Podcast appearances and mentions of Ben Bland

This week on Independent Thinking, three Chatham House experts look at the view from China now that Donald Trump is in charge. Ben Bland speaks to Yu Jie, William Matthews and  David Lubin, about how China is repositioning itself on the world stage, viewing its own security and preparing for a potential trade war.  We'll also explore what the Chinese Communist Party is really thinking, what harm tariffs are doing and what the AI battle could mean for the world. Read our latest: New US attacks on the Houthis will not bring Iran to the negotiating table – but could provoke worse violence The US and Iran are on the road to escalation. Europe can and should create an off-ramp Taking action against corruption in Nigeria Presented by Ben Bland. Produced by Jonathan Coates. Executive Producer - John Pollock. 'Independent Thinking' is an Indio Media production for Chatham House. Read the Spring issue of The World Today  Listen to The Climate Briefing podcast

In the past decade, liberal democracies around the world have been attacked from within, and Myanmar is no exception. The civil war in Myanmar, which began with a coup d'état exactly four years ago, has displaced millions, killed or maimed thousands more, and left the country in poverty. Even though the resistance has reached a turning point, leading to a particularly devastating year for the Myanmar military, there is still no resolution in sight.Return to an extraordinary panel conversation recorded live from #UWRF24, featuring dissident writer and Burmese activist Ma Thida and Ben Bland, an expert on Asian geopolitics, as they discuss the stress tests and decline of democracies in Asia with a spotlight on Myanmar, which, although it may be in the middle of a bloody civil conflict, potentially stands on the precipice of a new democratic awakening, moderated by award-winning journalist Drew Ambrose.

The re-election of Donald Trump has major consequences for America's relations with China. The panel discuss how the US-China relationship might change under the next president. Guest host Ben Bland is joined by historian and political scientist Professor Rana Mitter, the FT's US-China correspondent, Demetri Sevastopulo and Dr Yu Jie, a senior research fellow with our Asia-Pacific programme.  Read our latest: Trump's ‘America First' foreign policy will accelerate China's push for global leadership The Gulf will seek to manage Trump through self-reliance and pragmatism Donald Trump's policies risk making the US dollar a source of global instability Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock. Read the latest issue of The World Today  Listen to The Climate Briefing podcast

Ahead of Prabowo Subianto's inauguration, Greg and Elina unpack the latest updates from Indonesia with Ben Bland. Japhet and Lauren cover the latest: from Singapore's former Transport Minister S. Iswaran's corruption case to Cambodia pulling out of the CLV-DTA project. 

Ben Bland expressively explores emotive AI's shaky scientific underpinnings, the gap between reality and perception, popular applications, and critical apprehensions. Ben exposes the scientific contention surrounding human emotion. He talks terms (emotive? empathic? not telepathic!) and outlines a spectrum of emotive applications. We discuss the powerful, often subtle, and sometimes insidious ways emotion can be leveraged. Ben explains the negative effects of perpetual positivity and why drawing clear red lines around the tech is difficult. He also addresses the qualitative sea change brought about by large language models (LLMs), implicit vs explicit design and commercial objectives. Noting that the social and psychological impacts of emotive AI systems have been poorly explored, he muses about the potential to actively evolve your machine's emotional capability. Ben confronts the challenges of defining standards when the language is tricky, the science is shaky, and applications are proliferating. Lastly, Ben jazzes up empathy as a human superpower. While optimistic about empathic AI's potential, he counsels proceeding with caution. Ben Bland is an independent consultant in ethical innovation. An active community contributor, Ben is the Chair of the IEEE P7014 Standard for Ethical Considerations in Emulated Empathy in Autonomous and Intelligent Systems and Vice-Chair of IEEE P7014.1 Recommended Practice for Ethical Considerations of Emulated Empathy in Partner-based General-Purpose Artificial Intelligence Systems.A transcript of this episode is here.

