Geopolitics - how to (better) explain International Politics

Nowadays, almost everyone talks about “geopolitics” in the news and in daily conversations. But what exactly is geopolitics? Even within academia, there is still debate and difficulty in fully grasping this complex field of knowledge. Yet geopolitics remains a fundamental tool for understanding international issues.

Why did Russia invade Ukraine? Why is Brazil more focused on South American integration than on projecting sovereign power? Why didn’t Germany reduce its energy dependence on Russia before 2022? What is China’s real interest in Taiwan? What are the real objectives at stake with the Belt and Road Initiative?

These are just a few of the questions that geopolitics helps us answer, by connecting geographical factors with the international system and political psychology.

In this talk, we will explore the theoretical foundations of Analytical Geopolitics—its main concepts, variables, and model. And let’s discuss some of the current hot topics in international relations.