Global Inquirer

In this episode, we discuss the history and impact of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Placed under Azerbaijani authority since the dissolution of the USSR, the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its historically Armenian-majority population have long been in limbo. In September 2023, the vast majority of these ethnic Armenians were forced out of the region. How did this happen? Was this a sudden ethnic conflict or a longstanding nation-building effort? Join the Global Inquirer in looking through the lens of student research, the Armenian diaspora, and a scholar of Soviet history to uncover this often-overlooked tragedy. Host: AJ Laurienti Researchers: Danial Butt, Raffi Kanayan, Cristina Racanelli Consulted Experts: Armik Mirzayan (UVA Anthropology); Jeffrey Rossman (UVA History) Executive Producer: Reece Kaplan

In this episode, we provide an introduction into the world of international cybercrime. Discover how it works, who's involved, and why it matters. Host: AJ Laurienti Researchers: Jack Cooper, Barbara Uzun Executive Producer: Reece Kaplan

In this episode, we provide an overview of what ranked choice voting is and why it is being advocated for in American politics. Who does this system stand to benefit? Will it be implemented further? Find out in our Season 12 opener! Host: AJ Laurienti Researchers: Andrew Chand, Reece Kaplan, Leslie Lan Consulted Experts: J. Miles Coleman, Nick Co

In this episode, we discuss the arguments for and against one of the most intriguing rules in American government: the filibuster. Does it protect minority opinion, or does it result in the rule of the minority? Is the filibuster going anywhere? Find out in this episode, our season finale! Host: AJ Laurienti Researcher: Andrew Chand Consulted Expert: Craig Volden

In this episode, we pick up our discussion on the War in Ukraine. We focus on the impact of Finland's ascension to NATO along with the importance--and possible future impacts--of the war. Host: AJ Laurienti Researcher: Reece Kaplan Consulted Expert: Kyrill Kunakhovich (UVA history professor)

In this episode, we look more closely at the War in Ukraine, focusing on the Russian public's perspective, historical factors driving the war, and the role of territory. Host: AJ Laurienti Researcher: Reece Kaplan Consulted Expert: Kyrill Kunakhovich (UVA history professor)

In this episode, we explore current Chinese Foreign Policy initiatives and their ramifications for the international community.

Glenn Allen Youngkin defeated Terry McAuliffe in the 2021 Virginia gubernatorial election. How did he do it? Listen here as we zoom in on Youngkin's education platform and the consequences it has moving forward.

This podcast discusses the persistence of sexual exploitation and abuse and gender-based violence through the humanitarian sector. It examines power dynamics between humanitarian workers and local populations, systems of accountability, and successful, sustainable aid models. Tune in to hear about the nuances of aid and intervention from Global Consultant on GBV, Jeanne Ward, prospective global studies student, Livie Nute, and political science Major, Yijing Shen.

In recent years Right Wing Nationalism has resurfaced within many great world powers. As the waves of these movements shift the balance of power at the domestic level, they impact trends across the globe. This podcast delves into how Right Wing Nationalism appears in Europe, the outcomes it has produced historically, and current consequences due to its recent global rise. We analyze how certain trends in these movements have shaped the American political sphere and gain a deeper insight on European stances from local students. Host: Hannah Malcolm Researchers: Luke Somers Riley Fay Rea Zulfikar Shrinidhi Kittur Special Guest: Simon in Münster, Germany Max in Ulm, Germany Editor: Jessica Ji

As climate change remains an important issue affecting the lives of every person, we take a closer look into its effects in the Amazon Rainforest and the indigenous communities that live within. This podcast delves into the recent political developments in Brazil that affect the Amazon Rainforest, deforestation, how climate change has affected the ingenous Yanomami tribe that relies on the forest, and insights from Professor Sweeney at the University of Virginia on this topic. Host: Hannah Malcolm Researchers: Olivia Aghdami Grace Makin Juan Said Bauer Scotland Reynolds Special Guest: Professor Sweeney UVA Department of History

Germany’s upcoming federal election to determine the successor to Angela Merkel, chancellor of Germany, marks a critical juncture in German foreign policy. An increasingly important foreign policy flashpoint is Germany’s relationship with China – especially in the context of Germany’s 5G rollout. In this episode, we walk you through the impact of Merkel’s chancellorship on German-Chinese relations, the evolving role of the Chinese telecommunications company Huawei in Germany’s 5G rollout, and the challenges the next chancellor will face in dealing with China and building the country’s 5G network. Special thanks to Sam Denney, Wiebke Siefer, and Andrew Small for appearing on this episode. Hosts: Emma Ross Researchers: Maggie Sparling and Alma Wolf Producer: Jessica Ji The Global Inquirer is a production of the International Relations Organization at UVA, and affiliated with TEEJ, UVA’s podcasting network.