Does the Labour Party's 2024 election victory spell the end of the United Kingdom's foreign policy interest in Asia? And how will its ‘progressive realism' foreign policy paradigm shape its democracy promotion efforts in this region? Listen to Ben Bland as he talks to Petra Alderman about the UK's post-Brexit tilt towards Asia, the new Labour government's foreign policy priorities, and the tensions the ‘progressive realism' paradigm might pose to the UK government's democracy promotion activities in Asia. While Ben and Petra discuss these issues from a regional perspective, they focus more closely on what this means for the UK's relations with Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Ben Bland is the director of the Asia-Pacific programme at Chatham House. His research focuses on the nexus of politics, economics and international relations in Southeast Asia, as well as China's growing role in the broader region and the contours of US-China strategic competition. Petra Alderman is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in Leadership for Inclusive and Democratic Politics at the University of Birmingham and Research Fellow at CEDAR. The People, Power, Politics podcast brings you the latest insights into the factors that are shaping and re-shaping our political world. It is brought to you by the Centre for Elections, Democracy, Accountability and Representation (CEDAR) based at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. Join us to better understand the factors that promote and undermine democratic government around the world and follow us on X (Twitter) at @CEDAR_Bham Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Does the Labour Party's 2024 election victory spell the end of the United Kingdom's foreign policy interest in Asia? And how will its ‘progressive realism' foreign policy paradigm shape its democracy promotion efforts in this region? Listen to Ben Bland as he talks to Petra Alderman about the UK's post-Brexit tilt towards Asia, the new Labour government's foreign policy priorities, and the tensions the ‘progressive realism' paradigm might pose to the UK government's democracy promotion activities in Asia. While Ben and Petra discuss these issues from a regional perspective, they focus more closely on what this means for the UK's relations with Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Ben Bland is the director of the Asia-Pacific programme at Chatham House. His research focuses on the nexus of politics, economics and international relations in Southeast Asia, as well as China's growing role in the broader region and the contours of US-China strategic competition. Petra Alderman is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in Leadership for Inclusive and Democratic Politics at the University of Birmingham and Research Fellow at CEDAR. The People, Power, Politics podcast brings you the latest insights into the factors that are shaping and re-shaping our political world. It is brought to you by the Centre for Elections, Democracy, Accountability and Representation (CEDAR) based at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. Join us to better understand the factors that promote and undermine democratic government around the world and follow us on X (Twitter) at @CEDAR_Bham Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science

Does the Labour Party's 2024 election victory spell the end of the United Kingdom's foreign policy interest in Asia? And how will its ‘progressive realism' foreign policy paradigm shape its democracy promotion efforts in this region? Listen to Ben Bland as he talks to Petra Alderman about the UK's post-Brexit tilt towards Asia, the new Labour government's foreign policy priorities, and the tensions the ‘progressive realism' paradigm might pose to the UK government's democracy promotion activities in Asia. While Ben and Petra discuss these issues from a regional perspective, they focus more closely on what this means for the UK's relations with Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Ben Bland is the director of the Asia-Pacific programme at Chatham House. His research focuses on the nexus of politics, economics and international relations in Southeast Asia, as well as China's growing role in the broader region and the contours of US-China strategic competition. Petra Alderman is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in Leadership for Inclusive and Democratic Politics at the University of Birmingham and Research Fellow at CEDAR. The People, Power, Politics podcast brings you the latest insights into the factors that are shaping and re-shaping our political world. It is brought to you by the Centre for Elections, Democracy, Accountability and Representation (CEDAR) based at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. Join us to better understand the factors that promote and undermine democratic government around the world and follow us on X (Twitter) at @CEDAR_Bham Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/world-affairs

Does the Labour Party's 2024 election victory spell the end of the United Kingdom's foreign policy interest in Asia? And how will its ‘progressive realism' foreign policy paradigm shape its democracy promotion efforts in this region? Listen to Ben Bland as he talks to Petra Alderman about the UK's post-Brexit tilt towards Asia, the new Labour government's foreign policy priorities, and the tensions the ‘progressive realism' paradigm might pose to the UK government's democracy promotion activities in Asia. While Ben and Petra discuss these issues from a regional perspective, they focus more closely on what this means for the UK's relations with Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Ben Bland is the director of the Asia-Pacific programme at Chatham House. His research focuses on the nexus of politics, economics and international relations in Southeast Asia, as well as China's growing role in the broader region and the contours of US-China strategic competition. Petra Alderman is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in Leadership for Inclusive and Democratic Politics at the University of Birmingham and Research Fellow at CEDAR. The People, Power, Politics podcast brings you the latest insights into the factors that are shaping and re-shaping our political world. It is brought to you by the Centre for Elections, Democracy, Accountability and Representation (CEDAR) based at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. Join us to better understand the factors that promote and undermine democratic government around the world and follow us on X (Twitter) at @CEDAR_Bham Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/british-studies

