By Hodhan Jibril International Relations & Arabic Student In the early 1980s, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank introduced their Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs). The programs responded to the international debt crisis in the 1970’s; developing countries could not return loans from North American and Western European banks, which had increased their lending…
Category: Middle East & Africa
Under Siege: The Iranian Nuclear Deal and the Future of a Country
By Alex Hayes Editor, International Relations & Geography Undergraduate The nuclear accord between Iran and six world powers, including the United States, lifted certain international sanctions in exchange for a scaling back of Iran’s nuclear program. As a result of the agreement, tens of billions of dollars in previously frozen assets and oil revenue have…
In the Shadow of Apartheid: Race, Radicalism, and Division in South Africa
By Sam Maybee Correspondent, International Relations and Modern History Undergraduate Standing atop Table Mountain, you can be forgiven for thinking South Africa has truly emerged into an era of calm after a century of turbulence. The skyscrapers of Cape Town stand gracefully over the azure waters of the Atlantic, the tangle of motorways teeming with ant-like…
Chinese Aid and Investment: Aiding Africa or Themselves?
By Hodhan Jibril International Relations & Arabic Student In 2006, China invited 48 African heads of state to Beijing and with them, a fierce debate on the nature of foreign investment in Africa. According to Dambisa Moyo, a Zambian-born international economist, Africa needs foreign investment to supplement its growth. Despite the continent’s resources and low labour…
Yemen: A Civil War Forgotten
By Ruaraidh Maciver Editor-in-Chief, History Student Throughout the last two years, the majority of journalistic pieces emerging from the Middle East have been primarily addressing the continuing conflict in Syria. The seemingly endless and desperate situation facing the country becoming ever more complicated as the world watches on without answer. You could be forgiven then,…
South Sudan: War & Tragedy in the World’s Newest State
By Erika Brady Columnist, PhD Student at the Handa Center of Terrorism and Political Violence Introduction The conflict in South Sudan, the world’s newest country, has played an integral and unfortunate part in the shaping of that nation. Since its formation following relatively peaceful elections in January 2011, the country has been torn apart by civil war…
The Beginning of the End for the US-Saudi Relationship?
By Kyra Ward Economics & International Relations Student For the first time in his presidency Obama saw his veto of a bill overridden. With a 97-1 majority in the House (House democratic minority leader Harry Reid being the only exception) and 348-77 majority in the Senate the bill had overwhelming bi-partisan support. With a Congress increasingly embittered and unwilling…
Edward Watts on Filming ISIS
Erika Brady recently spoke with Edward Watts, documentary filmmaker, on his experience making the award-winning documentary Escape From ISIS for Channel 4. Aired in July 2015, Escape from ISIS has won numerous awards including the Amnesty International Award for Best Human Rights Documentary 2015 and has been nominated for a BAFTA award for the Best Current Affairs Film…
Worse than ISIS: Nigeria’s Struggle with Boko Haram
By Erika Brady Columnist, PhD Student at the Handa Center of Terrorism and Political Violence “It was once said that the moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadows…
Qatar & the 2022 World Cup: What Can We Expect?
By Giovanna Drysdale-Anderson Correspondent, Economics & EnglishUndergraduate Student A few months after the 2015 Men’s Handball Tournament in Qatar, it is about time to reassess the host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, undoubtedly one of the most controversial sports events in history. Among the numerous controversies regarding Qatar’s right to host the 2022 winter World…
Xi Jinping’s Visit in the Middle East: All for Business?
By Yifan Xia Correspondent, International Relations Undergraduate Chinese President Xi Jinping, the busiest state leader of the world in terms of diplomatic visits in 2015, started 2016 with a five-day visit to the Middle East in late January, including key countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iran. It has been six years since the last…
Turkey: Our Might Makes Right
By Ruaraidh Maciver Middle East/Africa Editor, History Undergraduate Student Throughout history, we have seen attempts by every country across the globe to justify military action. In 2003, we heard President George W. Bush justify Operation Iraqi Freedom, as the existence of a ‘regime that threatens peace with weapons of mass murder’ was unacceptable to ‘the United…
