Professor Nitasha Kaul, Professor of Politics, International Relations and Critical Interdisciplinary Studies and Director of Westminster's Centre for the Study of Democracy (CSD), was invited as a guest commentator for the BBC World Service’s Weekend programme on Sunday 13 April 2025. Kaul discussed a range of news and current affairs from across the world.
Hosted by presenter Rebecca Kesby, the programme aired for two-and-a-half hours from 6.30am to 9am. Professor Kaul discussed a range of current affairs alongside her fellow panellist Alistair Burt, former MP and government minister for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Department for International Development.
Topics of discussion included the Waitangi Treaty Bill vote in New Zealand/Aotearoa, a new collection of writing by Vietnamese diaspora coedited by Viet Than Nguyen, the US-Iran talks in Oman, musician Katy Perry's all-women flight to space, US-China cultural exchanges, the elections underway in Ecuador, the implications and interpretations of ongoing Tariff and Trade wars, an upcoming humanoid robot marathon in China, and a recent film about Afghan women coders.
In addition, Professor Kaul spoke of the significance of storytelling to reach broader public audiences on political matters, referring to her novels about lives marked by the Kashmir conflict: the Man Asian Literary Prize-shortlisted Residue and Future Tense. She was also asked by Kesby about her ongoing work on defending democracy against authoritarianism, Kashmir, Bhutan, misogyny as political strategy, transnational repression, and the role of small states in international arena.
Professor Kaul’s commentary directly contributed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 5: Gender Equality, 10: Reduced Inequalities and 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Listen to Professor Kaul's views or the full programme on BBC Sounds.
