Content Type: Video - CIAO Search Results

201. Environmental Activism in Russia

Publication Date:: 02-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: Our panel of distinguished experts will discuss the growing environmental activism movement in Russia. We will be joined by both academics and activists who will explore the unique challenges that environmental activists have faced and continue to endure in Russia. They will also assess the results achieved to date by the Russian environmentalist movement, both from those operating within the country and those abroad.
Topic:: Climate Change, Environment, and Activism
Political Geography:: Russia and Europe

202. Governing Habits: Treating Alcoholism in the Post-Soviet Clinic, Eugene Raikhel

Publication Date:: 02-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: Critics of narcology—as addiction medicine is called in Russia—decry it as being "backward," hopelessly behind contemporary global medical practices in relation to addiction and substance abuse, and assume that its practitioners lack both professionalism and expertise. On the basis of his research in a range of clinical institutions managing substance abuse in St. Petersburg, Eugene Raikhel increasingly came to understand that these assumptions and critiques obscured more than they revealed. Governing Habits is an ethnography of extraordinary sensitivity and awareness that shows how therapeutic practice and expertise is expressed in the highly specific, yet rapidly transforming milieu of hospitals, clinics, and rehabilitation centers in post Soviet Russia. Rather than interpreting narcology as a Soviet survival or a local clinical world on the wane in the face of globalizing evidence-based medicine, Raikhel examines the transformation of the medical management of alcoholism in Russia over the past twenty years. Raikhel's book is more than a story about the treatment of alcoholism. It is also a gripping analysis of the many cultural, institutional, political, and social transformations taking place in the post-Soviet world, particularly in Putin's Russia. Governing Habits will appeal to a wide range of readers, from medical anthropologists, clinicians, to scholars of post-Soviet Russia, to students of institutions and organizational change, to those interested in therapies and treatments of substance abuse, addiction, and alcoholism.
Topic:: Health, Mental Health, Alcohol, Post-Soviet Space, and Addiction
Political Geography:: Russia and Europe

203. Internationalist Aesthetics: China and Early Soviet Culture by Edward Tyerman

Publication Date:: 02-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: Following the failure of communist revolutions in Europe, in the 1920s the Soviet Union turned its attention to fostering anticolonial uprisings in Asia. China, divided politically between rival military factions and dominated economically by imperial powers, emerged as the Comintern’s prime target. At the same time, a host of prominent figures in Soviet literature, film, and theater traveled to China, met with Chinese students in Moscow, and placed contemporary China on the new Soviet stage. They sought to reimagine the relationship with China in the terms of socialist internationalism—and, in the process, determine how internationalism was supposed to look and feel in practice. Internationalist Aesthetics offers a groundbreaking account of the crucial role that China played in the early Soviet cultural imagination. Edward Tyerman tracks how China became the key site for Soviet debates over how the political project of socialist internationalism should be mediated, represented, and produced. The central figure in this story, the avant-garde writer Sergei Tret’iakov, journeyed to Beijing in the 1920s and experimented with innovative documentary forms in an attempt to foster a new sense of connection between Chinese and Soviet citizens. Reading across genres and media from reportage and biography to ballet and documentary film, Tyerman shows how Soviet culture sought an aesthetics that could foster a sense of internationalist community. He reveals both the aspirations and the limitations of this project, illuminating a crucial chapter in Sino-Russian relations. Grounded in extensive sources in Russian and Chinese, this cultural history bridges Slavic and East Asian studies and offers new insight into the transnational dynamics that shaped socialist aesthetics and politics in both countries.
Topic:: Nationalism, Arts, Culture, and Identity
Political Geography:: Europe and Soviet Union

204. What’s Next? Experts Respond to Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

Publication Date:: 03-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: Join us for a special meeting of the New York-Russia Public Policy Series, co-hosted by the Harriman Institute at Columbia University and the New York University Jordan Center for the Advanced Study of Russia. This event is also cosponsored by the Center for Social Media and Politics at NYU and the Salzman Institute of War and Peace Studies.
Topic:: Defense Policy, Military Strategy, Strategic Interests, and Russia-Ukraine War
Political Geography:: Russia, Europe, and Ukraine

205. Radomir Konstantinović’s The Philosophy of Parochialism

Publication Date:: 03-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: The Philosophy of Parochialism is Radomir Konstantinović’s (1928–2011) most celebrated and reviled book. First published in Belgrade as Filosofija palanke in 1969, it attracted keen attention and controversy through its unsparing critique of Serbian and any other nationalism in Yugoslavia and beyond. The book was prophetic, seeming to anticipate not only the bloody disintegration of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, but also the totalitarian turn in politics across the globe in the first decades of the new century. With this translation, English-speaking audiences can at last discover one of the most original writers of eastern European late modernism, and gain an important and original perspective into contemporary politics and culture in the West and beyond. This is a book that seems to age in reverse, as its meanings become deeper and more universal with the passage of time. Konstantinović’s book resists easy classification, mixing classical, Montaigne-like essay, prose poetry, novel, and literary history. The word “philosophy” in the book’s title refers to the solitary activity of reflection and critical thinking, and is also paradoxical: according to the author, a defining characteristic of parochialism is precisely its intolerance toward this kind of self-reflexivity. In Konstantinović’s analysis, parochialism is not a simply a characteristic of a geographical region or a cultural, political, and historical formation—these are all just manifestations of the parochial spirit as the spirit of insularity. His book illuminates the current moment, in which insularity undergirds not only ethnic and national divisions, but also dictates the very structure of everyday life, and where individuals can easily find themselves locked in an echo chamber of social media. The Philosophy of Parochialism can help us understand better not only the dead ends of ethnic nationalism and other atavistic ideologies, but also of those cultural forces such as digital technologies that have been built on the promise of overcoming those ideologies.
Topic:: Fragile/Failed State, Governance, Philosophy, State Building, and Modernization
Political Geography:: Kosovo, Yugoslavia, Serbia, and Montenegro

206. Sanctioning Russia: Implications and Expectation

Publication Date:: 03-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the West rapidly adopted unprecedented sanctions on Russia. These included a series of export controls and the sanctioning of the Russian Central Bank, major institutions in the financial sector as well as individual “oligarchs” who live and conduct business outside of the country. In addition to these government actions by the United States, the European Union and the UK, hundreds of Western private companies have withdrawn from the Russian market or suspended operations, further exacerbating Russian economic uncertainty. How likely are the sanctions to pressure Russia to halt its campaign in Ukraine, what is their purpose and logic, and what additional measures could be imposed?
Topic:: Economics, Hegemony, Sanctions, Conflict, and Russia-Ukraine War
Political Geography:: Russia, Europe, and Ukraine

207. Book Talk. #WomenofBiH

Publication Date:: 03-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: Please join the Harriman Institute for a talk with Amila Hrustić Batovanja and Masha Durkalić, two co-authors of the book #WomenofBiH, now newly available in English. Dijana Jelača (Brooklyn College) will participate as a discussant with Tanya Domi (Harriman Institute) as moderator. #WomenOfBiH is an artistic, activist, and research initiative comprised of biographies of over fifty BiH women who have broken stereotypes and advocated for women’s rights and emancipation. Each woman was illustrated by a different woman illustrator/designer/artist from Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is a book about first female artists, writers, poets, social workers, national heroines, directors, scientists, musicians, doctors, activists, professors, and other exceptional women from BiH. The initiative was started with the goal of increasing the visibility of women in Bosnia and Herzegovina and to encourage similar educational initiatives. It celebrates women who were trailblazers and pioneers in women’s rights and emancipation, who achieved worldwide fame in their respective fields of work and are some of the greatest treasures of BiH. The book was published in 2019 and has since traveled to more than fifty countries. The publishing of the book was financed by Open Society Foundation and by more than 500 crowdfunding supporters from all over the world. In 2020, the second edition of the book was published in Bosnian, as well as an English edition of 650 copies, supported by OSCE in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Topic:: Women, Feminism, Activism, and Gender
Political Geography:: Europe and Bosnia and Herzegovina

208. Book Talk. La Nijinska by Lynn Garafola

Publication Date:: 03-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: Overshadowed in life and legend by her brother Vaslav Nijinsky, Bronislava Nijinska had a far longer and more productive career. An architect of twentieth-century neoclassicism, she experienced the transformative power of the Russian Revolution and created her greatest work - Les Noces - under the influence of its avant-garde. Many of her ballets rested on the probing of gender boundaries, a mistrust of conventional gender roles, and the heightening of the ballerina's technical and artistic prowess. A prominent member of Russia Abroad, she worked with leading figures of twentieth-century art, music, and ballet, including Stravinsky, Diaghilev, Poulenc, Alexandra Exter, Natalia Goncharova, Frederick Ashton, Alicia Markova, and Maria Tallchief. She was also a remarkable dancer in her own right with a bravura technique and powerful stage presence that enabled her to perform an unusually broad repertory. Finally, she was the author of an acclaimed volume of memoirs in addition to a major treatise on movement. Nijinska's career sheds new light on the modern history of ballet and of modernism more generally, recuperating the memory of lost works and forgotten artists, many of them women. But it also reveals the sexism pervasive in the upper echelons of the early and mid-twentieth-century ballet world, barriers that women choreographers still confront. Lynn Garafola is Professor Emerita of Dance at Barnard College, Columbia University. A dance historian and critic, she is the author of Diaghilev's Ballets Russes and Legacies of Twentieth-Century Dance, and the editor of several books, including The Diaries of Marius Petipa, André Levinson on Dance (with Joan Acocella), José Limón: An Unfinished Memoir, and The Ballets Russes and Its World. She has curated several exhibitions, including Dance for a City: Fifty Years of the New York City Ballet, New York Story: Jerome Robbins and His World, Diaghilev's Theater of Marvels: The Ballets Russes and Its Aftermath, and, most recently, Arthur Mitchell: Harlem's Ballet Trailblazer.
Topic:: Arts, Culture, Feminism, Russian Revolution, and Gender
Political Geography:: Russia and Europe

209. Finding Common Ground: Intercultural Dialogue Among Youth in North Macedonia

Publication Date:: 03-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: Marija Krstevska will discuss her trajectory as a girl raised in a mono-ethnic environment to a young advocate for intercultural acceptance. She is the Secretary General of the Center for Intercultural Dialogue, a youth organization in Kumanovo, North Macedonia. Through that organization, she has created learning opportunities within non-formal education for diverse groups of learners, advocated for direct involvement in community decision-making, and supported youth participation through inclusive policies. She will discuss the importance of active citizenship, capacity building, and non-formal education in fostering intercultural dialogue among youth.
Topic:: Education, Culture, Youth, Activism, and Gender
Political Geography:: Europe and North Macedonia

