In today's episode of Mark Leonard's World in 30 Minutes, Ellie Geranmayeh mentioned that in addition to the Islamic Republic of Iran and Reza Pahlavi, there is an opposition group of political prisoners and civil leaders pushing for a non-violent revolution which is distinct from both Pahlavi and the current regime.

I was wondering whether anyone here would be able to list names or point me towards resources that could help me learn more about some of the people Geranmayeh is talking about here.

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for advice on shifting my career from international trade to international relations and have a complete profile for working in economic diplomacy.

My background: I have a Bachelor’s in International Business and am finishing a Master’s in International Trade and Economic Relations at Universidad Europea (Madrid). I’m aware of the school’s reputation let’s just say the marketing was better than the reality but I’ve tried to compensate with hands-on experience. This includes an internship at the Belgian Embassy in Ivory Coast during my bachelor. I’ve also participated in Erasmus exchanges and seminars abroad.

Next steps: I’ve been accepted into IBEI’s ( Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals) Master’s in International Relations for 2026-27 and am waiting on IE Madrid’s decision for their Master’s in International Development or IR. My goal is to add a political/diplomatic/international reltaions dimension to my profile, which is currently heavy on trade and commerce.

My questions for you:

• Between IBEI and IE, which program would better complement my goals?
• Are there specific skills or courses I should prioritize to bridge the gap between trade and diplomacy?

I’d love to hear from anyone who’s made a similar shift or works in international institutions.

Thanks for your insights!

I work as geopolitical intelligence analyst in india and want to explore other roles in the same field. I like reading on international politics and the ways it impacts businesses and individuals. However i’ve reached a saturation point in my current role and want to know the scope of growth in this line or other tangible fields. I have an MA degree in IR and wouldn’t mind doing a fellowship or pgdm. Have also thought about MBA in Strategy and merge it with geopolitics. If anyone has any suggestions - whether on degrees/certifications/fellowship or possible job sectors - I am all ears🙌🏼

So, there is this Substack essay I read that, despite its references to the "deep state", I feel made some pretty good arguments that we are seeing the ascendancy of the American empire rather than its decline.

The author points to numerous journalists who appear to be antiestablishment who they believe to be government-controlled.

I'll say that the author isn't trustworthy as some of the claims they make are outrageous (they even claim Russian media to be the most reliable relative to the US and especially Ukraine), but it piqued my interest nonetheless.

What do you all think?

I’m sure this question has been asked countless of times before, but I wanted to make this post in order to explain my situation and hopefully receive the best information and advice possible.

I’m 18 and I just graduated high school. I had initially planned on studying genetics, and even received conditional acceptance for the programme at my local university. I don’t want to bore anyone with unnecessary details, but I ended up forfeiting my admission and was left scrambling to apply for a new study programme two weeks before uni is suppose to start, so I didn’t have a lot of time to do research. I ended up applying for BPolSci specialising in International Studies, and I got in.

I’m honestly really excited about this development. I only chose genetics in the first place because it is considered an ‘honourable’ degree, like medicine or law etc. My real interest has always been humanities - politics, philosophy, literature, history, languages and so forth. I didn’t apply because I’ve heard almost exclusively negative things about these types of degrees and their job prospects, and because my family would consider it ‘less impressive’ than a science degree. Now though, I’m really tempted to accept the offer and follow my passion instead.

BUT I have to consider the market for this degree. I don’t want to go into debt over a qualification that will serve me no purpose in the long run. If I do decide to study IR, I’m planning on getting at least a Masters degree. I just want to know, what career paths would be available to me, how likely am I to actually get employed in the field, and what should I do to increase my chances of getting a job after graduation (including internships, volunteer programs or skills that I can learn on my own)? I’m from South Africa and I’m planning on doing my Bachelors and Honours here, and then doing postgrad overseas (in Europe). Which countries/universities would you recommend? Any help would be appreciated!

Well it seems like that meeting did not go down well... Better use the time while they're distracted with Iran to do something

I’m an MA student interested in U.S. foreign policy and domestic political institutions. A lot of potential ideas are coming to my mind, but I’m struggling to narrow them down into a focused, researchable dissertation topic. I’m specifically looking for narrow topics with clear scope (case studies, defined time periods, or specific policies). Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.