Written by: Pranav Krishnan The American-led, liberal-world order has ushered in an era of unprecedented peace and prosperity around the globe. It can not subsist, however, without free and democratic states knowing that they need not take exorbitant measures to arm themselves or align with autocratic powers to preserve their sovereignty. Thus, the United States…
Yuan Some Dollars With That?
Written by: Christopher Ploudimis The Chinese yuan is becoming stronger and more widely accepted as a currency. Morgan Stanley predicts that in the next ten years the Chinese yuan will be the world’s third-largest reserve currency, behind the euro and the U.S. dollar. Analysts have been projecting that the yuan will account for five to…
Conflict Over the Nile River: An Intersection between Climate Change and Geopolitics
Written by: Canaan Odeh Geopolitics has traditionally focused on territorial autonomy and enforcement of state interest through militaristic hegemony, evolving to nuclear threats and deterrence. In recent years, climate change is emerging as another source of conflict to global security. For example, territorial disputes in the South China Sea have fueled tensions among the Philippines,…
The African Union’s Border Policy and Peace in Africa
Written by: Peter LaBelle On the eve of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in response to Russia’s recognition of the “People’s Republics” in Luhansk and Donetsk, Kenya’s ambassador to the United Nations (UN) addressed the UN Security Council. Martin Kimani asked the Russians to pursue a diplomatic solution to the crisis, not an irredentist war in…
Une Bataille Idéologique Pour La France: What’s At Stake in the French Presidential Election?
Written by: Kate Roglieri On April 10th, French voters will head to the polls to kick off the first round of their presidential election. This year’s election is particularly important and divisive in French politics and culture, as French citizens will cast their votes during a time of unprecedented challenges to the global community. The…
Running with a Bucket: Chinese Engineers’ Complaints Create New Sub-Culture
Written by: Wenzhe Teng In his March 2021 show, US comedian and pundit Bill Maher had interesting insights into Chinese and American priorities, as he said “China once put up a 57-story skyscraper in 19 days. They demolished and rebuilt the Sanyuan Bridge in Beijing in 43 hours. We binge-watch. They binge-build.” Maher went on…
How the Russia Ukraine War has sent Shockwaves into the World of Football and Chelsea Football Club
Written by: Harry Colvin When Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in February, it created shockwaves around the world, and those waves were not excluded from sport. In early March, as the war between Russia and Ukraine escalated, rumors emerged about the United Kingdom’s possible plans to sanction Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, whose main property in the…
How Russian Propaganda Informs Its Domestic and Foreign Policy
Written by: Audrey McGrory Like banyas, Matryoshka dolls, and dachas, propaganda has been prevalent in Russia for centuries, defining itself as not merely a well-used political tactic, but a cultural fixture as quintessential as other Russian practices and customs. The use of propaganda by the Russian government has been potent in Russian society—withstanding the political,…
Steady the Ship: EU-US Relationship in the Wake of the Ukraine Crisis
Written by: Aleksander Cwalina The transatlantic relationship is back. In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in late February, the United States and its European allies in the European Union have marched in lockstep against Russian aggression. This has included sending arms and supplies to embattled Ukraine and severely sanctioning Russia – cutting…
Winter Olympics 2022: Soft Power in the Contemporary International System
Written by: Ken Wang The Olympics, whether held in summer or winter, have always been a symbol of athleticism, friendly competition, a time for peace, a chance to improve diplomatic relationships, and an opportunity to promote the image of the host country. China recently hosted the 2022 Winter Olympics, and it was a great success…
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