In the past decade, policy toward China has hardened on both sides of the Atlantic. Governments and publics across Europe and in the United States view Xi Jinping as implementing more repressive policies domestically and more aggressive policies abroad. The US and most capitals in Europe see Beijing as seeking to revise the international order in ways that would be disadvantageous to democracies. They agree on the need for de-risking and to preserve the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. Yet, despite the alignment in transatlantic assessments, cooperation on China remains limited. A new paper by experts from Chatham House and RUSI, leading think tanks in the United Kingdom, analyzes why transatlantic mechanisms have made slow progress, focusing on three domains: economics; security; and the multilateral system and global norms. The paper also offers ways to strengthen cooperation going forward. The title of the report is “Transatlantic China Policy: In Search of an Endgame?” Host Bonnie Glaser is joined by one of its authors, Ben Bland who is the director of the Asia-Pacific program at Chatham House. His research focuses on the nexus of politics, economics, and international relations in Southeast Asia, as well as China's growing role in the broader region and the contours of US–China strategic competition.  Timestamps[01:46] Why did you pursue this research on transatlantic mechanism?[03:24] Importance of Agreeing on an Endgame[06:30] Consensus and Divergence between the US and Europe[10:10] De-risking: One Word, Many Meanings [15:00] Transatlantic Discussions on European and Indo-Pacific Security[18:40] Can a regional division of labor strategy work?[22:13] China, the Multilateral System, and Global Norms[27:00] Tensions Between EU Multilateralism and Transatlantic Consensus[31:10] What are the next steps for Chatham House?

Bronwen Maddox is joined this week from Jakarta by Professor Burhanuddin Muhtadi, executive director of the Indonesian polling organization Indikator Politik Indonesia, and Dewi Fortuna Anwar, a former advisor to Indonesia's Vice President and chair of Indonesian think tank, The Habibie Center. Joining them all is Ben Bland, the director of our Asia-Pacific program at Chatham House. Read our latest: ‘Continuity' Prabowo means change for Indonesia Indonesia's Democracy Is Stronger Than a Strongman (Foreign Affairs) Indonesia's elections: new president, new parliament, same old politics? Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock. Follow Chatham House on Bluesky

Prabowo Subianto appears to be the winner of Indonesia's presidential election. Prabowo currently serves as Defense Minister and was accused of major human rights abuses, including overseeing the abduction of democracy activists. Indonesia is the world's third-largest democracy and sits at a crucial pivot point between China and the U.S. Geoff Bennett discussed the results with Ben Bland. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Prabowo Subianto appears to be the winner of Indonesia's presidential election. Prabowo currently serves as Defense Minister and was accused of major human rights abuses, including overseeing the abduction of democracy activists. Indonesia is the world's third-largest democracy and sits at a crucial pivot point between China and the U.S. Geoff Bennett discussed the results with Ben Bland. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Indonesia is a rising powerhouse. Its economy is growing— now the 7th largest in terms of GDP. It has huge oil and gas stockpiles, the biggest nickel reserves in the world, and critical materials for semiconductors, laptops, and smartphones. And—arguably its most valuable resource— a diverse, youthful, and digitally native population. Next week, 205 million registered voters head to the polls to vote in the nation's legislative and presidential elections—the world's biggest single-day election. The current presidential frontrunner, Prabowo Subianto, an aging former general accused of war crimes and former son-in-law to Indonesia's last dictator, is on the cusp of winning power thanks to a TikTok campaign that's rebranded him as a 'cuddly Grandpa' figure. One Decision—your Global Election Headquarters for 2024—sits down with Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, a retired four-star Army general and now Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment who has known Prabowo Subianto for decades. Host Julia Macfarlane talks with Chatham House's Asia Pacific Director, Ben Bland, for his analysis of what's at stake in the election.  

Bronwen Maddox is joined this week by journalist Jojje Olsson and Dr Chun-Yi Lee from the University of Nottingham's Taiwan Research Hub to discuss Taiwan's presidential election. Joining them in the studio is Ben Bland, Director of our Asia-Pacific programme. Don't miss our expertise: Taiwan elections offer no clear answers to China challenge The horrors of Ecuador are not just Ecuador's The Director's Annual Lecture 2024 Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock. Sound by Matthew Docherty.