What happens when large groups of retail investors are able to congregate through the internet to control the direction of a stock price? In this episode, we investigate the formation and purpose of online discussion forums and the ways they have been able to impact the stock market. Specifically, we dive into the subreddit r/wallstreetbets as it is known for its lively discussions about high-risk trading. For this episode, we had the opportunity to speak with special guest Jaime Rogozinski, the founder of r/wallstreetbets. Looking at the specific case study of GameStop, we discuss how it happened and what this might mean for the people’s power in the stock market moving forward. Host: Emma Ross Researcher: Hannah Malcom Producers: Ella Anderson and Jessica Ji The Global Inquirer is a production of the International Relations Organization at UVA, and affiliated with TEEJ, UVA’s podcasting network.

Billions of dollars go to foreign aid every year, but what happens when aid is mishandled, misused, or misallocated? Host Emma Ross and Executive Producer Sarah Rocca sit down with guest Daniel Altman, the former USAID Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, to discuss fraud within foreign aid assistance and the systems in place to prevent it. They examine particularly fascinating case studies in Syria, Uganda, and within international donor organizations to draw conclusions on how fraud is handled in foreign aid, who is really harmed, and how it will impact the world in the COVID era. Hosts: Emma Ross and Sarah Rocca
 Producer: Jessica Ji The Global Inquirer is a production of the International Relations Organization at UVA, and affiliated with TEEJ, UVA’s podcasting network.

(Disinformation, Russian) What is the effect of fake news on public health in the context of a pandemic? This episode explores the nature of fake news itself and its history and examines the proliferation of COVID-19 fake news in Eastern Europe. These stories are causing widespread vaccine skepticism, threatening public health in countries such as Ukraine and the Czech Republic. This episode asks who is behind this new breed of fake news? What are their goals? And what does it mean for all of us? Host: Emma Ross Researcher: Zoë Calderazzi Producer: Ella Anderson and Jessica Ji The Global Inquirer is a production of the International Relations Organization at UVA, and affiliated with TEEJ, UVA’s podcasting network.

Although Kyrgyzstan rarely makes the front page of the news, this Central-Asian nation has a fascinating history. From 1991, when Kyrgyzstan became independent from the Soviet Union to the present day in 2021, three of their democratically-elected presidents have been unseated by protesters and civil unrest. In this episode, we dive into Kyrgyzstan’s complex history of electoral politics, and whether the country lives up to its designation as a beacon of democracy. Special thanks to Dr. Margaret Hanson of Arizona State University for allowing us to interview her! Host: Emma Ross Researchers: Maggie Sparling and Alma Wolf Producer: Jessica Ji and Ella Anderson The Global Inquirer is a production of the International Relations Organization at UVA, and affiliated with TEEJ, UVA’s podcasting network.

As COVID-19 has ravaged the world, some countries have responded better than others. New Zealand and Germany have outperformed nations like the United States and Great Britain, and many attribute this success to the leadership of women like Jacinda Ardern and Angela Merkel. In this episode, four of our researchers take on a psychological question with political implications: do women lead in a way that is inherently different from men? How do our views of women versus our views of men affect how they can lead? Host: Emma Ross Researchers: Abigail Quinn, Lyndsay Baker, Hannah Malcom, and Renee Swager Producers: Ella Anderson The Global Inquirer is a production of the International Relations Organization at UVA, and affiliated with TEEJ, UVA’s podcasting network.

As students departed Charlottesville given the University's decision to send everyone home in late March, 2020, a proportion of out-of-state students would journey back to their homes in California, Oregon, and Washington. To many, the University's decision to suspend class is the novel coronavirus' first distinct intrusion into daily life. These students traveling back to the West Coast would have more than COVID and online classes to contend with, however: a wildfire season hitherto unprecedented in its length and devastation. In this episode, some of these students describe their unique remote college life amongst COVID and the 2020 West Coast forest fires. Host: Emma Ross Researchers: John Sun, Daniela Moreno Fournier, and Mohit Srivastav Producers: Ella Anderson and Christian F. Jung The Global Inquirer is a production of the International Relations Organization at UVA, and affiliated with TEEJ, UVA’s podcasting network.

What’s the difference between data privacy and protection? Season 8's premiere episode takes a deep dive into exploring this question with expert interviews addressing how your data is used in the emerging personal information economy, the implications of national data sovereignty measures, and why Uber and TikTok are the subject of data privacy concerns. Host: Emma Ross Researchers: Elisabeth Tamte and Zoe Calderazzi Producers: Jessica Ji and Christian F. Jung The Global Inquirer is a production of the International Relations Organization at UVA, and affiliated with TEEJ, UVA’s podcasting network.

In short, our world is occupied with the coronavirus. New stories from experts come out every day talking about the ever-growing death toll, testing availability issues, and economic downturn. However, we have not heard much about the perspectives from college students around the world who have had to leave their campuses (or as UVA students call ours, "Grounds"). In our final episode of the season, we cover how we have adapted as a podcast, and UVA students share their stories and talk about how they have adjusted to our new reality. Host: Emma Ross Research: Sarah Rocca Producer: Christian F. Jung The Global Inquirer is a production of the International Relations Organization at UVA, and affiliated with TEEJ, UVA’s podcasting network.