Programme

Peter John Lavelle is a senior journalist and host of “CrossTalk”, presented by the English-language channel RT, a global multilingual television news network (formerly "Russia Today"). Lavelle, from California, is now based in Moscow. Prior to “CrossTalk”, Peter Lavelle hosted RT's programs “IMHO” (In My Humble Opinion), “In Context”, and a business program called "On the Money." Lavelle received a B.A. in International Economic Relations, an M.A. in European history, and completed Ph.D. courses in Studies in European Economic History from the University of California, Davis. He was a Fulbright Research Fellow at the Institute of Political Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw, Poland. He has been living in Eastern Europe and Russia for over 25 years, working as a lecturer at the University of Warsaw, a market researcher for Colgate-Palmolive, and an investment analyst for brokerage firms, including Russia’s Alfa Bank. Lavelle has contributed articles to a number of publications including Asia Times Online, The Moscow Times, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, United Press International, The National Interest, and Current History. Lavelle also was the author of "Untimely Thoughts", an electronic newsletter.

John Laughland, the Institute's Director of Studies, is a British philosopher and historian. He is the author of A History of Political Trials from Charles I to Saddam Hussein (Oxford: Peter Lang, 2008); Schelling versus Hegel: from German Idealism to Christian Metaphysics (London: Ashgate, 2007); Travesty: the Trial of Slobodan Milosevic and the Corruption of International Justice (London: Pluto Books, 2007); Le tribunal pnal international: gardien du nouvel ordre international (Paris: Guibert, 2003); The Tainted Source: the Undemocratic Origins of the European Idea (London: Little; Brown, 1997) and The Death of Politics: France under Mitterrand (London: Michael Joseph / Penguin, 1994). His books have been translated into French, Russian, Spanish, Czech, Polish, Serbian and Croatian. For many years he worked as an independent commentator writing on international affairs for the British and international press, including The Spectator, The Guardian, The Mail on Sunday, The Times, Die Welt, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. He has a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Oxford and was awarded the post-doctoral degree habilitation in France in 2003. He has taught philosophy and politics at the Institute of Political Studies in Paris and at the University St Pius V in Rome, and he is currently a research member of the Centre of the History of Central Europe at the Sorbonne. He speaks English, French, German, Italian and Russian.

International Current Affairs and Legal expert and analyst. Commentator and expert on Russian economics, politics and society. 2016 - Chief Editor The Duran. 2014 to 2016 - International Affairs Editor, Russia Insider. 2013 to date - Commentator for Sputnik Website. Regular appearances and commentaries on RT TV, Sputnik Radio & Voice of Russia, Press TV, First Channel (Russian TV channel), Russia First (Russian TV channel). 2012 to date - Senior Legal Adviser Hyde Park Agencies Limited. 1994 to 2006 - Senior Duty Solicitor Royal Courts of Justice. 1984 to 1994 - Legal work for various law firms and NGOs. 1982 to 1984 - Assistant to Minister of Culture Greece Carried out work for European City of Culture and Cultural Month. 2006 - Bar Vocational Course. 1982- First Class Degree, Modern History, University College London.

Sebastian Sass has established a specialised consultancy for EU relations, government affairs, PR and lobbying. He supports clients across Europe and Russia on the implementation of large-scale energy projects, infrastructure undertakings, natural resources developments and other major investments facing controversy in media, politics and corporate relations. He has also established a strategy consultancy in Helsinki together with Finland’s former Prime Minister Mr Paavo Lipponen. Until May 2013, Sebastian Sass was Head of Communications and Spokesperson at the South Stream Offshore Pipeline. Before that, he worked as Head of EU Representation and Spokesperson at the Nord Stream Pipeline which is chaired by Germany’s ex-chancellor Gerhard Schröder. Sebastian Sass also worked as Coordinator for Finland’s EU presidency 2006 in the area of Justice and Home Affairs, he was an aid to Finland’s ex-prime minister Paavo Lipponen, he has held advisory positions in the parliaments of Finland and Germany as well as in EU institutions, and he was spokesperson and advocacy leader for a major German pressure group. Sebastian Sass is a citizen of both Finland and Germany and he holds law degrees from Germany and the UK. As a lawyer, he is specialised on decision-making procedures at EU level and in government (LLM EU Law), and he has specific experience with EU-Russian relations and energy politics.

Pepe Escobar is the roving correspondent for Asia Times/Hong Kong, an analyst for RT and TomDispatch, and a frequent contributor to websites and radio shows ranging from the US to East Asia. Born in Brazil, he's been a foreign correspondent since 1985, and has lived in London, Paris, Milan, Los Angeles, Washington, Bangkok and Hong Kong. Even before 9/11 he specialized in covering the arc from the Middle East to Central and East Asia, with an emphasis on Big Power geopolitics and energy wars. He is the author of 'Globalistan' (Nimble Books, 2007), 'Red Zone Blues' (Nimble Books, 2007), 'Obama does Globalistan' (Nimble Books, 2009) and a contributing editor for a number of other books, including the recent 'Crossroads of Leadership: Globalization and the New American Century in the Obama Presidency' (Routledge). When not on the road, he alternates between Sao Paulo, New York, London, Bangkok and Hong Kong.