: Welche Rolle spielte der Migrationshintergrund bei der Bundestagswahl 2025? Analysen auf Basis des DeZIM.panels https://www.dezim-institut.de/fileadmin/userupload/fis/publikationpdf/FA-6271.pdf

Kapitelman, D. (2025). Russische Spezialitäten: Hanser Berlin.: https://www.hanser-literaturverlage.de/buch/dmitrij-kapitelman-russische-spezialitaeten-9783446282476-t-5525

Caught between Russian influence and disinformation campaigns on the one hand and the chance of EU accession on the other, Moldovans will elect a new parliament on 28 September. After pro-European president Maia Sandu narrowly defeated her opponent in last year’s presidential elections, Moldova now faces yet another crucial election.

Music: “Complete” by Modul is licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0-License.

Further Reading:

Promo-LEX Association, Observation Mission For The Parlamentary Elections Of 28 September 2025, Report No. 1, Oberservation Period: 17 April - 21 July, 2025 https://epde.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/report-no.-1promo-lex-om2025_en.pdf

Further reading:

Russian disinformation campaigns; deep fakes; Ilan Shor: Euro News, Sep. 23, https://www.euronews.com/next/2025/09/23/inside-russias-ai-driven-disinformation-machine-shaping-moldovas-election

Russian interference; disinformation online: New York Times Sep. 7, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/07/business/russia-disinformation-trump.html (paywall)

Russia, Ukraine, Moldova; hybrid warfare; disinformation: Alexander Shulga, Moscow Times, Jul. 2, https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/07/02/moldova-is-the-testing-ground-for-russias-disinformation-machine-a89651

APuZ-Ausgabe zu Moldau, Juli 2024 (auf Deutsch):

Sprecher*innen:

Anastasia Pociumban (DGAP) https://dgap.org/en/user/28899/anastasia-pociumban

Nadja Douglas (ZOiS, SWP) https://www.zois-berlin.de/ueber-uns/mitarbeiterinnen/dr-nadja-douglas/

Moderation: Stefanie Orphal (ZOiS)

Two researchers who have many years of experience working in Europe, Central Asia, and the Caucasus share their views on research ethics. In the social sciences and humanities, human interview partners — whether experts, eyewitnesses, writers or activists — are essential to data collection. Throughout a research project, it is crucial for researchers to consider how they can balance their desire to generate and publish knowledge with the need for safety — of their participants and themselves. This is particularly important when dealing with vulnerable groups, operating in authoritarian regimes, or facing conflicts and wars.

This episode was first published in March 2024.

Music: “Complete” by Modul is licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0-License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

Gäste:

Irina Mützelburg (ZOiS): https://www.zois-berlin.de/ueber-uns/mitarbeiterinnen/dr-irina-muetzelburg

Moderation: Stefanie Orphal (ZOiS) https://www.zois-berlin.de/ueber-uns/mitarbeiterinnen/dr-stefanie-orphal

Weiterlesen:

Education and Displacement: Ukrainian Families in Germany

Displaced Ukrainian Youth: Displaced Futures?

Music: “Complete” by Modul is licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0-License.

Participants:

Felix Herrmann (Uni Bremen/Discuss Data): https://discuss-data.net/users/fad51541-35d6-4fd7-9f65-d1a22a31159d/

Ivaylo Dinev (ZOiS): https://www.zois-berlin.de/en/about-us/staff/dr-ivaylo-dinev

Moderation: Kerstin Bischl (ZOiS) https://www.zois-berlin.de/en/about-us/staff/dr-kerstin-bischl

KoDaNetOst is a data network whose aim is to foster links between research institutes and scholars in Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus, Central Asia and the EU countries who are engaged in the collection and utilisation of data in the social sciences and humanities. KoDaNetOst is funded by the BMBF and emerged from KonKoop. Find out more: https://konkoop.de/index.php/kodanetost/

KonKoop is a research network that examines various conflict constellations and dynamics of cooperation in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus. Find out more: https://konkoop.de/index.php/project-description/

Discuss Data (www.discuss-data.net) is an open repository for storing, sharing and discussing research data on Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia. The platform, launched in September 2020, is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and operated by the Research Centre for East European Studies at the University of Bremen (FSO) and the Göttingen State and University Library (SUB). Discuss Data goes beyond ordinary repositories and offers an interactive online platform for the discussion and quality assessment of research data.

