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Richard Meissner

Associate Professor, University of South Africa
Richard Meissner is an Associate Professor in International Politics at the University of South Africa (UNISA) teaching foreign policy analysis and peace, safety and security focusing on various topics such as civil and international conflict, democracy, ideology, party politics, environmental politics and a range of other issues related to International Relations and Political Science. His graduate studies were in both Political Studies and Philosophy at the universities of Johannesburg and Pretoria. He specialises in the analysis of international politics, political issues, and water governance related to but not limited to the complexities and interactions between and among non-state actors, international organisations, local governments, and other state organs. Prior to joining UNISA, he worked as a Senior Researcher at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) researching water governance and politics.

He has published widely on these and other subjects with numerous publications to his name. These include peer-reviewed journal articles, books, book chapters, popular articles, technical reports as well as co-authored articles and book chapters. He has also presented papers at numerous local and international conferences, seminars, and workshops.

He holds a DPhil in International Politics from the University of Pretoria.

Ideology matters in unravelling Russia's invasion of Ukraine

May 23, 2022 13:54 pm UTC| Insights & Views

In explaining the war on Ukraine, ideology matters as much as interests. This means that we need to factor ideology into our analysis if we want to gain a deeper understanding of interstate violent conflict. If we focus...

Green policies are in place for South Africa's major port city: but a key piece is missing

Apr 23, 2022 08:09 am UTC| Politics

The floods of April 2022 in the South African city of Durban (eThekwini municipality) placed the spotlight on the management of urban areas and their vulnerability to natural disasters. That homes had been built close to...

Economy

U.S.-Iran Ceasefire: Fragile Truce Raises Hopes for Strait of Hormuz Peace Deal

A temporary ceasefire between the United States, Iran, and Israel is holding but just barely. U.S. Vice President JD Vance described the two-week truce as fragile on Wednesday, warning that Iran appeared to be...

Gold Surges Near 3-Week High as Trump-Iran Ceasefire Eases Geopolitical Tensions

Gold prices climbed sharply on Wednesday, nearing a three-week high after President Donald Trump announced a temporary ceasefire with Iran, easing geopolitical tensions that had been gripping global markets. Spot gold...

Oil Prices Crash Nearly 15% After Trump-Iran Ceasefire Deal

Global oil markets experienced a dramatic selloff on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire agreement with Iran, easing fears of a major disruption to Middle East energy supplies. Brent...

U.S. Stock Futures Surge as Trump Announces Iran Ceasefire, Oil Prices Plunge

U.S. stock index futures posted sharp gains Wednesday after President Donald Trump announced a temporary ceasefire agreement with Iran, lifting market sentiment and triggering a dramatic drop in oil prices. The development...

U.S.-China Trade Talks: Trump and Xi Set for Summit Amid Rare Earths Focus

The United States and China are maintaining a stable trade relationship, and President Donald Trump intends to preserve that balance in an upcoming summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to U.S. Trade...

Politics

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

FCC Moves to Ban All Chinese Labs From Testing U.S. Electronics

The Federal Communications Commission is escalating its crackdown on Chinese technology by preparing to vote on a sweeping proposal that would prohibit all Chinese laboratories from testing electronic devices intended for...

Israel Strikes Lebanon Amid Iran Ceasefire, UN Condemns Mass Casualties

Just hours after a two-week ceasefire was brokered between the United States and Iran, Israel launched its most intense wave of strikes on Lebanon since the conflict with Hezbollah began last month. The scale of the...

Mexico Appoints Roberto Velasco as New Foreign Minister Amid USMCA Trade Review

Mexicos Senate has officially confirmed Roberto Velasco as the countrys new Foreign Minister, filling a critical diplomatic role at a time when North American trade relations are under close scrutiny. Velasco, who...

Trump Meets NATO Chief Rutte Amid Alliance Tensions Over Iran War

President Donald Trump welcomed NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to the White House on Wednesday for high-stakes talks as the ongoing conflict with Iran continues to strain transatlantic relations. The meeting comes at a...

Science

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

Technology

U.S. Disrupts Russian Military Hackers' Global DNS Hijacking Network

The U.S. Justice Department has successfully executed a court-authorized operation to dismantle a DNS hijacking network tied to Russian military intelligence. The network was run by GRU Military Unit 26165, a cyber unit...

Samsung Electronics Posts Eightfold Profit Surge Driven by AI Chip Demand

Samsung Electronics delivered a stunning financial turnaround in the first quarter of 2025, projecting operating profit of approximately 57.2 trillion won (roughly $38 billion) a more than eightfold increase compared to...

China's Push to Steal Taiwan's Chip Technology and Talent Raises Security Alarms

Taiwans National Security Bureau has raised serious concerns about Beijings escalating efforts to infiltrate the islands world-class semiconductor industry. According to a report submitted to Taiwanese lawmakers, China is...

Apple's Foldable iPhone Faces Engineering Setbacks, Mass Production Timeline at Risk

Apples highly anticipated foldable iPhone is running into significant engineering hurdles during its test phase, raising concerns about potential delays in both mass production and product shipments, according to a report...

Britain Courts Anthropic Amid US Defense Department Dispute

The United Kingdom is actively working to attract Anthropic, the company behind the popular Claude AI app, to expand its footprint in the country. This diplomatic push comes as Anthropic finds itself in the middle of a...