Mathew Burrows: A Life in the CIA

Mathew Burrows: A Life in the CIA

From The Trialogue by Peter Slezkine

October 24, 2025 · 56 min · Episode 40

About this episode

Mathew Burrows discusses his career in the CIA and insights on global trends and policymaking.

Mathew Burrows, program lead of the Stimson Center’s Strategic Foresight Hub, joins us to discuss his career in the CIA and the National Intelligence Council, where he was the lead author of Global Trends, a non-classified report released every four years as an aid to incoming administrations. We also discuss transformative global events of recent decades, the mechanics of predicting trends, and what policymakers often get wrong in confronting the world. *The Trialogue Podcast is hosted by the Stimson Center and produced by University FM.

People in this episode

Host: Peter Slezkine

Guest: Mathew Burrows

Topics covered

  • CIA
  • intelligence
  • global trends
  • policy making
  • predicting trends

Keywords

  • CIA
  • Mathew Burrows
  • Global Trends
  • Stimson Center
  • intelligence

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Stimson Center, CIA, National Intelligence Council, University FM

Books & works: Global Trends

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