210. Book Talk. Torture, Humiliate, Kill: Inside the Bosnian Serb Camp System by Hikmet Karčić

Publication Date:: 04-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: Please join us for a discussion with genocide scholar Hikmet Karčić, author of Torture, Humiliate, Kill: Inside the Bosnian Serb Camp System (University of Michigan Press, 2022), in conversation with discussant John Cox, director of the Center for Holocaust, Genocide & Human Rights Studies at UNC Charlotte. Moderated by Tanya Domi (SIPA/Harriman Institute).
Topic:: Genocide, Torture, Discrimination, Humanitarian Crisis, and Identity
Political Geography:: Europe and Bosnia and Herzegovina

211. Book Talk. Café Europa Revisited: How to Survive Post-Communism by Slavenka Drakulic

Publication Date:: 04-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: Please join the East Central European Center at the Harriman Institute for a book talk with Slavenka Drakulic, author of Café Europa Revisited: How to Survive Post-Communism (Penguin Books, 2021), an evocative and timely collection of essays that paints a portrait of Eastern Europe thirty years after the end of communism. This event is part of the Collective Memory and Democratic Backsliding in Central and Eastern Europe series organized by Harriman Institute Postdoctoral Fellow Čarna Pištan, and will be introduced by Aleksandar Bošković co-director of the East Central European Center.
Topic:: Communism, State Building, Post Cold War, Post-Soviet Space, and Anti-Communism
Political Geography:: Europe

212. Russia's Invasion of Ukraine: Reflections on Historical and Psychological Dimensions

Publication Date:: 04-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: Mariam Antadze will discuss the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and its mental health and psychosocial implications on communities. Focusing on how war affects mental health and psychosocial development facilitates a better understanding of trauma experienced by people who are directly or indirectly affected. Among the topics Antadze will discuss: Russia's post-Soviet invasions chronologically; what we have learned from Russia's war in Georgia; understanding how sociopolitical and psychological factors interact in war trauma; psycho- and mental health needs that arise from war; and justice as a healing factor.
Topic:: Defense Policy, Military Strategy, Mental Health, Health Crisis, and Russia-Ukraine War
Political Geography:: Europe and Ukraine

213. The First Deportation of Hungarian Jews in World War II, 1941

Publication Date:: 04-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: This talk emerges from a book project examining the history and events leading up to the first deportation of Hungarian Jews in 1941. During the first weeks of the campaign against the Soviet Union, the wartime Hungarian government deported more than 20 thousand "foreign” Jews to occupied Soviet territories. Most of them became the victims of the massacre of Kamenetsk-Podolsk in late August. This crime ushered in the period of the Holocaust that Father Patrick Desbois and Paul A. Shapiro have called the "Holocaust by bullets." The talk returns to and takes up the question of "alien Jews” in the period between 1919 and 1941 in East-Central Europe in general and in Hungary in particular, examining how government decrees were used by state authorities in Hungary and in Romania to make it very difficult for Jews to prove their citizenship. The authorities were thus able to 'create' 'aliens' out of unwanted Jews almost without limit. An analysis of these processes exposes the techniques used by nationalist regimes to incite hatred against different groups in society.
Topic:: Genocide, Citizenship, Holocaust, Humanitarian Crisis, and Identity
Political Geography:: Europe and Hungary

214. Disability and the War in Ukraine: Organized Support

Publication Date:: 04-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: Please join us for a panel discussion on disability and the war in Ukraine, organized by Svetlana Borodina (Harriman Institute). This event will feature the voices of the people who have been working to support people with disabilities in Ukraine during this war. They will speak about their first-hand experiences and the impact that this war has had on the lives of people with disabilities in Ukraine.
Topic:: War, Disability, and Russia-Ukraine War
Political Geography:: Europe and Ukraine

215. Russian-Turkish Relations: Past & Present

Publication Date:: 04-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: As Istanbul hosts Russian and Ukrainian negotiators for peace talks to end Russia’s war on Ukraine, and Turkey balances between Ukraine and Russia, Russian-Turkish relations may be entering a new phase. Relations between the two states have grown increasingly fraught in recent years, as the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan and Russia’s role in Syria and the Middle East come up against Turkey’s growing influence in the region. Panelists will discuss relations between Russia and Turkey by analyzing the historical legacies of the Russian and Ottoman empires, and by situating current policies in the broader context of Turkish and Russian relations with NATO, Europe, and the U.S.
Topic:: Diplomacy, International Cooperation, Bilateral Relations, and Alliance
Political Geography:: Russia, Europe, and Turkey

216. How Did Left-Wing Print Culture Experiment with Capitalism?

Publication Date:: 04-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: While many avant-garde periodicals enthusiastically embraced various aspects of the booming post-WWI economy and technology of the core countries, their imagined readership remained the proletariat or “the masses.” Although the predominantly left-wing avant-garde outlets were overflowing with articles exploring the perspectives opened up by Fordism, Taylorism, standardization, and rationalization, not only did their intended working-class readership experience the everyday regime of “scientific management,” but many of them, especially Hungarian organized workers in the industrial centers of the East Coast, actively fought it. Adopting the approaches of periodical studies, book history, and the cultural history of social life, this presentation has a twofold ambition. First, to understand what kind of political economy was envisioned by the avant-garde journals of the 1920s, especially concerning their interpretation of the distinguishing characteristics of the capitalist economic order. Second, to explore how working-class readers—either trade unionist social democrats or revolutionary communists—understood, re-created, or performed some of the techniques promoted by avant-garde journals: using tactics like speaking choirs, “living journals,” political collages, and workers’ photography to critique that same economic reality of post-WWI capitalism. Through the study of hitherto largely unexplored primary sources, including avant-garde periodicals and leaflets, editorial material, secret police accounts, Comintern documents, and annotated pages of avant-garde and labor movement publications, this lecture investigates how the avant-garde radical imagination about capitalism resonated in the larger ecosystem of workers’ culture. It also explores the significant role of centers like New York City—a global hub of avant-garde periodicals, the heart of surging Fordist capitalism, and a battlefield for multi-ethnic organized workers, including a large number of Hungarian immigrants—played in the formation of a Hungarian-language counter-hegemonic public sphere.
Topic:: Media, Work Culture, Leftist Politics, and Identity
Political Geography:: Europe, Hungary, North America, and United States of America

217. The Parallels of Russian Bellicosity in the Balkans in the Example of Ukraine

Publication Date:: 04-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: Just last month, the Russian Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina issued issued a startling threat to the Bosnian government’s aspirations to join NATO. “Bosnia and Herzegovina have the right to decide whether to be a member of NATO, but Moscow reserves the right to respond to such an opportunity,” he said. Russia warned Bosnia and Herzegovina that it could be the Kremlin's next target following Ukraine. This is not the first time Russia has threatened Bosnia. The parallels to Russia’s threats to Ukraine are unerringly uncanny. Bosnia’s significance to Western powers and to Russia stems from the same fact: The country is located squarely at the intersection of NATO and Russian influence. The West recognizes some of the potential Bosnia could have if it were brought into the NATO bloc, but seems not to understand the ramifications of the country slipping into Kremlin-induced disarray. For its part, Russia is just being consistent: Just as it unsuccessfully attempted to prevent Montenegro and North Macedonia from joining NATO, so too is it trying to halt Bosnian aspirations toward the same goal. Bosnia and threatened Balkan states North Macedonia and Montenegro remain fragile to Russian manipulation of its proxies in all of these countries and in the Balkan neighborhood.
Topic:: Defense Policy, NATO, Regional Cooperation, Military Strategy, and Hegemony
Political Geography:: Russia, Europe, Ukraine, and Bosnia and Herzegovina

218. Book Panel: Rethinking the Gulag: Identities, Sources, Legacies

Publication Date:: 04-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: Please join us for the launch of the new volume Rethinking the Gulag: Identities, Sources, Legacies (Indiana University Press, March 2022). Editors Alan Barenberg and Emily Johnson will be joined by contributors Gavin Slade (Nazarbayev University), Mikhail Nakonechnyi (University of Helsinki), and Sarah Young (University College London), discussant Dan Healey (University of Oxford), and moderator Mark Lipovetsky (Columbia University).
Topic:: Crime, Prisons/Penal Systems, and Abuse
Political Geography:: Global Focus

219. How Central Asia Became Part of the Developing World

Publication Date:: 04-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: During the Soviet period, official narratives presented Central Asia as a former colony that had been integrated on equal terms into the USSR while overcoming economic backwardness. This ambiguity was useful for Moscow’s Cold War politics and also shaped how Central Asian actors maneuvered within the Soviet system. In the late Soviet period, this ambiguity was largely abandoned. Some Central Asians began to insist on the region’s colonial status, while economists and sociologists in Moscow argued that Soviet development efforts had failed and that the region was culturally too different to fit into socialist economic schemes. In this talk, Kalinovsky will trace how different groups within the USSR can the late Soviet period came to reimagine Central Asia as a part of the Third World, discarding the ambiguity of earlier decades. These views also had profound implications for the region’s post-independence transformation: Western development professionals who came to Central Asia after 1991 found the region much more developed than other places they had worked. That also changed over the course of the 1990s, in part because of the continuing influence of Russian scholars, and in part as a result of the development community's evolving understanding of regional challenges (informed, to a large extent, by local scholars), a change that was solidified with the post 9-11 turn to the Global War on Terror. Artemy Kalinovsky is Professor of Russian, Soviet, and post-Soviet Studies at Temple University. He earned his BA from the George Washington University and his MA and PhD from the London School of Economics, after which he spent a decade teaching at the University of Amsterdam. His first book was A Long Goodbye: The Soviet Withdrawal from Afghanistan (Harvard University Press, 2011). His second book, Laboratory of Socialist Development: Cold War Politics and Decolonization in Soviet Tajikistan (Cornell University Press, 2018), won the Davis and Hewett prizes from the Association of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies. He is currently working on a project that studies the legacies of socialist development in contemporary Central Asia to examine entanglements between socialist and capitalist development approaches in the late 20th century.
Topic:: Development, Economics, Capitalism, and Decolonization
Political Geography:: Central Asia and Asia

220. Eyes that Lead: The History of Guide Dogs for the Blind in East Central Europe and Beyond

Publication Date:: 04-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: The lecture explores a hitherto overlooked episode in the history of the human-animal relations: the establishment of professional guide dog training after the First World War, which had its origins in Central Europe. Under this scheme, dogs became helpers, and, furthermore, equal partners to disabled soldiers and soon thereafter also to blind civilians. The lecture shows how the resultant cooperation between guide dogs and their owners placed the human–animal bond on a new footing. It also reveals how an idea initiated by veterans of the German and Austro-Hungarian army spread across the world and what adjustments were necessary to make the scheme suitable for different economic, cultural and social settings. In a broader context the lecture seeks to call attention to the potentials of the burgeoning fields of animal studies and disability histories for the study of East Central Europe.
Topic:: Culture, Disability, and Animals
Political Geography:: Europe

