Dear Globalist readers,
The beginning of this Fall 2021 semester has been both intense and exciting. Nearly all of Yale’s undergraduates have returned to campus and resumed in-person classes after nearly a year and a half of online learning. However, Covid-19 remains ever-present. As such, the Glo community chose the theme SURFACE in response to how we are entering a new phase in our rapidly changing world and university, which, defined by global developments that might feel intimidating and threatening, leaves us with the question of where we go from here.
SURFACE allows us to interrogate issues of which we are just now scratching the surface: issues that have been out of the spotlight and are now erupting into view. As such, our writers have tackled this theme from various angles. Axel de Vernou writes about space tourism, cryptocurrency, and artificial intelligence and their place in the University. Adam McPhail writes about U.S. national security challenges. Anabel Moore explores the state of the healthcare system in the wake of the pandemic. Camila Otero analyses the impact of Covid-19 in various countries around the world. Dylan Gunn argues for Irish reunification in a striking perspective piece. Raina Sparks covers the Doomsday Clock and the most pressing threats to humanity in modern times. Finally, Simona Hausleitner discusses the “new Silk Road” of China’s Belt and Road Initiative and its impact on economic integration between the East and the West.
We are very grateful for all of our writers’ hard work, and we hope our readers will enjoy learning about and exploring each of these issues as much as we did. We look forward to sharing our next quarterly issue later in the semester!
Warmly,
Phoebe and Martina