Category: Academic Reportage

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Jackson Pind, Assistant Professor, Indigenous Methodologies, Chanie Wenjack School of Indigenous Studies, Trent University Chief Elsie Knott, the first female chief of a First Nation in Canada, disliked the Indian Day School system from her own childhood experiences and wanted something better for the next generation.…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Elizabeth Blum, Professor of Environmental History, Troy University Environmental Protection Agency staff and contractors are often involved in large cleanups of toxic waste, such as after the Los Angeles fires of early 2025. Mario Tama/Getty Images As Congress faces a Sept. 30, 2025, deadline to…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Canada – By David Barrett, Research Associate, Aquatic Science, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary Recent reports of proposed federal government spending cuts to water monitoring and research strike a particularly ominous note for Canada’s Prairies. The government is considering significant reductions to programs, specifically within the Canada Water…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Renata Roma, Researcher Associate – Pawsitive Connections Lab, University of Saskatchewan The human-animal bond is evolving, and there is a need to further explore people’s concerns towards their pets (Unsplash/Manuel Meza) When it comes to caring for pets, some people worry most about physical health, while…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Africa (2) – By Roger Southall, Professor of Sociology, University of the Witwatersrand Love her or loathe her, it is hard to deny that Helen Zille is one of the most remarkable politicians South Africa’s democracy has yet seen. Remarkable because she has served in so many high-profile public…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Misheck Mutize, Post Doctoral Researcher, Graduate School of Business (GSB), University of Cape Town One of the commitments the South African presidency of the G20 made in its policy priorities document at the beginning of 2025 was to push for fairer, more transparent sovereign credit ratings.…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Tiffany Dionne Prete, Assistant Professor, Sociology Department, University of Lethbridge As we observe National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, it is relevant to remember the late Pope Francis. As the first Latin American and Jesuit Pope, his leadership was marked by efforts to face difficult issues,…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Steven Sullivan, Director of the Hefner Museum of Natural History, Miami University A paw print in baked mud at Joshua Tree National Park, likely from a coyote. Brad Sutton/National Park Service Your neighborhood is home to all sorts of amazing animals, from racoons, squirrels and…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Beverly Moran, Professor Emerita of Law, Vanderbilt University Not long after U.S. housing prices reached a record high this summer – the median existing home went for US$435,000 in June – President Donald Trump said that he was considering a plan to make home sales…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – USA – By Ernest Freeberg, Professor of History, University of Tennessee Eureka, what an idea! TU IS/iStock/Getty Images Plus Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com. Who invented the light bulb?…