Sarah McLaughlin is Senior Scholar, Global Expression at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. She studies the relationship between authoritarianism, free nations, and global censorship.

She recently published a book about transnational repression in higher education, titled Authoritarians in the Academy. Her other writings have been featured in outlets including Foreign Policy, MSNBC, The Independent, The Daily Beast, Newsweek, New York Daily News, and l'Opinion.

In this interview Serah and I discuss how tertiary institutions' engagement with China has impacted free speech.

Tune in as I interview a wide selection of interesting individuals, authors, businesspeople, politicians and anyone else willing to talk to me.

For more interviews visit:

https://www.differentmatters.co.nz/

Sarah McLaughlin is Senior Scholar, Global Expression at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. She studies the relationship between authoritarianism, free nations, and global censorship.
She recently published a book about transnational repression in higher education, titled Authoritarians in the Academy. Her other writings have been featured in outlets including Foreign Policy, MSNBC, The Independent, The Daily Beast, Newsweek, New York Daily News, and l'Opinion.
In this interview Serah and I discuss how tertiary institutions' engagement with China has impacted free speech.
Tune in as I interview a wide selection of interesting individuals, authors, businesspeople, politicians and anyone else willing to talk to me.
For more interviews visit:
https://www.differentmatters.co.nz/

I have been incredibly fortunate, and also incredibly reckless, over my nearly six decades. 




For reasons that are unclear to me a number of wonderful New Zealander’s have been willing to give up an hour of their time to talk to me. 

I have been incredibly fortunate, and also incredibly reckless, over my nearly six decades.&nbsp; For reasons that are unclear to me a number of wonderful New Zealander’s have been willing to give up an hour of their time to talk to me.&nbsp;

Different Matters by Damien Grant

I have been incredibly fortunate, and also incredibly reckless, over my nearly six decades. 

For reasons that are unclear to me a number of wonderful New Zealander’s have been willing to give up an hour of their time to talk to me. 

I have been incredibly fortunate, and also incredibly reckless, over my nearly six decades.&nbsp;
For reasons that are unclear to me a number of wonderful New Zealander&rsquo;s have been willing to give up an hour of their time to talk to me.&nbsp;

Sarah McLaughlin on Different Matters and Authoritarians in the Academy

Oliver is the Executive Director of The New Zealand Initiative. Before joining the Initiative, he was a Research Fellow at the Centre for Independent Studies in Sydney, the Chief Economist at the Policy Exchange in London, and an advisor in the UK House of Lords.

In this episode, Dr Hartwich and Damien discuss the Acceleration in decline of world order, risks to democracy, and the Dimise of the Liberal world order, which may or may not be attributed to Donald Trump.

Tune in as controversial writer and podcast host, Damien Grant, interviews a wide selection of interesting individuals, authors, businesspeople, politicians and anyone else willing to talk to him. For more interviews visit:

https://www.differentmatters.co.nz/

Oliver is the Executive Director of The New Zealand Initiative. Before joining the Initiative, he was a Research Fellow at the Centre for Independent Studies in Sydney, the Chief Economist at the Policy Exchange in London, and an advisor in the UK House of Lords.
In this episode, Dr Hartwich and Damien discuss the Acceleration in decline of world order, risks to democracy, and the Dimise of the Liberal world order, which may or may not be attributed to Donald Trump.
Tune in as controversial writer and podcast host, Damien Grant, interviews a wide selection of interesting individuals, authors, businesspeople, politicians and anyone else willing to talk to him. For more interviews visit:
https://www.differentmatters.co.nz/

Dr Hartwich and Damien discuss the Acceleration in decline of world order, risks to democracy, and the Dimise of the Liberal world order, which may or may not be attributed to Donald Trump.

Dr Hartwich on Different Matters, world order, risks to democracy & Donald Trump's role in it.

Matthew Hooton is a respected centre-right commentator on New Zealand politics and its political economy, including as one of the best-read weekly columnists for the New Zealand Herald.

He recently completed his PhD in Philosophy at the University of Auckland on the topic is “Groundwork & Principles of Applied Conservatism”.

His thesis is about conservatism in a general sense, drawing on conservatism in political philosophy, conservatism in ethics and metaethics, epistemic conservatism and ontological conservatism. The thesis is thus about how we can decide what to think, believe and do when we can never know with certainty what to think, believe or do.

You can read Matthew’s thesis here: 
https://researchspace.auckland.ac.nz/items/26952dcc-a8a0-4c38-a634-33001c77f418 

Tune in as controversial writer and podcast host, Damien Grant, interviews a wide selection of interesting individuals, authors, business people, politicians and anyone else actually willing to talk to him.

For more interviews visit: https://www.differentmatters.co.nz/ 

Matthew Hooton is a respected centre-right commentator on New Zealand politics and its political economy, including as one of the best-read weekly columnists for the New Zealand Herald.
He recently completed his PhD in Philosophy at the University of Auckland on the topic is &ldquo;Groundwork &amp; Principles of Applied Conservatism&rdquo;.
His thesis is about conservatism in a general sense, drawing on conservatism in political philosophy, conservatism in ethics and metaethics, epistemic conservatism and ontological conservatism. The thesis is thus about how we can decide what to think, believe and do when we can never know with certainty what to think, believe or do.
You can read Matthew&rsquo;s thesis here:&nbsp; <a href="https://researchspace.auckland.ac.nz/items/26952dcc-a8a0-4c38-a634-33001c77f418">https://researchspace.auckland.ac.nz/items/26952dcc-a8a0-4c38-a634-33001c77f418</a>&nbsp;
Tune in as controversial writer and podcast host, Damien Grant, interviews a wide selection of interesting individuals, authors, business people, politicians and anyone else actually willing to talk to him.
For more interviews visit: <a href="https://www.differentmatters.co.nz/">https://www.differentmatters.co.nz/</a>&nbsp;

Dr Matthew Hooten on Different Matters, conservatism, its principles and conservatists in government

David Cohen is a Wellington writer and the author of eight books. In 2025 he released his political biography, Jacinda: The Untold Stories, co-authored by Rebecca Keillor, in November 2025.

After Jacinda turned down Cohen's request to interview her for the book, he decided to create a platform for the voices that haven't been heard. Drawing on more than 100 interviews and extensive research, David and co-author, Rebecca Keillor track the rise, fall and re-emergence of former NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern onto the global stage.

Tune in as controversial writer and podcast host, Damien Grant, interviews a wide selection of interesting individuals, authors, business people, politicians and anyone else actually willing to talk to him. For more interviews visit: https://www.differentmatters.co.nz/

David Cohen is a Wellington writer and the author of eight books. In 2025 he released his political biography, Jacinda: The Untold Stories, co-authored by Rebecca Keillor, in November 2025.
After Jacinda turned down Cohen's request to interview her for the book, he decided to create a platform for the voices that haven't been heard. Drawing on more than 100 interviews and extensive research, David and co-author, Rebecca Keillor track the rise, fall and re-emergence of former NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern onto the global stage.
Tune in as controversial writer and podcast host, Damien Grant, interviews a wide selection of interesting individuals, authors, business people, politicians and anyone else actually willing to talk to him. For more interviews visit: https://www.differentmatters.co.nz/

Sarah McLaughlin on Different Matters and Authoritarians in the Academy

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