Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies
Rivals Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg Set to Discuss AI
Sarah Kreps, PACS
Sarah Kreps, professor of government, says, “They keep talking about wanting to be regulated; actions are speaking louder than their words and the actions are showing that they're investing billions of dollars trying to make the most advancements the fastest.”
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Experts Envision Afghanistan’s Future
Next Generation’s Initiative Conference
“If you block peaceful politics, then you make room for unpeaceful politics,” said a presenter at the Sept. 9 conference at Cornell.
By Phoebe Wagner
The Next Generation's Initiative: Learning from the Past to Build the Future of Afghanistan – a conference held on Cornell campus on Saturday, Sept. 9 – brought together Afghan scholars and experts in politics and law to analyze Afghanistan’s recent past for clues about how to build a brighter future. The event was hosted by the South Asia Program (SAP), part of the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies, and the Clarke Initiative for Law and Development in the Middle East and North Africa at Cornell Law School.
The nine presenters engaged in discussions about the future of Afghanistan on governance and constitutionality, the public sphere, rule of law, and public perspectives. The conference opened with a welcome from SAP visiting scholar Sharif Hozoori, an Institute of International Education Scholar Rescue Fund fellow and an expert on Afghanistan politics.
The first presenter, Farid Tookhy, a senior fellow at the Institute for Peace and Diplomacy, centered questions of how Afghans can work together to create the future of Afghanistan. Zinab Attai, a PhD student in comparative politics at Cornell, emphasized how “Afghanistan’s history is punctuated by recurrent instances of foreign intervention.”
Mirwais Balkhi, a fellow at the Wilson Center, spoke to the need to redefine Afghanistan as a nation state, and to “develop a country for ourselves.” How the new generation addresses this issue is crucial, he said. When Afghans come together and learn about the history of the country and talk about a shared destiny for their country, people can envision a homeland for themselves.
Another major issue is the system of governance, panelists argued. Anything could be possible in the current situation – even the collapse of the country or the fragmentation of Afghanistan into different local zones – which Afghanistan as a nation state could not easily recover from in the future.
A global development undergraduate asked, “How did the executive branch influence the legislative branch to exercise its power? Was it because of a constitutional flaw, or because the constitution wasn’t used at all?”
Shamshad Pasarlay of University of Chicago Law School responded, “Constitutions alone cannot be blamed on the failure of a state.” In the U.S., he said, it’s a document that works – even though it’s imperfect. It can be used as a focal point in the executive branch and legal system.
“If you block peaceful politics, he continued, “then you make room for unpeaceful politics.”
By creating a space for thoughtful discussions, there was room for respectful disagreement. Participants engaged with and challenged presenters, and the panels’ common themes created a rich dialogue. The discussion demonstrated the diversity of thought that is needed for envisioning new futures and generating change.
In his closing remarks, Tawab Danish of Cornell Law highlighted the conference’s breadth of topics, from nation-building to identity. When discussing Afghanistan and Afghans’ rights, he said, it’s important to have the people suggesting solutions to be of the place – and this insider perspective was part of what made the day’s conversation so productive.
“International scholars have often written about and presented on Afghanistan, but Afghan scholars know the country though their direct lived experiences,” said Danish.
The conference was cosponsored by the Einaudi Center's Comparative Muslim Societies Program and Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies and the Department of Near Eastern Studies, Department of Government, and Religious Studies Program in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Phoebe Wagner is an MPS student in the Department of Global Development (CALS) and a FLAS fellow in Hindi at the South Asia Program.
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Topic
- Democratic Threats and Resilience
Program
Information Session: Dissertation Proposal Development Program
October 23, 2023
4:45 pm
The Einaudi Dissertation Proposal Development Program (DPD) supports 12 PhD students annually by offering seminars, workshops, mentoring sessions, and up to $5,000 for summer research. Applicants’ research projects must focus on global issues, but the proposed research setting may be international or domestic.
In this session, you'll learn more about the details of the program and advice on the application process.
Register for event here.
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The Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies hosts info sessions for graduate and for undergraduate students to learn more about funding opportunities, international travel, research, and internships. View the full calendar of fall semester sessions.
Additional Information
Program
Einaudi Center for International Studies
Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies
Comparative Muslim Societies Program
East Asia Program
Southeast Asia Program
Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Institute for African Development
Institute for European Studies
South Asia Program
Information Session: Fulbright for Undergraduates
October 26, 2023
4:45 pm
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program supports U.S. citizens to study, conduct research in any field, or teach English in more than 150 countries. Students who wish to begin the program immediately after graduation are encouraged to start the process in their junior year. Recent graduates are welcome to apply through Cornell.
The Fulbright program at Cornell is administered by the Mario Einaudi Center for International studies. Applicants are supported through all stages of the application and are encouraged to start early by contacting fulbright@einaudi.cornell.edu.
Register for the info session.
***
The Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies hosts info sessions for graduate and for undergraduate students to learn more about funding opportunities, international travel, research, and internships. View the full calendar of fall semester sessions.
