Summit Dialogue Podcast Series

We are just entering the ‘Summit Season’ and I thought I would kick off the Season with a conversation with Paola Subacchi on the question of the Italian G20 Leaders’ Summit. Paola has been involved in G20 summits going back some years. And she has links to those organizing the Italian Rome Summit that will occur possibly in person in the fall.

Paola is a Professor of International Economics and Chair Advisory Board at the Global Policy Institute at Queen Mary, University of London, and Adjunct Professor at the Department of Political and Social Sciences at the University of Bologna. Previously, she was Director of International Economics Research at the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) for over ten years. She is the founder and director of Essential Economics, an independent economic research service. She writes widely about global financial issues and her most recent book from Yale University Press is The Cost of Free Money (2020).

Let’s join Paola in the virtual studio to discuss the G20 Leaders’ Summit.

Summit Dialogue: Ep. 20: An Interview with Paola Subacchi on the upcoming Italian G20 Summit

This podcast interview with Danny Bradlow is the accompanying podcast to Danny's article, "Lessons from the Frontlines: What I Learned from My Participation in the G20". This article is the first in a series of examinations of former officials and others who have been directly involved in the workings of global summitry. The 'Summit Dialogue' series is intended to give us insights into how current global summitry actually makes, or fails to make, policy at the global governance level. Danny was the first head of the South African Reserve Bank’s (SARB) International Economic Relations and Policy Department. In this capacity, Danny represented the SARB in G20 and BRICS meetings during approximately two years ending in October 2014.  Enjoy both the article and the podcast.

Shaking the Global Order, Ep. 2: Danny Bradlow on South Africa's Participation in the G20

This podcast with Masahiro Kawai continues our country tour focused on the Osaka G20 Summit. Japan was, of course a key actor for this Summit with its hosting of this year’s annual G20 Summit. With growing competition between powers - China, Russia and the United States – the hosting has placed even greater pressure on those countries that host the annual G20. Japan also had a stressful year as a result of other events – the abdication of the Emperor and elections for the Upper Chamber. These events led Japan to initiate a truncated period before the Leaders’ Summit which took place on June 28-29th. 

The Summit witnessed a ‘reality TV series’ of meetings for President Trump – with China’s Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin of Russia, the Saudi Crown Prince and topped off with a meeting with Kim Jong-un of North Korea at the Korean DMZ. Difficult negotiations taxed Prime Minister’s Abe and his officials in finalizing the Leaders’ Declaration. 

Masahiro Kawai was an ideal guest as he was ‘well plugged in’ to the official Japanese G20 and T20 processes. Masahiro Kawai today is a Professor of the Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Tokyo and Representative Director and Director General, Economic Research Institute for Northeast Asia (ERINA). He has held many official roles including Dean and CEO of the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) 

Come listen to his valuable insights on Japan’s hosting of the G20 Osaka Summit.

Summit Dialogue, Ep. 13: Masahiro Kawai on the Japanese G20 Summit in Osaka

Both Jennifer and Matthew attended COP 25 in Madrid. So, I wanted to get a first-hand reflection on the meeting and the results achieved. I also wanted to get from them their own assessment of the state of efforts to reduce CO2 emissions. Finally, I wanted to discuss with Jennifer and Matt what is needed for the upcoming COP26 that is meeting in Glasgow five years after the successful conclusion of the Paris Climate Change Agreement. Are we on track, and if not as it appears to be, what can be done at COP26?

Jennifer Allan is a writer/editor at ‘Earth Negotiations Bulletin’ and a lecturer at Cardiff University. Matthew Hoffmann is a colleague at the University of Toronto and a Co-Director of the Environmental Governance Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto.

Come join us for the is podcast.

Summit Dialogue, Ep.16: Jennifer Allan & Matthew Hoffmann on COP25 and What is Needed at COP26

My guest and I were fortunate enough to attend a recent conference at the University of British Columbia’s Centre for Japanese Research Workshop on “Japan’s Leadership in the Liberal International Order”. Many Japanese scholars joined experts from North America to discuss the role of Japan in the liberal international order, especially under the current Abe Government. 

