The rise of China as an investor, financier and economic partner in MENA deserves closer attention. Learn more about China-MENA relations in our podcast.

The Taliban entered Kabul on August 15, 2021, bringing an ignominious end to direct U.S. and international involvement in Afghanistan. What has emerged since is a dire picture: the Afghan economy has virtually collapsed, women have been systematically and sometimes violently suppressed, civil society has significantly deteriorated. All the while, whether and to what extent the international community needs to engage the Taliban remains an issue of debate. In the summer of 2021, the Center held a dialogue series entitled Crossroads: Afghanistan, Pakistan and the United States, that looked at the ties among these three countries ahead of the looming U.S. withdrawal. To pick up where those dialogues left off and discuss the plight of Afghanistan in the time since, Michael Carroll hosted Timor Sharan and Adam Weinstein in this most recent podcast episode.

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the longstanding macroeconomic woes of the Middle East and North Africa, such as high unemployment and inflation, supply chain problems and inequality were amplified. The economic shock of the pandemic was felt in distinct ways at the individual and household level in different countries around the region. We recently held a workshop in Istanbul to address what governments should prioritize in their economic recovery plans to address poverty, inflation, and labor market inequalities; and invite you to listen to two of the workshop participants as they pick up where that discussion left off.

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 […]