221. Byzantium as Seen by the White Russians in Constantinople

Publication Date:: 04-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: or the broad public in pre-revolutionary Russia, Byzantium belonged to religious discourse; it also became a battle cry for Russian imperialism. And, by an irony of history, it was that long-coveted Byzantium that greeted the White Russians as they, orphaned refugees, disembarked in Constantinople following their defeat in the Civil War. What sentiments did the Byzantine monuments inspire in them? It appears that their attitudes were more nuanced than pure nostalgia or dismissal. Sergey A. Ivanov is a member of the British Academy. He has published more than 200 scholarly works on Byzantine culture and the relations between Byzantium and the Slavs. Among his monographs are Holy Fools in Byzantium and Beyond (Oxford, 2006), “Pearls Before Swine:” Missionary Work in Byzantium (Paris, 2015) and "Византийская культура и агиография" (Moscow, 2020, Byzantine Culture and Hagiography). His guidebook "В поисках Константинополя" was first published in Russian in 2011, went through three editions and was translated into Bulgarian and Turkish. It was published in English as In Search of Constantinople. A Guidebook Through Byzantine Istanbul and Its Surroundings in March 2022.
Topic:: Culture, Urban, Cities, and Monuments
Political Geography:: Russia, Europe, Turkey, and Istanbul

222. A Conversation with Polish Basketball Legend Kent Washington

Publication Date:: 05-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: Join the East Central European Center at the Harriman Institute, Columbia University for a conversation with Kent Washington, the first African-American and first American to play professional basketball in Cold War Eastern Europe. Recruited into the top Polish league in 1979, Washington went on to play five seasons in the Solidarity-era communist country. His story told for the first time in his new memoir, Kentomania: A Black Basketball Virtuoso in Communist Poland, is unprecedented, weaving together professionalism, race, and politics in powerful and daring ways. Washington will appear in conversation with Columbia University Lecturer in Polish Christopher Caes.
Topic:: Cold War, Communism, Race, and Sports
Political Geography:: Europe and Poland

223. Russia’s War on Ukraine: A New Phase

Publication Date:: 06-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has entered a new phase. The Kremlin’s initial plan to seize Kyiv with a lightning strike failed due to spirited defense by the Ukrainian military. In response, Russia has concentrated forces in the Donbas, and to a lesser extent southern Ukraine. Fighting remains fierce in these areas and experts disagree about the trajectory of the conflict. Some argue that Ukraine’s superior morale and greater international support will be decisive, while others point to Russia’s sheer advantage in numbers. Our panel of experts will discuss the implications of this new phase of the war. Can Ukraine gain back territory lost in recent weeks? Have Russia’s war aims changed? Should the US and NATO change course? Is it time for all sides to seek a negotiated settlement?
Topic:: Defense Policy, War, Military Strategy, and Russia-Ukraine War
Political Geography:: Russia, Europe, and Ukraine

224. Journalism During Wartime: A Conversation with The Kyiv Independent

Publication Date:: 09-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: The Kyiv Independent is a leading English-language media source based in Ukraine. Olga Rudenko (Chief Editor, Kyiv Independent) and Daryna Shevchenko (CEO, Kyiv Independent) will talk about the Kyiv Independent’s work in Ukraine and about the challenges of reporting in a country that is at war. Lili Bivings (Contributing Editor, Kyiv Independent) will then lead a discussion with the two presenters which will be followed by a Q & A with the audience moderated by Mark Andryczyk (Harriman Institute). This event is cosponsored by Razom for Ukraine.
Topic:: War, Media, Journalism, and Russia-Ukraine War
Political Geography:: Europe and Ukraine

225. "Sugihara Chiune and the Soviet Union: New Documents, New Perspectives" by David Wolff

Publication Date:: 09-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: In 1940 with Europe already at war, Japanese diplomat-spy Sugihara Chiune (often called the "Japanese Schindler") ignored direct orders from Foreign Minister Matsuoka and issued over 2000 Japanese transit visas to Jews stranded in Lithuania after the invasion of Poland. But these visas would have been worthless without Soviet transit visas to cross from Kaunas/Kovno to Vladivostok. Why did Stalin approve this transit, supervised by Molotov, Mikoyan and Beria? How did nearly 4000 Jews travel on 2000 visas? Documents from Soviet and Japanese archives collected, edited and published by Japan's Slavic-Eurasian Research Center and the Holocaust Research Center in Moscow provide answers to these questions and more. Sugihara remains the only Japanese citizen designated a Righteous among the Gentiles by Yad Vashem in Jerusalem.
Topic:: Genocide, Migration, Holocaust, and Humanitarian Crisis
Political Geography:: Japan, Europe, and Asia

226. Navalny and Russia's Opposition During the War: A Conversation with Maria Pevchikh

Publication Date:: 09-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: Please join the Harriman Institute at Columbia University for a discussion with Maria Pevchikh, head of the investigation department at the Anti-Corruption Foundation. Moderated by Elise Giuliano, Senior Lecturer in Political Science.
Topic:: War, Authoritarianism, Civil-Military Relations, Opposition, and Russia-Ukraine War
Political Geography:: Russia and Europe

227. Saludos desde Mariúpol: Covering Ukraine for the Spanish audience

Publication Date:: 09-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: In the Spanish media landscape, the shadow of Russia has always loomed large over the image of Ukraine: a confusion fueled by geographical distance and historical myth-making. The Russian-Ukrainian war that began in 2014 and the current large-scale invasion have created an opportunity for Spanish journalists to get to know Ukraine, challenge stereotypes and engage in a dialogue with the readers back home. An ongoing process that nevertheless has brought some change.
Topic:: War, Media, Language, Journalism, and Russia-Ukraine War
Political Geography:: Europe, Ukraine, and Spain

228. Narrating the War Everydayness

Publication Date:: 10-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: In early March 2022, the Center for Urban History and colleagues from Poland, the UK, and Luxembourg started to discuss the possibility of ethically well-grounded and methodologically reasonable emergency collecting and archiving of oral testimonies of Ukrainian refugees, IDPs, and volunteers. During the presentation, Otrishchenko will describe multiple decisions we made in this project concerning interactions within the team, sensitivity of recruitment, trauma-informed interviewing, and ethical preservation of collected stories.
Topic:: War, Media, Interview, and Russia-Ukraine War
Political Geography:: Europe and Ukraine

229. Japan on the Front Line

Author:: Noah Sneider, Philip Lipscy, and Daniel Smith
Publication Date:: 01-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University
Abstract:: From population aging, to national security threats, to climate change and natural disasters, Japan is at the forefront of challenges that will soon confront many societies. What can the world learn from Japan’s experience? Noah Sneider and Phillip Lipscy will offer their perspectives on Japan as a “harbinger state,” a country that experiences many challenges before other countries in the international system. This event is sponsored by the Weatherhead East Asian Institute and cosponsored by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Study Center.
Topic:: Climate Change, National Security, Natural Disasters, and Aging
Political Geography:: Japan and Asia

230. Cross-Strait and U.S.-Taiwan Relations from the Kuomintang Point of View

Author:: Alexander Huang, Eric Huang, Johnny Chiang, Thomas J. Christensen, and Andrew Nathan
Publication Date:: 02-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University
Abstract:: Speaker Bios: Alexander Huang is the Associate Professor of the Institute of Strategic Studies at Tamkang University, the Chairman & CEO of the Council on Strategic & Wargaming Studies, and Special Advisor to the Chairman & Director of International Affairs at Kuomintang (KMT). Dr. Huang received his BA in Political Science at Soochow University in 1982, earned a MA from the Institute of Strategic Studies at Tamkang University 1984 and a MSFS from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in 1988. In 1994, Dr. Huang received a PhD in Political Science from George Washington University. Eric Yu-Chua Huang is the KMT’s Representative in Washington D.C., and an entrepreneur. Mr. Huang previously served as the party's spokesperson and deputy director of international affairs, a lecturer of International affairs at Tamkang University, and non-residential research fellow at National Policy Foundation. Mr. Huang joined the KMT party headquarters in 2014 after which he served as the international spokesperson for the KMT’s presidential candidate during Taiwan’s 2016 presidential election campaign. Previously, Mr. Huang worked as legislative aide for a KMT legislator representing a constituency in Taiwan’s capital, Taipei City, where his portfolio included national security and foreign relations, as well as constituent services and youth organizing. Mr. Huang graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a Master’s degree in International Relations; he earned his Bachelor’s degree at the University of Virginia majoring in International Relations; in 2018 he was a Visiting Scholar at Fudan University. Johnny C. Chiang was elected the chairman of the KMT to rejuvenate the party in 2020. The KMT ruled Taiwan from 1949 to 2000 and from 2008 to 2016, and is now the main opposition in Taiwan. During August 2018-July 2019, Dr. Chiang was the convener (caucus whip) of KMT Party Caucus in Legislative Yuan. From August in 2016 to January in 2017, he took charge of the secretary of KMT party Caucus in Legislative Yuan. In 2016, he held the post of the convener in Foreign and National Defense Committee; Previously, in 2013 he ever served as the convener in Internal Administration Affair Committee. Besides, as to international inter- parliamentary exchanging activities, he currently serves as the chairmen of R.O.C(Taiwan)-United Kingdom Inter-Parliamentary Amity Association. He is also the chairman of R.O.C(Taiwan)-Singapore Inter-Parliamentary Amity Association. Dr. Chiang received his Ph. D. in International Studies from the University of South Carolina and his master degree of public and international affairs from the University of Pittsburgh. He has previously served as Minister of Government Information Office (GIO) as well as Government Spokesman of Executive Yuan, ROC (2010- 2011); Deputy Executive Director of Chinese Taipei APEC Study Center (2009-2010); Director of International Affairs Department, Taiwan Institute of Economic Research(2005-2010); Deputy Secretary-General, Chinese Taipei National Committee of Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC) (2005-2010); Associate professor, department of political science at the Soochow University in Taipei (2003-2010). In 2021, Dr. Johnny Chiang was named by Time magazine to be one of the "100 emerging leaders who are shaping the future." In 2006, Dr. Chiang was selected as the Top 10 rising stars in Taiwan. His research interests widely cover such areas as international political economy, international organizations (especially APEC and WTO), Asia- Pacific studies, cross-Strait relations, globalization and international relations theory. This event is sponsored by the Weatherhead East Asian Institute and cosponsored by the China and the World Program.
Topic:: International Relations, Foreign Policy, and Bilateral Relations
Political Geography:: China, Taiwan, Asia, and United States of America

