Global Dispatches -- World News That Matters

Global Dispatches

Sudan

Conflict In Sudan

China

Taiwan

Gaza

Rapid Support Forces

Sudanese Armed Forces

Cross-Strait Relations

Democratic Republic Of the Congo

Genocide

Ethnic Cleansing

Russia

Missile Barrage

Yaroslav Trofimov

Ukraine

Military Support

Joseph Korbel School Of International Studies

United States Congress

Prisoner Exchange

Kuomintang (KMT)

The longest running independent international affairs podcast features in-depth interviews with policymakers, journalists and experts around the world who discuss global news, international relations, global development and key trends driving world affairs. Named by The Guardian as "a podcast to make you smarter," Global Dispatches is a podcast for people who crave a deeper understanding of intern... more

749 ratings

Publishes	Twice weekly	Episodes	1278	Founded	13 years ago
Number of Listeners		Categories	NewsNews CommentaryPolitics

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Latest Episodes

Can International Institutions Survive Democratic Backsliding? Live from Lewis & Clark College

Today's episode was recorded live at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon, for the annual Lewis & Clark International Affairs Symposium. The theme of this year's symposium was Crumbling Pillars: The Age of Authoritarianism. For this live episode... more

16 Apr 2026 • 1 hr 11 min

YouTube

How China Views the Iran War

As I am recording this on Friday, April 10, JD Vance is en route to Islamabad, Pakistan, for negotiations over a ceasefire announced on April 7. This ceasefire is shaky at best. It is clear that there was never a common understanding between Iran and... more

13 Apr 2026 • 27 min

YouTube

From Detection to Decision-Making: Understanding Pandemic Risk | Before the Outbreak, Episode 2

Pandemic Risk Assessment is an emerging scientific toolkit designed to assess how pandemic risk is evolving over time. Rather than predicting the next outbreak, it integrates evidence across scientific disciplines to identify the drivers and estimate... more

9 Apr 2026 • 28 min

YouTube

How Existing Disease Surveillance Networks Can Catch New Outbreaks | Before the Outbreak, Episode 2

Many of our best surveillance tools today that were originally built to target specific diseases like polio and malaria have become critical infrastructure for outbreak response and early warning across a wide range of pathogens. This includes labora... more

6 Apr 2026 • 33 min

YouTube

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Similar Podcasts

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Foreign Policy LiveForeign Policy

The Foreign Affairs InterviewForeign Affairs Magazine

Hold Your Fire!International Crisis Group

The President’s InboxCouncil on Foreign Relations

Global Security BriefingThe Royal United Services Institute

Recent Guests

Jacob Mardell

Lead analyst at Sinification, tracks Chinese foreign policy debates

Sinification

Episode: How China Views the Iran War

Ben Oppenheim

Non-resident fellow at the Berkeley Risk and Security Lab and at the Center for Global Development

Berkeley Risk and Security Lab; Center for Global Development

Episode: From Detection to Decision-Making: Understanding Pandemic Risk | Before the Outbreak, Episode 2

Serina Ng

Director at the World Health Organization and executive head of the G20 Joint Finance Health Task Force Secretariat

World Health Organization

Episode: From Detection to Decision-Making: Understanding Pandemic Risk | Before the Outbreak, Episode 2

Krystal Burungi Mwesiga

Entomologist and researcher

Uganda Virus Research Institute; Target Malaria

Episode: How Existing Disease Surveillance Networks Can Catch New Outbreaks | Before the Outbreak, Episode 2

Hamid Jafari

Polio eradication expert

World Health Organization (WHO)

Episode: How Existing Disease Surveillance Networks Can Catch New Outbreaks | Before the Outbreak, Episode 2

Dr. Ciro Ugarte

Director of Health Emergencies at the Pan American Health Organization

Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)

Episode: Introducing: "Before the Outbreak" — A Three-Part Series on Disease Surveillance and Pandemic Preparedness

Dr. Pardis Sabeti

Professor at Harvard University School of Public Health

Harvard University

Episode: Introducing: "Before the Outbreak" — A Three-Part Series on Disease Surveillance and Pandemic Preparedness

Wilfred Wan

Director of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Programme at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute

Episode: How To Prevent Weapons of Mass Destruction in a Changing Geopolitical and Military Landscape | Global Catastrophic Risks

Michael Wernstedt

Head of common security at Global Challenges Foundation

Global Challenges Foundation

Episode: How To Prevent Weapons of Mass Destruction in a Changing Geopolitical and Military Landscape | Global Catastrophic Risks

Hosts

Mark Leon Goldberg

Host with a long-running emphasis on international affairs; frequent guest and lead interviewer on global security, diplomacy, and UN-related topics.

Anjali Dayal

Co-host of a dual-issue program; associate professor of international politics with expertise in global governance and policy analysis.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 749 ratings

Another lefty political pod yawn
Boring orange man bad
Apple Podcasts
1
very funny and clever pod
United Kingdoma year ago
Disappointing liberal zionist partisan analysis
I listened to the latest episode with Joel Braunold and actually disappointment underplays how I feel. Mark did not challenge any of the false analysis made by Braunold. This is despite easily sourced connections to zionist organisations and the state of israel. I thought this podcast upheld neutrality and independence but what we get are partisan skewed analyses. I’ve unfollowed.
Apple Podcasts
1
tioranta
Ireland2 years ago
Word choice matters.
Odd to say we should “celebrate” funding wars… the free world must be victorious, and might does not equal right - but what a weird choice of words to use in reference to war. However I’m guessing due to this opinion I’ll be labeled as a “far-right MAGA” ideologue, right?
Apple Podcasts
2
Consumer04312
United States2 years ago
Disappointingly Naive
Only recently came to this podcast.
So, this review is primarily a response to the podcast on the China-USA relationship, as evidenced by the proposed actions against TikTok.
Will listen to more episodes in the future, hopefully with better insight.
Apple Podcasts
2
Exasperatd
United States2 years ago
Excellent Africa analysis
Its rare to find long form in depth reporting on events in Africa. This podcast regularly devotes entire episodes to African news and generally offers a good perspective for listeners who dont normally deep dive into it
Apple Podcasts
5
DelCoTrash
United States3 years ago

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Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The show is praised for bringing practitioners and academics together to dissect complex global issues.

Some listeners mention intro production quirks but view content quality as consistently strong and informative.

Many reviews highlight the show's usefulness for professionals and students aiming to deepen their understanding of international affairs.

Listeners appreciate the depth and breadth of guest expertise and the thoughtful, issue-focused dialogue.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts	#208	United Kingdom/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts	#242	Italy/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts	#247	France/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts	#49	Saudi Arabia/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts	#61	Denmark/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts	#70	Russia/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

How Existing Disease Surveillance Networks Can Catch New Outbreaks | Before the Outbreak, Episode 2

Q: Are there examples of how a system for acute flaccid paralysis has been used to detect another disease emerging?

Hamid and Krystal describe how AFP-trained personnel and the associated data and laboratory capacity were repurposed to identify and respond to outbreaks such as Ebola and, later, to support COVID-19 efforts through integrated surveillance and rapid decision-making.

How Existing Disease Surveillance Networks Can Catch New Outbreaks | Before the Outbreak, Episode 2

Q: Can you describe how malaria and polio surveillance look like in practice?

Krystal explains the malaria system combines rapid diagnostic data from clinics with district-level reporting, while Hamid discusses how polio AFP surveillance became a backbone for broader disease detection and helped drive rapid responses to outbreaks in other contexts.

From Detection to Decision-Making: Understanding Pandemic Risk | Before the Outbreak, Episode 2

Q: What would transform this idea into an actual existing entity or process, and what is a pathway for political uptake of pandemic risk assessment?

The hosts discuss iterative development, stakeholder engagement across ministries (finance, health, etc.), and a phased approach to institutionalize the framework through international calendars and formal partnerships, building demand signals from policy needs.

From Detection to Decision-Making: Understanding Pandemic Risk | Before the Outbreak, Episode 2

Q: What gaps from a scientific perspective might a pandemic risk assessment help to fill, and what inputs would inform it?

Ben outlines central factors such as climate change and ecological disruption, along with social dimensions like mobility and misinformation, and emphasizes the need for a holistic, interdisciplinary data toolkit to model risk pathways and quantify uncertainties.

From Detection to Decision-Making: Understanding Pandemic Risk | Before the Outbreak, Episode 2

Q: But before we discuss what would constitute a pandemic risk assessment, can you explain what gap such an effort would fill in our current global architecture for pandemic preparedness and response?

Serina explains that a pandemic risk assessment would fill critical gaps by synthesizing diverse data sources into a coherent view of how risk is changing, identifying drivers like climate and mobility, and providing baseline information to guide coordinated action and resource allocation.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About This Podcast

What is This Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A deep-dive international affairs show that hosts policymakers, journalists, and specialists to unpack global developments, security issues, development, and diplomacy. Recent episodes highlight AI governance and arms control, Middle East and Africa conflicts, UN diplomacy, and US foreign policy, often featuring practitioners with on-the-ground experience or academic insights. The show is likely to appeal to listeners who want nuanced, long-form analysis from practitioners and researchers, with a track record of high-caliber guests and rigorous discussion. A standout strength is its ability to connect global trends to concrete policy implications, offering historical context and forward-looking perspectives that aren't always present in mai... more

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These podcasts share a similar audience with this podcast:

1. Foreign Policy Live
2. The Foreign Affairs Interview
3. Hold Your Fire!
4. The President’s Inbox
5. Global Security Briefing

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this podcast launched 13 years ago and published 1278 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on this podcast?

Recent guests on this podcast include:

1. Jacob Mardell
2. Ben Oppenheim
3. Serina Ng
4. Krystal Burungi Mwesiga
5. Hamid Jafari
6. Dr. Ciro Ugarte
7. Dr. Pardis Sabeti
8. Wilfred Wan

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