Bronwen Maddox is joined this week by Gideon Rachman, chief foreign affairs commentator for the Financial Times to discuss the elections and geopolitical flashpoints in 2024. Joining them in the studio are Leslie Vinjamuri, Ben Bland and Armida van Rij. Don't miss our expertise: The Director's Annual Lecture 2024 Collapsing foreign direct investment might not be all bad for China's economy The hidden scale of laboratory accidents: The need for transparency and engagement COP28: What was achieved, and what needs to happen now Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock. Sound by Matthew Docherty.

Gibran Rakabuming's VP nomination triggered a poll swing.  Author and Chatham House Asia-Pacific Director Ben Bland joins the pod to lend perspective.  Also: Ganjar's remarks on reformasi and President Widodo's  fireside chat with Joe Biden.Get our special episode on the 4th Presidential Debate on:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/reformasi/extrasSupport us on buymeacoffee.com/reformasi

Started in 1919, Chatham House is an independent policy institute headquartered in London. We discuss recent world developments with the director of Asia Pacific, Ben Bland, including the rise of China as a superpower and our understanding of authoritarian vs libertarian regimes.

This week on the show, we look at the crisis in Myanmar. February 1st marks the two-year anniversary of the coup d'état by the armed forces, the Tatmadaw, who in February 2021 overthrew the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. Since then, the country has descended into a brutal and complex civil war. Our panel look at the state of the country and its people two years on. Can Myanmar hold together, can democracy ever be restored and is the world ignoring a major humanitarian crisis in the making? Joining Bronwen Maddox are two journalists who have covered Myanmar extensively. Sebastian Strangio is an author and the Southeast Asia editor at The Diplomat and Ali Fowle, a freelance journalist with Al Jazeera and the BBC. Joining them in the studio are Ben Bland, the Director of the Asia-Pacific programme, and Rashmin Sagoo, the Director of Chatham House's International Law Programme. Read our expertise: National security and transatlantic unity top Biden's agenda The state of the union? US foreign policy and a new US Congress The World Today - February & March 2023 Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you get your podcasts. Please listen, rate, review and subscribe. Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock. Sound by Abdul Boudiaf and Robin Gardner.

Anti-lockdown protests are sweeping the cities of Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. What does the unrest tell us about China's response to COVID-19? How serious a challenge are they for Xi Jinping's legitimacy so soon after the 20th Party Congress? Meanwhile on the Korean Peninsula, 2022 has been a record year for Pyongyang's ballistic missile tests. How far has the North's nuclear programme and its missile systems developed, and what does it mean for the country's neighbours such as Japan? Joining Bronwen Maddox in the studio to answer these questions and more are Ben Bland the Director of Chatham House's Asia-Pacific programme and Dr Yu Jie a Senior Research Fellow with the Asia programme. Joining the panel this week from Washington DC is special guest Ankit Panda, the Stanton Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Editor-at-Large for The Diplomat magazine. Read our expertise: China's zero-COVID cannot continue, reopening is needed Indonesia shows the value of non-aligned leadership Weathering the storm: In conversation with David Miliband Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you get your podcasts. Please listen, rate, review and subscribe. Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock. Sound by Abdul Boudiaf and Robin Gardner.

Greg and Elina talk with Ben Bland, Director of the Asia-Pacific Program at Chatham House, Natasha Kassam, director of the Lowy Institute's Public Opinion and Foreign Policy program, and Evan Laksmana, senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy about the Lowy Institute's latest poll of Indonesian public opinion on foreign policy, U.S.-China competition, and democracy. Simon is joined by Hazen Williams, intern for the Southeast Asia Program at CSIS to cover the results of the Philippine presidential election, Aung San Suu Kyi's kangaroo court trial, and the U.S.-ASEAN Special summit. 

