In The News

Want Better Cities?

Liz Stinson July 8, 2016
As the global population swelled, people have gravitated to cities. More than half the world’s population now lives in cities, compared to 3 percent in 1800, according to the United Nations. Researchers at Yale and University of Canterbury have plotted 6000 years of urbanization history in an online database with details on size of cities as well as how, when and where they emerged, reports Liz...

China Pivots to the Middle East and Iran

Debalina Ghoshal July 7, 2016
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action implemented in January ends Iran’s nuclear-weapons activities and encourages cooperation on civilian nuclear programs and investment. Though six countries signed the agreement with Iran, China is emerging as a principal beneficiary. “The West struggles to improve relations with Iran, a major market with 77 million people, as many hesitate to risk violating...

European Purgatory: Migrant Smugglers Helping Refugees Return to Turkey

Riham Alkousaa and Maximilian Popp July 7, 2016
A sizable number of Europeans have protested immigration in general and specifically the arrival of thousands of refugees from Syria, Iraq and other conflict zones. Concerns run high about security, competition for jobs and a changing culture, and some countries have erected barriers in response. Smugglers that once delivered refugees to Europe are guiding weary and frustrated refugees back to...

Sweating in the Park or in the Factory: Beyoncé’s New Sports Wear Company and Respect for Human Rights

Aleydis Nissen July 6, 2016
Critics are harsh on celebrities that launch clothing lines sourced from factories with sweatshop conditions and underpaid workers. Beyoncé launched a sports clothing brand in a joint venture with Topshop. Media reports soon followed with interviews of workers in Sri Lanka complaining about long hours and low pay. “Whether the accusations are true or untrue, it may be argued that a major...

Post-Brexit, Can a Kinder, Gentler Model Help Globalization Survive?

Peter Ford, Sara Miller Llana and Howard LaFranchi July 6, 2016
Politicians that do not learn lessons from Brexit, the United Kingdom’s decision to end membership with the European Union, will unleash new economic disruptions. “For years, a wave of anti-establishment resentment, feeding on anger at widening social inequality and hostility to foreigners, has been building across Europe,” writes Peter Ford, Sara Miller Llana and Howard LaFranchi for the...

Don’t Write the Obit on Globalization

Nayan Chanda July 5, 2016
British voters decided to separate from the European Union, and many analysts afterward pronounced this to be indicative of globalization’s demise. “[G]lobal interdependence is far too advanced to be reversed without seriously harming the well-being of the entire nation,” writes Nayan Chanda, YaleGlobal's founding editor, in a column for the Times of India. “When Britain begins the divorce...

Wolf-Pack Terrorism: Inspired by ISIS, Made in Bangladesh

Saroj Kumar Rath July 5, 2016
Ongoing political squabbles and vendettas do not stop terror, and militants will use such differences to drive a wedge into societies. “Ongoing conflict between the two major political parties, Bangladesh National Party, which considers itself custodian of Bangladeshi nationalism, and Awami League, which regards itself as the sole guiding force of Bangladeshi liberation, has left the field open...