Rayna Sabah Bakr evaluates the current post-pandemic recovery plans in Iraq. She notes what is being prioritized and what should be prioritized. She then continues with thoughts on how to address gender inequality in Iraq's economic ecosystem.

Khalid Abu-Ismail details his research on economic inequality in the MENA region. How do we move forward in reducing those inequalities? Abu-Ismail is a senior economic affairs officer at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).

In this follow-up video to the Center's Post-Pandemic Inclusive Economic Recovery in MENA workshop, participant Nader Kabbani comments on what MENA region governments have learned from the COVID crisis and whether those governments have improved their policies since the pandemic. Following those thoughts, he elaborates on the need for more regional and sub-regional economic cooperation.

The use of technology in higher education for distance learning is hardly a new phenomenon. The effectiveness of online learning and instruction, and the possibilities of 'blended learning' have been a discussion focus in most of our higher education dialogues. Even before the pandemic, the use of internet and other technologies were putting higher education under new light. A 'perfect storm' occurred in March 2020 forcing higher education institutions away from physical campuses, which necessitated a fast transition to online instruction. As the shock of Covid-19 subsides, what will be left of this pandemic-era transformation in higher education? To answer this and many more questions around 'hybrid' and 'blended' higher education, Michael Carroll hosts Dr. Pankaj Mittal and Dr. Kelvin Thompson for the latest episode of Picking Up Where We Left Off.

In 2018, the Hollings Center held a dialogue conference in Jakarta, Indonesia, which brought together experts from Southeast Asia, China, and the US, to discuss U.S. ties with Southeast Asia from multiple angles. To pick up where that dialogue left off, guest host Sanem Güner spoke with Prashanth Parameswaran and Gatra Priyandita about how the United States can refurbish its policy vision for Southeast Asia on security, trade, and people-to-people relations for better cooperation on regional and global challenges.

Cities around the world increasingly use data and technology to improve urban infrastructure and to enhance the quality of life for their residents. The so-called 'smart' approach may be transformative in addressing systemic problems and improving the lives of citizens; but can smart cities be more equitable, fair, inclusive and sustainable? The Hollings Center held a dialogue meeting in 2020 entitled, 'Smart and Sustainable Cities' to address this question. In the year since the dialogue, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated both the potential positive outcomes of building “smart” as well as the concerns about unfettered application of data and technology. So, to pick up where that dialogue left off, Michael Carroll recently spoke with Jane Macfarlane about smart transportation research, policy and trends.

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region is the largest importer of food in the world, and has some of the most at-risk countries for food insecurity. Increase in global food prices, political uncertainties, ongoing wars, water scarcity, and poorly developed environmental policies have contributed to a growing food crisis in the region. Michael Carroll recently spoke with Turki Faisal Al Rasheed and Andy Fisher about the food security challenges brought about by the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the climate crisis.

The private sector has an important role in creating ethical and sustainable solutions to the plethora of challenges faced in the Middle East and North Africa. To explore the various ways in which businesses can contribute to resilient societies, the Center has convened multiple dialogue programs under its 'Responsible Business' rubric. To pick up where we left off on this theme, Christina Bache and Nicolas Rouhana join Michael Carroll to discuss why it is imperative that business entities take part in promoting 'positive peace' and how they can do so.

  Listen to Picking Up Where We Left Off on Megacities byPicking Up Where We Left Off on hearthis.at     Our dialogue in July 2019 on Megacities covered the plethora of issues facing the world’s largest cities, such as energy and climate efficiency, the water-energy-food nexus, balancing urban heritage preservation with rejuvenation, and efficient […]

Listen to Ep.1: Picking Up Where We Left Off on New Media byPicking Up Where We Left Off on hearthis.at     In early December 2019, as the world was just beginning to learn about COVID, the Hollings Center held a dialogue in Tunis on the New Media landscape in the Middle East and North […]