Category: Academic Reportage

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Tom Duszynski, Clinical Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, Indiana University Key elements of a zombie apocalypse echo the stages of an infectious disease outbreak. GoToVan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY Imagine a city street at dusk, silent save for the rising sound of a collective guttural…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By James R. Elliott, Professor of Sociology, Rice University FEMA’s buyout program helped homeowners in Houston after Hurricane Harvey’s widespread flooding in 2017. AP Photo/David J. Phillip Dangerous flooding has damaged neighborhoods in almost every state in 2025, leaving homes a muddy mess. In several hard-hit…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Grace Nsomba, Researcher at Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development, University of Johannesburg Countries in east and southern Africa have continued to experience high and volatile food prices despite good harvests in 2025. This is especially alarming as climate-related weather shocks will be deeper and…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – USA – By Stephanie A. (Sam) Martin, Frank and Bethine Church Endowed Chair of Public Affairs, Boise State University Screenshot of the Department of Health and Human Services homepage on Oct. 14, 2025. HHS website For decades, federal shutdowns have mostly been budget fights. The 2025 one has become…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Jeremy Snyder, Professor, Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University More than 300 ostriches have been threatened with destruction in eastern British Columbia after avian flu was detected in the flock. The birds’ owners have argued this is a case of “unjust governmental overreach.” The owners’ plight received…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Ehsan Noroozinejad Farsangi, Visiting Senior Researcher, Smart Structures Research Group, University of British Columbia Canada is facing larger wildfires, rising flood risks and worsening traffic congestion. The federal government’s infrastructure plan budgets at least $180 billion over 12 years, yet insured disaster losses hit a record…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Africa (2) – By Maureen Fubara, PhD candidate, University of Amsterdam Since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, elections have consistently been marred by violence. The elections between 1999 and 2019 and in 2023 saw party clashes, physical attacks, assassinations and intimidation. As Nigeria prepares for the 2027 elections,…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Adrian Ma, Assistant Professor, Journalism, Toronto Metropolitan University ‘The Paper’ is a spinoff of ‘The Office,’ with the character Oscar Martinez now employed at the Toledo Truth-Teller in Toledo, Ohio. (NBC Universal) In the debut episode of the new sitcom The Paper, freshly appointed editor-in-chief Ned…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Bhavini Gohel, Clinical Associate Professor, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary Wildfires are no longer rare disasters in Canada. They are now an annual reality, and 2025 has already been one of the worst on record, with 3,582 fires burning 6.2 million hectares as of…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Africa (2) – By Siphiwe Dlamini, Lecturer, Department of Physiology, University of the Witwatersrand South Africa is facing a sharp rise in obesity-related diseases like type 2 diabetes. Between 2010 and 2019, the prevalence of diabetes nearly tripled from 4.5% to 12.7%. This increase is linked to lifestyle risk…