The Oxford Martin School is proud to support the launch of the Oxford Martin Programme on Changing Global Orders’ new podcast miniseries, ‘Global Shocks’.

Hosted and produced by the programme’s Postdoctoral Research Associate Dr Jan Eijking with the support of award-winning audio producer Melissa FitzGerald of Zinc Media and the research programme’s Co-Director Professor Patricia Clavin, the podcast aims to answer questions around how the world’s major international organisations respond to global shocks, adapt to them, and survive turbulent times such as humanitarian emergencies, war, financial crises, and pandemics.

Global Shocks enters the conversation with leading figures from these organisations to find out how they are affected by crisis and turbulence, what lessons they draw from the past, and what future prospects they have. The podcast miniseries spans about eight 30-minute episodes released on the Changing Global Orders website, while full-length recordings will also be made available as an oral history archive collection. Episodes include conversations with Yves Daccord, the former Director General of the International Committee of the Red Cross; Renata Dwan of Chatham House, former Chief of Peacekeeping Policy at the United Nations; and Ilona Kickbusch, former leader of the World Health Organisation’s Global Health Promotion Programme.

Dr Eijking said: ‘From climate change to major pandemics, we’re living through turbulent times. For international organizations, that’s a major challenge — but it’s also an opportunity to learn from past responses to crisis and shocks. Our podcast opens up that conversation by speaking to former leaders from within and beyond the UN system.’

The Oxford Martin Programme on Changing Global Orders is led by co-directors Professor Patricia Clavin, Professor Andrew Thompson, Professor Louise Fawcett and Professor Andrew Hurrell. The programme combines scholarship in history and international relations to investigate how international organizations cope with and adapt to turbulence and major global shocks. Global Shocks is an oral history and podcast project developed as part of Changing Global Orders’ commitment to public outreach.