Breaking Boundaries: A podcast from Northwestern University’s Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs

The impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine is far-reaching with some scholars arguing that the conflict threatens progress on all of the UNSDGs, especially UNSDG 16: peace, justice and strong institutions. In this episode, international law expert Oona A. Hathaway, discusses legal recourse to prosecute Vladimir Putin and other top Russian leaders for the crime of aggression, a move that many say is essential to restore international world order.

Three members of Northwestern University’s delegation to the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP27) reflect on their experiences at the event, which was held November 2022 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.Niloufar Sarvian is a PhD candidate in Earth and planetary sciences at the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Regan Seckel is a JD candidate in the Pritzker School of Law and Reynaldo Morales, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Northwestern University with a joint facult...

In this episode, two foreign career diplomats explain why facilitating communication and cooperation between their homelands and the communities of Chicago is essential, and the role of local diplomacy in addressing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 17, which is partnership for the goals. The current Consulate General of the Republic of Argentina in Chicago, Beatriz Vivas, and former Deputy Consul General of the Korean Consulate in Chicago, Woong-ghee Cha, share their insights.

Former Ambassador Susan Jacobs spent much of her career in diplomacy focused on international children's issues, including a position as the United State’s first Special Advisor for International Children's Issues, helping to uphold The Hague Conventions on adoptions and abductions. In this episode, Jabobs joins Annelise Riles to talk about her career in the foreign service, as one of the first married women to become a foreign service officer, and her work as it relates to United Nations Sus...

Collaboration is a skill set that requires training and practice and it is an essential part of UNSDG 17, which focuses on partnerships between governments, the private sector and civil society. In this episode, guest Blythe McGarvie, shares expert advice on how to collaborate across global spaces and be a better global citizen. McGarvie is an expert in building successful global relationships as a former chief financial officer and chief executive officer and now a board member of many multi...

Racism is a human rights issue and eliminating racism is essential to UN Sustainable Development Goal 16: just, peaceful and inclusive societies and Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reducing inequalities. But what is done globally to combat this problem? Vilna Bashi, PhD, aims to blend her work as an artist and sociologist to explore answers to this question. Bashi is a sociologist and the Osborn Professor of Race, Ethnicity, and Global Diversity in the Department of Sociology at ...

This episode focuses on United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 16: peace, justice and strong institutions and the role data and information can play in helping developing countries achieve sustainable development. Jean-Louis Sarbib has built a career working across boundaries of public and private international organizations and national governments to address this important challenge. He shares insights into the current challenges facing the field of international development today and ...

The world – and human species – will reach a new milestone. Scientists estimate that the global population will cross the 8 billion mark on November 15th, 2022, ushering in a new age of potential challenges for countries across the globe. What does this population growth mean for achieving the United Nations sustainable development goals? To discuss this issue is John Wilmoth, PhD, director of the United Nations Population Division.

Combating climate change was at the forefront of the historic U.S.-Pacific Island Country Summit, which was recently held in Washington. It resulted in an important new declaration signed by leaders of 14 Pacific Island countries and the United States. Steven McGann, former U.S. ambassador to Fiji, Nauru, Kiribati, Tonga and Tuvalu, joins Annelise Riles to talk about the summit, the human security concerns facing these countries and United Nations sustainable development goal number 13: clima...

Education is a basic human right and the foundation for peace and sustainable development according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). UNSECO recently released the Futures of Education report: "Reimagining our futures together: a new social contract for education." Noah Sobe, PhD, worked on the creation of the report for more than two years as Senior Project Officer for UNESCO's Futures of Education Initiative. In this episode, Sobe e...