Guests of Groong Podcast

Jean-Daniel Ruch

Ambassador Jean-Daniel Ruch is a former Swiss diplomat. He served as Switzerland’s ambassador to Serbia and Montenegro, then to Israel and finally to Turkey. He also served as a political advisor to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Ruch studied international relations and international security in Geneva. Éditions Zarka published his book Crimes, Hate and Tremors in June 2024.

Jeffrey Sachs

Prof. Jeffrey Sachs is a world-renowned economics professor, bestselling author, innovative educator, and global leader in sustainable development.

Sachs is widely recognized for bold and effective strategies to address complex challenges including the escape from extreme poverty, the global battle against human-induced climate change, international debt and financial crises, national economic reforms, and the control of pandemic and epidemic diseases.

Sachs serves as the Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, where he holds the rank of University Professor, the university’s highest academic rank. Sachs was Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University from 2002 to 2016. He is President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Co-Chair of the Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition, academician of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences at the Vatican, Commissioner of the UN Broadband Commission for Development, Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah Honorary Distinguished Professor at Sunway University, and SDG Advocate for UN Secretary General António Guterres. From 2001-18, Sachs served as Special Advisor to UN Secretaries-General Kofi Annan (2001-7), Ban Ki-moon (2008-16), and António Guterres (2017-18).

Sachs has authored and edited numerous books, including three New York Times bestsellers: The End of Poverty (2005), Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet (2008), and The Price of Civilization (2011). Other books include To Move the World: JFK’s Quest for Peace (2013), The Age of Sustainable Development (2015), Building the New American Economy: Smart, Fair & Sustainable (2017), A New Foreign Policy: Beyond American Exceptionalism (2018), The Ages of Globalization: Geography, Technology, and Institutions (2020), and most recently, Ethics in Action for Sustainable Development (2022).

Sachs is the 2022 recipient of the Tang Prize in Sustainable Development and was the co-recipient of the 2015 Blue Planet Prize, the leading global prize for environmental leadership. He was twice named among Time magazine’s 100 most influential world leaders. Sachs has received 42 honorary doctorates, and his recent awards include the 2022 Tang Prize in Sustainable Development, the Legion of Honor by decree of the President of the Republic of France, and the Order of the Cross from the President of Estonia.

Prior to joining Columbia, Sachs spent over twenty years as a professor at Harvard University, most recently as the Galen L. Stone Professor of International Trade. A native of Detroit, Michigan, Sachs received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees at Harvard.

Johnny G. Melikian

Johnny G. Melikian is a senior research fellow at the Orbeli Center for analysis, and the head of the Center for Political and Legal Studies. He has worked as a consultant for the International Crisis Group, and was a visiting fellow at Georgia’s Ilia State University

Karen Vrtanesyan

Karen Vrtanesyan is an expert on military and warfare strategies with a focus on Armenia and its neighboring region. He is the former coordinator of the website razm.info.

Karena Avedissian

Dr. Karena Avedissian’s research focuses on social movements, new media/communications, civil society and governance in the former Soviet Union, with an area focus on Russia and the Caucasus.

Kegham Balian

Kegham Balian is a Jerusalemite Armenian writer. He is a columnist at The Armenian Weekly and also writes for This Week in Palestine.

Kevork Almassian

Kevork Almassian is the founder of Syriana Analysis, an independent news and analysis platform dedicated to covering current global affairs, with a particular focus on Syria and Armenia.

Kevork Hintlian

Prof. Kevork Hintlian is a historian and a former official at the Armenian Patriarchate of St James. He specializes in the history of the Holy Land with an emphasis on Armenians and their role in Jerusalem. He was raised and lives in Jerusalem. His heavily researched book “History of the Armenians in the Holy Land” (1989, 2nd ed., Armenian Patriarchate Printing Press, Jerusalem) is a must read.

Larry C Johnson

Larry C Johnson is a former intelligence officer and expert on issues related to terrorism, national security, and foreign policy. As a CIA analyst in the 1980s Johnson was engaged in issues related to terrorism and security. He then worked at the US State Department’s Counterterrorism Office. Johnson has since worked as a political consultant and commentator on issues related to terrorism and security. He’s known for his critical attitude towards US foreign policy and intelligence practices.