231. One Year after the Myanmar Coup

Author:: Esther Ze Bamvo, James C. Scott, David Thang Moe, and Lien-Hang T. Nguyen
Publication Date:: 02-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University
Abstract:: Myanmar has been a military country since 1962, but the recent military coup deserves international attention. Since the junta seized power by removing the democratically elected government on February 1, 2021, citizens from all walks of life have risen up in strong resistance to the coup. Religion and ethnicity have played a dividing and exclusionary role in Burmese politics, resulting most tragically in the persecution of the Rohingya. However, the urgent need for solidarity of an anti-coup movement led by youth from “Generation Z” has brought together protesters from different religions and ethnicities. Urban civilians, mostly from ethnic majorities, and ethnic minorities from small towns and the most remote hill villages have bridged their religious and ethnic divides to resist the coup for the common goal of federal democracy. Within one year, military junta has killed almost 1,500, detained almost 12,000, and has displaced millions of civilians. Despite the risks, civilians continue to resist the new order through various everyday and creative forms of movement. This event, marking the anniversary of the coup, will recognize Myanmar’s democratic movement, remember fallen heroes, and reflect on the origins and ongoing movements of interreligious and interethnic resistance to the coup. Three panelists, including a person who co-led the first largest anti-coup protest movement on the frontline, will share their expertise on the origins, stories, strategies, and challenges of resistance to the coup. They will also suggest ways that the international community can support Myanmar’s ongoing democratic movement. This event is sponsored by the Weatherhead East Asian Institute and cosponsored by the New York Southeast Asia Network (NYSEAN).
Topic:: Democracy, Protests, Coup, Resistance, and Military
Political Geography:: Southeast Asia and Myanmar

232. The Wuhan Lockdown

Author:: Guobin Yang and Qin Gao
Publication Date:: 02-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University
Abstract:: In this book talk, the author tells the dramatic story of the Wuhan lockdown in the voices of the city’s own people. Using a vast archive of more than 6,000 diaries, the sociologist Guobin Yang vividly depicts how the city coped during the crisis. He analyzes how the state managed—or mismanaged—the lockdown and explores how Wuhan’s residents responded by taking on increasingly active roles. Yang demonstrates that citizen engagement—whether public action or the civic inaction of staying at home—was essential in the effort to fight the pandemic. The book features compelling stories of citizens and civic groups in their struggle against COVID-19: physicians, patients, volunteers, government officials, feminist organizers, social media commentators, and even aunties loudly swearing at party officials. These snapshots from the lockdown capture China at a critical moment, revealing the intricacies of politics, citizenship, morality, community, and digital technology. This event is part of the 2021-2022 lecture series on “COVID-19 Impacts and Responses in China and Beyond” and is co-sponsored by the Weatherhead East Asian Institute and the China Center for Social Policy.
Topic:: Crisis Management, Pandemic, Domestic Policy, and COVID-19
Political Geography:: China and Asia

233. Rise and Fall of Technology in Chinese History

Author:: Yasheng Huang and Madeleine Zelin
Publication Date:: 02-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University
Abstract:: Joseph Needham famously asked why China did not have its own Industrial Revolution. Using a newly constructed database, Yasheng Huang will show that China’s technological collapse happened much earlier than previously thought and the collapse coincided closely with the rise of autocracy and ideological homogeneity. Here is an excerpt from his book: My book has five parts, and the content is roughly split between history and the PRC. After this chapter, the three chapters in Part I deal with the E component of the EAST formulation. Two chapters are devoted to the keju exam; the other chapter is devoted to a panoply of tools employed by the CCP to achieve homogeneity. The two chapters in Part 2 deal with autocracy and the evolution of autocracy during the imperial and Communist eras. Part 3 analyzes the stability of regimes during the two eras. Part 4 tackles technology. One chapter traces the history of the rise and fall of Chinese inventiveness during the dynastic era; the other chapter delves into the present time and tells the story of how the CCP utilizes its scale advantage in combination with importation of scope functions to advance its science and technology. AI, biotechnology, and publication of scientific papers feature empirically in my telling of this story. Part 5 opens with a discussion of why China has failed to converge with the rest of East Asia by moving down a path of scope expansions. The chapter revisits a major topic in history—why Japan responded to the West effectively through the Meiji Reformation, whereas China descended into civil conflicts and chaos under similar pressures. I will also come back to a topic I initiated earlier in this chapter—the scale and scope contrasts between China and India. The final chapter is an assessment of China on a number of issues.
Topic:: Science and Technology, History, and Ideology
Political Geography:: China

234. Chinese Trust in Government: A Response Pattern Approach

Author:: Cary Wu and Yao Lu
Publication Date:: 02-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University
Abstract:: Chinese citizens have high trust in their government is well documented. Recent data show that this remains true during the COVID-19 crisis. Nonetheless, a long-standing debate is whether Chinese trust in government is genuine or simply a reflection of political fear. To offer further insights, in this article I adopt a response pattern approach that shifts the focus from how much people trust (the level of trust) to how people trust (the pattern of trust). Analyzing data from multiple sources, I consider the homogeneity and heterogeneity in how political trust is expressed among diverse populations (e.g., children vs adults) and in different situations (e.g., taped vs. not taped). I identify ten specific patterns that consistently suggest Chinese trust in government may not be simply reduced to a misrepresentation out of political fear. This study illustrates that examining the often-overlooked patterns of how people express their attitudes within different segments of the population and in different contexts provides a means to test whether the expressed attitudes are fake or genuine. This event is sponsored by the Weatherhead East Asian Institute and cosponsored by the China Center for Social Policy.
Topic:: Government, Public Opinion, Citizenship, COVID-19, and Trust
Political Geography:: China and Asia

235. The End of the Village: Planning the Urbanization of Rural China

Author:: Weiping Wu, Xiaobo Lü, Nick R. Smith, Wing-Shing Tang, Deborah Davis, and Andrew Kipnis
Publication Date:: 02-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University
Abstract:: Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, China has dramatically expanded its urbanization processes in an effort to reduce the inequalities between urban and rural areas. New development programs, including “urban-rural coordination”, “new-type urbanization”, and, most recently, “rural revitalization”, are restructuring China’s urban–rural relations and imposing novel forms of state-led urbanization onto the countryside. Rural simulacra, such as high-rise new towns, ecological protection zones, historical tourism sites, and industrialized farms, increasingly reflect planners' and policy-makers' urban imaginations of what the rural should be and have more to do with serving urban consumers than ensuring rural welfare. The result is a fundamental rewriting of the nation’s social contract, as villages that once organized rural life and guaranteed rural livelihoods are replaced by an increasingly urbanized landscape dominated by state institutions. Smith’s recently published book, The End of the Village: Planning the Urbanization of Rural China, explores the contested implementation of this radical new approach to urbanization in the municipality of Chongqing. Drawing on the book’s findings, this interdisciplinary panel brings together leading scholars of Chinese urbanization to discuss the ongoing transformation of China’s urban–rural relations. This event is cosponsored by the Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia GSAPP, and Columbia SIPA.
Topic:: Urbanization, Inequality, and Rural
Political Geography:: China and Asia

236. Twelfth Annual N.T Wang Distinguished Lecture: China is Not a Donor

Author:: Deborah Bräutigam and Thomas J. Christensen
Publication Date:: 02-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University
Abstract:: The nature of Chinese lending in risky countries remains poorly understood. Drawing on data on Chinese loans, creditors and contractors, and case studies of Chinese lending in Zambia, Kenya, Montenegro and Sri Lanka, this talk illustrates three areas in which misunderstandings create challenges. First, China is often portrayed as a monolithic, highly coordinated actor. Our research suggests instead that project finance from China can be highly fragmented, uncoordinated, and even chaotic. A second common fallacy is to assume all Chinese funding is “foreign aid” and then compare its terms or impact with funding offered by the World Bank, or bilateral donors. Our research suggests that Chinese foreign aid is a tiny fraction of all Chinese lending; the appropriate “apples to apples” comparisons will often be export credit agencies, private commercial banks, commodity traders, and even Eurobonds. Finally, some journalists, pundits and policymakers have promoted the idea that Chinese banks deliberately lend to risky countries to secure strategic assets. We question the evidence for “debt trap diplomacy” and suggest instead that China Eximbank suffers from “Tazara Syndrome” – a megaproject bias that can be traced back to the iconic African railway of the 1970s. This event is hosted by the Weatherhead East Asian Institute and the Jerome A. Chazen Institute for Global Business, and cosponsored by the China and the World Program at Columbia University.
Topic:: Debt, Diplomacy, Foreign Aid, Donors, and Loans
Political Geography:: China and Asia

237. Russia in the Indo-Pacific: Perspectives from China, Russia, and the United States

Author:: Gaye Christoffersen, Ying Liu, Artyom Lukin, Elena Feditchkina Tracy, and Elizabeth Wishnick
Publication Date:: 02-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University
Abstract:: Russia’s role in the Indo-Pacific is an understudied topic—while much of the discussion of Russia in Asia typically focuses on its response to geopolitical rivalries, the volume addresses ideational factors in Russia’s relations with regional and global powers, the domestic drivers of Russia’s Asia-Pacific policy, as well as the complex iteration of regional identities in Asia-Pacific Russia and in the Sino-Russian partnership. Contributors to this volume are based across Russia, China, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the USA, drawing on a range of multinational perspectives and theoretical approaches. Panelists at this event will present views from Beijing, Vladivostok, and the United States.
Topic:: International Relations, Foreign Policy, and Geopolitics
Political Geography:: Russia, China, United States of America, and Indo-Pacific

238. How Transnational Education Transforms Privilege

Author:: Yingyi Ma and Yao Lu
Publication Date:: 03-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University
Abstract:: This study examines two cohorts of Chinese international students studying in the U.S. whose privilege is challenged and sometimes upended before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research questions the dominant framing of privilege centering on the notion of ease, as informed by the western scholarship on elite education. Drawing from the power structure of international education and rising geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China, this study concludes that transnational education infuses much anxiety and fragility into the lived experiences of international students, who have experienced the status loss from the privileged majority to the marginalized minority. COVID had exacerbated this loss. This study contributes to the scholarship on elites by interrogating the western-centric notion of privilege. This event is part of the 2021-2022 lecture series on “COVID-19 Impacts and Responses in China and Beyond” and is sponsored by the Weatherhead East Asian Institute and cosponsored by Columbia's China Center for Social Policy.
Topic:: Education, Geopolitics, Students, and COVID-19
Political Geography:: China and United States of America

239. Prospects for Japan's National Security Policy in 2022 and the US-Japan Alliance

Author:: Yuki Tatsumi and Daniel Smith
Publication Date:: 03-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University
Abstract:: The US and Japan convened the Security Consultative Committee (more commonly known as "2 plus 2") on January 6. The SCC Joint Statement that was released afterwards set goals for the Alliance that were most ambitious in recent years. How would it affect Japan as it enters the period of revising its three key national security documents? What are the challenges for Tokyo as it moves forward, and for the Alliance writ large?
Topic:: National Security, Bilateral Relations, and Alliance
Political Geography:: Japan, Asia, and United States of America

