Chain Reaction

Nikolas Gvosdev, Larry Rubin

Booking Overview

An international-affairs interview network focused on foreign policy, national security, geopolitics, defense, and global security trends, typically featuring academics, senior government officials, military and intelligence practitioners, and policy experts. Credible pitches include distinguished foreign-policy scholars, former senior national-security officials, diplomats, defense specialists, and authors with substantive expertise; booking difficulty is high because guests generally have significant institutional authority or recognized expertise.

Metrics

Episodes: 200

Frequency: Monthly

Rating: 4.5/5.0

Estimated listeners: 1,000 - 10,000

Gender skew: Male

Listener location: USA

YouTube: 46.6k subscribers

Contact Information

Publicly listed emails

comms@fpri.org

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Host

Nikolas Gvosdev - Foreign-policy scholar and editor associated with Orbis, the Journal of World Affairs.

Larry Rubin - International-affairs scholar at Georgia Tech’s Sam Nunn School of International Affairs.

Booking Intelligence

Booking Requirements

high

Typical Credentials:

Senior academics, former or current government and military officials, intelligence professionals, think-tank fellows, diplomats, and authors with substantial expertise in foreign policy, national security, defense, or regional geopolitics.

Required Achievements:

Senior government, military, intelligence, or diplomatic service, Leadership or fellowship at a recognized think tank or academic institution, Published books, major policy research, or influential commentary, Direct experience shaping or analyzing national-security and foreign-policy decisions

Recent Guest Discussions

Rachel Whitlark - Nuclear Strategy, Emerging Technologies, Deterrence, And Strategic Stability.

Austin Long - Nuclear Deterrence, Autonomous Technologies, Artificial Intelligence, Strategic Stability, And The Emerging Tripolar Nuclear Environment.

John Tien - Presidential Leadership, Homeland Security, Counterterrorism, The Fentanyl Crisis, Strategy, And The Changing Global Order.

Phil Wasielewski - Intelligence Analysis, Strategy, Modern Warfare, Russia’s War In Ukraine, And Lessons From Afghanistan.

Mohammed Soliman - U.s. Grand Strategy, West Asian Geopolitics, Regional Integration, Alliances, And Minilateral Coalitions.

Recent Topics

Politics, International Relations, National Security, Geopolitics, Defense

Episodes

Here's the recent few episodes on

Chain Reaction

Translating Scholarship Into Statecraft

October 02, 2026

How can political science scholarship effectively inform real-world foreign policy during moments of global crisis?In this episode of Shifting Ground, co-hosts Larry Rubin and Rachel Whitlark sit down with Dr. Tamara Cofman Wittes, President of the National Democratic Institute. Drawing on her distinguished career spanning academia, think tanks, and high-level government service—including roles as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs during the Arab uprisings and Director...

Thinking About the Second Nuclear Century

September 16, 2026

In this episode of Shifting Ground, hosts Nikolas Gvosdev and Larry Rubin are joined by Dr. Austin Long, Senior Nuclear Fellow at MIT, and Dr. Rachel Whitlark, Associate Professor at Georgia Tech and Associate Editor of Orbis, to explore the strategic landscape of the second nuclear century. Grounded in Dr. Long's recent commentary for Orbis, the conversation examines how emerging autonomous technologies and AI reshape nuclear deterrence, the concept of "conceal vs. reveal" capabilities, and ...

The Architecture of Leadership

July 23, 2026

What prepares a leader for the high-pressure environment of the US government?In this episode of Shifting Ground, co-hosts Nick Gvosdev and Larry Rubin sit down with The Hon. John Tien, Distinguished Professor of Practice at Georgia Tech’s Sam Nunn School of International Affairs. Drawing on his extensive career spanning the military, the private sector, and high-level government service—including a tenure as Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security—Tien offers unique insigh...

Publicly listed emails

comms@fpri.org

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