It is with great pleasure that I have invited Elizabeth Sidiropoulos into the Virtual Studio for this episode of ‘Summit Dialogue’. With South Africa’s national and provincial elections just concluded and with South Africa about to take the Presidency of the G20 after the conclusion of Brazil’s hosting it seemed like an opportune moment to speak with Elizabeth about South Africa’s future and its leadership of the Informals, especially the G20.

Elizabeth is the chief executive of the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), an independent foreign policy think-tank based in Johannesburg. She holds an MA in International Relations (cum laude) from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. She has headed the Institute since 2005. Elizabeth is also the editor-in-chief of the South African Journal of International Affairs. 

Elizabeth has co-edited a volume: Values, Interests and Power: South African Foreign Policy in Uncertain Times (2020), She has also co-edited two books exploring the rise of the new development cooperation providers.

Her research focus is South Africa’s foreign policy, global governance and the role of emerging powers in Africa. Most recently she has focused on Russia’s renewed presence in Africa, against the background of SA’s membership of the BRICS grouping.

So, let’s join Elizabeth in the Virtual Studio to examine South Africa’s future.

Summit Dialogue S2, Ep 5: Sidiropoulos on the Future of South Africa and its Leadership

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

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

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

Summit Dialogue S2, Ep 5: Sidiropoulos on the Future of South Africa and its Leadership

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