Institutions of higher education have long contributed to social and economic progress, analyzing values and fueling innovation, with many courses and degrees. Modern political leaders are impatient for economic growth and express concern about shortages of STEM graduates. “The perception that...
More than one path to prosperity: China has launched a campaign to become a science and technology powerhouse by investing funds in schools like Tsinghua University in Beijing; Stewart Butterfield, CEO of the office messaging platform Slack and co-...
China has joined with ASEAN, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand to develop the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP. If successful, RCEP, could become the world’s largest trade agreement. The agreement gradually reduces tariffs and streamlines export requirements, reports...
The United Nations’ nuclear non-proliferation treaty has been remarkable for limiting nuclear arms over the past 50 years, but three trends threaten those efforts. The first is slow breach of nuclear arms control agreements between Russia and the United States. The second is that nine known nuclear...
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists released 13.4 million leaked files from a group of offshore service providers that show how companies and individuals thwart government efforts to collect taxes. One of the many stories of the so-called Paradise Papers focuses on Apple, the...
Since 1933, the White House has hosted 14 administrations and almost 400 state dinners. Culinary trends emerged during the various periods that represented the societal zeitgeist. State dinners were characterized by modesty during the 1930s through the 1950s, gradually transforming into lavish...
Human trafficking and slavery continue in poor and advanced nations alike, with people forced into situations they would never choose. Only a fraction of these horrific cases are exposed, as when 39 Vietnamese people were found dead in a freezer truck in England. “Traffickers take children and...
The International Monetary Fund has agreed to lend $5.5 billion to Ukraine if the Kyiv government led by President Volodymyr Zelensky meets required conditions. While this agreement requires approval by the IMF board, it is still a strong signal, encouraging foreign investment and demonstrating...
Debates over immigration policy have been tense in Germany in recent years. This week, however, findings that schools with more immigrant students do worse than schools without immigrants are fueling the discussion even further. Immigrant children, particularly those from poorer backgrounds who do...
The most recent findings of the PISA study have raised a delicate question for German parents: Do their own children learn less well when there is a high proportion of immigrant children in the class?
For...
