Join Einaudi Center experts for World in Focus Talks on global events in the news and on your mind. Our faculty's research and policy insights put the world in focus.

This year we’re hosting informal campus discussions on many Tuesday afternoons. This week’s topic:

Hostile drone activity has risen sharply in Europe this fall. The incidents have shut down airports, heightened military alertness, and triggered diplomatic responses from NATO and EU countries. Many analysts believe the incursions are part of a Russian-led hybrid warfare campaign designed to disrupt aviation and critical infrastructure, probe defenses, and test NATO’s resolve.

How will different parts of Europe react to drone threats? What could be the impacts on international relations and the conflict in Ukraine?

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Featured Faculty

James Rogers | Brooks Tech Policy InstituteBryn Rosenfeld (IES) | GovernmentMagnus Fiskesjö (EAP, PACS, SEAP) | AnthropologyAgnieszka Nimark (PACS) | Affiliated ScholarChris Way (IES, PACS) | GovernmentDavid Cortright (PACS) | Visiting Scholar

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Conversations Matter at Einaudi

This conversation is hosted by the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies and its regional and thematic programs. Find out what's in store for students at Einaudi!

Join SEAP and GETSEA for a simulcast film screening of Vietnamerica.

We will watch the film on the Cornell campus, then join an online discussion with audiences at universities across the US for a Q&A with the filmmakers.

Following the wars in Vietnam, over two million people fled to country with the collapse of the Republic of Vietnam. That exodus, referred to by many as “the boat people” resulted in nearly half dying while in flight, battling the elements, starvation, and pirates.

Vietnamerica follows Master Nguyen Hoa as he returns to former refugee camps in Southeast Asia after three decades abroad to search for the graves of his wife and two children. Having fled Vietnam in 1981 on a boat with his family and friends, Hoa was the only survivor.

Executive Producer Nancy Bui of the Vietnamese Heritage Foundation joins GETSEA and over 20 universities across North America to watch Vietnamerica together simultaneously and connect via Zoom for a discussion with the filmmaker about the Vietnamese diaspora, their struggle, and how Master Hoa’s story is a prism to see the larger group.

Go global in summer 2026! Global Internships give you valuable international work experience in fields spanning global development, climate and sustainability, international relations, communication, business, governance, and more.

Applications are open now.

Register here. Can’t attend? Contact programs@einaudi.cornell.edu.

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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.

The Laidlaw Scholars Leadership and Research Program 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 Laidlaw 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 twenty universities worldwide.

At this session, we'll share more information about the program, including Cornell's cohort-based intercultural community-engaged learning summer experience in Ecuador, and tips for writing a successful application. Applications are due January 12, 2026.

Applicants are also strongly encouraged to attend a Q+A webinar about the summer experience in Ecuador. Q+A webinars are scheduled for November 5 and November 6.

Register here. Can’t attend? Contact programs@einaudi.cornell.edu.

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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.

Join us for our BeComing Lunch Series with Joaquin Rivera. BeComing is a space for discussion about personal experiences, successes, challenges, and growth – inside and outside of academic settings. Enjoy a catered lunch, free and open to all!Zarifa Ghafari is a prominent Afghan politician, activist, and media entrepreneur, widely recognize for her unwavering commitment to women’s rights and empowerment in Afghanistan. As one of the country’s first female mayors, she spearheaded initiatives that challenged entrenched societal norms while improving urban services. She is also the founder of Peghla Radio, a platform dedicated to amplifying women’s voices, and the nonprofit Assistance and Promotion for Afghan Women (APAW), which advances women’s social, economic, and political participation.

Ghafari’s leadership has earned her numerous international honours, including the U.S. Department of State’s International Women of Courage Award (2020), BBC 100 Influential Women (2019), North-South Prize of the Council of Europe - 2020, and Asia’s Outstanding Women Leadership Award (2019). She has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize (2023–2024) by Swiss parliamentarians and is featured in the Netflix documentary In Her Hands. Her memoir, Zarifa: A Woman’s Battle in a Man’s World, has been published in eight languages around the world, offering readers a powerful account of three generations of women’s lives in Afghanistan.

Currently pursuing her Master of Public Administration (MPA) at Cornell University (Class of 2026), with a major on Government, Politics, and Policy Studies and minor of Peace Studies, Ghafari also holds a prior Master’s degree from Punjab University, India. Through her activism and leadership, she continues to inspire change and garner international recognition as a leading voice for gender equality.”

We strive to make our events accessible to everyone. For accommodation requests and information, please contact aasp@cornell.edu or aaac@cornell.edu.