Emerging Voices Staff Writer Dan Kent had the chance to sit down with S. Douglas Bunch, a Public Delegate at the United States Mission to the United Nations. Below is a lightly edited transcript of their conversation. Thank you for taking the time to talk to us! First, can you give me an overview of…

By Dan Kent With the release of an updated strategy on international education and engagement by the US Department of Education, the US government has acknowledged the importance of education as a vehicle for advancing its international interests. Specifically, the US higher education sector has long been widely acknowledged as a source of soft power…

By Lauren McCranie In 1990, Joseph Nye sought to think more holistically about global power dynamics and introduced the concept of soft power: the ability of a country to persuade foreign publics to agree with its policies and stances without explicit force (as opposed to hard power levers like military force). A country’s soft power…

By Dan Kent With one of the largest refugee crises in Europe since World War II continuing to unfold in Ukraine, it is worth examining the various ramifications that such an outflow of people involves, including in other conflict zones. Although much has been discussed regarding the unimaginable human toll in death and suffering across…

By Dan Kent Many of Latin America’s border disputes are rooted in its colonial history. The dispute between Venezuela and Guyana is no different, having wide-ranging implications for the future of both nations. As energy markets continue to roil the globe with an array of supply-chain and demand shocks produced by various conflicts and the…

By Dan Kent When looking at a map of Central Asia, one attribute immediately stands out: it is a tangled assortment of enclaves, exclaves, and jagged borders. Central Asia, a region of 76 million people living across five nations, can trace these convoluted borders to their long history as Soviet states. During that era, borders were inconsequential, and…