Global Resilience Institute Archives

two masked women walking with a crowd of masked men and women behind them

Tensions, risk of miscalculation heightened after Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan

Military activity above Chinese and Taiwanese airspace increased during the visit, with China flexing its might through ‘highly choreographed’ drills designed to send a clear message to its Western adversary, says Philip Thai, associate history professor and director of the Asian Studies Program at Northeastern.

by Tanner Stening August 3, 2022

ukranian soldiers in the country with artillery

How has the threat of World War III evolved, now that Russia and Ukraine have entered a ‘protracted’ war?

News@Northeastern spoke with Stephen Flynn, founding director of the Global Resilience Institute at Northeastern, about developments in Ukraine, how they are linked to the broader geopolitical landscape emerging in response to the war, and what the current threat level is for nuclear armed conflict and World War III.

by Tanner Stening July 28, 2022

Is inflation creating a ‘new normal’ of high food prices?

The cost of groceries is up 12.2% over the past year, an increase that can be especially painful for people with low incomes. Northeastern experts weigh in on the impending crisis.

by Ian Thomsen July 15, 2022

A car burns at the side of the damaged by shelling maternity hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 9, 2022. A Russian attack has severely damaged a maternity hospital in the besieged port city of Mariupol, Ukrainian officials say. AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka

Is World War III possible? The next few weeks will tell.

If the U.S. and its NATO allies are going to avoid becoming militarily involved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, developments in the coming days will prove critical, says Mai'a Cross, the Edward W. Brooke Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at Northeastern.

by Tanner Stening March 9, 2022

A truck arrives to pick up a shipping container near vessels moored at Maersk APM Terminals Pacific at the Port of Los Angeles. The Port of Los Angeles is on track to move a record volume of import cargo this year. Officials at the nation's busiest port expect to hit the new mark, even as they struggle to clear a backup of ship traffic and ease supply chain snarls that have been blamed for product shortages and higher shelf prices.

Supply chains are a mess. But there’s hope on the horizon.

The ongoing bottlenecks are likely to contribute to inflation as businesses pass rising costs on to consumers. But there are potential fixes to be found in 18th-century shipping systems, says Stephen Flynn, founding director of the Global Resilience Institute at Northeastern.

by Ian Thomsen January 11, 2022

journalists watch joe biden cop26 speech on a tv

Pop-up course on climate conference gives students front-row seat at COP26

Global leaders secured two advancements on climate change at the United Nations summit on Tuesday, but major challenges remain, say Northeastern climate scientists Jennie Stephens and Laura Kuhl, who are running a pop-up course tied to the two-week conference in Glasgow.

by Molly Callahan November 3, 2021

A new sustainability seminar lets students propose their own sustainability program. They learn to think critically and propose solutions, says Jacob Glickel, who works in the Office of Sustainability. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University

New course to cultivate ideas about how to expand campus sustainability efforts

A weekly seminar this fall will bring together researchers, campus operations, and people who live near the Boston campus into the discussion about the environment. Universities are anchors in their communities, and the class is an opportunity to demonstrate best practices for environmental sustainability and resilience, say faculty experts.

by Peter Ramjug September 7, 2021

The Bootleg fire threatens homes and critical infrastructure—threats that will only grow more dire as the effects of climate change and urbanization play out, say two Northeastern professors who study climate science and resilience.

Can the destructive Bootleg fire teach us to prevent wildfires before they start?

As the Bootleg fire in southern Oregon continues its destructive growth practically unabated, it threatens homes and critical infrastructure—threats that will only grow more dire as climate change dries out large swaths of the country and people increasingly move out of urban centers and into woodland areas, say two Northeastern professors who study climate science and resilience.

by Molly Callahan July 15, 2021

There’s a growing consensus among emergency response researchers that in communities where social ties are strong and there is a sense of connectedness, residents are more readily able to rebound after a disruptive event such as an earthquake, hurricane, tornado, wildfire, or illness. Illustration by Hannah Moore/Northeastern University

How to rebound from disasters? Resilience starts in the neighborhood

“Many times in emergency management we think about the physical activities that need to be done, expanding this, building that, shoring up this. But there’s a whole other side that we could easily do that can also enhance the recovery process,” says Ann Lesperance, director of the College of Social Sciences and Humanities at the Northeastern University Seattle campus.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki July 14, 2021

In this photo released by Suez Canal Authority, the Ever Given, a Panama-flagged cargo ship, is pulled by one of the Suez Canal tugboats, in the Suez Canal, Egypt, Monday, March 29, 2021. Photo by Suez Canal Authority via AP

Lessons learned: Getting to the root of the Suez Canal crisis

It could take at least 60 days for the world’s transportation system to right itself now that ships can pass through the Suez Canal again. Northeastern faculty experts say the incident underscores efficiency has come at the expense of resilience in the face of a major disruption to the global supply system.

by Peter Ramjug March 31, 2021

Global Resilience Institute