Hard and Soft Power in the Koreas

By Lauren Cousino and Amy Zhao When people think of North and South Korea, they often focus on their stark differences. What began as a temporary division after Japan’s 1945 surrender solidified into a permanent split following the Korean War. This conflict gave rise to two divergent nations: North Korea projects power through its nuclear arsenal and military posturing, while South Korea exerts influence through … Continue reading Hard and Soft Power in the Koreas

From Screens to Streets: How Nepalese and Thai Youth Combat Corruption

By Jessie Levine and Thuptim Appleton The Thai government has long grappled with issues of corruption. Increasingly, Gen-Z has been utilizing social media to scrutinize government misconduct, particularly the ever-present corruption. Since its popularization in Thailand, social media has played a key role in politics, but this year, it sparked a new nationalist facet.  To further understand this dynamic, it is necessary to outline Thailand’s … Continue reading From Screens to Streets: How Nepalese and Thai Youth Combat Corruption

Beyond MAGA: A Global Surge of Anti-Immigration Politics

By Owen Zanni  Donald Trump’s resurgence in the 2024 U.S. presidential election represents more than an isolated political phenomenon; it reflects a broader global trend of xenophobic nationalism redefining immigration policy across continents. Immigration was a key issue during the 2024 U.S. election, with data from the Pew Research Center showing that61 percent of American voters believed that immigration was “very important in their vote.” … Continue reading Beyond MAGA: A Global Surge of Anti-Immigration Politics

Convergence or Divergence in The Caucus: A Comparative Analysis

By Lauren Higuchi The three states of the Southern Caucasus—Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia—have been under Russia’s control since the 1800s. Now, nearly four decades after gaining independence, a crucial question emerges: are the Caucasus nations finally beginning to break away from Moscow’s sphere of influence? Armenia’s faith in Russia began to wane in the wake of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war with Azerbaijan, where Armenians felt … Continue reading Convergence or Divergence in The Caucus: A Comparative Analysis

War for the Skies

By Jack Srihari and Nadsen Chavannes In the last five years, drones have become a ubiquitous weapon on battlefields across the world, from the jungles of Myanmar to the dunes of the Sahara Desert to the plains of Ukraine. However, the majority of these weapons originate from a small group of countries, most notably Iran, Turkey, the United States, Russia, China, and Ukraine. They have … Continue reading War for the Skies

Russia’s Drone Campaign: What Moscow’s Incursions into NATO Airspace Mean for the Future of European Deterrenceument

By Nicholas Prather The incursion of Russian drones into Polish airspace on September 9 and 10 signaled the beginning of a new era in European collective security. Across two days, about two dozen drones, each costing approximately $11,800 to assemble, entered Polish territory. Some advanced hundreds of kilometers deep into the country and threatened vital NATO infrastructure before being shot down.  Similar Russian drone swarms … Continue reading Russia’s Drone Campaign: What Moscow’s Incursions into NATO Airspace Mean for the Future of European Deterrenceument

The Race for Quantum Computing

By Josh Litvak Almost a century ago, Erwin Schrödinger proposed his “Schrödinger’s Cat” thought experiment to demonstrate the absurdity of measuring quantum mechanics at the macroscopic level. In this hypothetical, a cat exists in a superposition of being both dead and alive until observed, when its state is confirmed. This idea—that a particle can exist in multiple states at once until measured—helps form the foundation … Continue reading The Race for Quantum Computing

“Surveillance superpowers”: the push and pull of American-Chinese cyber relations

By Anna Bader For the greater part of China’s rise as a global superpower, U.S. domestic policy makers have agonized over Chinese access to Americans’ information. The real question, however, is what information Silicon Valley has willingly given away. From the newest NVIDIA AI chip to IBM’s I2 surveillance and analysis software, it’s clear that Capitol Hill is underestimating the extent of these conspiracies. The … Continue reading “Surveillance superpowers”: the push and pull of American-Chinese cyber relations

Maintaining Sovereignty Through Energy Independence

By Leah Glaspey Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the European Union (EU) responded with a comprehensive sanctions package on Russian goods. In return, Russia restricted gas flow into Europe to 20 percent capacity. Left with no other viable source for oil, Europe plunged into an energy crisis and intensified its focus on developing clean energy infrastructure. Independence from Russian oil meant the EU … Continue reading Maintaining Sovereignty Through Energy Independence