I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to sit down with at least one scholar to discuss Japan’s evolving role. I was fortunate enough in this case to welcome Phillip Lipscy in our studio here at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy. Phillip is an Associate Professor of Political Science here at the University of Toronto and is the Chair in Japanese politics and global affairs and Director of the Centre for the Study of Global Japan at the Munk School. Phillip has published extensively on Japanese politics and foreign policy. So come join us as we discuss the role of Japan in the current Liberal Order.

Summit Dialogue, Ep. 17: Phillip Lipscy on Japanese Leadership in the Liberal Order

We were glad to welcome back Matthew Goodman from CSIS in Washington. As you can see from his short bio below, Matt has had both public and private sector roles and has been directly involved with the G20 in past U.S. administrations. 

Matt has ben working with colleagues Stephanie Segal and Mark Sobel to evaluate the G20 summits. This analysis can be found at the CSIS website. It prompted Global Summitry to get back in touch with Matt to bring him into the virtual studio to discuss how the Informals and the formal institutions are responding to the pandemic. We also had an opportunity during the podcast to examine the difficult relationship between the two leading states, the U.S. and China, and how that disruptive relationship has had an impact on the global governance response to the crisis.

Matthew is senior vice president, senior adviser for Asian economics, and holds the Simon Chair in Political Economy at CSIS. Matthew has served in both the private sector at Goldman Sachs and Albright Stonebridge Group and has also held several significant roles in the public sector including early in his career as an international economist at the U.S. Treasury Department and at the Tokyo Embassy. Subsequently, he was director of international economics on the National Security Council staff responsible for the G20 and, the then G8, and then former White House Coordinator for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the East Asia Summit (EAS).

Summit Dialogue, Ep. 18: Matthew Goodman on the G20's Response to COVID-19

The spread of Covid-19 across the globe dominates policy making everywhere. States have responded in a variety of ways; the consequences for these states are varying population spread and death tolls.  Though the virus began in China some of the most serious consequences have been felt in Europe particularly in Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. 

It was my pleasure to invite into the virtual studio Torrey Taussig. I was particularly keen to discuss with her the efforts of the EU 27 and the European Commission to adopt collective European efforts to combat the virus. Torrey was with us at our virtual conference at Boston University in March hosted by the Global Development Policy Center (#GDP). There we launched the China-West Dialogue to discuss the future of global governance in the context of Covid-19 and other challenges, such as climate change. The virtual workshop was well attended and featured a keynote introduction by The Right Honourable Paul Martin. The former Canadian Prime Minister called on the #G20 to tackle climate change and the pandemic, noting that now is not the time to forsake multilateralism.

Torrey is currently a non-resident fellow in the Foreign Policy Program’s Center on the United States and Europe at Brookings. She is also a research director of the Belfer Center at the Harvard Kennedy School. Torrey focuses her research attention on U.S. foreign policy as well as European and Asian security issues.

Join us in our discussion on the European response to Covid-19.

‘Now', Ep.19: Torrey Taussig on Europe’s Response to Covid-19

Bruce and I have had some back and forth recently on the definition and importance of Middle Powers in the current global order. I thought that it would be valuable to invite Bruce into the virtual studio to discuss the role and influence of the Middle Powers. In particular I wanted to review with Bruce his recent writings with several colleagues on ‘democratic multilateralism’ and ‘competitive multilateralism’. How could these shape global governance efforts going forward in light of the growing tensions between the two leading states – the United States and China.
Bruce Jones is currently the director and a senior fellow in the Project on International Order and Strategy of the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution; he also works with the Center for East Asia Policy Studies. Bruce is as well a consulting professor at the Freeman Spogli Institute at Stanford University. Jones previously served as the vice president and director for the Foreign Policy program. Jones’ research expertise and policy experience is in international security. His current research focus is on U.S. strategy, international order, and great power relations. Recent publications include an article in Foreign Affairs, “Can Middle Powers Lead the World Out of the Pandemic? Because the United States and China Have Shown They Can’t”

Summit Dialogue Series, Ep. 19: Bruce Jones on Democratic & Competitive Multilateralism

Join Professor Alan Alexandroff as he interviews fellow academics, policymakers, and former officials about global governance and the contemporary global order.

Summit Dialogue, Ep. 13: Masahiro Kawai on the Japanese G20 Summit in Osaka

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