OTT Podcast

00:47:59

Innovating with integrity: Monika Sie Dhian Ho speaks...

OTT Podcast ·

2026/10/01

In this OTT Talks episode, co-hosts Enrique Mendizabal and Goran Buldioski return for a conversation on European foreign policy think tanks with guest Monika Sie Dhian Ho, former General Director of the Clingendael Institute.She compares the Dutch context to the famous Italian novel Il Gattopardo (The Leopard), describing a domestic “Zeitenwende” marked by the rise of culturally polarising parties, renewed socio-economic insecurity since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and persistent difficulties

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00:54:15

From Rome to Brussels: Nathalie Tocci on balancing...

OTT Podcast ·

2026/08/25

OTT Talks returns with co-hosts Enrique Mendizabal and Goran Buldioski, in conversation with Nathalie Tocci, Director of the Istituto Affari Internazionali in Rome and former adviser to the EU High Representative.Nathalie likens today’s European context to “One Battle After Another,” describing interconnected external and internal challenges, from the war in Ukraine and wider conflicts to threats to liberal democracy, including pressures from Putin’s Russia, Trump’s America, and Europe’s own

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00:52:46

Crises and Responsibilities: Rosa Balfour's Insights...

OTT Podcast ·

2026/07/06

In this episode of OTT Talks, co-hosts Enrique Mendizabal and Goran Buldioski speak with Dr Rosa Balfour, Director of Carnegie Europe, about how Europe’s successive crises since the 2008 financial crash—through the Arab Spring, Crimea, Brexit, and Trump—have reshaped the foreign policy landscape and the role of think tanks.Rosa describes Brussels as a more process-driven but increasingly closed policy ecosystem, contrasts it with more politically aligned national capitals, and explains the

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00:34:24

A conversation with Ivor Chipkin from the New South...

OTT Podcast ·

2026/06/22

In this OTT Talks episode, Enrique Mendizabal speaks with Ivor Chipkin, co-founder and director of South Africa’s New South Institute, shortly after President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Public Service Amendment Act 2025. Chipkin explains how, since 1994, political leaders have held extensive control over public service appointments and operations as a workaround for governing under inherited apartheid-era administrations, but this politicisation later contributed to declining performance,

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00:19:49

OTT Conference special | Do think tanks matter? by...

OTT Podcast ·

2026/06/05

Recorded live at the OTT Conference 2026 in Rabat, Morocco, this special edition of OTT Talks brings you the keynote speeches from the 10th edition of the conference.In an era marked by democratic uncertainty, technological disruption and geopolitical instability, do think tanks still matter?In this keynote from the OTT Conference 2026, Rosa Balfour reflects on the growing pressures facing think tanks — from the transformation of the information ecosystem and declining trust in institutions to

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00:31:32

OTT Conference special | If we don’t tell the story,...

OTT Podcast ·

2026/06/05

Recorded live at the OTT Conference 2026 in Rabat, Morocco, this special edition of OTT Talks brings you the keynote speeches from the 10th edition of the conference.How can think tanks remain trustworthy institutions in increasingly polarised political environments?In this keynote from the OTT Conference 2026, Héctor Cárdenas reflects on the relationship between evidence, storytelling and trust. Drawing on COMEXI’s experience in Mexico, he explores how think tanks can navigate political pressures,

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00:24:04

OTT Conference special | Trusted by whom? Rethinking...

OTT Podcast ·

2026/06/05

Recorded live at the OTT Conference 2026 in Rabat, Morocco, this special edition of OTT Talks brings you the keynote speeches from the 10th edition of the conference.Who are think tanks ultimately accountable to?In this keynote from the OTT Conference 2026, Denis Foretia examines the complex relationship between legitimacy, independence and trust in African policy research organisations. Drawing on the experience of the Denis & Lenora Foretia Foundation in Cameroon, he reflects on the tensions

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00:17:57

OTT Conference special | The knowledge in this room:...

OTT Podcast ·

2026/06/05

Recorded live at the OTT Conference 2026 in Rabat, Morocco, this special edition of OTT Talks brings you the keynote speeches from the 10th edition of the conference.What happens to think tanks when artificial intelligence can produce analysis in seconds?In this keynote from the OTT Conference 2026, Erica explores how AI is reshaping the production of knowledge and what this means for policy research organisations. While AI can dramatically expand analytical capacity, she argues that the most

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00:07:15

OTT Conference special | Rebalancing narratives and...

OTT Podcast ·

2026/06/05

Recorded live at the OTT Conference 2026 in Rabat, Morocco, this special edition of OTT Talks brings you the keynote speeches from the 10th edition of the conference.In his welcoming remarks at the OTT Conference 2026 in Rabat, Karim El Aynaoui, Executive Director of the Policy Center for the New South (PCNS), reflected on the role think tanks can play in addressing global imbalances and strengthening public policy ecosystems.Karim explored the importance of talent development, public service, and

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00:56:40

Leading in a changing Europe: Scarlett Varga on...

OTT Podcast ·

2026/05/12

In this OTT Talks episode, co-hosts Enrique Mendizabal and Goran Buldioski interview Scarlett Varga, Secretary General of Bruegel, about how an economic think tank navigates Europe’s shifting political and economic context.Scarlett argues that “neutrality” is contested: Bruegel defines neutrality as openness to engage across the spectrum while disclosing biases and values, and she discusses the challenge of engaging radical-right or MAGA-adjacent actors without enabling shouting-match platforms.She

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00:47:36

Leading the Vienna Institute for International...

