Departures Podcast with Christoph Vogel, author of ‘Conflict Minerals, Inc. – War, Profit and White Saviourism in Eastern Congo’

By Editor | Published: November 7, 2022

With the global economy going through an unprecedented energy transition away from fossil fuels, demand is exploding for critical minerals essential for batteries and electrification, such as copper, cobalt, lithium, and rare earths. Accompanying this demand is a new geopolitical playing field, most commonly dominated by China, taking place in the Democratic Republic of Congo. […]

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Join us for a live podcast event featuring David Satter, Nov. 15 in London

By Editor | Published: October 31, 2022

Amsterdam & Partners LLP is pleased to host a special live podcast event featuring veteran Russia correspondent and author David Satter to be held on November 15 at the Lanesborough Hotel in London. David Satter is a leading journalist and commentator on Russia and the former Soviet Union. David has had a distinguished career in […]

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Departures Podcast with Stefan Aust and Adrian Geiges, authors of ‘Xi Jinping: The Most Powerful Man in the World’

By Editor | Published: October 30, 2022

As Xi Jinping concludes the 20th Party Congress and becomes the first Chinese leader to secure a third term, there is arguably no one in a position quite so powerful and influential in global politics. But who is Xi Jinping and what does he really want?  This is the question tackled by two veteran German […]

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Departures Podcast featuring Frank Dikötter, author of ‘China After Mao: The Rise of a Superpower’

By Editor | Published: October 18, 2022

Is Xi Jinping the most powerful political figure in the world? Or are his efforts to secure tighter control at home and project influence abroad more a sign of underlying weakness? As Xi sails toward an unprecedented third term at the 19th Party Congress in China, Departures is pleased to feature special guest author Frank […]

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Departures Podcast with Lucan Way, co-author of ‘Revolution and Dictatorship’

By Editor | Published: October 13, 2022

Some autocracies come and go, but others have a seemingly infinite shelf-life, showing a structural resiliency to any efforts at reform or democratic change that is strong, durable, and long lasting. More than 20 years ago, the rock star political scientists Lucan Way and Steven Levitsky wrote a paper examining the characteristics of successful autocratic […]

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Departures Podcast with Michael Cox, author of ‘Agonies of Empire: American Power from Clinton to Biden ‘

By Editor | Published: October 6, 2022

The sharpening polarization taking place in the United States over the past several election cycles has gradually calcified the nation’s institutions into obstructionist forces which are impeding Washington’s ability to project its influence abroad. Now, many are asking, is the United States really the “indispensable” power it perceives itself to be, or are we witnessing […]

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Departures Podcast with Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, author of ‘Against Decolonisation’

By Editor | Published: September 29, 2022

In recent years, the theme of decolonization has become a thriving industry. It dominates academia, it frames historical narratives, and makes its way into the deepest corners politics and culture to the point that it is inescapable. But what has decolonization done for us lately, asks Cornell University Professor Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò in his new polemic, […]

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Departures Podcast featuring Ilya Ponomarev: Ukraine at a Critical Juncture

By Editor | Published: September 24, 2022

Regular listeners of the podcast need no introduction for Ilya Ponomarev, a former opposition member of the Russian Duma who was the only legislator to vote against the annexation of Crimea. Currently based in Kyiv, Ponomarev joins Amsterdam today to share his perspectives on the recent developments in the war, and why he believes that […]

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Departures Podcast with Joseph Torigian, author of ‘Prestige, Manipulation, and Coercion’

By Editor | Published: September 19, 2022

To rise to power within the rigidly authoritarian party bureaucracies of the Soviet Union and China is a feat accomplished only with great strategic acumen, backhanded political maneuvering, and, sometimes, with a certain level of violence. On this week’s episode of Departures with Robert Amsterdam we are very pleased to feature Joseph Torigian, an assistant […]

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Departures Podcast with David Ucko, author of ‘The Insurgent’s Dilemma’

By Editor | Published: September 11, 2022

In the past, when insurgencies challenged the power of the state, they did so from a position of occupying physical territory. But in today’s wildly unregulated post-truth environment and hyperconnected society, the space that they occupy is virtual – and most democracies are not well prepared to deal with these often violent threats to the […]

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