Category: Academic Reportage
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AI isn’t replacing student writing – but it is reshaping it
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Jeanne Beatrix Law, Professor of English, Kennesaw State University Studies have shown that many students are using AI to brainstorm, learn new information and revise their work. krisanapong detraphiphat/Moment via Getty Images I’m a writing professor who sees artificial intelligence as more of an opportunity…
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South Africa’s 36.1% electricity price hike for 2025: why the power utility Eskom’s request is unrealistic
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Steven Matome Mathetsa, Senior Lecturer at the African Energy Leadership Centre, Wits Business School, University of the Witwatersrand South Africa’s state-owned electricity company, Eskom, has applied to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa to approve a 36.1% electricity price hike from April 2025, a 11.8%…
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Post-flood recovery: lessons from Germany and Nigeria on how to help people cope with loss and build resilience
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Olasunkanmi Habeeb Okunola, Senior Research Associate, United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), United Nations University Extreme climate events — floods, droughts and heatwaves — are not just becoming more frequent; they are also more severe. It’s important to understand how communities…
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Coups in west Africa have five things in common: knowing what they are is key to defending democracy
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Africa (2) – By Salah Ben Hammou, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Rice University August 2025 makes it five years since Malian soldiers ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta in a coup d’état. While the event reshaped Mali’s domestic politics, it also marked the beginning of a broader wave of military takeovers…
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Child labour numbers rise in homes where adults are jobless – South African study
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Derek Yu, Professor, Economics, University of the Western Cape Child labour is a big concern across the world. It is particularly acute in countries in the global south, where it is estimated that about 160 million children are engaged in child labour, about 87 million of…
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‘Big’ legislative package shifts more of SNAP’s costs to states, saving federal dollars but causing fewer Americans to get help paying for food
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Tracy Roof, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Richmond People shop for food in Brooklyn in 2023 at a store that makes sure that its customers know it accepts SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps and EBT. Spencer Platt/Getty Images The legislative package…
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Employers are failing to insure the working class – Medicaid cuts will leave them even more vulnerable
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – USA (3) – By Sumit Agarwal, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 7.8 million Americans across the U.S. will lose their coverage through Medicaid – the public program that provides health insurance to low-income families and individuals – under the multitrillion-dollar…
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Why Texas Hill Country, where a devastating flood killed dozens, is one of the deadliest places in the US for flash flooding
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Hatim Sharif, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Texas at San Antonio A Kerrville, Texas, resident watches the flooded Guadalupe River on July 4, 2025. Eric Vryn/Getty Images Texas Hill Country is known for its landscapes, with shallow rivers winding among hills…
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Parental controls on children’s tech devices are out of touch with child’s play
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Sara M. Grimes, Wolfe Chair in Scientific and Technological Literacy and Professor, McGill University Parenting in the digital age can be stressful and demands a lot from parents. The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) recently released its annual Online Safety Survey that discovered almost 50 per…
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Workplaces have embraced mindfulness and self-compassion — but did capitalism hijack their true purpose?
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Yasemin Pacaci, Postdoctoral Fellow, Smith School of Business, Queen’s University, Ontario When practiced with integrity, mindfulness and self-compassion can improve the collective well-being and personal agency of employees. (Shutterstock) Mindfulness and self-compassion have become popular tools for improving mental health and well-being in the workplace. Mindfulness…