240. Family and Inequality: “Diverging Destinies” in Japan

Author:: James M. Raymo and Daniel Smith
Publication Date:: 03-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University
Abstract:: “Diverging destinies” is a term used by family demographers and sociologists to describe growing socioeconomic differentials in family behavior and their implications. Drawing primarily on evidence from the U.S., research on diverging destinies has demonstrated that those at the lower end of the socioeconomic spectrum are increasingly engaging in family behaviors that are associated with reduction in the resources available to their children (e.g., nonmarital childbearing) while those at the upper end of the spectrum are engaging in family behaviors associated with increased resources (e.g., stable marriage). This pattern of family bifurcation has potentially important implications for the reinforcement of inequality both within and across generations. Despite tremendous interest in both family change and growing socioeconomic inequality in Japan, social scientific efforts to link these trends are limited. In this talk, Professor James Raymo will summarize the results of several recent papers (both published and in progress) on socioeconomic differences in family demographic behavior and children’s well-being in Japan. In general, the findings of these studies show patterns of family bifurcation consistent with predictions of the diverging destinies framework, but of a magnitude that is less pronounced than observed in the U.S. Among the most pronounced differences in Japan are a strong negative educational gradient in divorce and substantial differences in the well-being of children in single-mother and two-parent families. In thinking about the relevance of diverging destinies in Japan, he stresses the theoretical and empirical value of considering intergenerational family relationships, gender inequality, and the changing economic environment.
Topic:: Demographics, Inequality, Family, and Socioeconomics
Political Geography:: Japan and Asia

241. Photo Poetics: Chinese Lyricism and Modern Media Culture

Author:: Shengqing Wu, Ying Qian, and Alexander Alberro
Publication Date:: 03-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University
Abstract:: Chinese poetry has a long history of interaction with the visual arts. Classical aesthetic thought held that painting, calligraphy, and poetry were cross-fertilizing and mutually enriching. What happened when the Chinese poetic tradition encountered photography, a transformative technology and presumably realistic medium that reshaped seeing and representing the world? This event is organized by the Weatherhead East Asian Institute and cosponsored by the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, and the Center for Comparative Media, all at Columbia University.
Topic:: Arts, Culture, Media, and Buddhism
Political Geography:: China and Asia

242. The Buddhist Dream Tale: Past and Present

Author:: Francisca Cho and Seong Uk Kim
Publication Date:: 03-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University
Abstract:: Kim Manjung's Kuunmong, or Dream of the Nine Clouds, was written by a scholar-official and he turned to the Buddhist trope that "life is nothing but a dream" in order to express his doubts and disappointment about the Confucian social structure in which he lived. The speaker argues that the dream tale turns the act of fiction writing into a Buddhist philosophical exercise, and she will draw out this argument by considering how the medium of fiction functions in a ritual way. In this vein, she brings the dream tale into the present by considering the experience of cinema as an analogue. This event is cosponsored by the Center for Korean Research and the Weatherhead East Asian Institute.
Topic:: Religion, Arts, Culture, and Literature
Political Geography:: Asia

243. We Uyghurs Have No Say: A Roundtable on the Writings of Ilham Tohti

Author:: Rune Steenberg, Abdürreşit Celil Karluk, and David Brophy
Publication Date:: 04-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University
Abstract:: Prior to his arrest and sentencing in 2014, economist Ilham Tohti was one of China’s leading experts on contemporary Xinjiang. His academic work and online writings voiced a rare perspective – that of an Uyghur intellectual working within the Chinese system - on the increasingly marginal and precarious position of his Uyghur community in modern China. Ultimately, this critique proved too controversial for the party, and he is now serving a life sentence in prison for “separatism.” We Uyghurs Have No Say (Verso 2022) is a collection of Ilham Tohti’s articles and interviews, translated from Chinese into English, which chart his scholarly interventions from 2007 until his silencing. To mark its publication, this event will assemble a panel of sociologists and anthropologists of Xinjiang – some of whom studied under Ilham in Beijing – to reflect on these writings and the wider significance of Ilham’s work for our understanding of social and political developments in Xinjiang.
Topic:: Human Rights, Prisons/Penal Systems, Political Prisoners, and Uyghurs
Political Geography:: China, Asia, and Xinjiang

244. Long Odds Struggles in East and Southeast Asia, the 1910-1920s and 2010-2020s

Author:: Jeffrey Wasserstrom, Manan Ahmed, Lien-Hang Nguyen, and Jeffrey Ngo
Publication Date:: 04-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University
Abstract:: During the first decades of the last century, activists with ties to various parts of Asia embraced and then discarded different ideologies and found varying ways to connect with one another, sometimes in exile. What linked them were some shared grievances, such as a dislike of the way their community was being bullied or controlled by people in a distant capital and of the limits on their freedom to speak out on issues that concerned them and organize to bring about change. We have been seeing something similar in some ways but different in others take place now, as activists in and exiles from Hong Kong, Thailand and Burma take part in what is sometimes called "Milk Tea Alliance" struggles. There are obvious contrasts: importance of online connections now is novel; the Chinese state was a weak force a century ago, but is a strong one today; Vietnamese activists were a more central part of the earlier story than the current one; ties between South Asian and East Asian exiles were more notable a century ago; and there is no contemporary counterpart to the Comintern on the scene connecting radicals. And yet, this talk will argue, there are important echoes of the earlier period to be heard today, as well as much to learn about how different struggles in East and Southeast Asia influenced one another at other points in time, such as the 1980s. This talk will focus on Chinese activists of the early 1900s and Hong Kong ones now but place both groups in comparative and transnational perspectives, will move between the two eras with an eye toward reoccurrences, ruptures, and reversals.
Topic:: Protests, Ideology, and Activism
Political Geography:: China, Asia, Burma, Thailand, Southeast Asia, and Hong Kong

245. A conversation with Loden Sherab Dagyab Rinpoche

Author:: Loden Sherab Dagyab Rinpoche, Pema Bhum, and Riga Shakya
Publication Date:: 02-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University
Abstract:: This event was co-hosted by the Modern Tibetan Studies Program at Columbia University and The Latse Project, with funding and administrative support from the Weatherhead East Asian Institute. Dagyab Rinpoche, one of the few living Tibetan witnesses of the 1950 advance of the People's Liberation Army into Chamdo, was just nine years old when Chinese Communist authorities urged him to participate as one of the high-ranking dignitaries (zhuren) for their first conference in the region. He then went on to study at Drepung Loseling Monastery in Lhasa until his escape to India in 1959. In this talk, Rinpoche describes his experience of this important historical juncture.
Topic:: Religion, History, and Memory
Political Geography:: China, Asia, and Tibet

246. China's Colonial Boarding Schools in Tibet

Author:: Lhadon Tethong, Freya Putt, Jia Luo, Tenzin Dorjee, and Andy Nathan
Publication Date:: 04-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University
Abstract:: Chinese government policies are forcing three out of every four Tibetan students into a vast network of colonial boarding schools, separating children as young as four from their parents. According to a recent report by Tibet Action Institute, the schools are a cornerstone of Xi Jinping’s campaign to supplant Tibetan identity with a homogenous Chinese identity in order to neutralize potential resistance to Chinese Communist Party (CCP) rule. The report, “Separated From Their Families, Hidden From the World: China’s Vast System of Colonial Boarding Schools Inside Tibet,” finds that an estimated 800,000 to 900,000 Tibetan students aged six to 18, as well as an unknown number of four and five-year olds, are in these state-run schools. This panel will discuss how the schools function as sites for remolding children into Chinese nationals loyal to the CCP.
Topic:: Education, Culture, Children, Colonialism, and Boarding Schools
Political Geography:: China, Asia, and Tibet

247. Financial Cold War – A Book Talk

Author:: James Fok and Shang-Jin Wei
Publication Date:: 04-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University
Abstract:: James Fok will give a talk regarding the publication of his recent book, Financial Cold War, where he addresses internationalizing China’s capital markets: the geopolitical realities; China’s financial challenges: implications for the global financial sector; China-US geopolitical tensions: challenges for international financial institutions; and implications and opportunities for US-China relations.
Topic:: Bilateral Relations, Geopolitics, Finance, and Capital
Political Geography:: China and United States of America

248. Inflamed Publics: Social Media, Violence, and Resistance Panel 1

Author:: Wanning Sun, Radhika Gajjala, Daniel Mann, and Jinsook Kim
Publication Date:: 04-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University
Abstract:: From online troll armies to digital warriors, camouflage to infiltration, the techniques and affects of war pervade global digital cultures today via social media platforms such as Whatsapp, WeChat, Twitter, and TikTok. As trending hashtags on Twitter become a statistical measure of the ebbs and flows of mass political sentiment, this symposium seeks to understand the relation between everyday digital media technologies, image-making practices, and violence in the 21st century. Over 3 consecutive days we will meet with film and media scholars, digital activists, ethnographers, and communications theorists to initiate a collaborative exploration of research methods to address the role of social media today with an eye to questions of aesthetics, sentiment, and sensory experience. This event focuses on three geographical locations: China, India and Palestine/Israel, based on the three co-organizers' areas of research. Speakers are scholars working on media cultures in one of the above regions. This event is sponsored by the Humanities War and Peace Initiative, Columbia University and co-sponsored by the Center for Comparative Media, South Asia Institute and the Weatherhead East Asian Institute.
Topic:: Science and Technology, Social Media, Violence, and Resistance
Political Geography:: China, Middle East, India, Israel, Asia, and Palestine

249. Starr Forum: #ViralPotentials: How South Asian Women Use TikTok

Publication Date:: 06-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: MIT Center for International Studies
Abstract:: Working class women are using TikTok to express themselves. The app is also an avenue for fun or financial gain. Women across the region are using TikTok for activism, teaching, and learning. On this panel, academics, journalists, and activists from South Asia discuss how women have expanded their possibilities using TikTok, as well as the limitations the app poses.
Topic:: Mass Media, Social Media, TikTok, and Activism
Political Geography:: South Asia and Asia

250. Starr Forum: Speaking Truth to a New Power: Perspectives on Free Press and Democracy in South Africa

Publication Date:: 09-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: MIT Center for International Studies
Abstract:: What is the state of democracy and the free press in South Africa?
Topic:: Mass Media, Democracy, Media, and Freedom of Press
Political Geography:: Africa and South Africa

251. tarr Forum: An Update on Russia's War Against Ukraine

Publication Date:: 10-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: MIT Center for International Studies
Abstract:: What is the status of Russia's invasion of Ukraine?
Topic:: Defense Policy, Military Strategy, Conflict, Strategic Interests, and Russia-Ukraine War
Political Geography:: Russia, Europe, and Ukraine

252. Starr Forum: Xi Jinping's Third Term: Challenges for the United States

Publication Date:: 11-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: MIT Center for International Studies
Abstract:: What are the implications of Xi Jinping's third term on US-China relations?
Topic:: Hegemony, Strategic Competition, Rivalry, and Competition
Political Geography:: China, Asia, North America, and United States of America

253. Starr Forum: Energy as a Weapon of War: Russia, Ukraine and Europe in Challenging Times

Publication Date:: 12-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: MIT Center for International Studies
Abstract:: How has Russia weaponized energy in this war? What have been the effects? How have Europeans responded to this weaponization of energy and what may be their responses this winter?
Topic:: Defense Policy, Energy Policy, Military Strategy, European Union, Strategic Interests, and Russia-Ukraine War
Political Geography:: Russia, Europe, and Ukraine

