Category: Commentary

Education has long served as one of the most prominent instruments of UK soft power, particularly across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The British Council, Chevening Scholarships, and partnerships with elite regional institutions have historically projected a narrative of mutual learning and opportunity. But behind that narrative lies a critical truth: access alone …

Read more “Education, Education, Education: Rethinking the UK’s Global Education Strategy”

In 2021, an MP stood in Parliament and confidently asserted that “investing 0.7% [of Britain’s GNI] in international aid is in Britain’s interest” and that it would be wrong to cut it. One may find it perplexing that only 4 years later the same man, now Britain’s Prime Minister, would announce (with perhaps a bit …

Read more “The Cost of Starmer’s Shortsighted U-Turn On Foreign Aid “

When setting out a new path, or the next step in the current path, leaders will often make reference to history. “[insert country] has always…” is the line so often parroted that it can only prompt the rolling of eyes. To take one example, Vladimir Putin’s speech with Tucker Carlson made frequent and incessant references …

Read more “What is ‘Grand’ About Grand Strategy?”

Donald Trump’s second presidential term has already shaken up the international stage. His unpredictable foreign policy and inward turn have left many US allies perplexed and recalibrating. Among them, Great Britain stands in a particularly precarious position. Since the end of World War II, the so-called ‘special relationship’ with Washington has been a cornerstone of …

Read more “After Empire, Beyond America?: Britain’s Identity at a Crossroads”

With the release of the defence season of the podcast, this week’s commentary piece is going to be a review of Professor O’Brien’s latest book The Strategists: How War Made Them and How They Made War. The book focuses on the five key leaders during World War II: Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin, Mussolini, and Hitler. The …

Read more “‘The Strategists’: A Review”

Editor’s Note: This piece is brought to you by Nabila Arab. Click on her profile at the bottom of this piece to read more of her work with us or follow her on LinkedIn, here. For decades, the UK held a reputation as a place of safety. But for many refugees and asylum seekers today, …

Read more “What It Feels Like to Seek Refuge in the UK”

I’m excited to announce that next week, season two of the BIGA podcast will begin and the theme for the season will be: Security, Strategy, and Defence. With Peter Jones helping to round out our season on diplomacy, it seems a fitting leap to discuss all things security. I’ve written previously about strategy, in particular …

Read more “Who is Strategy For?”

Editor’s Note: Nabila returns with a fascinating new commentary. Nabila has a Master’s in Migration Studies as well as being a board member on the UNDP Youth Panel and the Hub Coordinator for the Beirut branch of the Al Sharq Forum. Make sure to follow her work, here. As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in …

Read more “Why Refugee Rights Must Come Before Algorithms”

Author’s Note: This piece is looking at the recent Netflix show Adolescence as a starting point for conversation about gender in the UK. As such, there will be spoilers about the show and I would recommend you watch it before reading this piece. ‘overall, male emotional repression is good, actually’. This was one of the …

Read more “Bad Apples: Adolescence, masculinity, and expression in the UK”

Editor’s Note: This piece is brought to you by John McCabe. He is a recent Master’s graduate from the University of St Andrews in International Relations having written his dissertation “British Engagement in the Indo-Pacific: Substantial or Superficial”. Be sure to follow his work here. In 2016, 52% of the United Kingdom’s population voted to …

Read more “Democratic Dividends: Brexit’s First Triumph”