Controlling domestic cooking-oil prices is President Widodo's reason for banning Indonesia's exports of palm oleins, which the world relies upon for food and cosmetics.  Will the draconian measure actually work?  If so, when?  Global concerns about food inflation are at stake.  Also on the pod: the Lowy Institute's Ben Bland discusses Indonesian attitudes toward democracy, international relations and world leaders, based on Lowy's new poll findings.  Jeff and Kevin discuss the implications of Indonesia's first-quarter trade data and the start of the annual 'mudik' exodus from cities for Idul Fitri.Support us on buymeacoffee.com/reformasiSupport us on buymeacoffee.com/reformasi

In April 2022, the Lowy Institute launched a new opinion poll on Indonesian attitudes to the world and foreign policy. The poll offers unique and fascinating insights into how the citizens of one of Asia's most important rising nations perceive their neighbours, US-China competition, the major threats facing Indonesia, and Indonesia's position in this increasingly contested world. It has been a decade since the Institute last surveyed Indonesian public opinion. To discuss the poll and its findings, the Institute hosted an online panel event which was chaired by Natasha Kassam, Director of the Institute's Public Opinion and Foreign Policy Program, alongside Ben Bland, Director of the Institute's Southeast Asia Program, Dr Evan Laksmana, a Senior Research Fellow with the Centre on Asia and Globalisation at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore and Dr Lina A. Alexandra, Head of the Department of International Relations at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Jakarta. View the poll data and analysis here: https://interactives.lowyinstitute.org/features/indonesia-poll-2021/ Event recorded on Thursday 8 April 2022

What more is there to say? We got top tens, we got bagels and (most importantly) we got Ben Bland back on the show! What a way to kick off the new year!!

A conversation with Ted Hui, the pro-democracy politician who made the tough call to abandon Hong Kong and seek refuge in Australia. How did the crackdown on the city's democratic freedoms affect him and his family? What happens to Hong Kong now? How will he fight for his city's freedoms from his home in Adelaide? Ben Bland, Director of the Lowy Institute's Southeast Asia Program and author of Generation HK: Seeking Identity in China's Shadow, moderated this conversation with Ted Hui. Ted Hui is a Hong Kong politician in exile. He served in the Hong Kong Legislature for four years and the District Council for ten years before fleeing to Australia in 2021. Hui is an advocate for Hong Kong's freedom, initiated the 2021 Hong Kong Charter, and has been placed on a wanted list in Hong Kong for allegedly breaching the National Security Law.

In this episode of Lowy Institute Conversations, Ben Bland, the Director of the Institute's Southeast Asia Program, sits down with author Elizabeth Becker to talk about the pioneering – but often overlooked – contributions of women war correspondents in Vietnam and beyond. Elizabeth Becker is a veteran foreign correspondent who has worked for the Washington Post, the New York Times and National Public Radio, reporting from Asia, Africa, South America and Europe. After covering the war in Cambodia in the 1970s, she wrote an award-winning history of the rise of Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge. Elizabeth's new book, You Don't Belong Here: How Three Women Rewrote the Story of War, explores how three intrepid journalists – Frances FitzGerald, Catherine Leroy and Kate Webb – changed the way the Vietnam War was seen and understood.

How did Indonesia's labour movement go from being small and divided at the demise of the New Order regime in 1998 to play lead parts in politics some two decades later? What lessons have labour organizers learned along the way? And what lessons can we draw from Indonesia relevant to industrial organizing elsewhere? Informed by over a decade of multi-method research in selected sites across the west of the archipelago, Teri Caraway and Michele Ford address these and other questions in their Labor and Politics in Indonesia (Cambridge University Press, 2020), our featured title for this episode of New Books in Southeast Asian Studies. Tracking how labour unions found resources and identified opportunity structures by sequentially coupling contentious street politics with strategic targeting of executive offices and legislative contests, Caraway and Ford show that Indonesian unions and their allies have succeeded not only in greatly elevating wages and improving workplace conditions but also have built an identifiable working-class constituency. This constituency has given organized labour political clout far beyond what was or what seemed possible a couple of decades ago. And it has made for a more democratic Indonesia, one in which workers not only have participated in but at times taken the lead in local and national political struggles. Like this interview? If so you might also be interested in: Ben Bland, Man of Contradictions: Joko Widodo and the Struggle to Remake Indonesia Dan Slater, Ordering Power: Contentious Politics and Authoritarian Leviathans in Southeast Asia Nick Cheesman is a Fellow in the Department of Political & Social Change, Australian National University. He co-hosts the New Books in Southeast Asian Studies channel and hosts the New Books in Interpretive Political & Social Science series on the New Books Network.

Bagels come in many forms. On this week's episode we take a deep dive into the spiritual successor to Cloverfield, 10 Cloverfield Lane. Ben Bland joins us in discussing this hidden gem along with some other personal picks as well. Bunker down for this one location film with an interesting marketing strategy and a booty-shaking John Goodman.