254. Lecture: The Evolution of the Civic Space in Modern African Democracy

Author:: Idayat Hassan and Kwame Karikari
Publication Date:: 11-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Ghana Center for Democratic Development
Abstract:: Over the last decade, the world has witnessed a decline in democracy and the closing of civic spaces – the bedrock of democratic society through which citizens and civil society organizations are able to organize, participate and communicate without hindrance. These two phenomena have dominated conversations on various platforms globally and have intensified since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Democratic backsliding and shrinking civic space in our part of the world represent a major setback for the region and its people. This lecture seeks to deliberate on these evolving issues and offer practical recommendations aimed at influencing urgent interventions that will help halt democratic backsliding and the closing of democratic civic spaces.
Topic:: Civil Society, Governance, Democracy, COVID-19, and Democratic Backsliding
Political Geography:: Africa and Ghana

255. Panel I: Deconstructing the Parallels between Holocaust Distortion and Genocide Denial

Author:: Tanya Domi, Laura Cohen, Riada Ašimović Akyol, Hikmet Karčić, James Smith, and Robert Williams
Publication Date:: 04-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: Genocide denial not only abuses history, including contemporary history, but it also insults the survivors and extends the impact of the original crimes. Denial is the final act that never ends for the survivors. This symposium examines some of the parallels of contemporary genocide denial in the Balkans with increasing Holocaust denial and distortion sweeping across Europe. What can we learn from Holocaust experts and scholars that is applicable to the present? And what are some ways that memory activists resist denial of the most brutal crimes?
Topic:: Genocide, History, Holocaust, Memory, and Activism
Political Geography:: Eastern Europe and Balkans

256. Cultural Encounters: Istanbul and Refugees from the Russian Empire (1919-1923) - Welcome & Panel I

Author:: Özalp Birol, Ipek Cem Taha, Valentina Izmirlieva, Vladimir Alexandrov, and Edward Kasinec
Publication Date:: 11-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: The Encounter in Context: Istanbul Under the Armistice Chair: Holger Klein Valentina Izmirlieva (Columbia University), "The Four Paradoxes of Istanbul's Beyaz Ruslar Moment" Vladimir Alexandrov (Yale University), "Frederick Bruce Thomas and Being Black in Constantinople" Edward Kasinec (Hoover Institution, Stanford University), "American Elite Philanthropy, Anna V.S. Mitchell and The Constantinople/Istanbul Russians, 1920-1929"
Topic:: History, Culture, and Refugees
Political Geography:: Russia, Eurasia, and Turkey

257. Cultural Encounters: Istanbul and the Refugees from the Russian Empire (1919-1923) | Panel III

Author:: Vladimir Alexandrov, Ayşenur Güler, Ekaterina Aygün, and Nadia Podzemskaia
Publication Date:: 11-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: Artists in Transcultural Dialog Chair: Vladimir Alexandrov Ayşenur Güler (Independent Researcher, London) [Via Zoom], "Findings on Gritchenko's Sojourn in Istanbul (1919-1921)" Ekaterina Aygün (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich), "Union of Russian Painters in Constantinople (1921/1922-1923) as an Émigré Artists' Collective" Nadia Podzemskaia (ITEM, CNRS-ETS, Paris), "Constantinople/Istanbul in the First Half of the 1920s, through the Eyes of the Émigré Artists from the Russian Empire"
Topic:: History, Culture, Refugees, and Dialogue
Political Geography:: Russia, Eurasia, and Turkey

258. Cultural Exchanges: Istanbul and Refugees from the Russian Empire (1919-1923) - Panel II

Author:: Valentina Izmirlieva, Holger A. Klein, and Sergey A. Ivanov
Publication Date:: 11-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: The Byzantine Legacy Rediscovered Chair: Valentina Izmirlieva Holger A. Klein (Columbia University), "From Russia to Byzantium: Thomas Whittemore's Intellectual Formation and the Work of the Byzantine Institute of America" Sergey A. Ivanov (Moscow Higher School of Economics), "Byzantium as Seen by the White Russians in Constantinople"
Topic:: History, Culture, Refugees, and Byzantine Empire
Political Geography:: Russia, Eurasia, and Turkey

259. Cultural Encounters: Istanbul and the Refugees from the Russian Empire (1919-1923) - Panel IV

Author:: Cengiz Kahraman
Publication Date:: 11-2022
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: Cengiz Kahraman (Istanbul Photography Museum) and Valentina Izmirlieva present two archives of Iraïda Barry's life and work - one in Istanbul, the other in New York.
Topic:: History, Culture, and Refugees
Political Geography:: Russia, Eurasia, and Turkey

260. Book Launch: Lineages of the Literary: Tibetan Buddhist Polymaths of Socialist China

Author:: Nicole Willock and Gray Tuttle
Publication Date:: 10-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University
Abstract:: In the aftermath of the cataclysmic Maoist period, three Tibetan Buddhist scholars living and working in the People’s Republic of China became intellectual heroes and were renowned as the “Three Polymaths”: Tséten Zhabdrung (1910–1985), Mugé Samten (1914–1993), and Dungkar Lozang Trinlé (1927–1997). Lineages of the Literary, by Nicole Willock, reveals how the Three Polymaths negotiated the political tides of the twentieth century, shedding new light on Sino-Tibetan relations and Buddhism during this turbulent era. An interdisciplinary work spanning religious studies, history, literary studies, and social theory, Lineages of the Literary offers new insight into the categories of religion and the secular, the role of Tibetan Buddhist leaders in modern China, and the contested ground of Tibet.
Topic:: Religion, History, Leadership, Literature, Secularism, Buddhism, and Social Theory
Political Geography:: China, Asia, and Tibet

261. Book Launch: A Buddhist Sensibility: Aesthetic Education at Tibet's Mindröling Monastery

Author:: Dominique Townsend, Janet Gyatso, and Lauran Hartley
Publication Date:: 10-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University
Abstract:: A Buddhist Sensibility sheds new light on the forms of knowledge valued in early modern Tibetan societies, especially among the ruling classes. Townsend traces how tastes, values, and sensibilities were cultivated and spread by Tibetan Buddhist teachers of the Nyingma School at Mindröling monastery in the 17th century and onwards, showing what it meant for a person, lay or monastic, to be deemed well-educated. Combining historical and literary analysis with fieldwork in Tibetan Buddhist communities, this book reveals how monastic institutions work as centers of cultural production beyond the boundaries of what is conventionally deemed Buddhist.
Topic:: Education, Religion, History, Buddhism, and Cultural Production
Political Geography:: Asia and Tibet

262. Except for Palestine: The Limits of Progressive Politics

Author:: Mark Lamont Hill and Mitchell Plitnick
Publication Date:: 04-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Center for Security, Race and Rights (CSRR), Rutgers University School of Law
Abstract:: A book talk on Except for Palestine: The Limits of Progressive Politics.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Politics, and Progressivism
Political Geography:: Middle East, Palestine, and United States of America

263. Starr Forum: The Future of US-Russian Relations: More of the Same or Something Different?

Publication Date:: 11-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: MIT Center for International Studies
Abstract:: Barry Posen is Ford International Professor of Political Science, MIT. His current research examines whether the diffusion of power away from the United States can best be understood as the emergence of a multipolar structure of power, and if so, how the United States should navigate this change. His most recent book is Restraint: A New Foundation for US Grand Strategy.
Topic:: Security, Diplomacy, Bilateral Relations, Conflict, and Rivalry
Political Geography:: Russia, Europe, North America, and United States of America

264. Starr Forum: The Outlier: The Unfinished Presidency of Jimmy Carter

Publication Date:: 11-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: MIT Center for International Studies
Abstract:: Jimmy Carter’s one-term presidency is often labeled a failure; indeed, many Americans view Carter as the only ex-president to have used the White House as a stepping-stone to greater achievements. But in retrospect the Carter political odyssey is a rich and human story, marked by both formidable accomplishments and painful political adversity. In this deeply researched, brilliantly written account, Kai Bird expertly unfolds the Carter saga as a tragic tipping point in American history. Drawing on interviews with Carter and members of his administration and recently declassified documents on Israel, the Iranian revolution and the 1980 October Surprise, Bird delivers a profound, clear-eyed evaluation of a leader whose legacy has been deeply misunderstood.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Governance, Leadership, and Conflict
Political Geography:: North America and United States of America

265. Starr Forum: Navalny: Putin’s Nemesis, Russia’s Future?

Publication Date:: 10-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: MIT Center for International Studies
Abstract:: Navalny makes sense of this divisive character, revealing the contradictions of a man who is the second most important political figure in Russia—even when behind bars. In order to understand modern Russia, you need to understand Alexei Navalny.
Topic:: Authoritarianism, Domestic Politics, Political Prisoners, and Opposition
Political Geography:: Russia and Europe

266. Starr Forum: US, Afghanistan, 9/11: Finished or Unfinished Business?

Publication Date:: 09-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: MIT Center for International Studies
Abstract:: Chair: Barry Posen, Ford International Professor of Political Science, MIT. He studies US grand strategy and national security policy. His most recent book is Restraint: A New Foundation for US Grand Strategy. Panelists: Juan Cole, Richard P Mitchell Collegiate Professor of History, University of Michigan. He is an expert on the modern Middle East, Muslim South Asia, and social and intellectual history. His most recent book is Muhammad: Prophet of Peace Amid the Clash of Empires. Carol Saivetz, Senior Advisor, MIT Security Studies Program. She is an expert on Soviet and now Russian foreign policy issues; and on topics ranging from energy politics in the Caspian and Black Sea regions, questions of stability in Central Asia, to Russian policy toward Iran. Vanda Felbab-Brown, Senior Fellow, Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology, Brookings. She is the director of the Initiative on Nonstate Armed Actors and the co-director of the Africa Security Initiative. She recently co-authored The fate of women’s rights in Afghanistan. She received her PhD from MIT.
Topic:: Defense Policy, Military Strategy, Counter-terrorism, State Building, and Intervention
Political Geography:: Afghanistan, Middle East, North America, and United States of America

267. Responses to 9-11: The United States, Europe, and the Middle East

Publication Date:: 09-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: MIT Center for International Studies
Abstract:: Reflections on the One-Year Anniversary of 9/11
Topic:: Defense Policy, Terrorism, Military Strategy, and Counter-terrorism
Political Geography:: Europe, Middle East, North America, and United States of America

268. Starr Forum: The Haitian Constitutional Crisis and the International Community

Publication Date:: 05-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: MIT Center for International Studies
Abstract:: What role has the international community played in Haiti’s struggle to achieve a stable constitutional and democratic order since the end of the Duvalier era in 1986 and the promulgation of the 1987 Constitution? In this Starr Forum, four leading experts on Haitian domestic and international politics discuss Haiti’s extended constitutional crisis and consider what steps (if any) the international community can take at the current time to help restore to Haitians a government that serves the needs of the vast majority.
Topic:: Governance, Constitution, State Formation, and Political Crisis
Political Geography:: Latin America, Caribbean, Haiti, and North America

