Can Democracy Flourish in the 21st Century? With Laura Alonso

Can Democracy Flourish in the 21st Century? With Laura Alonso

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Laura Alonso has an extensive and unique cross-sector career promoting democracy, transparency, and citizen participation. She has previously held positions as Head of the Anti-corruption Office in Argentina, twice elected member of the National Congress, and CEO of the domestic chapter of Transparency International. Because of her leadership in integrity and anti-corruption policies, Argentina reached its highest score in the Index of Transparency International in 2020. We discuss the global “democratic recession”, current challenges democracies are facing, unpack some of the root causes of this decline. We end on a positive note by discussing the immense opportunities for democracy to be reinvigorated through innovation, new technologies, and the enduring appeal of the idea of rule by the people.

Today’s episode of the Big Picture was produced by Wissal Zebda and Ryan McEvoy. It was made possible with the support of the Yale World Fellows program at the Jackson School of Global Affairs. Our theme music was composed by Ravi Krishnaswami at COPILOT Music. For updates on future episodes, you can follow me on Twitter (@abulavinia). Thank you so much for tuning in!

AI and Geopolitics with Angela Merkel’s Nerd-in-Chief, Kirsten Rulf

AI and Geopolitics with Angela Merkel’s Nerd-in-Chief, Kirsten Rulf

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In this episode, Kirsten Rulf joins me to discuss how artificial intelligence might change geopolitics in the 21st century. Kirsten is a 2022 Yale World Fellow and Head of Division for General Digital Policy Issues and “Nerd-in-Chief” at the Federal Chancellery of Germany in Berlin. In her strategic leadership position, Kirsten has shaped Germany’s and Europe’s role in the geopolitics of tech, first under Chancellor Angela Merkel and now under Chancellor Olaf Scholz. We discuss the rapid developments in the field of AI; challenges of AI regulation, national security implications, and more.

Today’s episode of the Big Picture was produced by Wissal Zebda and Ryan McEvoy. It was made possible with the support of the Yale World Fellows program at the Jackson School of Global Affairs. Our theme music was composed by Ravi Krishnaswami at COPILOT Music. For updates on future episodes, you can follow me on Twitter (@abulavinia). Thank you so much for tuning in!

The End of the End of History? Grand Strategy with Emma Sky

The End of the End of History? Grand Strategy with Emma Sky

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Emma Sky, OBE is the founding director of Yale’s International Leadership Center. She teaches Grand Strategy, Great Power Competition, and Middle East Politics at the Jackson School of Global Affairs and runs Yale World Fellows – the university’s signature fellowship for mid-career leaders from around the world. She is a best-selling author of two books.

When the Cold War ended, Francis Fukuyama famously asked if we were witnessing the “end of history”: Liberal democracy had prevailed against communism in the global competition of political systems that shaped the decades since World War 2. The bipolar world order gave way to a unipolar world, with America as the only global superpower. In 2022, when Putin started his war of aggression against Ukraine, many therefore asked: Are we witnessing “the end of the end of history”?

In this wide-ranging conversation with Emma Sky, we unpack some of these concepts and attempt to trace a world history of the past 30 years. We start by reviewing the inspiring Yale World Fellows 20-year reunion, which took place from 14-16 October, 2022. About half of all World Fellows came to New Haven to connect, celebrate, and discuss the great challenges facing the world in the 21st century.

We then discuss key world events of the past three decades – the fall of the Iron Curtain, the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process, 9/11, the Iraq War, the 2007/2008 financial crisis, the Arab Spring, Brexit, the election of Donald Trump – and attempt to define the place of the war against Ukraine in this broader historical picture.

Today’s episode of the Big Picture was produced by Wissal Zebda and Ryan McEvoy. It was made possible with the support of the Yale World Fellows program at the Jackson School of Global Affairs. Our theme music was composed by Ravi Krishnaswami at COPILOT Music. For updates on future episodes, you can follow me on Twitter (@abulavinia). Thank you so much for tuning in!

Early Admissions

Early Admissions

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Selective colleges offer a variety of early admissions programs, including early action, restrictive early action, early decision, and early decision round 2. Hannah and Mark explain the differences among these programs and share insights on how the Yale admissions office approaches its single-choice early action program. At Yale, opting to apply through early action does not give an applicant any advantage, but the officers explain why an early program may be the right choice for some students at some colleges.

Untold stories: LGBT Catholics and the Catholic response to the AIDS crisis in America with Michael O’Loughlin

Untold stories: LGBT Catholics and the Catholic response to the AIDS crisis in America with Michael O’Loughlin

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YDS alum Michael O’Loughlin discusses his book ‘Hidden Mercy’ and untold stories of the grassroots Catholic response to the HIV/AIDS crisis in America, the challenges of being an LGBT member of the Catholic Church, and how Pope Francis sparked a spiritual revolution on Twitter.

Ep. 49 – Dog Cognition Expert Alexandra Horowitz on the Quiddity of Puppies

Ep. 49 – Dog Cognition Expert Alexandra Horowitz on the Quiddity of Puppies

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Most books on puppies are dog-improvement manuals, guiding readers ‘How to Raise the Perfect Dog’ or how to achieve ‘Perfect Puppy in 7 Days.’ Alexandra Horowitz’s profound and totally delightful new book is not that type of book. It’s an unprecedented look at the complex, chaotic, fascinating, and often hilarious journeys of puppies becoming themselves. “Instead of following an instruction manual for a puppy, I wanted to follow the puppy,” she writes. The Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget famously watched his own kids grow into adults as both a parent and a scientist. His observations of his kids inspired and served as the basis for many of his theories about how young human minds develop. Horowitz, a world-renowned expert in dog cognition, set out to do the same for her spectacularly eye-browed, exquisitely sensitive, and rambunctious new family member, Quiddity. In ‘The Year of the Puppy,’ Horowitz follows Quid from her birthday through the puppy equivalents of infancy, childhood, and adolescence. We spoke with Horowitz about the science of early dog development, how Quid is enjoying her big literary debut, and what we have to learn from trying to understand how puppies encounter and make meaning of the world.