Tabla de contenidos para Fall 2020 en Foreign Policy

PERHAPS NO OTHER SECTORS have been hit as hard by the coronavirus pandemic as those that enrich and entertain us. Concert halls are closed, museums are gathering dust, and cinemas are insolvent. If your favorite sports team is playing at all, it is in an eerily empty stadium—with the effect that the game no longer offers us a thrilling escape from the world but reminds us of its crisis. The cliché of the starving artist has gained new currency, as hundreds of thousands of people in these industries are either out of work or waiting for their furloughs to become layoffs. Then there are the ripple effects: Shuttered attractions make the recovery of tourism even less likely; children no longer learn about culture and history firsthand; and few of us…

PICK YOUR HISTORICAL PRECEDENT. In each case, the direction and very survival of the American republic were at stake. There was the close election of 1800 between Aaron Burr—an unprincipled fellow with dictatorial impulses who was in some ways the Donald Trump of his day—and Thomas Jefferson. The 1860 contest between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas, with the Civil War looming. Or the 1932 election during the Great Depression, the stakes of which were so consequential that when Franklin D. Roosevelt was warned he’d be known as the worst president in U.S. history if his recovery program failed, FDR reportedly replied, “If it fails, I’ll be the last one.” An extraordinary consensus exists among historians, political scientists, diplomats, national security officials, and other experts that the stakes of the U.S.…

IN EARLY SEPTEMBER 2001, at the World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa, Indian Dalit activists were desperately rallying support to get caste recognized as a manifestation of racism. The term Dalit, derived from the Sanskrit word for oppressed, is used to describe people placed by India’s caste system at the very bottom of the social hierarchy and once called “untouchables.” As delegates from around the world lobbied in Durban, Dalits had reportedly won the backing of the spokesperson of the European Union, as well as that of representatives from Guatemala and Switzerland. A handful of other Euro-pean countries had also promised their support. But months of strategizing and advocacy failed to materialize when the Dalits were let down by a crucial constituency: their own government. For decades, New…

Firmly established as the business and cross-border investment hub of choice for Africa, Mauritius has one of the continent’s most dynamic economies. Between 2015 and 2019, its gross domestic product (GDP) rose by an average 3.8% a year. Foreign direct investment is also on the up, reaching $472 million in 2019 compared to $372 the previous year. Reasons for its success include the Indian Ocean island nation’s location between mainland Africa and Asia. It capitalizes on this through a wide network of double-taxation and free trade agreements, which include membership of regional economic blocs. Mauritius is also a highly stable democracy, with Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth being reelected in November with a clear mandate to continue his reforming agenda. Many of his government’s reforms aim to maintain the country as…

Virginia Tech's School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) seeks applicants eager for the opportunity for service in today's tumultuous world and willing to translate ideals and theories into practice. Successful applicants demonstrate the kind of commitment that reflects the university's motto: "Ut Prosim," which means "That I May Serve." "Given the urgency and complexity of the problems spurred by the pandemic, including economic uncertainty and political turbulence, the world needs leaders who can think strategically, interdisciplinary, and multinationally," says Ariel I. Ahram, associate professor and chair of SPIA's Government and International Affairs program. "Real-world experience is paramount. SPIA students are positioned to bridge the gap between theory and policy." Typically, half of SPIA's graduate students attend full-time and half are working professionals who attend part-time-a combination that is integral…

Candidates for the Keough School of Global Affairs should highlight their professional experiences and demonstrate how this master's degree in global affairs would be a natural stepping-stone in their overall career plans. "Be candid and transparent about your professional experiences during the application process, so that others may recognize the value you bring to the program," says Becca Mendez, associate director of the Keough School Master of Global Affairs program. She recommends that applicants to the Master of Global Affairs program have at least two years of previous work or volunteer experience, because its curriculum focuses on the intersection of theory and practice. Students must be able to weigh academic theories taught in the classroom against their own experience. Admissions candidates also should be proficient in English, have proficiency in…

