Perry World House | Penn Today

protective face mask colored to look like an american flag

Politics, pandemics, and protests

Exactly how the coronavirus pandemic, the current unrest, and the nation’s economic woes will affect November’s presidential election is unclear, but voter turnout will be key, according to two political experts.

A grandparent and a child sit on a park bench in daylight, both wearing masks and sitting six feet apart.

COVID-19 checkup

Ezekiel J. Emanuel, vice provost for global initiatives and a physician, gave an update on the pandemic during a Perry World House virtual earlier this week. He says summer is a good time to open up in stages but cautions about fall.

Person in black hooded jacket and pants facing away from camera walks near Red Square in Moscow.

Diagnosing Russia’s COVID-19 response

Despite the Russian government’s assertions that it has the COVID-19 crisis under control, the outbreak is in the beginning stages in the country and three experts says Vladimir Putin’s political fate may rest on how he responds to the crisis.

Row of Chinese flags outside a Chinese government building in daylight

Is COVID-19 infecting the relationship between the U.S. and China?

Three Penn experts say the relationship between the countries was troubled before the coronavirus pandemic, but the outbreak is exacerbating the preexisting problems.

Bike food delivery courier wearing a protective face mask while riding through NYC empty streets

Is the U.S. winning the war against COVID-19?

Ezekiel J. Emanuel, vice provost for global initiatives, gave a sobering update on how the United States is doing in the fight against COVID-19, saying the country needs to be prepared to battle the new coronavirus for about 18 months.

Person praying in front of a crowd in China with mask down around their chin, people wearing masks walk around them, outside a temple.

Human rights during the coronavirus pandemic

During a virtual event at Perry World House, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, former United Nations high commissioner for human rights, spoke to PWH interim director Michael Horowitz about the importance of centering human rights and about holding governments accountable in a time of pandemic.

The Washington Post

How can Trump fight the pandemic when he’s chasing experts out of government?

John Gans of Perry World House wrote about the administration’s removal of “disloyal” civil servants and the effect on the effort to combat the coronavirus pandemic. “This sort of purge is undermining government at a time when it is needed most,” he wrote.

Ecuador’s vice president talks biodiversity protection

Vice President Otto Sonnenholzner spoke to a packed Perry World House about protecting the environment while balancing economic growth.

Learning civil discourse and open-mindedness from high schoolers

In the city’s first regional Ethics Bowl, facilitated by Penn philosopher Karen Detlefsen and Graduate School of Education doctoral student Dustin Webster, six local teams competed for a chance at Nationals.

Michael Horowitz named director of Perry World House and Richard Perry Professor

As director of Perry World House, Horowitz will lead the center which was founded in 2015 for scholarly inquiry, teaching, research, international exchange, policy engagement, and public outreach on pressing global issues.

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