German development cooperation should be more closely aligned with economic priorities and take a more strategic approach to strengthen public support at home and to facilitate access for German companies to developing and emerging economies. Partner countries often view an open and transparent acknowledgement of Germany’s own interests as respectful and legitimate, while paternalistic approaches shaped by socio-political debate in Germany weaken support both domestically and in partner countries. We trace the contours of a more pragmatic and transparent development policy — in conversation with Dr. Olaf Wientzek, Head of the Konrad Adenauer Foundations Multinational Development Policy Dialogue in Brussels, and Dr. Susanne Conrad, Policy Adviser for Rule of Law and Security in Africa and for Anglophone West Africa at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

Africa’s economy is changing. Trade with Europe and the US is no longer the main focus — today, countries like China play a leading role. The old idea that Africa is still dependent on the West doesn’t tell the full story. With new trade deals and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), many nations are taking their future into their own hands. This episode examines these developments and their global impact together with Anja Beretta and Gunter Rieck Moncayo from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

Although Russia has pursued an imperial policy in its Eurasian neighbourhood since the early 19th century, the country is not perceived as a colonial power in much of postcolonial discourse - yet its impact is still deeply felt. The Tsarist and later Soviet expansion into Central Asia and especially the South Caucasus continues to shape the region today. Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan remain strategically contested spaces. This episode examines how Moscow’s colonial past drives current conflicts, with insights from Stephan Malerius and Florian Binder of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

As global tensions rise, the world’s oceans are becoming the new frontline of foreign policy. From undersea cables to critical pipelines, maritime infrastructure is increasingly under threat. In this episode, we speak with Ferdinand Gehringer, policy advisor on homeland and cybersecurity issues at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, about Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” and the growing challenges in securing the seas. What risks are we facing, and how prepared is Germany to respond?

Lake Chad, once the sixth-largest lake in the world, is now a shrinking, lawless zone at the heart of Africa’s Sahel region. Ulf Laessing, Head of Sahel Program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, speaks about how climate change, weak governance, and armed jihadists are turning the lake into a humanitarian and security crisis zone and why the world should be paying attention.

Few places reveal the fault lines of global power like the South China Sea. As China asserts sweeping territorial claims, the Philippines and Vietnam respond -boldly, but in strikingly different ways. What drives their strategies? And what is at stake for the region and the world? With on-the-ground insights from Daniela Braun, Head of the Philippines Office of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, and Florian Feyerabend, Head of the Vietnam Office, this episode examines the political and security dynamics shaping the region.