To Wear or Not to Wear? More than Just the Hijab in Question

The Outbreak of COVID-19 Coronavirus: are the International Health Regulations fit for purpose?: Gian Luca Burci, Adjunct Professor of international law at the Graduate Institute since 2012, and former Legal Counsel for the World Health Organization, answers questions about his article in the European Journal of International Law about the International Health Regulations and discusses if they are truly fit for purpose. by Graduate Institute What Matters Today

29 min listen

Covid-19 Vaccine Diplomacy: The topic of this podcast episode is vaccine diplomacy. The term "vaccine diplomacy" has become more prevalent in the media as the Covid pandemic continues to engulf the globe. Now the world is asking “who maintains the rights to the vaccine patents and how are vaccines distributed and to whom?” But there are a number of intricacies to this sort of diplomacy and it brings to the fore a number of challenges. My guests for this episode are Professors Ilona Kickbusch and Michel Kazatchkine. Professor Ilona Kickbusch is the Founder and Chair of the Graduate Institute’s Global Health Centre and is former Adjunct Professor, Interdisciplinary Programmes at the Institute. Professor Kickbusch is known throughout the world for her expertise and is a sought after senior adviser and keynote speaker. Professor Michel Kazatchkine is a Senior Fellow at the Global Health Centre. Professor Kazatchkine is also a former Executive Director of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB by Graduate Institute What Matters Today

19 min listen

What economic policies can be used to mitigate the impact of COVID-19?: Cédric Tille is a Professor of international economics at the Graduate Institute. He has been a member of faculty since 2007. He previously worked as an economist at the International Research Function for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and has been a member of the Bank Council of the Swiss National Bank since 2011. In this episode, Professor Tille highlights the economic policies that can help minimise the impact of COVID-19. by Graduate Institute What Matters Today

20 min listen

Racial injustice and the death of George Floyd: This episode features a discussion about what is happening in the United States at the moment following the death of George Floyd during his arrest by police in Minneapolis last week. This discussion focuses on why this situation continues to happen, what is needed to change it, and is this solely about police brutality or is it about human rights? Mohamed Mahmoud Mohamedou, Professor of International History and Chair of the International History Department at the Graduate Institute and Davide Rodogno, Professor of International History at the Graduate Institute, share their thoughts on this volatile situation. by Graduate Institute What Matters Today

26 min listen

The impact of the Trump administration's decision to halt WHO funding: Dr Suerie Moon, Co-Director of the Graduate Institute’s Global Health Centre, and former lecturer on Global Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, discusses the impact of the Trump administration's decision to halt funding to the World Health Organization. In addition, she shares her views on how the WHO has been handling the coronavirus pandemic. by Graduate Institute What Matters Today

23 min listen

Synthetic Biology: Climate change has been at the forefront of environmental discussions lately, but there are other aspects of the environmental crisis, one of the most significant being biodiversity loss. Bill Adams is the Claudio Segré Chair of Conservation and Development as well as Visiting Professor of the Interdisciplinary Programme here at the Institute. He was previously the Moran Professor of Conservation and Development at the University of Cambridge. In his recent publication, Strange Natures, he examines conservation efforts in an era where synthetic biology is becoming established. by Graduate Institute What Matters Today

19 min listen

Arab Spring - 10 years on: The Arab Spring protests started in December 2010. In this episode we examine the impact and legacy of the Arab Spring 10 years on. My guest is Mohamed Mahmoud Mohamedou, Professor of International History and Chair of the International History Department at the Graduate Institute. by Graduate Institute What Matters Today

19 min listen

The impact of COVID-19 on human rights: Over the past few months, the coronavirus has had a major impact on many different facets of our daily lives. One topic that isn't often addressed however, is the impact the pandemic has, and will continue to have, on human rights. In this second episode of our special series which examines a post coronavirus world, we examine how the pandemic has changed how human rights are viewed and respected, how it is affecting victims of domestic violence, and how it has become a barrier, in some instances, for the exercise of human rights. This episodes features guests from the Graduate Institute's International Law department and include Vincent Chetail, Professor of International Law, Chair of the International Law Department, Director of the Global Migration Centre (Graduate Institute) and President of the Board of the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights; Andrew Clapham, Professor of International Law, he was the first D by Graduate Institute What Matters Today

