2016 In the News

A recent study, co-authored by Rose McDermott, Professor of International Relations, ties one's sexual preferences with their political values.

Amb. Nirupama Rao in The Wire, "The Indian government needs a cadre of specialists in strategic communication, in policy articulation and projection who also cater to audiences well beyond the domestic audience, non-resident Indians and persons of Indian origin."

The Humanitarian Innovation Initiative, which aims to improve humanitarian efforts by grounding them in a solid foundation of academic research, has launched at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs this year. “Humanitarian response is not new, it’s something the world has been focused on for more than 150 years,” said Adam Levine, assistant professor of emergency medicine and founder of HI2.

Whoever wins the next U.S. presidential election is likely to take an aggressive approach to diplomacy, according to Watson Institute's Stephen Kinzer.

Prerna Singh's new book is highlighted in India's The Wire.

Following a massive denial-of-service attack that effected the likes of Netflix, Twitter and Reddit on Friday, cybersecurity expert Timothy Edgar describes the scope of future cybersecurity threats and the feasibility of forcing organizations to take responsibility.

Chas Freeman, senior fellow in the Watson Institute, wrote an essay chronicling the blunders that led to the current state of affairs in the Middle East.

Prerna Singh's new book How Solidarity Works for Welfare: Subnationalism and Social Development in India is highlighted by Harvard University's Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.

Stephen Kinzer, senior fellow in the Watson Institute, wrote an op-ed criticizing United States' motives behind the escalating tensions in Yemen.

Brown University economist Emily Oster, author of Expecting Better, comments on the factors linked to miscarriages.

Greenland officials are calling on Denmark to address the toxic clean up mess buried beneath ice sheets at Camp Century, citing a study co-authored by Brown scientist Jeff Colgan.

Humanitarian crises are multiplying around the globe, but a Brown University researcher says we could be responding in a more rigorous way.

Multiple events focued around the 2016 presidential election are listed in a campus-wide round up.

Stephen Kinzer, a senior fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, writes about the forgotten Philippine War that has come back to haunt the United States.

Director of the Watson Institute Edward Steinfeld comments on the 1999 bail out program in China that lauded by some officials and criticized by others.

A research study in which Jeff Colgan is a co-author, found that climate change is causing the Greenland Ice Sheet to melt and could potentially expose radioactive waste at Camp Century, an abandoned U.S. military base.

"The Watson Institute expansion includes the renovation of 65 Charlesfield, a 10,000-square-foot, three-story historic structure on the corner of Charlesfield and Brook Streets, and 20,000 square feet in new construction adjacent to the current institute at 111 Thayer St."

This week marks the 15th anniversary of United States' invasion of Afghanistan and it's a been a costly affair, according to the Costs of War Project at Brown University.

"Sprawling over two million words and 33 volumes, al-Nuwayri's "The Ultimate Ambition in the Arts of Erudition" has long been considered a monument of classical Islamic learning. A significantly abridged version is now available in English, translated by Elias Muhanna, a professor of Arabic literature at Brown University."

Professors Ross Cheit and Wendy Schiller are quoted in this story on Rhode Island ballot question 2, which addresses ethics commission oversight.

Jeff Colgan in New Security Beat, "As the ice melts, the camp's infrastructure, as well as any remaining biological, chemical, and radioactive waste, will re-enter the environment and potentially disrupt nearby ecosystems and human health on a broader scale."

Stephen Kinzer in The Boston Globe, "Exaggerating threats to the United States and downplaying the high cost of reckless intervention have become the daily bread of countless lobbyists, pundits, and politicians."

Narges Bajoghli in Al-Monitor, "Iran has long been a leader in the Middle East on treating infertility, with nearly 100 clinics nationwide that serve not only Iranian couples, but also couples from neighboring states who come to take advantage of the country's open stance toward such treatments."

Watson Institute fellows Stephen Kinzer and Chas Freeman comment on the ramifications of a controversial bill that would allow families of the 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia for its alleged role in backing the attackers.

Political scientist Wendy Schiller comments on the Senate race between two Democratic rivals in California who are not being supported by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

A recent study co-authored by Jeff Colgan, Professor of Political Science, describes the secret US military project Camp Century and its potential exposure due to climate change.

Wendy Schiller discusses the first presidential debate with Kerri Miller of Minnesota Public Radio.

Wendy Schiller discusses the first presidential debate and social media's on Marketplace Tech with Molly Wood.

Brown political scientist Wendy Schiller comments on what Hillary Clinton supporters want to see from her at next week's presidential debate.

James Morone, a political scientist at Brown University, comments on the strategies the presidential candidates might use from Sarah Palin's playbook.

Provost Richard Locke received an inaugural Progress Medal from The Society for Progress for his scholarship on working conditions and labor rights in the global economy.

Michelle Jurkovich in The Washington Post, "We haven't decided what 'hunger' is, nor is there agreement on how to measure it."

Peter Andreas, Professor of International Studies and Political Science, comments on the presidential candidates' proposed solutions of the opioid painkiller and heroin epidemic.

In the New York Daily News, Jim Morone and David Blumenthal discuss the history of presidential candidates hiding illnesses.

Glenn Loury, professor of social sciences, discusses political correctness, the legacy of state-sanctioned racism and his disagreements with the Atlantic writer Ta-Nehisi Coates.

Ted Widmer, senior fellow at the Watson Institute, examines history to assess the potential impact of third parties in presidential elections.

John Friedman comments on the benefits that drugmakers have seen since the revision of the Medicare program in 2003.

Mark Blyth, professor of political economy, writes an article about the current global financial uncertainty and looks to the past for guidance on investing in a tumultuous market.

Tim Edgar in Lawfare Blog, "Snowden forced the NSA to become more transparent, more accountable, more protective of privacy—and more effective.

Stephen Kinzer in The Boston Globe, "Then, evidently energized, they went inside and passed a bill that would allow relatives of 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia for its apparent support of the attackers. President Obama is likely to veto it."

The Costs of War Project was cited in The Atlantic, "Since the 9/11 attacks, America has poured $3.2 trillion into its wars, according to a new study from Brown University's Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs."

Director of Curriculum Development for the Choices Program Andy Blackadar, and Teaching Fellow Jennifer La Place talk to WOSU about the challenges of teaching students about 9/11 and how it has changed over the years.

Watson's Costs of War project cited in U.S. News & World Report, "According to a study released Friday through Brown University's Watson Institute of International and Public Affairs, government spending on the military, diplomacy, foreign aid, homeland security and services to veterans have cost U.S. taxpayers upward of $4.79 trillion in the post-Sept. 11 era."

Watson Institute Faculty Fellow Prerna Singh discusses How Solidarity Works for Welfare: Subnationalism and Social Development in India with the New Books Network podcast.

GPD trainees and sociology graduates Diana Graizbord and Jamie McPike, along with Nicole Pollock Chief of Staff for the City of Providence ('08), published an account on the importance of little data. "With all the excitement around the potential for Big Data to improve urban governance, we fear that those among us who are committed to research-based civic innovation may have overlooked the potential of in-depth, ethnographic data, or what we're calling 'little data.'"

Stephen Kinzer, senior fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, writes an op-ed about the dilemmas facing Turkey and Saudi Arabia after becoming involved in the Middle East conflict -- much to the their detriment.

The Woodrow Wilson Award is given annually for the best book on government, politics, or international affairs. Singh won the award for her book How Solidarity Works for Welfare: Subnationalism and Social Development in India.

Jim Green, Director of the Brazil Initiative, talks with Democracy Now! on Dilma Rousseff's impeachment.