International Relations

New UK prime minister Rishi Sunak sits at a table with his cabinet at Downing Street in London.

Q&A on the UK’s new prime minister

Political scientist Brendan O’Leary discusses Liz Truss’ fall, Rishi Sunak’s rise, and what it all means going forward.

Jed Esty: Liz Truss’ stormy reign has lessons for the U.S. on how not to be an aging superpower

In an Op-Ed, Jed Esty of the School of Arts & Sciences examines how the U.K.’s “aging superpower syndrome” is already beginning to fossilize American political culture.

Archaeologists restoring an ancient ISIS-destroyed monument in Mosul just found seven incredibly preserved Assyrian carvings buried beneath it

Michael Danti of the School of Arts & Sciences discusses his team’s restoration of the iconic Mashki Gate in Iraq and their uncovering of ancient Assyrian slabs, with support from Mosul University and the Penn Museum.

Life turned upside down in Ruili, China, the world’s strictest zero-COVID city

Amy Gadsden of Penn Global says that China’s COVID Zero policies in Ruili are a stark reminder of the party state’s ability to intervene in citizens’ lives in absolute and even cruel ways.

Indians celebrating 75 years of India's independence in the street, holding flags.

India at 75, CASI at 30

The Center for the Advanced Study of India, the first institution in the U.S. dedicated to the study of contemporary India, is turning 30 this year, and celebrated with a symposium that also highlighted the 75th anniversary of India’s independence.

How Starbucks took on Italy’s coffee culture

Eva Del Soldato of the School of Arts & Sciences favorably compares a Starbucks she visited in Italy to quality Italian coffee.

UK joins international effort to uncover first moments of the universe

In a statement for the Simons Observatory, Mark Devlin of the School of Arts & Sciences says that new telescopes and researchers from the UK will make a significant addition to their efforts to examine the origins of the universe.

Maya activist Cristina Coc speaks into a microphone on the Perry World House stage

Decolonize the future: Defending Indigenous rights and lands

Three Maya activists from Belize spoke with Richard M. Leventhal about the challenges and progress they’ve made on land rights in recent years.

Iran regime committing an act of political suicide, says exiled academic

In a video interview, Fatemeh Shams of the School of Arts & Sciences says that she believes the protests in Iran could be a turning point for the country.

How Iran’s hijab protest movement became so powerful

In a Q&A, Fatemeh Shams of the School of Arts & Sciences discusses the importance of Iran’s Kurdish minority in its recent uprising, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of leaderless movements.

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