In this Tea Leaves episode, Kurt and Rich are joined by Ben Bland, Director of the Southeast Asia program at the Lowy Institute. Ben, currently based in Sydney, shares important insights from his new book, “Man of Contradictions: Joko Widodo and the Struggle to Remake Indonesia,” which is the first English-language biography of Indonesian President Joko Widodo. The three roll back the curtain on Indonesia – Southeast Asia's largest economy – and discuss what's currently at stake amid the COVID pandemic. To access the full video conversation of the episode, please visit: https://theasiagroup.com/in-the-news/

In this latest episode of The Interview Series retail podcast HEMA CEO, Tjeerd Jegen, joins us for an exclusive chat ahead of his talk at Retail Week Live 2020. He joins Ben Bland to explain how a ‘return on value and values' is helping drive new growth, and discuss his own storied retail career.There are many ways for a retailer to make a name for itself. From original product design to low pricing. And, increasingly, having a focus on sustainability.Dutch variety store-chain HEMA ticks all three boxes. Operating over 750 stores across nine countries, it has retained a style all of its own. And now its robust sustainable practices are taking HEMA to the next level of retailing. Discover more, only on this retail podcast HEMA special.

In this special episode of The Interview from The Retail Exchange podcast, our host Ben Bland looks ahead to Retail Week Live 2020 with Sarah Clark – Retail Week Live Advisory Board Member and chief commercial officer of luxury homewares retailer OKA. Widely considered to be the UK's flagship retail event for those who want to stay informed, Retail Week Live 2020 takes place in London 25-26 March, featuring a line-up of over 200 top industry speakers across the two-day event.We sit down with Sarah to learn more about Retail Week Live 2020 and the role of the Advisory Board in shaping the content that will await attendees at this year's event. We also explore the brand journey of OKA, get Sarah's views on the current challenges facing the industry, and shine a spotlight on her own retail career.

In this episode, Jude invites Ben Bland, director of the Southeast Asia Project at the Lowy Institute in Australia and author of Generation HK: Seeking Identity in China's Shadow. They discuss the on-going protests and increasing violence in Hong Kong, as well as the controversy with the National Basketball Association and what it means for U.S.-China international business relations.

Recorded at World Retail Congress 2019, host Ben Bland meet the brand's Head of Retail Aleksander Milenkovic, to learn more about this unorthodox, fun loving brand's story - one that's full of colour designs, celebrity collaborations and exceptional charm that they say is guaranteed to make you smile.

In an exclusive interview, recorded at the World Retail Congress 2019, our host Ben Bland is joined by Riverford Organic Farmers' founder, Guy Singh-Watson, to talk about the award-winning business which puts its success down to a spirit of ethical trading, and to discover why his decision to shun traditional retailers was, in his view, a good thing.

In an exclusive interview, recorded at the World Retail Congress 2019, host Ben Bland sits down with Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium to discuss the challenges facing UK retail in the light on unprecedented change in the industry that's resulted in difficult trading conditions and evolving shopper habits.

In an exclusive interview, recorded at World Retail Congress 2019, Ben Bland sits down with Marc Rosen, Levi's EVP/President of Global Direct to Consumer, to discuss how the brand is keeping its customer experience fresh - in its own distinct way.

In this edition of ‘The Interview', business broadcaster Ben Bland sits down with Jason Heward, UK managing director of Leica Camera. He talks about the passion that exists within Leica (and himself) for photography, the brand's recently opened new London flagship store, and its focus on using ‘experience' to connect with customers.

LEGO is one of the most recognised toy brands in the world. In this edition of ‘The Interview', business broadcaster Ben Bland sits down with Simone Sweeney, Vice President of Global Retail Development for LEGO Group.

The fast food industry is notoriously competitive. In this edition of ‘The Interview', we sit down with John Vincent, the co-founder of Leon Restaurants. Originally recorded at World Retail Congress 2018 in Madrid, he takes business broadcaster Ben Bland through the story of the brand's growth and its 'family' ethos, and talks passionately about his views on the issue of sustainable capitalism.

In this edition of The Interview Series, we sit down with Neal's Yard Remedies director of international sales Calum Mackay. Originally recorded at World Retail Congress 2018 in Madrid, he takes business broadcaster Ben Bland through his varied career in beauty, explains the importance of going the extra mile to engage with international retailers and customers, and shares his top tips for surviving the long haul to success.

