In The News

Rise of the Renting, Sharing Economy Could Have Ripple Effects

Matthew Boesler August 16, 2013
The global debt crisis devastated job and wage prospects for many young adults in the world’s wealthiest nations. But many young adults have adapted and are content to live with less: They’re in no hurry to purchase homes or take on debt, instead renting modest apartments and sharing services like wireless; they prefer living close to work, avoiding cars and long commutes; when they travel, they...

Gay Laws and the Company Russia Keeps

Tim Marshall August 15, 2013
Russia claims to uphold national values with a vague law that outlaws promotion of homosexuality among children. The stance is attracting global attention, with boycotts on Russian vodka and worries about the safety of athletes and audience members attending the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. “This values-led argument is very useful to those who want to cloak the repression of others by saying...

Why Major in Humanities? Not Just for a Good Job – For a Good Life

Mark Edmundson August 14, 2013
As individuals compete for high-paying jobs, many parents and educators question the value of a humanities degree. Professors in the humanities defend the degree for teaching skills in analysis, writing and logic and serving as a launch pad to practical degrees in medicine, law or business. In an essay for the Washington Post, Mark Edmundson contends that the humanities – including the study of...

The Growth of European Venture Philanthropy

Leonora Buckland, Lisa Hehenberger, Michael Hay August 12, 2013
Nonprofits and NGOs are growing in scale, creating banks and financing mechanisms that in turn review proposals and fund smaller efforts in target areas whether education, housing or health care. Venture philanthropy support, as explained by an article in Stanford Social Innovation Review, includes financing, mentoring, networking, performance measurements and more. The authors suggest that...

Refugees in the MENA Region: What Geopolitical Consequences?

Barah Mikail August 7, 2013
Economic chaos, corruption and outright conflict in North Africa and the Middle East have triggered a new wave of refugees – some of whom travel and seek shelter as far away as Australia. More than 1.5 million may have fled just Syria, with another 2.5 million Syrians thought to be displaced inside the country. Failure to address the latest refugee crisis could present serious long-term security...

Iran’s Mounting Malaise

Jamsheed K. Choksy August 6, 2013
Iranians – frustrated by a flailing economy, compounded by rigid policies of a theocratic government and sanctions from the West that target the country’s nuclear program – expect reforms from President Hassan Rouhani. Iran confronts challenges that, if left unaddressed, will bring severe consequences at home and abroad, warns Jamsheed K. Choksy, professor of Iranian Studies at Indiana University...

Not Going Abroad and Not Coming Home

Beryl Lieff Benderly August 2, 2013
Asian graduate students and post-doctorate fellows dominate some math and science programs in the West. Attitudes about such cross-border exchanges were analyzed by researchers, working separately, in China and Japan. “Japan needs to send more people abroad to study science, while China needs to do a better job of luring foreign-trained scientists back home,” suggests Beryl Lieff Benderly for...