OTT Podcast ·

2026/04/22

In this episode, co-hosts Enrique Mendizabal and Goran Buldioski interview Mario Holzner, Executive Director of the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (wiiw), about conducting economic research on Central, East and Southeast Europe from Vienna amid shifting geopolitical and media environments.Mario describes the region’s historical heterogeneity and wiiw’s pragmatic, plural intellectual tradition, including scepticism toward purely supply-side transition policies and attention to

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00:45:54

Leading a think tank in Slovakia: Richard Durana on...

OTT Podcast ·

2026/04/16

In this episode, co-hosts Enrique Mendizabal and Goran Buldioski interview Richard Durana, co-founder and director of INESS (Institute of Economic and Social Studies) in Slovakia.Richard describes his move from chemistry to economics and how INESS has operated for two decades in a largely hostile, left-leaning political environment, emphasising both policy advocacy and public education. He compares Slovakia’s post-communist trajectory to the film Rocky, citing early-2000s reforms, foreign

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00:47:19

Beyond the report: How think tanks actually influence...

OTT Podcast ·

2026/04/08

In this episode of OTT Talks, Enrique Mendizabal hosts David Watson, former Director of Communications at Chatham House and seasoned UK policymaker, in a conversation exploring David’s extensive background in government and think tanks.David reflects on his experiences within the UK government, emphasising the role of evidence in policy-making and the impact of think tanks. He discusses the differences between political roles and civil service roles and the importance of people’s lived

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00:48:16

Petra Reszkető from the Budapest Institute on leading...

OTT Podcast ·

2026/03/25

OTT Talks: Think tanks in a changing Europe is back for season 4.In the opening episode, co-hosts Enrique Mendizabal and Goran Buldioski speak with Petra Reszkető, Co-Director and Senior Researcher at the Budapest Institute, about leading an independent, project-based economic think tank in Hungary’s “illiberal democracy.”Petra outlines the challenges faced by the Budapest Institute, including limited and opaque government engagement, the emergence of quasi-governmental bodies and conflicting

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00:49:10

Being “the African in the room”: Diversity, power,...

OTT Podcast ·

2026/03/17

What does it feel like to become a funder when you've spent your career as a researcher? And what does it reveal about philanthropy when the person holding the chequebook doesn't look the part?In this special episode of OTT Talks, host Enrique Mendizabal speaks with Christopher Chibwana (Hewlett Foundation) and Savior Mwambwa (Open Society Foundations) — two African-born former thinktankers now leading programmes at major US-based foundations.Chris reflects on being read through visual and

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00:34:49

Myanmar’s think tanks after 2021: Risk, exile, and...

OTT Podcast ·

2026/03/10

In this episode of OTT Talks, co-hosts Enrique Mendizabal and Samar Verma speak with Ngu Wah Win, Research Director at the Knowledge Circle Foundation and an alumna of the School for Thinktankers, about how Myanmar’s think tank and evidence-informed policy landscape has changed before and after 2021.The conversation covers how think tanks have shifted toward survival, advocacy, documenting human rights abuses, safeguarding displaced researchers, countering misinformation, and using digital platforms

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00:37:01

Myanmar’s think tanks in a time of crisis: From...

OTT Podcast ·

2026/03/10

In this episode of OTT Talks, co-hosts Enrique Mendizabal and Samar Verma speak with Min Zar Ni, a PhD student at the University of Southern Denmark and former Deputy Director of Research at Myanmar’s Centre for Economic and Social Development, about how Myanmar’s political upheaval has reshaped the country’s think tank and policy research landscape.The discussion explores how think tanks have shifted from direct policy influence and stakeholder engagement toward documenting realities and providing

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00:55:36

Reimagining Myanmar’s think tanks: Resistance...

OTT Podcast ·

2026/03/10

In this episode of OTT Talks, co-hosts Enrique Mendizabal and Samar Verma speak with Napas Thain, inaugural research fellow at the Myanmar Policy and Community Knowledge Hub (MYPAC) at the University of Toronto, about Myanmar’s political crisis since 2021 and how it has reshaped the country’s think tank and research landscape.The conversation examines the evolution of think tanks from limited information flow pre-2011 to liberalisation-era institutions such as Egress and the Myanmar Peace Center,

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00:56:00

Running a think tank in a changing Europe: Strategic...

OTT Podcast ·

2025/10/16

How has the role of think tanks in Germany and Europe evolved in an era of polarisation, disinformation, and shifting funding models? In this episode, we speak with Dr Daniela Schwarzer, Executive Board Member at the Bertelsmann Foundation, former Director and CEO of the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), and founder of the Europe programme at the German Marshall Fund. With more than a decade of leadership experience across different organisations, Daniela offers a unique perspective on the

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00:46:41

Running a think tank in a changing Europe: Lessons on...

OTT Podcast ·

2025/09/30

What does it take to maintain independence while navigating the turbulence of national crisis and European transformation? In this episode, we speak with Loukas Tsoukalis, President of the Board at ELIAMEP, Greece’s most prominent think tank on European and foreign policy.Drawing on over two decades of leadership, Loukas reflects on what it meant to lead a think tank during one of the most difficult periods in recent Greek history—from the financial crisis to growing political polarisation. He

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