George Mason University's Schar School of Policy and Government provides its students with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in the constantly changing international environment, now racked by a pandemic and fraught with conflict. Located in a public policy crucible bounded by the Pentagon, White House, and US Capitol, the Schar School offers students an academic crossroads where science and policy intersect. The Schar School's graduate programs span the public policy gamut, allowing students to learn from professors with real-world experience and helping them gain the practical knowledge needed to lead government agencies and nonprofit organizations and develop public policies and programs. For example, the MS in Biodefense, offered both on campus and online, trains students to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the full range of biological threats,…

Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) cultivates graduates who will construct a more inclusive and equitable world. When building its student community, the school looks for excellence, diversity, and a dedication to public service. "We are an inclusive and supportive community at Princeton, bound together by our commitment to public service-it's the single biggest thing we look for in our admissions process," says SPIA Director of Graduate Admissions Steven F. Petric. "We know that the best applicants do not all come from the same place. We care about the composition of our community." This commitment to public service should not only serve as the impetus for career aspirations, but it should also be evidenced through prior full-time professional and volunteer work. "We look for individuals working on…

SUMMER ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE THE CRUELEST SEASON in the Middle East. The examples include the June 1967 war, Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in 1982, the hijacking of Trans World Airlines Flight 847 in 1985, Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990, and the Islamic State’s rampage through Iraq in 2014. The summer of 2020 has already joined that list. But the world should also be attuned to another possibility. Given how widespread bloodshed, despair, hunger, disease, and repression have become, a new—and far darker—chapter for the region is about to begin. A little more than a decade ago, analysts imagined a region in which political systems were reliably authoritarian and stable. Since the Arab uprisings in 2011, the narrative has shifted to one of instability but with an expectation…

WHEN ESRA BILGIC, THE 27-YEAR-OLD STAR of the popular Turkish television drama Dirilis: Ertugrul (“Resurrection: Ertugrul”), posted a picture of herself in a bralette and blazer on Instagram, she couldn’t have anticipated the collective lamentation that would follow. Bilgic—who plays Halime Hatun, a Seljuk warrior princess married to the titular Ertugrul Ghazi and the mother of Osman, eventual founder of the Ottoman Empire—received thousands of comments, but the response from a certain segment of fans was doleful, to say the least. “Where is halima Sultan i saw yesterday night,” one commenter inquired, echoing the distress of his compatriots and noting that he had been seeking repentance for himself as well as for the actor. “What will you do when Allah will ask you about your this posture. … Stay blessed…

The programs at UC San Diego's School of Global Policy and Strategy (CPS) are especially apt for issues affecting today's world. All of the school's degrees have options geared toward challenges that policy makers are facing in addressing COVID-19, racial justice and inequality, and sustainability. Master of Public Policy (MPP) specialization in Health Policy. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated more than any event in recent history how public policy and health policy are interlinked, says Sonja Steinbrech, director of admissions. "Informed by science, data, and health professionals, our graduates are prepared to lead the future of local, state, federal, and global health policy," she says. MPP specialization in Inequality and Social Policy. The school's newest MPP has quickly risen to become its most popular track. "As inequality continues to rise…

"Do not overthink your graduate school application" is the advice of Daniel Kristo, assistant dean of graduate enrollment management at Seton Hall University's School of Diplomacy and International Relations. "Once you have decided to apply, use the energy behind your decision to complete the application early," Kristo says. "This may increase your chances for admission and scholarship consideration." Seton Hall encourages applicants to research the program details and admission requirements for the School of Diplomacy and International Relations and to identify a school point of contact who can help them throughout their application process and beyond. Applicants also should identify a support team that includes both academic and professional mentors who can write recommendation letters. Every year, the school's graduate admissions committee holistically reviews hundreds of applications from a diverse…

Passion, curiosity, and independence are some of the key characteristics of successful applicants to the University of Kent's Brussels School of International Studies (BSIS). Admissions staff look for signs of these traits as they scrutinize motivation letters, scouring for more than the minimum entry requirements in a candidate's all-around profile to consider their work experience, volunteer work, and extracurricular activities. Located in the Belgian capital, which is home to most of the European Union's institutions, BSIS seeks students with a variety of backgroundsin the social sciences, the classics, philosophy, languages, or history. Its aim for diversity is geographic, too. BSIS's approximately 250 students hail from about 55 countries across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. "Our students are independent, curious, and like to challenge and question norms," says Jeremy Carrette,…

At Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, global professionals working across sectors converge in an educational environment rich in real-world experience. The Executive Master of International Relations (EMIR) program brings together mid-career professionals from diverse fields, including foreign policy, diplomacy, trade, the environment, education, health, security, and cyber. Committed to the public good and to tackling complex challenges, EMIR students gain insights from their classmates while establishing a network of like-minded changemakers, including 33,000 Maxwell School alumni around the world. "While Maxwell offers a range of highly regarded professional master's degrees, the EMIR is specifically tailored for the experienced professional who wants to advance to a higher level of executive leadership or transition into the international arena," says Cory Meyers, director of enrollment management. The EMIR degree…

Successful candidates for the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies at Indiana University have advanced knowledge of at least one world language and are committed to a multidisciplinary approach to studying international affairs-or a particular area of the world. One of the largest international affairs schools in the country, the Hamilton Lugar School leads the United States in Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowships, with more than 80 languages offered at the school and Indiana University. The prestigious US Department of Education-funded FLAS fellowships carry generous stipends and tuition benefits and support the development of cultural fluency and global expertise in nearly every area of the world, including Africa, East Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Russia and Central Asia. With 46 pathways at the…

The Yale Jackson Institute for Global Affairs is small by design-about 30 MA in Global Affairs students and a handful in the Master of Advanced Study (MAS) program. Students graduate from the close-knit school with connections to colleagues throughout the world, in addition to enjoying broad flexibility in their studies. "Jackson students create their own tailored curriculum, choosing courses from across the university," says Asha Rangappa, director of admissions. "There is a way to tailor your course of study that is broader in the selection of courses and access to faculty than most policy programs, and much more specific to your area of interest." Most successful applicants to the Jackson Institute have worked for at least two years and shown an interest in global affairs in both their academic and…

THE KNOCK AT THE DOOR CAME ONE MORNING IN JULY for Xu Zhangrun. The Beijing-based legal scholar had long anticipated such a day would come, writing more than once that an essay might be his last and keeping a fresh change of clothes by the door of his home. A score of police officers surrounded and seized him, reportedly with an accusation that he had solicited prostitutes—a charge so commonly trumped up against dissidents that Xu himself previously warned it would be used against him. Until recently, he was a well-connected scholar at one of the country’s preeminent universities, Tsinghua. Now, he is in the opaque world of the party-state legal system. While he has been released for the moment, he remains closely monitored and is likely to face future…

WHEN A STATUE OF FRANÇOIS_MARIE AROUET was dramatically removed from outside the Académie Française in Paris this August, it was by no means only members of the far-right who expressed their outrage. On the contrary, self-styled moderates of all political persuasions said the prolific 18th-century writer best known by his nom de plume, Voltaire, should be untouchable. They were incensed when anti-racist graffiti was repeatedly sprayed on the stone depiction because of his links with the slave trade. In turn, the accusations from those responsible for the vandalism were that Voltaire had personally invested in the French East India Company, founded in 1664 to exploit the products of the New World—a trade that included Africans being bought and sold as commodities for profit. Voltaire had plenty of enemies, and there…

“AHEAD OF THE 2020 U.S. ELECTIONS,” National Counterintelligence and Security Center Director William Evanina declared in an Aug. 7 statement, “foreign states will continue to use covert and overt influence measures in their attempts to sway U.S. voters’ preferences and perspectives.” Such activities may be less dramatic than an armed attack, but they’re even more sinister. And although there are ways to counter them, the United States is running out of time to get it right. In the run-up to the November vote, the United States’ rivals, Evanina explained in his remarks, will try to “shift U.S. policies, increase discord in the United States, and undermine the American people’s confidence” in their democracy. In his agency’s assessment, while China works to discredit U.S. President Donald Trump, Russia is aiming to…

SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, WHEN COVID_19 STRUCK EUROPE, headlines portrayed overflowing hospitals in Italy, policy mistakes in Britain and Sweden, mismanaged senior care in Belgium, and misbehaving youth in Spanish discos. Two months later—after European governments imposed lockdowns, mask-wearing, testing, and tracing—the incidence of new cases plummeted. By July, vacationing Europeans were strolling through Piazza Navona in Rome, attending the opera in Salzburg, and dining in Paris. Americans are not welcome to cross the Atlantic, however, because the United States has failed to match Europe’s resilience. Instead, new cases trended upward through the summer, leaving the average American 10 times more likely to contract the coronavirus than the average European. Europe’s success is not coincidental. Studies show that countries with higher income equality and sound expert-based government regulation—areas in which European…

ANNE APPLEBAUM OPENS HER NEW BOOK, Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism, with a scene on the long winter night of Dec. 31, 1999, in a newly restored family house somewhere in the deep Polish countryside, where a big party is set to celebrate the coming of the new millennium. The closing scene is in the same house 20 years later, where the author has been spending the coronavirus lockdown. In the two decades that stretch between, many of the guests of Applebaum’s new millennium party—a colorful mix of conservative intellectuals, diplomats, and politicians—have become her political enemies, passionate supporters of Donald Trump and Poland’s anti-liberal counterrevolution. “Were some of our friends always closet authoritarians?” she wonders. “Or have the people with whom we clinked glasses in the first…

Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) is putting a premium on flexibility, in a world upturned by a pandemic layered atop widespread economic and social upheaval. As the school adjusts its programming, financial aid, and networking and advising opportunities to the new reality, it is encouraging prospective students to demonstrate their own resourcefulness. "Be creative and show your individuality," says Sidney T. Jackson, assistant dean for global enrollment and recruitment at Johns Hopkins SAIS, noting that evaluators scrutinize application essays for characteristics such as authenticity. "An application that will stand out from others is genuine and comes from a place of honesty." In addition to a strong academic record and a passion for a career in international relations, successful applicants show quantitative aptitude, some professional experience related…

The Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver understands that the world's most vexing problems require solutions that cross different academic disciplines. In addition to traditional international affairs and public policy master's programs, the school offers dual majors and certificate programs that allow students to delve into complex problems using multiple areas of study. Examples of certificates that can be added to the Korbel School degree programs include Global Health Affairs and Humanitarian Assistance. Students work on "making the global economy more equitable and inclusive, responding to new and emerging security threats, advancing human rights and social justice, combating climate change, and promoting healthy democracy," says Daniel Doerr, director of graduate enrollment at the Korbel School. Successful applicants typically have experience working, volunteering, or studying abroad.…

When American University broke ground on its School of International Service (SIS) in 1957, President Dwight D. Eisenhower was on hand to make remarks. The 34th president, once an Army general, spoke often in those days about the need to "wage peace." That idea still thrives at SIS, which offers 20 graduate programs centered around the mission of service, many of which also focus on social justice. "Our mission very much comes from our history," says Jia Jiang, director of graduate enrollment management. "The history is waging peace. It's about promoting cross-cultural understanding, collaboration, and dialogue before we think about dramatic actions. Waging peace versus war is always the harder thing to do. What this means for our students today is to strive to be advocates for social justice and…

Candidates for the Executive Master of Global Affairs and Management (EMAGAM) program at Arizona State University's Thunderbird School of Global Management should tap their recent work experience to illustrate how they have acclimated to the ongoing pandemic, advises Sanjeev Khagram, the school's director general and dean. The EMAGAM, for mid-career professionals, prepares graduates for leadership positions within their existing organizations, or to make a bold move in their careers by switching industries entirely. "At work, you have been adapting to new ways of doing things," Khagram says. "Look for leadership opportunities in your community. If you can, step up into leadership roles during this time of crisis. Be a thought leader for your industry." Applicants to the EMAGAM should explore online courses and research different areas of expertise to get…