269. Starr Forum: Israelis and Palestinians: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Publication Date:: 05-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: MIT Center for International Studies
Abstract:: Experts discuss the current conflict between Israelis and Palestinians while also providing the historical context and a potential path forward.
Topic:: Diplomacy, Military Strategy, Territorial Disputes, and Conflict
Political Geography:: Middle East, Israel, and Palestine

270. Starr Forum: Myanmar and South Asia: Democratization, Authoritarianism, and Refugees

Publication Date:: 05-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: MIT Center for International Studies
Abstract:: On Friday, May 14, 20201, experts explored the current crisis, including: the historical and regional perspectives on resolution; the democratization and current protests; and the history and current situation of India and Burmese refugees.
Topic:: Governance, Authoritarianism, Democracy, Refugee Crisis, and Humanitarian Crisis
Political Geography:: Asia and Myanmar

271. MIT X TAU Series: Africa’s Future Governmen

Publication Date:: 05-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: MIT Center for International Studies
Abstract:: The eleventh webinar in an eleven-part series focused on various aspects of sustainable development in Africa.
Topic:: Development, Governance, State Building, and Sustainability
Political Geography:: Africa

272. MIT X TAU Series: Africa’s Agricultural Reinvention with Sara Menker

Publication Date:: 05-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: MIT Center for International Studies
Abstract:: The tenth webinar in an eleven-part series focused on various aspects of sustainable development in Africa.
Topic:: Agriculture, Development, Innovation, Sustainability, and Farming
Political Geography:: Africa

273. MIT X TAU Series: Africa’s Innovation in Education

Publication Date:: 04-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: MIT Center for International Studies
Abstract:: The ninth webinar in an eleven-part series focused on various aspects of sustainable development in Africa.
Topic:: Development, Governance, Innovation, and Sustainability
Political Geography:: Africa

274. The Other Europe

Author:: Vaclav Havel Library
Publication Date:: 05-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Vaclav Havel Library
Abstract:: One half of this year’s theme - The Other Europe - refers back to the epoch when Europe was divided into East and West. The first part of the conference - The Other Europe in the 1980s - refers to a six-part series produced by the British Channel Four television in 1987–1988 about the situation in the communist-dominated countries of Central Europe, based on interviews with the leading opposition figures of the era. The Václav Havel Library is in possession of the complete raw footage of the series. One panel of the conference is dedicated to four interviewees from 1987/88 and their “Facing the younger me” responses. The second half of the conference - The Other Europe Today - will address the current situation: Is there an Other Europe today? Is it drifting apart again from its Western neighbours? What impact has the pandemic had on the EU’s geopolitical standing and internal cohesion? Has the pandemic affected the perceptions of liberal democracy and the opinions of the younger generation? In this second part we aim to explore the possible links between the past and present concepts of the Central European “otherness” and the perspectives of overcoming such divisions. The conference is aimed primarily at secondary and college-level students, as well as scholars, experts, and members of the public interested in European issues. Albeit at a distance, we look forward to a vivid online interaction between the speakers and our international audience.
Topic:: International Cooperation, Regional Cooperation, European Union, Democracy, Conflict, and Peace
Political Geography:: Europe

275. The Muslim Resolutions: Bosniak Responses to World War II Atrocities in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Publication Date:: 06-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: Please join us for a talk with Hikmet Karčić, genocide scholar and author of The Muslim Resolutions: Bosniak Responses to World War II Atrocities in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Center for Islam in the Contemporary World, June 2021). Moderated by Tanya Domi (SIPA/Harriman Institute).
Topic:: Genocide, Religion, Discrimination, World War II, and Humanitarian Crisis
Political Geography:: Europe and Bosnia and Herzegovina

276. Muslims in the 18th-Century Habsburg Cities: The Social Integration of an Unincorporated Population

Author:: David Do Paco
Publication Date:: 10-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: Please join the Harriman Institute and East Central European Center for a lecture by David Do Paço, István Deák Visiting Professor at Columbia University (Harriman Institute and Department of History). This lecture explores the social life of unincorporated populations in community-based societies, and analyzes how they used the social fabric of global cities to compensate for their administrative marginality, and still have a political impact. It specifically focuses on Muslims in port, continental, and recently reconquered cities in the Habsburg Empire throughout the 18th century to overcome the traditional opposition between “Islam” and “Europe,” and to support the development of inclusive memory policies. It examines the multiple affiliations of fragile populations and offers a new history of foreigners in early modern Europe. It thus fits into the perspective of a new urban history from the ground up and advocates a trans-imperial and global history of Central Europe. David Do Paço is István Deák Visiting Professor at Columbia University (Harriman Institute and Department of History) and a historian of the Habsburg Empire in the 18th century. His research lies at the intersection of urban history, diaspora studies, and historical anthropology. He defended his Ph.D. in 2012 at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and has since been a EUI Max-Weber Fellow and a CEU-IAS Core Fellow. In 2015, he published his first monograph, L’Orient à Vienne au dix-huitième siècle, as part of the Oxford University Studies in the Enlightenment (Voltaire Foundation). That same year, David joined Sciences Po where, among other responsibilities, he directed the departmental seminar in European History. At Columbia University he is working on his new project “ESLAM: European Societies in the Light of Apolitical Muslims.” He has recently contributed to the Historical Journal, Urban History, and the International History Review.
Topic:: Religion, Minorities, Urban, Cities, and Integration
Political Geography:: Europe and Habsburg Empire

277. Russian Relations with Central Asia and Afghanistan after U.S. Withdrawal

Publication Date:: 10-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: The Harriman Institute
Abstract:: Join us for a meeting of the New York-Russia Public Policy Series, co-hosted by the Harriman Institute at Columbia University and the New York University Jordan Center for the Advanced Study of Russia. In this second event of the academic year, our panelists will discuss the status of Russian relations with Central Asia and Afghanistan after the U.S. withdrawal. Moderated by Joshua Tucker (NYU Jordan Center) and Alexander Cooley (Harriman Institute). The withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan and the dramatic collapse of the U.S.-backed government in Kabul has ushered in another period of Taliban rule. Regional powers and neighbors have been anticipating the U.S. exit for some time: Russia remains a critical player in the region and, even before the U.S. withdrawal, had demonstrated a pragmatic approach to engaging with the Taliban. What is Moscow’s plan for dealing with the new Afghan government and what are its overall priorities in the region? How will this affect Russia’s relations with the Central Asian states and China? And are there any prospects for renewed cooperation between Moscow and Washington on counterterrorism issues in this period of uncertainty and potential instability? Please join this distinguished group of academic experts who will explore the new complex dynamics of a post-American Afghanistan and Central Asia. This event is supported by a grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York. Speakers Ivan Safranchuk, Director of the Center of Euro-Asian Research and Senior Fellow with the Institute for International Studies, MGIMO Nargis Kassenova, Senior Fellow and Director of the Program on Central Asia, Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University Artemy Kalinovsky, Professor of Russian, Soviet, and post-Soviet Studies, Temple University Ekaterina Stepanova, Director, Peace and Conflict Studies Unit, National Research Institute of the World Economy & International Relations (IMEMO), Moderated by: Alexander Cooley, Director of the Harriman Institute, Columbia University Joshua Tucker, Director of the Jordan Center for the Advanced Study of Russia, New York University
Topic:: International Relations, Military Strategy, Governance, and Foreign Interference
Political Geography:: Afghanistan, Russia, Europe, Asia, North America, and United States of America

278. The Legacy of the Iranian Hostage Crisis

Author:: Alex Vatanka and Michael Metrinko
Publication Date:: 11-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Middle East Institute (MEI)
Abstract:: Alex Vatanka and Michael Metrinko discuss the Iranian hostage crisis, how it’s shaped US-Iran relations, and what that history tells us about the present and potential future of the Islamic Republic. Metrinko also recounts his experience as a political officer at the embassy in Iran in 1979 and being one of the 52 hostages.
Topic:: Diplomacy, History, Bilateral Relations, and Iranian Hostage Crisis
Political Geography:: Iran, Middle East, North America, and United States of America

279. Takeaways from COP26

Author:: Mohammed Mahmoud and Abbey Krulik
Publication Date:: 11-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Middle East Institute (MEI)
Abstract:: Mohammed Mahmoud, director of MEI's Climate and Water Program, and Abbey Krulik, who attended the recent United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP26, as an observer, discuss takeaways from the conference and the Glasgow Pact that was signed there.
Topic:: Climate Change, United Nations, Water, and Conference
Political Geography:: Egypt and Global Focus

280. Arabic Knowledge and Culture: A Conversation with the Hindawi Foundation

Author:: Hindawi Foundation
Publication Date:: 11-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Middle East Institute (MEI)
Abstract:: This event is a conversation with the founders of the Hindawi Foundation, the largest free online library for Arabic speakers. The founders will share with us their journey into buying the copy rights, translating and constructing a cultural edifice of books that includes literature, science, history, philosophy and much more. This digital space of knowledge is one of very few stories to come out of the region in the last decade. The Hindawi Foundation is a non-profit organization that aims to spread knowledge and culture, and instill a love of reading among Arabic speakers.
Topic:: Culture, Literature, Translation, Arabic, and Knowledge Production
Political Geography:: Arab Countries

281. America's Global Posturing Review

Author:: Bilal Y. Saab
Publication Date:: 12-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Middle East Institute (MEI)
Abstract:: Bilal Saab, senior fellow and founding director of MEI's Defense & Security Program, discusses the recently completed Defense Department Global Posture Review (GPR), his thoughts on the review and process, and how it will impact the U.S. strategy in the Middle East.
Topic:: Security, Foreign Policy, and Defense Policy
Political Geography:: North America and United States of America

282. The UAE at 50

Author:: Gerald Feierstein, Afshin Molavi, and Courtney Freer
Publication Date:: 12-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Middle East Institute (MEI)
Abstract:: Gerald Feierstein, Afshin Molavi, and Courtney Freer discuss the state of the United Arab Emirates as the country celebrates its 50th anniversary, including its history, economic development, and domestic and regional policy objectives.
Topic:: History, Economic Development, Domestic Policy, and Regional Politics
Political Geography:: United Arab Emirates and Gulf Nations

283. Year in review: The Middle East in 2021

Author:: Paul Salem, Randa Slim, Bilal Y. Saab, and Karen E. Young
Publication Date:: 12-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Middle East Institute (MEI)
Abstract:: What were the most significant developments in the Middle East and regional policy in 2021? MEI’s Paul Salem, Randa Slim, Bilal Saab, and Karen Young join the program to discuss the key events and what trends to watch in 2022.
Topic:: Security, Foreign Policy, and Regional Politics
Political Geography:: Middle East

