The Global Story of Ramen: Trade, War, and Industrialization
Ramen noodles were created and became popular throughout periods of war, famine, international trade, and industrialization. What can a simple dish millions around the world eat everyday tell us about the history of foreign affairs?
Greenland’s Strategic Value: How Security and Resources Have Rendered the Island a Hotspot for Geopolitical Competition
The reason behind President Trump’s aspirations lies in the strategic and economic potential of Greenland’s location and subsoil resources. As the island aims for eventual independence under Prime Minister Mute Egede and his Inuit-led government, considering alternatives to autonomy under the Kingdom of Denmark opens the door for Greenland to become a key player in geopolitical and geoeconomic rivalries.
Quelling the Sea- The Threats of Rising Sea Levels to Ecological Stability and Public Health
The vitality of transatlantic commerce between coastal communities has allowed numerous countries to trade commodities, export humanitarian aid, and create beachy standards of living that reflect the rapid development of the modern world. However, the immense weight of skyscrapers and other human creations that have accompanied this development is set to accelerate coastal flooding. The pumping of groundwater and oil, as well as coal mining, exacerbates this process, as the empty space left behind gives way to rock collapse. Chinese cities like Tianjin and Beijing, coastal urban areas in the Netherlands and Ukraine, and segments of American states like California and Florida, are now in the path of imminently rising sea levels. According to a new study, 16% of major cities in the Eastern Hemisphere are losing greater than ten millimeters of elevation per year, and half are losing more than three. These numbers may seem small, but sea levels are projected to rise nearly six feet by the end of the century.
The Legacy of Burning Sun: How K-Pop Peels Back the Realities of Gender-Based Violence in South Korea
Untangling the web of recent K-pop scandals reveals a more sinister truth about how the music industry and the culture of misogyny intersect in South Korea. The cracks of the highly-curated K-pop industry are showing, and what lay behind the mask of glamour and glitz is ugly.
The Gulf in Africa: Examining Possible Motivations Behind UAE Involvement in the Sudanese Civil War
The UAE has covertly funded the RSF in the Sudanese Civil War to protect and strengthen investments in agriculture, mining, and shipping. However, recent gains by the SAF and increasing involvement from the international community via peace talks and sanctions threaten Emirati interests deemed critical to its future.
Sahel in Flames: the Terrorist Inferno engulfing West Africa
West Africa is on the war path. A combination of armed banditry, ethnic insurgency and terrorism have slowly gathered in the shadow of global attention. As the drums of war get louder, and foreign powers enter the fray, is there anything that can salvage peace from the jaws of conflict? For the people of this impoverished region, time is running out.
The Protests that Changed Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasina’s Fall and the Road Ahead
In August 2024, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned amid student protests, throwing the country into political turmoil. As the new interim government under Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus tries to stabilize the country, friction between rival factions has grown. Political instability, religious violence, and escalating challenges — both at home and abroad — threaten Bangladesh’s future, with the country's path forward uncertain amid shifting alliances and mounting pressures.
Restless Tidings: The Impacts of Civil War and Climate Change on Security for Women in Africa
The political climate in the Global South is taut with civil conflicts and the devastating effects of climate change. In recent conflicts, governments have used individual freedoms and ecological safety as bargaining chips. This is exemplified by the ongoing civil war in Sudan.
Mergers and Medicine: How Global Takeovers are Shaping Healthcare Access and Quality of Care
Global healthcare mergers promise innovation and efficiency, but do they deliver? Explore how cross-border takeovers are reshaping access, quality of care, and patient outcomes, revealing both opportunities and challenges in a rapidly consolidating industry.
Photographing Gaza: A Case Study in the Politics of Photojournalism and Portraiture
"Palestinian-American photographer Adam Rouhana wrote an opinion piece for the New York Times in which he explained his drive to create positive images to counter the media’s portrayal of the Palestinian people as violent terrorists or expendable additions to statistics. ‘By decolonizing photography,’ he explained, ‘we can decolonize our minds and achieve a more nuanced understanding of Palestinian reality.’ Rouhana’s photography project ‘Before Freedom’ exploring these ideas was recognized at the Belfast Photo Festival of 2024."