Additional Information
Program
Einaudi Center for International Studies
Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies
Comparative Muslim Societies Program
East Asia Program
Southeast Asia Program
Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Institute for African Development
Institute for European Studies
South Asia Program
Information Session: Opportunities in European Studies
October 24, 2023
4:45 pm
Uris Hall, G-08
This information session for undergraduate and graduate students will provide more information on funding opportunities from the Institute for European Studies, as well as the requirements for the European studies minor.
Register here for in-person attendance, or here for virtual registration.
***
The Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies hosts info sessions for graduate and for undergraduate students to learn more about funding opportunities, international travel, research, and internships. View the full calendar of fall semester sessions.
Additional Information
Program
Einaudi Center for International Studies
Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies
Institute for European Studies
Information Session: Internships in Africa & Latin America
October 19, 2023
4:45 pm
Uris Hall, G-08
Learn about global summer interships from the Institute for African Development and Latin American and Caribbean Studies program, part of the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies.
Annual internships from these programs send undergraduate students to Ghana, Zambia, or Ecuador for 6-8 weeks over the summer to engage in hands-on fieldwork. Attend this session to learn about applications for the coming year.
Register here.
***
The Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies hosts info sessions for graduate and for undergraduate students to learn more about funding opportunities, international travel, research, and internships. View the full calendar of fall semester sessions.
Additional Information
Program
Einaudi Center for International Studies
Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies
Comparative Muslim Societies Program
Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Institute for African Development
Institute for European Studies
Information Session: Fulbright for Graduate Students
October 18, 2023
4:45 pm
In this info session for graduate students, learn about Fulbright at Cornell.
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides full funding for graduate and professional students conducting research in any field or teaching in more than 150 countries. Open to U.S. citizens only.
The Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad program supports doctoral students conducting research in modern languages or area studies for six to 12 months. Open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents of the United States. Travel to Western European countries is not eligible.
Register for the information session.
***
The Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies hosts info sessions for graduate and for undergraduate students to learn more about funding opportunities, international travel, research, and internships. View the full calendar of fall semester sessions.
Additional Information
Program
Einaudi Center for International Studies
Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies
Comparative Muslim Societies Program
East Asia Program
Southeast Asia Program
Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Institute for African Development
Institute for European Studies
South Asia Program
Information Session: Laidlaw Research and Leadership Program
November 2, 2023
4:45 pm
Uris Hall, 153
Learn more about the Laidlaw Leadership and Research Program for undergraduates, tips for connecting with faculty research mentors, and advice for writing a successful application.
Laidlaw promotes ethical leadership and international research around the world—starting with the passionate leaders and learners found on campuses like Cornell.
Open to first- and second-year students, the two-year program provides generous support to carry out internationally focused research, develop leadership skills, engage with community projects overseas, and become part of a global network of like-minded scholars from more than a dozen universities.
Register for the information session here.
***
The Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies hosts info sessions for graduate and for undergraduate students to learn more about funding opportunities, international travel, research, and internships. View the full calendar of fall semester sessions.
Additional Information
Program
Einaudi Center for International Studies
Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies
Comparative Muslim Societies Program
East Asia Program
Southeast Asia Program
Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Institute for African Development
Institute for European Studies
South Asia Program
Information Session: Migration Studies & International Relations Minors
November 1, 2023
5:00 pm
Uris Hall, G-08
Learn more about the migration studies minor and international relations minor—offered by the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies. Both minors are open to all Cornell undergraduates and include courses from across the university.
With a focus on global migration experiences, the migration studies minor prepares students to understand the historical and contemporary contexts and factors that drive international migration.
The international relations minor offers students the chance to study the politics, economics, history, languages, and cultures of the world.
Register here.
***
The Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies hosts info sessions for graduate and for undergraduate students to learn more about funding opportunities, international travel, research, and internships. View the full calendar of fall semester sessions.
Additional Information
Program
Einaudi Center for International Studies
Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies
Comparative Muslim Societies Program
East Asia Program
Southeast Asia Program
Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Institute for African Development
Politics, Art, and Free Expression
September 22, 2023
3:30 pm
Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art - Cornell University, Wing Lecture Room, Floor 2L
Artistic freedom is a fundamental democratic right.
Creative expression, from poetry to street art, theater, and literature, is often at the vanguard of political resistance and change, and so artists are some of the first to be silenced. In this panel, speakers discuss their own experiences as artists in authoritarian contexts where their ability to produce art was violently suppressed.
These artists have all found haven at Cornell. Their art speaks to the trauma of authoritarianism and the hope for change.
Speakers:
Sharifa “Elja” Sharifi, Afghan visiting scholar and 2022–23 Artist Protection Fund Fellow at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art
Pedro X. Molina, Nicaraguan political cartoonist and visiting critic with the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies
Khadija Monis '24, Afghan student, poet and artist
Rachel Beatty Riedl (moderator), director of the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies and John S. Knight Professor of International Studies
The event is sponsored by the Johnson Museum and Global Cornell as part of the university’s theme this year on The Indispensable Condition: Freedom of Expression at Cornell. The event will be held in person and livestreamed.
Additional Information
Program
Einaudi Center for International Studies
Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies
Comparative Muslim Societies Program
East Asia Program
Southeast Asia Program
Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Institute for African Development
Institute for European Studies
South Asia Program