In Service of Humanity

SPIA enters a new era with the establishment of a physical presence in the nation’s capital. Dean Amaney Jamal chats with Washington veteran Alan Blinder about the initiative.

With SPIA in NJ launching April 28, Dean Amaney Jamal took some time to chat about the initiative with Stacy Mann, its director.

Recently, a group of our Princeton students and faculty traveled to Sharm El Sheik, Egypt for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – or COP27. While there, the students had a first-hand opportunity to observe the proceedings of the largest global gathering on climate change.In this episode we talk with some of the students who went to COP27 as well as to one of their faculty advisors, to hear first-hand about their experiences in Sharm El Sheik, what they learned, and any...

Public policy influences all aspects of our lives, yet few people give much thought to how policy is made, let alone experience the policymaking process firsthand. A new one-year program — and the first of its kind in the nation — the Policy Advocacy Clinic at the School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) educates students on the policymaking process and incorporates a clinical program where students work with lawmakers or advocates to advance a public policy issue. During this inaugu...

Within 30 years, Africa will be home to nearly 25% of the global population. As such, it’s poised to become a global power and is the focus of current global development finance. Kubik, co-founded by Kidus Asfaw MPA ’14, is an environmental tech company turning plastic waste into low-carbon buildings. Kubik’s focus on building environmental and economic dignity has made it Africa’s Startup of the Year. In this episode of the Dean’s Dialogue, Kubik’s CEO Asfaw talks with Dean Jamal about some ...

It’s been a year since the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the Taliban’s takeover of the country. Since then, the lives of many Afghans, especially women and girls, have been destroyed. Under Taliban rule, human rights violations continue to mount, while the country reaches economic collapse. In this episode, Dean Amaney Jamal discusses the current situation in Afghanistan — and what hope remains ahead — with Amb. Adela Raz, director of the Afghanistan Policy Lab at the Princeton S...

Governments around the world are limiting their countries' engagement with the global economy. These anti-globalization attitudes are troubling, especially as the world faces multiple global crises requiring international collaboration from climate change to supply chain production.Layna Mosley and B. Peter Rosendorff join Dean Amaney Jamal in this episode of the Dean's Dialogue to disentangle the backlash against globalization and consider what’s ahead. Mosley and Rosendorff are based at the...

In today’s workplace, writing is an essential skill. Whether drafting a policy memo, an email, or even a tweet, succinct writing is the key to effective communication.Best practices for clear writing are explored in a new book by Martha Coven: "Writing on the Job: Best Practices for Communicating in the Digital Age,” published by Princeton University Press. In the book, Coven draws upon decades of experience in the public and private sectors — as well as in the classroom at Princeton Uni...

China’s intentions to become the world’s next superpower are clear. After decades of trade and investments with advanced democracies, the country is far richer and stronger today than ever before. At the same time, China remains regressive toward its citizens and aggressive toward countries abroad. How did we get to this point?The West and its allies underestimated the resilience and ruthlessness of the Chinese Communist Party, Aaron Friedberg argues. In a new book, “Getting China Wrong,” he ...

Millions of people around the world are forcibly displaced each year due to rising conflict, environmental threats, and socioeconomic turmoil. Many of these refugees, including people from Syria, Afghanistan, and Ukraine, remain displaced, prompting action from U.S. and international governments. To recognize #WorldRefugeeDay, Amaney Jamal, SPIA dean, speaks with Eric Schwartz MPA ’85, president of Refugees International, in this episode of the Dean’s Dialogue podcast. They explore ...