If current U.S. presidential politics are considered a clown show, then the recent events surrounding the scandal-ridden administration of South Korea’s President Park Geun-hye qualify as a full-blown three-ring-circus. The…
Dueling development: Bay of Bengal an economic flashpoint for China and India
On Dec. 1, as part of the Institute for Asian Studies’ ongoing Visiting Scholar Lecture Series, Dr. Chanwahn Kim, professor of Indian and ASEAN Studies at the Graduate School of…
This week around the world Dec. 6–12
Dec. 7 Philippines Philippine President Duterte found himself again in the spotlight after a spirited defense of several police officers suspected of killing a mayor with alleged ties to illegal…
This week around the world Nov. 25-Dec. 2
Nov. 25 Cuba Fidel Castro, the Marxist revolutionary and former leader of Cuba, passed away at the age of 90. Nov. 27 France Former Prime Minster Francois Fillon won the…
Iranian students find common ground on campus: A Q&A with ISAP student leader
The Iranian Student Association of Portland is self-described as a “non-political, non-religious, non-profit organization” whose mission is “[to provide] support for new and continuing Iranian students at Portland State, to…
Oil & Water
In the early dusk of Nov. 20 a large stream of water arched over a heavily fortified barrier and began to soak the people assembled on the other side. The…
Education Abroad Dept. announces photo contest winners
The Portland State Education Abroad program recently announced the winners for its 12th annual International Photo Contest. The contest is open to students who have traveled and studied abroad through…
Can Chinese consumerism save the world? A talk by Karl Gerth
Is a middle class Chinese woman’s decision on whether or not to buy a Barbie doll more important than who is the president of the United States? Such a question…
Upcoming international events Nov. 23-Dec.1
The group Freethinkers of Portland State is hosting the first university screening of Islam’s Non-Believers. The film, directed by Deeyah Khan, “investigates the lives of ex-Muslims, who face extreme discrimination,…
This week around the world Nov. 14–21
Nov. 16 Russia Russia withdrew support from the International Criminal Court after it released a report accusing Russia of war crimes during the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014….
Nuclear policy
On Oct. 27, a majority of United Nations member states voted to move forward in negotiating a treaty that would ban nuclear weapons. Among the states that opposed such a…