By Michael Hall November 10, 2019 BOLOGNA, Italy -- A slim forearm disappears into a space-age silver canister, its repeated circling drawing the eyes of those hoping to see what hides behind the counter’s shadows. The foreplay to eating gelato climaxes with the jaw-dropping arrival of a flex spatula’s destined companion: a lush, velvety dollop…
Continue reading ➞ Bipartisanship that matters: Gelato’s growing divide
By Zoe Mize November 20, 2019 BOLOGNA, Italy –– Why Bologna? It’s a common question voiced at SAIS Europe, as students ponder the unusual decision to headquarter SAIS’s European campus in the relatively small capital city of Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region. Why not a larger city, a more international city? Why not Rome? …Paris? John Harper,…
Continue reading ➞ SAIS Europe’s CIA history overshadowed by its own obscurity
By Will Marshall December 1, 2019 BOLOGNA, Italy – The European Commission of President Ursula von der Leyen assumed office on December 1 after clearing a final hurdle in the European Parliament. On November 27, Members of the European Parliament (MEP) approved the 27-member College of Commissioners in an uneventful 461 to 157 vote despite…
Continue reading ➞ European Union welcomes new Commission after delay
By Laura Rong November 22, 2019 BOLOGNA, Italy -- On November 1, Spain agreed to host the 25th annual United Nations (UN) Climate Change conference (COP25) in December 2019, after Chilean President Sebastián Piñera cancelled plans to host citing domestic unrest. COP25 is the main climate event of the year. Momentum for the conference built…
Continue reading ➞ The “Greta effect”: The Polarized Global opinions of Greta Thunberg
By Rashi Seth November 11, 2019 BOLOGNA, Italy – It has been three months since the Indian government sent thousands of troops to Jammu and Kashmir, ending seven decades of special status provisions. This brings Kashmir under federal control and splits the state into two territories. The special status provision was introduced as a temporary…
Continue reading ➞ What are Modi’s true intentions in Kashmir?
By Bryan Popoola November 25, 2019 BOLOGNA, Italy -- In recent decades, Chile has been seen as a beacon of stability and progress on the South American continent. However, the country has recently been overrun by a series of protests triggered by a metro fare price increase in the city of Santiago. Since October 19th,…
Continue reading ➞ Chile: An economic and political model for South America?
By Zoe Mize November 11, 2019 BOLOGNA, Italy –– On October 29, 2019, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri stepped down. The ongoing street protests known as the “October Revolution” that led to Hariri’s resignation were triggered by the announcement of a tax on digital phone calls, including those made on the popular messaging service WhatsApp.…
Continue reading ➞ Lebanon’s leaderless October Revolution calls for tangible changes
The new SAIS Observer Explainer Series aims to help SAIS students understand the most complex issues of the day. No politics — just the facts. November 12, 2019 By: Ryan Grace On September 24, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced an impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. The impetus for this move was a…
Jessica Fang November 11, 2019 I texted a close friend and told her that I was thinking about going to Admiralty. A few seconds later, she replied: “Let’s go.” It was June 12, three days after 1 million people took to the streets and protested against the controversial extradition bill which would allow the extradition…
By: Mohit Mann November 28, 2019 At the annual summit for the Obama Foundation this year, former President Barack Obama addressed issues regarding civic engagement in the United States. Not long after Obama's comments were made, some predominant news outlets focused their attention on his statements concerning the relationship between political activism and social media.…
Continue reading ➞ Political Activism and Social Media: Friends or Foes?