Op-Ed: Nationalism Isn’t Driving India's Knife-Edge Foreign Policy
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi has championed Hindu cultural values within India, his approach to foreign affairs tells a different story. Rather than letting religious ideology guide international relations, Modi's government has maintained India's traditional balancing act between world powers. From continuing Russian oil purchases during the Ukraine war to providing aid to Gaza while supporting Israel, India's foreign policy remains driven by practical interests rather than nationalist sentiment.
World Leaders Gather at COP16 to Address Biodiversity Crisis
The urgency of the biodiversity crisis is undeniable. Habitats are disappearing at an alarming rate and, according to The Nature Conservancy, an environmental nonprofit, nearly a million species face extinction. This pressing issue underscored the importance of holding the 16th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16), a biennial conference run by the United Nations (UN).
From Expulsion to Exclusion: How a U.K.-Mauritian Deal Continues to Disregard Chagossians
On October 3, Mauritius and the United Kingdom reached a “historic agreement,” where the latter nation agreed to cede its contentious overseas territory — known as the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) — to Mauritius. Coming after 13 rounds of negotiations and decades of international pressure, the landmark agreement marks the end of Britain’s colonial presence in Africa.
Lebanese Citizens Display Resilience Amid Devastation and Displacement
Current conflicts in the Middle East are resulting in significant displacement and devastation, fracturing the lives of Lebanese citizens. On top of an already spiraling economy, the divided Lebanese government is not well equipped to help its suffering citizens. Despite these challenges, Lebanese citizens have remained resilient, helping to house and feed their displaced neighbors.
Isolationism, Trump and Nixon, and the Future of Camptown Prostitution in South Korea
When President Trump returns to power on January 20th, 2025, he's poised to initiate a withdrawal of potentially thousands of U.S. troops from South Korea. If he does so, historical precedent would lead us to believe that the communities which have risen up alongside U.S. military bases will be hit hard as a result.
Vertical Farming: Lifesaver or Luxury?
Amidst worsening land degradation and global temperatures, many nations have turned to vertical farming to economize and adapt to a changing world. However, uneven implementation of this practice favoring wealthy countries calls into question this seemingly promising method. Why is it that vertical farming seems to be more of an intermittent luxury than a consistent lifeline?
Boosting Leverage: How Chinese Economic Expansion in Latin America Challenges U.S. National Security
China’s engagement in Latin America guarantees it will remain a threat to U.S. national security until the U.S. regains regional power through Americas-based collaboration — a path economic advisers and policymakers must promptly pursue to prevent President-elect Donald Trump’s anticipated withdrawal of development aid and proposed tariffs that could drive Latin American countries to work even closer with adversaries such as China. Failure to pursue such collaboration risks democratic backsliding in the Western Hemisphere and an economically isolated U.S. that could be susceptible to global conflicts.
A ‘Second China Shock:’ What it is and its Implications for the United States
China's rise on the global stage was facilitated in large part by an artificial export surge, the effects of which was dubbed the 'China Shock.' Now, with the country facing strong economic headwinds, Chinese leaders are trying to craft another export surge to revive growth. The U.S. may be in for another round of job loss and political turmoil.
Olympic Host Cities Had a Financial Problem. Did Paris Fix It?
In its bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics, Paris promised to supply a resplendent backdrop to the world’s symposium of sport. The City of Light did not disappoint... Amid the triumphs of the 2024 Games, one glaring figure remains consequential for Parisian taxpayers: the Olympics’ financial cost. For now, the economic outlook is surprisingly promising. Paris initially set aside $8 billion (in USD) for the Olympics, a figure that has since increased to around $10 billion. As recently as May, organizers expected a small profit, a shocking change from the severe losses incurred by recent hosts.
Iranian Rapper Toomaj Salehi Sentenced to Death for Protest Music: What Does This Mean for Freedom of Expression?
“Art must be allowed to criticize, to provoke, to push the boundaries in any society.” This was the statement declared by a panel of the U.N.’s experts on Iran in response to the death sentence placed upon Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi. On April 24, Branch 1 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court, led by Mohammad Reza Tavakoli, charged Salehi with “waging war against God” and “corruption on earth”, crimes punishable by death.