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Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs

New Frontiers Podcast

New Frontiers 350

New Frontiers is the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs’ podcast series. Hosted by Mark Williams, RCGA director and Russell J. Leng ’60 Professor of International Politics and Economics, it offers a deeper view into global areas through one-on-one discussions with Middlebury College faculty and others.

New Frontiers topics—from big tech, environmental conservation, global security, and political economy, to culture, literature, religion, and changing work patterns—have global or international dimensions.

Subscribe to New Frontiers through most podcast apps including Amazon Music and Audible, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and Google Podcasts.

  • Computer, tech stuff with words "big tech"

    S4 EP 3 - Big Tech and Its Populist Critics

    What are some of the common critiques that American populist politicians—on the Left and the Right—lodge against Big Tech? How valid are their critiques? In this episode political scientist Gary Winslett discusses his newest book project—“Big Tech and Its Populist Critics”—which examines populist critiques of Big Tech giants like Apple, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and Google. While Right-wing populists criticize Big Tech for suppressing “free speech”— and Left-wing populists target economic concerns and these firms’ monopolistic practices—Winslett explores these issues, questions the validity of populist critiques from both political sides, and advocates for a “dynamist” approach to public policy that promotes risk-taking, innovation, and a positive outlook towards technological progress.

  • People fishing

    S4 EP 2 - Are Madagascar’s Marine Biodiversity Programs Working?

    In this episode of New Frontiers, environmental scientist Mez Baker-Médard discusses her new book Feminist Conservation: Politics and Power in Madagascar’s Marine Commons. Drawing on two decades of research, the book explores how global conservation programs in Madagascar often marginalize local communities (especially women) by excluding them from traditional fishing areas. Employing the concept of feminist conservation—which emphasizes local knowledge, equity, and justice in environmental decision-making—she critiques the “top-down” conservation model typically favored by international environmental organizations, and urges an approach to conservation that incorporates local worldviews, resists enclosure, and addresses structural causes of environmental degradation such as global trade and climate change.

  • Country outline with book cover

    S4 EP 1 - Unlikely Leaders: Lessons from “Today I Saw a Revolution”

    In this episode, Mark Williams sits down with Cathy Burke - author, leadership expert, change maker. She’s the author of several books and her latest, Today I Saw a Revolution, tells us the story of a transformative grassroots movement in Bangladesh. At the core of this book is Dr. Badiul Majumdar, a man who became central to ending hunger in Bangladesh and whose life work, Cathy writes, and here I’ll quote, “is one of the most remarkable untold stories in the global fight against hunger and inequality.” 

  • sign with danger

    S3 EP4 - Nukes, Landmines, and Disarmament: A Conversation with Matthew Breay Bolton - Part I

    Weapons created for war can inflict devastating harm on civilians long after a given conflict ends. In part one of this two-part series, Nobel Laureate (2017) Matthew Breay Bolton explains why it is vital to address the problems civilians face from landmines, unexploded ordinance, and other munitions; how that is (or isn’t) being done; and the role the United States has played in global de-mining efforts, including the Trump administration’s decision to suspend all aid to these campaigns.

  • Venezuelan flag

    S3 EP3 - The Path to Autocracy: Venezuela and Beyond

    In this episode, Mark Williams sits down with political scientist Javier Corrales, to discuss his latest book—‘Autocracy Rising: How Venezuela Transitioned to Authoritarianism’. Listen in to their discussion as they explore Venezuela’s political history, and the critical lessons its slide into autocracy might teach about the fragility of democratic governments worldwide.

  • Ships and clouds. Image of East India Trading Company

    S3 EP2 - The East India Company: Commerce, Conquest, and Colonialism

    Established in 1600 to secure trade relations between India, East and Southeast Asia, and Britain, the East India Company did this and much, much more. For nearly 300 years it ran a global trading network that operated for profit, politics, and eventually empire. In the process it not only became the world’s first multinational corporation, but — thanks to its own army, navy, currency, and legal system—came to ruleterritories far more extensive than its home base of the British Isles.

  • Cheese board with images of different countries.

    S3 EP1 - Election 2024 and US Foreign Policy

    Although foreign policy doesn’t usually play much of a role in US presidential elections, the consequences of those contests can have profound effects on American foreign policy, and by extension, on US interests, allies, and other countries around the world. In this episode, Ambassador Michael McKinley joins Mark Williams to discuss the foreign policy implications of the 2024 US presidential election.

  • Image of 2nd Amendment

    Season 2 Ep. 6 - U.S. Militias: Guarding Tradition or Courting Chaos

    In this episode of “New Frontiers,” sociologist Amy Cooter explores the rise, goals, and philosophies of American militia groups. She explains why their actions could mar the 2024 elections and highlights how a more thorough, accurate teaching of American history could address misconceptions and reduce societal tensions that fuel some of these groups’ strongest grievances.

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