What kind of security actor is the European Union, and how is it responding to a continent transformed by war? In this episode, Davide Genini outlines the EU’s evolving role in security and defence, its relationship with NATO, and how neutrality shapes the position of countries like Ireland. We examine the EU’s support for Ukraine, the limits of what it can do, and the choices that will define Europe’s security order once the war ends.

This episode was recorded on 8 October 2025.
Host: Dr Ian Cooper
Producer: Charlie Halford

Tech regulation has become the new transatlantic battleground. In this episode, Berin Szóka, PhD researcher at Dublin City University and President of TechFreedom in Washington DC, joins Dr. Ian Cooper to unpack how Europe and the United States differ on digital governance, platform regulation, and the politics of free speech in the age of AI.

This episode was recorded on 8 October 2025.
Host: Dr Ian Cooper
Producer: Charlie Halford

In this episode, Pedro Sanz Díaz, a PhD researcher at Dublin City University, joins us to explore how the EU manages migration amid global displacement and whether Europe can craft policies that are both lawful and humane. We discuss the so-called “migration crisis”, the balance of powers between the EU and its member states, and the complex frameworks that shape Europe’s borders from the Schengen Area to the Dublin Regulation. Drawing on lessons from Ukraine’s refugee response, Pedro reflects on where EU migration policy is heading and what a more humane approach could look like.

This episode was recorded on 23 October 2025.
Host: Dr Ian Cooper
Producer: Charlie Halford

Five years after Brexit, the European Union’s neighbourhood remains in flux. From Northern Ireland’s hybrid status to Ukraine’s path towards membership, Europe’s borders are being redefined not by walls, but by relationships. In this episode, Jasmine Faudone, PhD researcher at Dublin City University, joins us to unpack how Brexit reshaped the EU’s ties with its closest neighbours — and what “external differentiated integration” tells us about Europe’s future.

This podcast was recorded on 22 October 2025.
Host: Dr. Ian Cooper
Producer: Charlie Halford

In this first episode of CATALYZE series, we explore how the European Union is responding to new trade challenges in an increasingly unpredictable world. Assistant Professor of Economic Law at Dublin City University, Dr. Niall Moran joins us to unpack the EU’s powers over trade, assess the implications of the “Turnberry Agreement” with the United States, and consider how Europe can defend its interests in a shifting global trading system, from Washington to the WTO.

This podcast was recorded on 23 October 2025.
Host: Dr. Ian Cooper
Producer: Charlie Halford