Category: Academic Reportage

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Megan Levings, Professor of Surgery and Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia While Canada invests billions in infrastructure projects and national defence, a critical area of investment remains overlooked: biomanufacturing. Biomanufacturing is the production of biological products like vaccines and cell therapies at the scale and…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Fanny Voélin, PhD candidate in geography, University of Bern The youth-led protests that eventually brought down Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina were sparked, in part, by his attempt to use large-scale urban infrastructure projects as a means of consolidating power. Rajoelina’s government placed urban mega-projects at the…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Africa (2) – By Jonathan Powell, Visiting assistant professor, University of Kentucky What began in late September as Madagascar’s student demonstrations over crippling electricity outages and water shortages quickly evolved into broader demands for political reform. It became a call to dismantle a system widely seen as corrupt and…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Africa (2) – By Jonathan Powell, Visiting assistant professor, University of Kentucky What began in late September as Madagascar’s student demonstrations over crippling electricity outages and water shortages quickly evolved into broader demands for political reform. It became a call to dismantle a system widely seen as corrupt and…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Africa (2) – By Papa Sow, Senior Researcher, The Nordic Africa Institute Turkey has been trying to establish a stronghold in Africa, using the “Opening up to Africa” policy it adopted in 1998. Its Africa Action Plan, based on humanitarian aid, politics and economic cooperation, has turned toward west…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Pascal Michelberger, Postdoctoral Scholar, Western Academy for Advanced Research, Western University In the context of the temporary suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show on ABC, commentators have rightfully raised concerns about free speech, First Amendment rights and press freedom, linking them to the larger issue of…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Leda Stawnychko, Associate Professor of Strategy and Organizational Theory, Mount Royal University In an era of heightened political polarization, merely longing for civility is no longer enough. Understanding just how to debate and respectfully disagree has become truly imperative, now more than ever and for a…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – USA – By Andrea Katz, Associate Professor of Law, Washington University in St. Louis Demonstrators in Portland, Ore., protest on Oct. 4, 2025, against President Donald Trump’s plan to deploy the National Guard to the city. Spencer Platt/Getty Images If you’re confused about what the law does and doesn’t…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – USA (3) – By Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse, Associate Professor of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh How much does the moon cycle affect sleep? Probably less than your screen time at night. Muhammad Khazin Alhusni/iStock via Getty Images Plus Have you ever tossed and turned under a full moon and wondered if…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Victoria Pitts-Taylor, Professor of Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; Sociology; Science and Technology Studies, Wesleyan University Who is afraid of gender and why? AP Photo/Alastair Grant Political attacks on teaching about gender in colleges and universities are about more than just gender: They are part…