Essays

A pilot program for AI-assisted instruction in Nigeria indicates a promising avenue for democratizing access to education around the world

Beyond Automation: Managing the Integration of AI into Human Civilization

By ChatGPT

Spring/Summer 2025

As AI transforms education, law, and global policy, how can we integrate it wisely—balancing innovation with ethics, equity, and human agency in everyday life?

Tehran’s Red Lines, Trump’s Maximum Pressure, and Regime Survival

By Ali Fathollah-Nejad

Spring/Summer 2025

Progress toward a potential nuclear deal between the United States and Iran stalls, amid a high-stakes process for Tehran and others

Silicon Borders: The Global Justice of AI Infrastructure

By Johannes Himmelreich

Spring/Summer 2025

Washington uses ‘chokepoints’ to restrict global access to AI development, but this approach may threaten U.S. national security while creating significant moral dilemmas

Great Power Competition Makes Its Exit as Middle Eastern AI Ambitions Grow

By Vincent J. Carchidi

Spring/Summer 2025

As the Trump Administration downgrades the policy importance of science and technology, Middle Eastern states are pursuing tech autonomy

An AI-generated image of Donald Trump shaking hands with George Washington.

The Future of Democracy in the Age of Deepfakes

By Hany Farid

Spring/Summer 2025

AI-generated content has already begun to work against us, rather than for us. To ensure this technology brings benefits rather than harms, we must institute immediate changes

A Costly Illusion of Control: No Winners, Many Losers in U.S.-China AI Race

By Paul Triolo

Spring/Summer 2025

The aggressive U.S. approach to China risks triggering conflict between the two nations while upending any progress to a global framework for AI safety and security

What Counts as Legal Knowledge in the Age of AI?

By Thomas Skouteris

Spring/Summer 2025

AI is here—like it or not. Educators need to create new ways to facilitate the entrance of this technology into legal and academic spaces

Iran’s Civil Society May Be its Best Hope

By Kourosh Ziabari

Iran is engaging in talks with the United States as it feels the weight of economic, diplomatic, and domestic crises. The outcome is not clear and democracy isn’t within reach, but its civil society, representing the nation’s best hope for positive change, hasn’t yet lost its resilience

Who are Palestine’s Overlooked Refugees? Investigating Stateless Palestinians in Jordan

By Francesca Maria Lorenzini

Stateless Palestinian refugees originally from Gaza who now live in Jordan face a precarious legal and economic situation as they lack adequate support systems. Scant attention is paid to their struggles

Can the ‘F’ Word Help Save Ukraine?

By Klara Vlahčević Lisinski

Is federalism the solution for a peaceful Ukraine after Russia withdraws? A discussion with federalism expert Soeren Keil

Longer Sticks and Shorter Carrots: How the U.S. is Changing its Engagement in MENA

By Amr Adly

Winter 2025

The United States’ approach to achieving international hegemony is shifting away from trade and investments back toward bombs and missiles

In Jordan, Trump is a Divisive Figure

By Laila Shadid

Winter 2025

Before Trump officially took office, some Jordanians believed that he was the “lesser of two evils”. Now, two months into his presidency, Trump has few fans in Amman

The Consequences and Prospects of Israel’s Ban of UNRWA

By Kjersti G. Berg, Jørgen Jensehaugen, and Lex Takkenberg

Winter 2025

As the UN agency’s operations continue to be obstructed, its outright ban will continue the perpetuation of severe human suffering and have multidimensional ramifications, from illegality on the international level to political considerations regarding the tenuous ceasefire

A man holds the flag adopted by the new Syrian rulers, as people gather to celebrate after the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, at March 18 Square in Daraa, Syria,

Syria Remains at a Dangerous Crossroads

By Jacob Blau

The recent removal of Bashar al-Assad’s regime creates two divergent paths for Syria, one of freedom, and the other that embodies an all too familiar authoritarian style of governance

American Netizens Worry For the Future of TikTok

By Sydney Wise

Winter 2025

The temporary banning of TikTok in the United States in January prompted concern over the politicization of tech platforms. The two likeliest paths forward for TikTok represent alternate visions of the relationship between Big Tech and government

Round Two: Trump’s Foreign Policy Takes on New Challenges

By William B. Quandt

Winter 2025

Trump will have to manage the continuing conflict in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine, and the rising power of China as he navigates the beginning of his second term

Palestinian Journalists as Both Storytellers and Targets in the Israel-Gaza War

By Shahira S. Fahmy, Mohamed Salama, and Mona Raafat Alsaba

For Palestinian journalists confronting physical and psychological threats online and on the ground, the perilous pursuit to document Israel’s war on Gaza embodies a deeper personal mission

Trump 2.0: Where Rhetoric Meets Reality

By Diana Bartelli Carlin

Winter 2025

The new president has made big promises, but can he keep them?

Trump’s Return: What It Could Mean for Palestine and the Region

By Ramzy Baroud

Winter 2025

Donald Trump’s return to the White House in the context of the Gaza war and other regional conflicts raises questions regarding his approach to the Israel-Palestine conflict