This episode is about Ukrainians - in Ukraine and abroad - their experiences of war and European integration, and what these might mean for the future of Ukrainian and European politics. Marina Rabinovych talks to Valeria Lazarenko, who has studied governance regimes for Ukrainian refugees in Germany, Sweden, Poland and the Czech Republic, and Kostiantyn Fedorenko, who has researched the risks of Euroscepticism in Ukraine - an issue of growing relevance as the war enters its fourth year and the stakes rise for potential negotiations and Europe's role in them.

With

Kostiantyn Fedorenko (ZOiS): https://www.zois-berlin.de/en/about-us/staff/kostiantyn-fedorenko

The episode is based on a recent book, Ukraine’s Thorny Path to the EU: From “Integration without Membership” to “Integration through War”, co-edited by Dr. Anne Pintsch from the University of Agder in Norway and Marina Rabinovych. The volume seeks to unpack the complexity of political, legal and economic issues surrounding Ukraine’s European integration in the war context: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-69154-6

In Georgien protestieren Menschen seit Monaten ununterbrochen gegen den Rückbau demokratischer Institutionen und Rechtsstaatlichkeit. Die Regierung geht mit Gewalt und Repressionen gegen Opposition und Zivilgesellschaft vor. Was steckt hinter der antiwestlichen Rhetorik der Regierungspartei Georgischer Traum und ihrer Annäherungspolitik an Russland? Welchen Rückhalt findet diese Politik in einer Gesellschaft, die seit Jahren mehrheitlich für einen EU-Beitritt ist; und seit dem Krieg mit Russland 2008 alles andere als russlandfreundlich ist? In dieser Folge diskutiert ZOiS-Direktorin Gwendolyn Sasse mit der georgischen Soziologin Diana Bogishvili und der Politikwissenschaftlerin Julia Langbein über Georgiens innen- und außenpolitische Herausforderungen – und die Frage, ob das Land seinen demokratischen Weg noch verteidigen kann.

Teilnehmende:

Diana Bogishvili: https://www.zois-berlin.de/ueber-uns/mitarbeiterinnen/diana-bogishvili

Julia Langbein (ZOiS): https://www.zois-berlin.de/ueber-uns/mitarbeiterinnen/dr-julia-langbein

Moderation: Gwendolyn Sasse (ZOiS)

(Music: “Complete” by Modul is licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0-License.)

Weiterlesen:

Propaganda und Angst: Wie die georgische Regierungspartei „Georgischer Traum“ ihre Wähler*innen mobilisiert, ZOiS Spotlight von Diana Bogishvili

Migration, Tradition und Wandel in Georgien, ZOiS Spotlight von Diana Bogishvili

Verabschiedung des ausländischen Agentengesetzes in Georgien: Was auf dem Spiel steht - libmod.de, Artikel von Khatia Kikalishvili

Varieties of Democracy 2024, V-Dem

Three years ago, Russia started its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Since then over 10 million Ukrainians have had to leave their homes. Over 6 million of them moved on to other European countries and continue their lives there.

(Music: “Complete” by Modul is licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0-License.)

Speakers:

Yuliia Terentieva

Sabine von Löwis: https://www.zois-berlin.de/en/about-us/staff/pd-dr-sabine-von-loewis

Host: Stefanie Orphal (ZOiS)

Project and theatre performance mentioned:

Research Project: Forced Migrants From Ukraine in Transnational Europe: Between Personal Agency, Civil Society And The State (FORUM), https://www.zois-berlin.de/en/research/research-clusters/migration-and-diversity/forum

‘Seeing the Difference’, Playback Theatre Performance, 2 July 2024, https://www.zois-berlin.de/veranstaltungen/seeing-the-difference

Further Reading: