International

Ballots and Byte Codes: Gen Z, Protests, and the Digital Transformation of Democracy

“The revolution will not be televised”—but it will be live-streamed. When the government of Nepal abruptly banned over 20 social media platforms, attempting to...

The Optics of Doing “Something”

In the months following Donald Trump's reelection and inauguration as President of the United States, many of his political opponents began to share a...

Beyond American Guardianship: New Dynamics and Dilemmas in Persian Gulf Security

The Persian Gulf, located at the vital geopolitical intersection and crisscrossed by major global energy corridors, has long held a main place in international...

Europe

Heidelberg vs. Silicon Valley: David contre Goliath ?

« Qui domine l’intelligence artificielle dominera le monde. » Vu que le développement de l’intelligence artificielle devient crucial pour le pouvoir des États, l’Europe semble presque...

EU Cohesion Policy in Times of Crisis

The EU's cohesion policy is the centrepiece of connecting citizens to the EU institutions and showing them how the EU can directly affect their...

Strategic Autonomy or Permanent Subservience? Rethinking Europe’s Transatlantic Ties

The world order as we have known it since the end of the Cold War thirty-five years ago has ceased to exist. Instead of...

Economics

Silk Road to Belt and Road Understanding Chinese Engagement in Kyrgyzstan

The Kyrgyz Republic gained independence in 1991. However, as the country is nestled firmly in the centre of Eurasia, its cities and people have...

The Shadow Economies of Exploitation Human Trafficking and State Capacity in the Indo-Pacific

Human trafficking is not only a major human rights crisis, but also an economic storm that undermines wages, governments, and the region’s economic order....

How North Korean Women Broke the Command Economy

When Rüdiger Frank visited North Korea, he expected to see surreal images of xenophobia and nationalist pride that the regime’s tightly controlled media showed...

Tech & Environment

Artificial Relationships: The Dangers of Sexualised AI

It is becoming increasingly difficult to imagine a world without artificial intelligence (AI). Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT have cemented their place...

Borderline: Why Europe Still Lacks a Unified Railway System

Europe positions itself as a cornerstone when it comes to sustainable advancements in technology. This also concerns means of transportation. However, investments continuously seem...

Who Gets to Heal the World?

Global Health often presents itself as a project of cooperation and shared responsibility. Yet the systems beneath that narrative reveal a more complicated reality....

French & German

La montée en puissance de Marine Le Pen : un défi pour Macron sur l’échiquier politique français

Trois jours après la démission d’Elisabeth Borne, Gabriel Attal est nommé Premier Ministre, devenant ainsi le premier Premier ministre ouvertement gay et le plus...

Dans l’ombre de Mitterrand: l’origine de la faiblesse de la gauche actuelle

La gauche française est aujourd’hui synonyme de désordre. Loin de son histoire populaire et glorieuse, sa position actuelle semble précaire, marquée par des conflits...

Anton Wein-Wislocki, Referatsleiter für Klima-, Umwelt- und Energiediplomatie im Außenministerium im Interview

Anfang November fand in der Wiener Hofburg das International Vienna Energy & Climate Forum 2023 (IVECF) statt. Das 2008 ins Leben gerufene Forum wird...

Opinion

Sins of the Past and Problems of the Present: Poland’s Security Dilemma and Germany’s Role

Since President Donald J. Trump’s second inauguration, Europe has been in a quagmire. Most European nations had previously defunded or minimised their armies, relying...

The Illusion of Trump’s Peace Between Armenia and Azerbaijan

If Alfred Nobel could witness the modern world’s scramble for his Peace Prize, how would he react? Among the loudest claimants is Donald Trump,...

A Realist’s Perspective on the Austrian Neutrality Discourse

Since the day Russian soldiers crossed the border into Ukraine, Austria’s neutrality has once again transformed into a highly controversial political topic. Given the...