284. Commemorating 50 Years of 'Outcast London'

Publication Date:: 12-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:: This event from the Mile End Institute, Raphael Samuel History Centre, and Modern British History Seminar will commemorate fifty years since the publication of Gareth Stedman Jones’ Outcast London. The webinar celebrates the book and featured a panel of experts whose research interests speak to the book’s themes, methods and politics.
Topic:: Development, Labor Issues, Urban, and Industrialization
Political Geography:: United Kingdom, Europe, and London

285. Forty Years On New Perspectives on the 1981 Budget

Publication Date:: 12-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:: This year is the fortieth anniversary of the 1981 UK Budget Statement, one of the most controversial in British history. Geoffrey Howe, the Conservative Chancellor in Margaret Thatcher's first government, deliberately increased taxes during a vicious world recession after two years of tight monetary policy and punishingly high-interest rates, to tame high inflation. Inflation dropped, but the Budget also accelerated deindustrialization and spiralling unemployment, and turbocharged inequality. It has since indelibly shaped memories of ‘Thatcherism’. Forty years on, the current Conservative government is at a new fork in the road in its economic policy, grappling with pandemic spending legacies, the fallout from Brexit, and post-2008 economics, and with electoral pledges both to fiscal probity and to 'level up' the UK.
Topic:: Economics, Labor Issues, Governance, Budget, Unemployment, and Deindustrialization
Political Geography:: United Kingdom and Europe

286. The Civic University

Publication Date:: 12-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:: In 2018, the UPP Foundation established a commission to investigate the civic work of universities. The commission published its findings in February 2019 and recommended that universities set out to co-create Civic University Agreements with other key civic partners in order to beyond traditional civic engagement and become truly civic universities, embedded into their areas.
Topic:: Education, Social Policy, Higher Education, and Civic Engagement
Political Geography:: United Kingdom and Europe

287. After the Virus: Lessons from The Past For A Better Future

Publication Date:: 11-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:: Hilary Cooper and Simon Szreter have published a powerful manifesto for change post-Covid-19. It argues that the world needs ‘a new morality’ to recover from the pandemic and to prepare for future crises - and that Britain’s own history points the way. In 'After the Virus', they show how decades of neoliberalism and austerity left us vulnerable to the effects of Covid-19; they show how important history is for British and global public policy today, going back 400 years to look at Elizabeth I’s innovative Poor Laws, the world’s first universal welfare system; and they present practical proposals, inspired by our own history, that will promote a morality of nurturing, not exploiting, people and the planet.
Topic:: Governance, Neoliberalism, Pandemic, and COVID-19
Political Geography:: United Kingdom and Europe

288. Celebrating 20 Years of The Living Wage at Queen Mary University of London

Publication Date:: 11-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:: The Living Wage Campaign was launched by London Citizens in Walthamstow, East London, in 2001. Since then, it spread across the country and became a nationwide campaign led by the Living Wage Foundation. In 2006, Queen Mary became the first accredited university in the UK to pay all staff a real Living Wage, based on the cost of living, not just the government minimum. Queen Mary also improved working conditions so that every staff member at the university – regardless of rank or role – received a minimum of 30 days’ annual leave, access to sick pay, an annually negotiated pay increase, and an employer contribution pension scheme. In 2011, the University became a founding partner of the Living Wage Foundation. At this event to mark twenty years of the Living Wage Campaign, the Mile End Institute hosted a conversation with Matthew Bolton, the Executive Director of Citizens UK, to revisit the history of the Living Wage and the campaign to establish the living wage at Queen Mary. The event reflected on how the Living Wage is a vital strategy in the fight to end poverty in London and the important role of higher educational institutions in creating a fairer society.
Topic:: Economics, Poverty, Labor Issues, and Standard of Living
Political Geography:: United Kingdom and Europe

289. Structural and Institutional Racism in the UK - Contemporary Perspectives

Publication Date:: 10-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:: The Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities in Britain published its controversial and widely criticised report on structural inequalities earlier this year. The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) think-tank in conjunction with Race on the Agenda (ROTA) and the Race Equality Foundation (REF) also recently published a collection of papers in the journal Progressive Review that offer an alternative analysis of structural and institutional racism in the UK. This event explored different perspectives and contributions to the debate about structural and institutional racism in the UK, using the IPPR/ROTA/REF collection as a starting point to consider the limitations of the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities and the analysis it promoted.
Topic:: Race, Ethnicity, Discrimination, and Structuralism
Political Geography:: United Kingdom and Europe

290. Riding the Populist Wave – Europe’s Mainstream Right in Crisis

Publication Date:: 10-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:: Whilst Conservative, Christian democratic and Liberal parties continue to play a crucial role in the democratic politics and governance of every Western European country, they are rarely paid the attention they deserve. This book reveals a mainstream right squeezed by the need to adapt to both 'the silent revolution' that has seen the spread of postmaterialist, liberal and cosmopolitan values and the backlash against those values - the 'silent counter-revolution' that has brought with it the rise of several far-right parties offering populist answers to many of Europe’s most contentious political problems.
Topic:: Politics, Social Movement, Populism, and Conservatism
Political Geography:: Europe

291. Banking Bailout Law: A Comparative Study of the United States, United Kingdom and the European Union

Publication Date:: 10-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:: Our expert panellists discussed Virág Blazsek’s book, Banking Bailout Law: A Comparative Study of the United States, United Kingdom and the European Union, which examines the different bank bailout and resolution techniques and tools through carefully selected case studies. The panel explored the pros and cons of the different legal and regulatory options identified by the book to reconstruct a regulatory framework that might better serve countries in future financial crises.
Topic:: Economics, European Union, Finance, Banking, and Bailout
Political Geography:: United Kingdom, Europe, North America, and United States of America

292. The Limehouse Declaration 40 Years On: Can the SDP Teach Us Anything Today?

Publication Date:: 09-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:: n partnership with Progressive Britain, we were delighted to host this live webinar chaired by MEI Deputy Director, Dr Colm Murphy. Combining the insights of a witness seminar with contemporary analysis, the panel aimed to highlight the similarities (and differences) between the 1981 schism and the contemporary moment, using this anniversary as an opportunity to gain insights into the politics of today.
Topic:: Governance, Leadership, Domestic Politics, and Progressivism
Political Geography:: United Kingdom and Europe

293. The Conservative Party in London

Publication Date:: 07-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:: The session examined the long-term prospects for the Conservative Party in London following the recent Mayoral and London Assembly elections. The panel considered how the Conservative party are positioned electorally in London, and how they can attract both younger voters and those from ethnic minority backgrounds. They also discuss the policy issues that are likely to dominate the political debate in London over the next few years in the aftermath of Covid-19, and how London can, and perhaps should, relate to the rest of the United Kingdom in the future.
Topic:: Ethnicity, Domestic Politics, Conservatism, and Urban
Political Geography:: United Kingdom, Europe, and London

294. Where Next for the Liberal Democrats?

Publication Date:: 07-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:: In partnership with the think-tank Social Liberal Forum, we were delighted to welcome you to ‘Where Next for the Liberal Democrats?’. The panel considered the recent electoral performance of the Liberal Democrats in UK-wide, national, and local elections, the role of the Party in shaping the policy agenda in British politics, and the broader challenges to political liberalism in the aftermath of Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Topic:: Brexit, Domestic Politics, Liberalism, Political Parties, and COVID-19
Political Geography:: United Kingdom and Europe

295. A Future Well and Fair: A Post-Covid Vision of the Welfare State

Publication Date:: 06-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:: This event launched the report from the project, 'A Future Well and Fair: A Post-Covid Vision for the Welfare State', by Paul Copeland, Mary Daly and Alistair Leitch and is supported by Research England. The report argues that if the UK is to become a prosperous, healthy, fair and more equitable society, it needs to acknowledge that the current system of welfare is effectively broken. Reforming existing policy areas in isolation of each other will do little to move the welfare state beyond its current limitations. It provides a visionary and realistic future welfare agenda based on five principles: repositioning; reforming; reimagining; regulating, and revitalising.
Topic:: Social Policy, Pandemic, COVID-19, and Welfare State
Political Geography:: United Kingdom and Europe

296. A New Settlement: Place and Wellbeing in Local Government

Publication Date:: 06-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:: This event launched the report, 'A New Settlement: Place and Wellbeing in Local Government', in partnership with LGiU with support from Research England. The report outlines a new settlement for place in England built around the insights and the experiences of councils grappling with these challenges across the country.
Topic:: Government, Governance, Local, and Welfare State
Political Geography:: United Kingdom and Europe

297. Keir Starmer's Leadership: One Year On

Publication Date:: 05-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:: This special event brought together an expert panel to discuss Keir Starmer’s first year as Leader of the Opposition in the aftermath of the major elections that took place in Scotland, Wales, and other parts of the UK. The session commenced with a presentation by Anthony Wells, Director of Political and Social Research (YouGov), who gave an insight into what the polls say about Labour’s performance over the past year and the present and future challenges facing the Labour leadership.
Topic:: Governance, Leadership, Domestic Politics, and Labour Party
Political Geography:: United Kingdom and Europe

298. Brexit, Digital Platforms and Algorithms: Competition Policy in the UK

Publication Date:: 04-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:: With investigations into large technology companies’ allegedly monopolistic behaviour across the globe, competition policy has become a central issue in economics and politics. But can more robust enforcement of our current rules tame the power of the tech giants? As the role of the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) expands with Brexit, how does its proposed approach towards tech platforms compare in an international context – especially vis-à-vis the EU – and can it be effective in making sure markets don’t tip in favour of a single dominant player? What can the government, academics and the private sector do to tackle the challenges to competition from algorithms that might be prone to collusion, self-preferencing and other harms to fair market outcomes?
Topic:: Science and Technology, Business, Digitalization, and Competition
Political Geography:: United Kingdom and Europe

299. ‘Politics and Law: The Nightmare and the Noble Dream’ - Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP

Publication Date:: 04-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:: UK Constitutional Reform: What Has Worked and What Hasn’t?
Topic:: Law, Reform, Constitution, and Domestic Politics
Political Geography:: United Kingdom and Europe

300. UK Constitutional Reform: What Has Worked and What Hasn’t?

Publication Date:: 04-2021
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:: The past two decades have seen some of the most far-reaching changes to the UK constitution since universal suffrage. Many virtues have been ascribed to these reforms. To the extent that criticism exists, it has often been to argue that further reform is necessary. This online conference adopts a different approach. It aims to provide a critical evaluation of recent constitutional reforms. Bringing together leading constitutional experts and politicians from the United Kingdom and around the world, the conference will examine the following questions: Did the reforms deliver what their proponents claimed they would? Have the reforms generally improved governance, or added further complication? Have the reforms helped to unite the kingdom or driven further division? Have reforms enhanced or obscured accountability? The programme consists of 8 panels spread over two half days, complemented by a keynote address from a senior figure in the UK government. See the outline below and containing more information about panels.
Topic:: Governance, Reform, Constitution, and Domestic Politics
Political Geography:: United Kingdom and Europe

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COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESS