INTERVIEWS

Our Interviews with the Experts

“Experts’ Insights” offers exclusive interviews with leading professionals and scholars in the field of geopolitics. Through their voices, we explore key global dynamics, challenges, and trends from expert perspectives, thus providing valuable context and depth to our analysis by connecting theoretical frameworks with real-world insights.

In this section, you can find all the interviews from our YouTube channel.

Latest Interviews

Interview with Mario Mauro

Expert: Mario Mauro

Background: Former Italian Minister of Defense, former Vice-President of the European Parliament, and founder of MESEURO, specializing in European affairs and international relations.

Topic: The return of war in the international system; great power competition and global instability; Europe’s role, identity, and strategic positioning in a changing geopolitical order.

Interview Date: 08/05/2026

Interview with Maria Blaiklock

Expert: Maria Blaiklock

Background: Global agribusiness strategist and expert in regulatory intelligence, sanitary diplomacy, and international market access, with over 20 years of experience in the sector.

Topic: Food security and geopolitical vulnerability; the role of sanitary standards and regulatory credibility in global trade; how geopolitical and regulatory risks shape access to agricultural markets.

Interview Date: 09/05/2026

Interview with Maurício Kenyatta

Expert: Maurício Kenyatta

Background: Researcher at the Institute for Applied Economic Research (IPEA) and analyst at the Brazilian Ministry of Health, with expertise in international relations and emerging markets.

Topic: Geopolitical risk in emerging markets, with a focus on Latin America; regional integration, border security, transnational crime, and their impact on business and international cooperation.

Interview Date: 06/05/2026

Interview with Salena Zhou

Expert: Salena Zhou

Background: Trainee at the European Commission (DG GROW) and intern at the Embassy of Italy in Beijing, with a background in economics and international policy.

Topic: The impact of conflict and political instability on renewable energy deployment; cross-country differences in energy transition; policy implications of geopolitical risks for sustainable development.

Interview Date: 05/05/2026

Interview with Giovanni Bray

Expert: Giovanni Bray

Background: Co-founder of Polis Politics and student in Global Political Economy (LSE–Fudan), focused on geopolitics education and communication.

Topic: Communicating geopolitics to younger audiences; the role of digital platforms in shaping geopolitical awareness; making complex international dynamics accessible and engaging.

Interview Date: 21/04/2026

Interview with Daniel Gros

Expert: Daniel Gros

Background: Director of the Institute for European Policymaking at Bocconi University, former Director of CEPS, and expert in international economics, monetary policy, and European integration.

Topic: European economic policy in a fragmented global context; the impact of geopolitical tensions on macroeconomic dynamics; strategic autonomy and the future of the European Union.

Interview Date: 22/04/2026

Interview with Vincenzo Galasso

Expert: Vincenzo Galasso

Background: Professor of Economics at Bocconi University, with extensive research in public economics, political economy, and social policy.

Topic: Public perceptions of globalization and international trade; distributional effects of open economies; how political, generational, and social factors shape attitudes toward globalization.

Interview Date: 21/04/2026

Interview with Thales Castro

Expert: Thales Castro

Background: CEO of CogniTrends, Honorary Consul of Malta at Recife, and Professor of International Relations and Political Science

Topic: Core services, methodology and clientele of CogniTrends; the International Power Index (PI); interpretations of geopolitical risk in diplomacy and business. 

Interview Date: 06/08/2025

Interview with Andrea Ruggeri

Expert: Andrea Ruggeri

Background: Professor of Political Science at University of Milan

Topic: Major international issues, including the Russia–Ukraine conflict, non-military conflict prevention, climate-related security risks, European rearmament, and the role of economic and cultural diplomacy.

Interview Date: 22/05/2025

Interview with Gian Maria Mallarino

ExpertGian Maria Mallarino

Background: PhD Candidate & Lecturer at Bocconi University

Topic: The “Geopolitical Risk Index” Project: history, purposes, and prospects. The crucial role of Business Schools in bridging geopolitical knowledge.

Interview Date: 21/05/2025

Interview with Andrea Colli

Expert: Andrea Colli

Background: Professor of Economic, Business History, Global History and Geopolitics at Bocconi University

Topic: The history of international trade: tariffs, non-tariff barriers, and their broader economic implications.

Interview Date: 16/05/2025

Interview with Pier Paolo Raimondi

Expert: Pier Paolo Raimondi

Background: Senior researcher at IAI, Istituto Affari Internazionali

Topic: Europe’s evolving energy security and geopolitics, particularly in the context of the Russia-Ukraine war, the global energy transition, and the strategic role of new technologies, such as hydrogen.

Interview Date: 24/03/2025

Interview with Adriano Ferrara

Expert: Adriano Ferrara

Background: Project Manager at UNI, Italian Norms and Standards Agency

Topic: The strategic role of standardization in international relations, energy geopolitics, and Europe’s approach to global competition and energy security.

Interview Date: 06/03/2025

Interview with Valbona Zeneli

Expert: Valbona Zeneli

Background: Non-resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council of the United States 

TopicThe future of European defense strategy in response to global security challenges, particularly in the context of the Russia-Ukraine war and shifting transatlantic relations.

Interview Date: 05/03/2025