33 min listen

COVID-19 impact on organisational structure and governance: In this third episode of our post-coronavirus series, we look at the impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic could have on organisations and governance. Specifically, we examine the effects the pandemic will have on future organisational structures. We also discuss what evolutionary theory can teach us about the global order during and after COVID-19. This episode features Cedric Dupont, Professor of international relations and political science, and president of Executive Education at the Graduate Institute, and Velibor Jakovleski, Head of Research for the Global Governance centre at the Graduate Institute. by Graduate Institute What Matters Today

19 min listen

The historical impact of the coronavirus: This episode marks the beginning of a special post-coronavirus series. Each episode will feature separate interviews with two professors and a student from one of our academic departments. The focus of this series is to discuss what a post-coronavirus world will look like from various points of views. This episode focuses on the historical impact of the coronavirus and features Mohamed Mahmoud Mohamedou, Professor of International History and Chair of the International History Department at the Graduate Institute, Davide Rodogno, Professor of International History, and Efrat Gilad, a PhD candidate in International History at the Graduate Institute. by Graduate Institute What Matters Today

33 min listen

Energy Crisis and the Ukraine War: The energy crisis is expected to get worse as we approach winter in the northern hemisphere. But will it? Are recent declining gas prices a sign that the energy crisis will not be as bad as expected? Will the crisis lead to a faster transition to green energy - and does this crisis actually have a potential beneficial effect on Africa. These are some of the questions that will be addressed in this episode of What Matters Today My guest today is Professor Giacomo Luciani. Professor Luciani leads the Master in International Energy Transitions at the Paris School of International Affairs, Sciences Po, and is adjunct professor here at the Geneva Graduate Institute and at the University of Geneva. Intro Credits: CNA by Graduate Institute What Matters Today

16 min listen

The impact of Finland's and Sweden's application to join NATO: On Wednesday 18 May, Finland and Sweden simultaneously handed in their official letters of application to join NATO. Both countries decided to do so following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. How will this impact both countries' relationship with Russia? Will Turkey block Finland and Sweden from becoming NATO members? Could Finland’s and Sweden’s membership and subsequent NATO expansion lead to a new Cold War? by Graduate Institute What Matters Today

11 min listen

Brexit: What Next? by Graduate Institute What Matters Today

27 min listen

The impact of the US elections on democracy: The topic of this episode is the impact of the upcoming US elections on Democracy and features Professor Shalini Randeria. Professor Randeria is Professor of Social Anthropology and Sociology and is director of the Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy at the Graduate Institute. She is also Rector of the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna and holds the Excellence Chair at the University of Bremen where she runs a research group on soft authoritarianism. by Graduate Institute What Matters Today

31 min listen

Gangs and Suburbs: What Impact on the French Elections?: With the French Presidential elections taking place this month, this episode of What Matters Today focuses on how topics such as gangs and gang-related violence, the war on drugs, and the social situation in French suburbs (known as “les banlieues”), are impacting campaign discussions and promises. by Graduate Institute What Matters Today

22 min listen

The EU Reaction to the War in Ukraine: This episode focuses on how the EU has reacted since Russia invaded Ukraine. What steps has the EU taken since the start of the war, and what are the long-term policy implications. How will the EU respond to Ukraine's - as well as Moldova’s and Georgia’s requests to join the EU? These are some of the questions we will address in this episode. Our guest for this episode is Cédric Dupont, professor of International Relations and Political science at the Graduate Institute. by Graduate Institute What Matters Today

21 min listen

Diplomatic Boycotts of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics: The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics have begun and today we are looking at the diplomatic boycotts surrounding the games. So far, countries such as Australia, Canada, Japan, Lithuania, the United Kingdom, and the United States, have announced a diplomatic boycott of the Games in response to the Chinese government's human rights abuses. However, do these types of boycotts have any impact? Should sports and politics mix? How will this impact the relationship between China and these countries after the games. These are some of the questions that are discussed in this episode of What Matters Today. Our guest for this episode is Professor Jussi Hanhimäki Professor Hanhimäki is Professor of International History and Politics and Chair of the Department of International History and Politics at the Graduate Institute. He has been a faculty member since 2000, Professor Hanhimäki was previously a Lecturer at the London School of Econom by Graduate Institute What Matters Today

17 min listen

The Impact of COVID-19 on Cities: How will COVID-19 impact cities moving forward? This is the topic of our 11th episode featuring Dennis Rodgers, Research Professor in Anthropology and Sociology at the Graduate Institute. Prior to joining the Institute in 2018, Professor Rodgers held appointments at the Universities of Amsterdam, Glasgow, Manchester, and the London School of Economics and Political Science. His research focuses on issues relating to the dynamics of conflict and violence in cities in Latin America (Nicaragua, Argentina) and South Asia (India), and he is the Principal Investigator of the European Research Council-funded project "Gangs, Gangsters, and Ganglands: Towards a Global Comparative Ethnography". by Graduate Institute What Matters Today

