The effects of recent unrest in Iran have extended well beyond the country’s borders, and any political rupture in Iran would carry significant regional and international consequences. In this commentary, Natasha Matloob considers the implications of Iranian instability for neighbouring Afghanistan, tracing historical precedents, current realities and possible future trajectories.
In this podcast, Dr Brian Wong (HKU; OXGS Fellow) interviews the distinguished writer and historian Dr Thant Myint-U on the legacy of his grandfather, U Thant, the first Asian to serve as the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Dr Thant’s latest book, Peacemaker: U Thant and the Forgotten Quest for a Just World, examines his grandfather’s role in driving world peace amidst the turbulent events that defined the 1960s.
From the Panama Papers to the Dubai Leaks, journalism in Pakistan has repeatedly exposed elite corruption—yet systemic change has remained elusive. In this research paper, Natasha Matloob explores how Pakistan’s hybrid constitutional order limits the effectiveness of accountability journalism and consequently erodes citizens’ confidence in the constitution.
In this podcast episode, Professor Michael Jinghan Zeng discusses his new book Memoirs of a Confucius Institute Director with Dr Brian Wong. The book draws on Professor Zeng’s experience leading the Confucius Institute at Lancaster University from 2019 to 2025. The conversation delves into the myth, controversies and realities of the Confucius Institute, a topic that is highly debated in the West.
This policy brief draws on the panel discussion organised by the Oxford Global Society on 6 October 2025. Panellists emphasised that mediation today is marked by a climate of disillusionment with multilateral diplomacy and intensifying geopolitical rivalry. As states invest more heavily in deterrence and defence, trust in diplomacy as a means to resolve and manage conflict has diminished. Still, the panel agreed that mediation continues to offer something unique: it preserves the possibility of dialogue in conflicts that grow more protracted each day.
Europe’s understanding of China remains overly ideological, lacking a deep and rational grasp of China’s social transformation, governance logic, and evolving international role. This cognitive bias has undermined the pragmatism of certain European policies toward China. The future trajectory of China–Europe relations will depend on three key dynamics: Europe’s internal political evolution, the spillover effects of U.S. policies, and China’s strategic adaptability.
