international affairs

A general view of the House of Lords in London as the European Withdrawal Agreement Bill is debated on Tuesday January 21, 2020. Photo credit should read: Kirsty Wigglesworth/ Press Association via AP Images

Brexit is actually happening. Now what?

On Friday, the United Kingdom will officially leave the European Union, and U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is confident the two can hammer out a trade deal by the end of the year. That might be “too optimistic,” says Mai’a Cross, Edward W. Brooke Professor of Political Science at Northeastern.

by Molly Callahan January 28, 2020

The road to Brexit

As a result of a 2016 referendum, the United Kingdom is on the brink of departing the European Union, in what is commonly known as Brexit. Here is a short history of the E.U., and what may be in store for the U.K. after its scheduled April 12 departure.

by Gregory Grinnell April 8, 2019

Claire Celestin, a fifth-year behavioral neuroscience major, received a Marshall Scholarship. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Three seniors receive prestigious honors

Claire Celestin, Minhal Ahmed, and Erin Bourque have received prestigious scholarships or fellowships that will support their graduate studies and advance their professional careers in the fields of women’s health, bioengineering, and diplomacy.

by Greg St. Martin December 10, 2018

FILE - In this July 15, 2016 file photo, a man cycles alongside taxi drivers near the Capitol building in Havana, Cuba. A rare poll of Cuban public opinion taken in late 2016 has found that most Cubans approve of normal relations with the United States and large majorities want more tourism and private business ownership. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa, File)

Cuba is getting a new president. But that doesn’t mean the end of Castro rule.

The Castro regime is far from over in Cuba, and how the U.S. responds to the apparent transfer of power could have a dramatic impact on national security. Northeastern’s Caribbean expert, Jose Buscaglia, discusses the impact of week’s dramatic events on U.S. national security.

by Bill Ibelle April 20, 2018

Dr. Arvind Panagariya speaks during the 2018 CEM India Lecture in East Village on April 4, 2018. Photo by Adam Glanzman/Northeastern University

India poised to become ‘third-largest economy in the world’

At the second annual Center for Emerging Markets’ India Lecture Series, Arvind Panagariya, former vice chairman of the National Institution for Transforming India, explained why there’s reason to be optimistic about the country’s future.

by Molly Callahan April 6, 2018

Aerial view of Doha, Qatar. Photo by iStock

What Arab nations’ isolation of Qatar means for US, Middle East

Five Arab nations severed all diplomatic ties with Qatar on Monday, exposing deep rifts between the Middle Eastern nations. We asked professor Denis Sullivan, co-director of the Middle East Center, to explain the geopolitical impact of this move and how the U.S. might respond.

by Danny Hajjar June 8, 2017

President Donald Trump, Saudi King Salman Bin Abdelaziz Al Saud, and First Lady Melania Trump visit a center to fight extremism in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on May 21, 2017. Photo by Balkis Press/Sipa USA

Faculty experts reflect on Trump’s foreign trip

President Trump’s aides praised his first foreign trip as commander in chief. But others viewed the overseas swing as nothing more than “some firm handshakes, forced smiles, and awkward sword dances.” We asked two fauclty members—Valentine Moghadam, director of the International Affairs and Middle East Studies programs, and John Portz, interim chair of the Department of Political Science—to give their takes.

by Jason Kornwitz June 5, 2017

Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

President Aoun signs pledge to support Paris climate accord

Northeastern President Joseph E. Aoun has reaffirmed the university’s commitment to sustainability and the mitigation of climate change, joining a coalition of mayors, governors, business…

by Jason Kornwitz June 2, 2017

Opposition activists clash with the riot police as they block the Francisco Fajardo highway in Caracas during a demonstration against President Nicolas Maduro's government on May 29, 2017. Demonstrations that got underway in late March have claimed the lives of 59 people, as opposition leaders seek to ramp up pressure on Venezuela's leftist president, whose already-low popularity has cratered amid ongoing shortages of food and medicines, among other economic woes. <i>Photo by Sipa via AP Images</i>

Is the chaos in Venezuela ‘a picture of what might happen’ elsewhere, including the US?

“Venezuela is spiraling into chaos,” says professor José Buscaglia, an expert on Central American studies, who fears crisis there could spread to more vulnerable countries in Latin America.

by Molly Callahan May 31, 2017

German chancellor Angela Merkel speaks with President Donald Trump during the G7 summit in Italy on May 26, 2017. Photo by: Guido Bergmann/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images

How frayed transatlantic ties could impact global landscape

German Chancellor Angela Merkel recently questioned the strength of the transatlantic ties, suggesting that her country’s relationship with the U.S. has shifted in the wake of President Trump’s first foreign trip. We asked political science professor Mai’a Cross, a European politics expert, to discuss the potential impact of Germany’s deepening rift with the U.S.

by Jason Kornwitz May 31, 2017