31 min listen

Global impact of Roe v Wade being overturned: On Friday 24 June, the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade ending 50 years of federal abortion rights. 26 stats are expected to ban abortion immediately or as soon as possible. The ruling has sent shockwaves throughout the US where pro-choice supporters immediately condemned it while many conservatives praised the decision President Biden condemned the ruling, calling it a “tragic error” and even accused the Supreme Court of “Outrageous behaviour”. But what will be the impact of this ruling outside of the US? How will it affect women’s rights globally? Will this decision open the door to other rights that have previously been protected? These are the questions that we will be looking at in this episode of What Matters Today. My guest for this episode is Dr. Nicole Bourbonnais who is an Associate Professor of International History and Politics here at the Geneva Graduate Institute. Dr Bourbonnais’ research focuses on the tran by Graduate Institute What Matters Today

20 min listen

Crisis in Afghanistan: Now that the US has pulled out of Afghanistan and that the Taliban have taken over the country, what does the future of Afghanistan look like? Did any good come out of the last 20 years? And how will this impact the people of Afghanistan? These are some of the questions that are discussed in this episode of What Matters Today. Professor Alessandro Monsutti is the guest for this episode. Professor Monsutti Monsutti became a member of the Graduate Institute faculty in 2010. He has conducted multi-sited research since the mid-1990s in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran to study the modes of solidarity and cooperation mobilised in a situation of conflict and forced migration. He has subsequently broadened the geographical scope of his research to include members of the Afghan diaspora living in Western countries. This led him to analyse war and post-conflict reconstruction in the light of the social networks and economic strategies developed by refugees and migrants, a by Graduate Institute What Matters Today

39 min listen

Brazil elections: What is at stake nationally and globally?: All eyes are on Brazil as the first round of its upcoming presidential election on 2 October has already stirred heated debate. Incumbent far-right president Jair Bolsonaro and left-wing former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, “Lula”, could again become president, however, neither comes with a sterling political record. Meanwhile, the future of Brazil hangs in the balance. Graziella Moraes Silva, Professor of Anthropology and Sociology here at the Geneva Graduate Institute and Co-director of the Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy joins us from Rio de Janeiro to explore what the future of Brazil might look like. Intro credits: BBC News by Graduate Institute What Matters Today

19 min listen

Inflation on the rise: Inflation has been a headline issue over the past few months with key questions being why is it so high right now, what can be done to decrease it, and how long will it last? These are some of the questions that will be addressed in this episode of What Matters Today. Our guest for this episode is Cedric Tille, Professor of International Economics at the Geneva Graduate Institute. Credits: Channel 4 News: https://youtu.be/GT9k0i8CMMk The Economist: https://youtu.be/ZAWrcum9COU by Graduate Institute What Matters Today

18 min listen

The cost of living crisis: The cost-of-living crisis is affecting many households globally. But how did we get here? We know that the war in Ukraine is fuelling the cost of living crisis, however what are the other causes? What are the potential solutions to this crisis? Salary increases and price controls are often brought up as solutions, but are they effective? And lastly, how will this crisis impact the transition to greener energy? These are some of the questions that we will examine in this episode of What Matters Today. Our guest is Charles Wyplosz, Honorary Professor, International Economics and Faculty Associate, Centre For Finance And Development at the Geneva Graduate Institute. Intro Credits: DW News by Graduate Institute What Matters Today

15 min listen

Post-partition: 75 years after the divide between India and Pakistan: In 1947, 300 years after British colonisation began, Cyril John Radcliffe was assigned the task of drawing the borders to define two newly independent nation states: India and Pakistan. On 9 August 1947, he submitted the partition, separating the two nations based upon religious majorities. Put into effect on 17 August 1947 – two days after India became independent of the United Kingdom and three days after Pakistan’s independence – pandemonium broke out as millions soon found themselves on the “wrong side” of the new border, creating a lasting legacy of displacement, division and bloodshed. My guest for this episode of What Matters Today is Gopalan Balachandran, Co-Director of the Albert Hirschman Centre On Democracy and Professor of International History and Politics at the Geneva Graduate Institute. by Graduate Institute What Matters Today