In this episode, host Ben Bland talks to Rockar founder Simon Dixon about his company's latest partnership with industry giant Ford and fashion retailer Next, and how innovation is moving car retailing up a gear – transforming perceptions and putting power into the hands of customers.

In our latest special edition of The Interview Series, ahead of the World Retail Congress 2018, business broadcaster Ben Bland talks to Grupo Cortefiel CEO, Jaume Miquel. He discusses the key trends he expects to dominate the agenda at the Congress and tells the story of retail transformation and international expansion taking place within the Grupo Cortefiel.

In this edition host Ben Bland has an in-depth conversation with Gavin Aldred, owner of online clothing brand Supremebeing.com to talk refashioning physical and online retailing, and to explore why the brand has eschewed many standard industry practices in favour of tackling ethical concerns.

In this episode, recorded at NRF Big Show 2018, business broadcaster Ben Bland talks to Jason Breazeale, Director of Innovation for Ahold Delhaize. He discusses the challenges of grocery retail as the direction moves away from being simply functional transactions to delivering a seamless, life-orientated retail experience for the shopper, regardless of channel.

In this special edition, recorded at NRF Big Show 2018, business broadcaster Ben Bland talks to Cristina Ceresoli, Senior Vice President for Retail Strategy at the National Retail Federation. She shares her tips for what the prevalent themes for the year will be, and warns retailers to guard against the danger of adopting technology for technology's sake.As it celebrates 40 years in business, Pandora remains loved by consumers and employees around the world, in equal measure. Delve deeper into the fabric of the Danish jewellery brand and it is possible to understand why this retail gem continues to be so successful. Like the brand's national birthplace, Pandora is also constructed on a human scale. Something that has put it in good stead to face the global challenge from the recent pandemic, and to face the changes ahead. The brand continues to make its own way in a highly competitive world; something that its SVP Omnichannel Retail Kate Walsh also knows how to do all too well. Having started in retail management at an early age, she went on to appear on the UK series of The Apprentice, before eventually embarking on a near-decade-long career with Pandora. She reveals the charm of working for this iconic jewellery brand, how it is repurposing and revitalising its offer for the future, the lessons she's learned about how to do business better, and her views on whether The Apprentice is as good as it used to be.

In this episode, host Ben Bland talks to Jamie Taylor, Retail, Property and Wholesale Director for international beauty brand L'Occitane. He tells business broadcaster Ben Bland what lies in-store for shoppers in its new Regent Street store, how the hospitality industry was an inspiration, and how people are crucial in delivering retail transformation.

In this special edition, recorded at NRF Big Show 2018, business broadcaster Ben Bland talks to Ian McGarrigle, Chair of the World Retail Congress. He discusses the challenge of delivering retail transformation, what lies ahead for the industry during 2018, and looks ahead to what's in store for attendees at this year's event in Madrid.

In our latest episode, broadcaster Ben Bland sits down with senior industry thinkers to discuss whether we are reaching saturation point with seasonal retail promotions, what more retailers can do to keep things exciting and fresh, and the secrets to maximising shopper engagement and amplification beyond the four walls of the store.Featuring Simon Millington, owner of Millington Associates, Seen Display's strategic creative director, Moe Krimat, and Tom Philipson, managing director and co-founder of YourStudio.

In our latest episode, broadcaster Ben Bland sits down with senior industry thinkers to discuss whether we are reaching saturation point with seasonal retail promotions, what more retailers can do to keep things exciting and fresh, and the secrets to maximising shopper engagement and amplification beyond the four walls of the store.Featuring Simon Millington, owner of Millington Associates, Seen Display's strategic creative director, Moe Krimat, and Tom Philipson, managing director and co-founder of YourStudio.

AMTI Director Greg Poling sits down with Ben Bland, Nigel Li, and Dustin Wang to discuss recent trips by journalists to Itu Aba (Taiping Island), Taiwan's only occupied feature in the Spratlys, and the amicus curiae brief about Itu Aba that a group of Taiwanese legal scholars recently filed with the Permanent Court of Arbitration. Ben Bland is the South China correspondent for the Financial Times and visited Itu Aba in March. Nigel Li is president of the Chinese (Taiwan) Society of International Law and Dustin Wang is a professor at National Taiwan Normal University. Both were authors of the amicus curiae brief.