Andrea Endara (Casa Grande University, Ecuador): Pop Geopolitics

This lecture explores how popular culture has become a powerful lens for understanding global politics today. Instead of focusing solely on states and institutions, we examine how film, music, sports, streaming platforms, memes, and video games reflect and shape international relations. Special attention is given to the cultural rise of the Global South, where artists such as Bad Bunny, Karol G, Residente, and the global spread of Afrobeats provide new narratives of identity, resistance, and development. By analyzing products like La Casa de Papel, Squid Game, K-pop, and TikTok activism, students will discover how “pop geopolitics” functions as soft power, a space of contestation, and a tool for imagining alternative futures. The session invites participants to reflect on the cultural products they consume daily and how these shape their understanding of global issues.

An introduction to the lecture will be delivered by Béla Soltész (Eötvös Loránd University, Department of Global and Development Studies).

Time: 14 October 2025, 16:00

Venue: Eötvös Loránd University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Lágymányos Campus (1117 Budapest, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A (Nothern Building, Room 160)

The event will be held in English, with no translation. The event is free of charge and open to the public. No previous registration is necessary.
We are looking forward to welcoming you at the event!

Image: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/written-non-english-how-grammys-captioning-snafu-you-can-tim-kerbavaz/