16 min listen

Peru Protests: On 7 December of last year, Peruvian president Pedro Castillo was removed by Congress and arrested on charges of “rebellion” and “conspiracy”. This has led to weeks of violent protests in Peru that have resulted in the deaths of at least 48 people. Protesters are demanding the dissolution of Congress, the resignation of Peru’s new president, Dina Boluarte, new general elections, and the release of Castillo In this episode of What Matters Today, we look at the underlying causes of these protests and why they are so violent. We also discuss what comes next and how this crisis will potentially end. Our guest for this episode is Marc Hufty, Professor of Development Studies at the Geneva Graduate Institute. Intro Credits: Channel 4 News by Graduate Institute What Matters Today

19 min listen

Israeli Elections and The Rise of the Far Right: Israel has been through several elections in the past few years. In fact, Israel has had five elections in just four years. The most recent elections, the ones that took place on November 1st, saw an important rise of the far right in Israel. In this episode of What Matters Today we look at the impact of the far right in Israel. We also examine how the far right helped Benjamin Netanyahu win the election. And finally, we discuss the general reaction of Palestinians to the election results. My guest for this episode is Cyrus Schayegh who is a Professor of International History and Politics at the Geneva Graduate Institute. Please note that this episode was recorded on in mid-November Intro Credits: Reuters by Graduate Institute What Matters Today

17 min listen

Sustainable IT: Welcome to What Matters Today. In today’s episode, we are taking a deep dive into the world of sustainable IT. Topics covered in this episode include the Sustainable IT Charter, which the Geneva Graduate Institute signed in June, joining 443 other organizations in doing so. We will also take a glimpse into sustainable IT initiatives at the Institute, as well as uncovering best practices for greening our digital footprint. We hope you enjoy this conversation at the intersection of technology and sustainability. Hosting today’s episode is Jérome Dubérry, who is the Managing Director of the Tech Hub here at the Institute, and is also an academic advisor for the Institute’s Executive Education Programme. Jérôme’s guest include Johan Den Arend, Head of IT at the Institute and Ivan Mariblanca Flinch, founder and CEO of Canopé, a Swiss startup that measures the environmental footprint of organizations’ IT systems among other services. by Graduate Institute What Matters Today

23 min listen

To Wear or Not to Wear? More than Just the Hijab in Question: Hair-cutting, hijab burning, mourning the loss of a friend, sister, daughter and woman: these are the images of worldwide protests sparked after 22-year old Mahsa Amini was detained for wearing an “improper” hijab in Tehran, and fell into a coma and died. Yet in many of the western countries where the rights of women are simultaneously being decried in Iran, Muslim women are accosted daily for their beliefs and how they dress, finding themselves as the subjects of extreme forms of racism and hate. To unfurl the reasons behind this di-chotomy, Professor Julie Billaud, who teaches Anthropology and Sociology at the Institute, joins us for this episode of What Matters Today. by Graduate Institute What Matters Today

21 min listen

UK Politics: Is chaos the new normal?: Boris Johnson’s last day as UK Prime Minister was 6 September. On the same day, Liz Truss was elected leader of the Conservatives and thus Prime Minister. However, she resigned after just 44 days in office, making her the shortest-serving Prime Minister in UK history. The current Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, was appointed on 25 October. To recap, the UK has had three Prime Ministers in two months. Many are saying that Britain’s political scene is in chaos. Is this the new normal? What challenges does Rishi Sunak now face - and what does he need to do to help bring stability? Is the UK paying the price for leaving the EU? These are some of the questions that we will examine in this episode of What Matters Today. Our guest is Cedric Dupont, Professor of International Relations and Political Science here at the Geneva Graduate Institute. Professor Dupont has been a faculty member since 1995. He is also Editor of the Swiss Political Science Review by Graduate Institute What Matters Today

17 min listen

Iran Protests: A revolution in the making?: In this episode, we look at why the current protests in Iran have mobilized so many. We also examine who is actually participating in these protests and the role students are playing as well. Will these protests end up changing Iran? How will all of this end? Will the current regime fall? These are some of the questions we will examine in this episode. My guest today is Cyrus Schayegh, Professor of International History and Politics at the Geneva Graduate Institute. Professor Schayegh, who has a PhD from Columbia University, joined the Institute in 2017. Before joining the Institute, he was Associate Professor at Princeton University and from 2005-2008, Assistant Professor at the American University of Beirut. His most recent books are the monograph The Middle East and the Making of the Modern World and the edited volume Globalizing the U.S. Presidency: Postcolonial Views of John F. Kennedy. Intro Credits: ABC News by Graduate Institute What Matters Today

22 min listen

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To Wear or Not to Wear? More than Just the Hijab in Question

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