Podcasts / Future Discontinuous: Smart Talk with Smart People

Future Discontinuous: Smart Talk with Smart People

So many of us seem to be scrambling to understand where the world is heading. Decade-old certainties seem to crumble before our eyes. Perhaps we are reaching the moment that Karl Marx predicted when all that is solid melts into air. But don’t panic. In their brand-new podcast, Future Discontinuous, hosts Misha Glenny and Eva Konzett are seeking out some of the brightest minds on the planet to help you navigate your way through this uncharted ocean. We will learn whether technology really can prevent climate change, whether the current economic headwinds are temporary or structural, whether Russia and China are forever friends, and whether social media are turning us all into zombies. But unlike many podcasts, we will also be looking for answers. After almost a century of steady progress in health and prosperity, people no longer expect their lives to be an upgrade on that of their parents. Misha and Eva will be asking guests whether such trends can be reversed or whether we will sink into another period of conflict both within and between states. Things may look bleak on the surface, but around the globe, human ingenuity continues to draw on diverse traditions to create systems that will overcome or circumvent the political, social, and economic dangers that are all too visible.

Misha Glenny is the Rector of the Institute for Human Sciences and one of the BBC’s most distinguished correspondents, as well as the presenter of the highly-praised podcast How to Invent a Country. Eva Konzett is a renowned editor and reporter for Vienna’s leading news magazine, Falter. Future Discontinuous: Smart Talk with Smart People is a co-production of Falter and the IWM Vienna.

What Does Another Trump Presidency Mean for Global Politics, Stephen Walt?

Speakers: Stephen WaltMisha GlennyEva Konzett

In the first episode of Future Discontinuous, hosts Eva and Misha welcome international relations scholar and Harvard Professor Stephen Walt. In a wide-ranging conversation, they discuss the US elections and their implications for the international stage. Against the backdrop of heightened global tensions, what does the second presidency of Donald Trump mean for trade relations with China, Europe’s engagement in Ukraine, and the deepening conflict in the Middle East? Listen in as Walt gives his take on this time of monsters, as Antonio Gramsci has famously termed the moment when the old world is dying, and the new world struggles to be born.

Stephen Walt is the Robert and Renée Belfer Professor of International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School. He previously taught at Princeton University and the University of Chicago and was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2005. Walt is a columnist for Foreign Policy magazine, commenting regularly on global affairs. His most recent book is The Hell of Good Intentions: America's Foreign Policy Elite and the Decline of U.S. Primacy (2018). From September to December 2024, he is a Guest of the Institute at the IWM Vienna.

Trailer: What to Expect From Future Discontinuous

Speakers: Misha GlennyEva Konzett

Feeling lost in a crumbling world? In the IWM's new podcast Future Discontinuous, co-produced with FALTER magazine, hosts Misha Glenny and Eva Konzett explore global challenges with top thinkers. From climate tech to geopolitics, they seek answers to whether humanity can reverse decline or face conflict. The first episode featuring renowned political scientist and Harvard professor Stephen Walt will be available tomorrow. Together with their guest, hosts Misha and Eva discuss the implications of Donald Trump's second presidency for trade relations with China, Europe’s engagement in Ukraine, and the deepening conflict in the Middle East. Listen in as they navigate uncharted waters with hope!