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The Scholars' Circle episodes

December 10, 2024Scholars’ Circle – Meskhetian Turks, their struggle for Self Determination ; Social behavior due to unconscious mind – December 8, 2024
History of Meskhetian Turks who are stateless and struggling to exist as people among nations like Turkey, Georgia, Romania and Armenia.
We will discuss this population and its unique challenges in Russia and its population also has a unique and important position within the United States. [ dur: 32mins. ]
Steve Swerdlow, Esq. is Associate Professor of the Practice of Human Rights in the Department of Political and International Relations at the University of Southern California. He writes extensively as a human rights monitor for Human Right Watch in both the Central Asian region and in the Caucuses.
Richard Arnold is a associate professor of political science at Muskingum University. He’s the author of Russian Nationalism and Ethnic Violence, Symbolic Violence, Lynching, Pogrom, and Massacre and co-author of The Last Push from the South. Explaining the spread of Russia’s Cossack Movement.
And a look at how the unconscious mind and biological predispositions effect political outcomes, waging war and prejudice biases. [ dur: 26 mins. ]
Shankar Vedantam is a science correspondent with NPR. He is the author of The Hidden Brain: How Our Unconscious Minds Elects Presidents, Control Markets, Wage Wars, and Save Our Lives.
Guillermo Jiménez is an Associate Professor of International Trade at the Fashion Institute of Technology. He is the author of Red Genes, Blue Genes: Exposing Political Irrationality.
This program is produced by Ankine Aghassian, Doug Becker and Sudd Dongre.
58 min
December 03, 2024Scholars’ Circle – COP29 , its outcome and looking ahead – December 1, 2024
COP 29 in Azerbaijan has just ended. These annual meetings are intended to advance the cause of combating climate change. And while the meetings did result in an agreement, there has been intense criticism both within the attendees and critics from outside the halls of the meetings about this agreement. And of course the United States just elected a President who considers climate change to be a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese. On this show, we explore what developed at COP 29, and what this means for global action on climate change. [ dur: 58mins. ]
Shannon Gibson is Associate Professor of Political Science, International Relations, and Environmental Studies at the University of Southern California. She’s also the author of a recent article in the Conversation Throwing soup on a Van Gogh and other ways young climate activists are making their voices heard over Egypt’s climate summit protest suppression and State-led social boundary change: Transnational environmental activism, ‘ecoterrorism’ and September 11.
Amy Below, Associate Professor of International Relations and Comparative Politics at California State University East Bay. She specializes in environmental and climate politics and foreign policy with a regional emphasis in the Americas. She is author of Environmental Politics and Foreign Policy Decision Making in Latin America Ratifying the Kyoto Protocol and The Missing Link: Regionalism as a First Step Toward Globalizing U.S. Environmental Security Policy.
This program is produced by Ankine Aghassian, Doug Becker and Sudd Dongre.
58 min
November 25, 2024Scholars’ Circle – Moldova Election 2024 – November 24, 2024
The small Southeastern European nation of Moldova sits at a crossroads. Once a part of the former Soviet Union, the nation has long ties to Central Europe (and in particular Romania). And recent political developments expose this tension. In October, the nation -reelected President Maia Sandu, despite allegations of Russian interference to aid her opponent Alexandr Stoianoglo. And the nation passed a referendum advocating membership in the European Union, but with a very slim majority. And it has seen ongoing conflicts that has separated a significant part of its Eastern territory, which has declared itself the breakaway republic of Transneister. So on today’s show, we will explore the nation of Moldova, its politics, its challenges and its human rights profile. [ dur: 32 mins. ]
Ecaterina Locoman is Senior Lecturer of Political Science at Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania. She is the author of Moldova’s Critical Decision Between Europe and Russia Narratives of conflict: Russian media’s evolving treatment of Ukraine (2013–2022)
Christian Cantir is Associate Professor of Political Science at Oakland University. She is the author of ‘On the front line of the battle for reunification’: Nationalism and Romania’s identity paradiplomacy in Moldova and “Goodbye Moscow, Hello Brussels”: The City Diplomacy of Chișinău Mayor Dorin Chirtoacă.
Isabelle DeSisto is fourth-year PhD candidate in Politics at Princeton University. She is co-author of “Moldova chooses Europe again as Sandu wins re-election,” and “The high stakes in Moldova’s 2024 election,”
Following the re-election of Maia Sandu and the passage of a referendum on membership in the European Union, the nation’s human rights profile is particularly important. Membership in the EU requires substantial monitoring of human rights and a commitment to democracy. And while the election of October 2024 looks promising, the nation faces significant challenges. So we will discuss those challenges and the human rights commitments of the nation.[ dur: 24mins. ]
Nicolae Panfil is Program Director and Head of Election Observation Missions at Promo-LEX Association – an NGO dedicated to the advancement of human rights and democratic processes in the Republic of Moldova.
This program is produced by Ankine Aghassian, Doug Becker and Sudd Dongre.
58 min
November 18, 2024Scholars’ Circle – Abortion/reproductive rights & access post presidential election – November 17, 2024
In the 2024 election, voters reaffirmed the right to abortion in many states while the nation still elected an anti-abortion president, and anti-abortion majority in both the senate and the house of representatives. What does this mean for abortion rights in the US.
Aziza Ahmed is Professor of Law at Boston University School of Law. She is the author of The Future of Facts: The Politics of Public Health and Medicine in Abortion Law, Informed Decision Making and Abortion: Crisis Pregnancy Centers, Informed Consent, and the First Amendment, and Medical Evidence and Expertise in Abortion Jurisprudence .
Carole Joffe is Professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco. She is the author of Doctors of Conscience: The Struggle to Provide Abortion before and after Roe v. Wade, Dispatches from the Abortion Wars: The Costs of Fanaticism to Doctors, Patients and the Rest of Us and co-author of Obstacle Course: The Everyday Struggle to Get an Abortion in America.
Robin Marty is Executive Director for the West Alabama Women’s Center and a freelance reporter. She’s the author of Handbook for a Post-Roe America and co-author of The End of Roe v. Wade: Inside the Right’s Plan to Destroy Legal Abortion.
Rachel Rebouché is the Interim Dean of Temple University Beasley School of Law and the James E. Beasley Professor of Law. She is the author of Abortion Rights as Human Rights, co-author of “Eugenic Abortions” and the Problematic Popularity of the Reason-Based Ban and The New Abortion Battleground.
This program is produced by Ankine Aghassian, Doug Becker and Sudd Dongre.
58 min
November 18, 2024Scholars’ Circle – Abortion/reproductive rights & access post presidential election – November 17, 2024
In the 2024 election, voters reaffirmed the right to abortion in many states while the nation still elected an anti-abortion president, and anti-abortion majority in both the senate and the house of representatives. What does this mean for abortion rights in the US.
Aziza Ahmed is Professor of Law at Boston University School of Law. She is the author of The Future of Facts: The Politics of Public Health and Medicine in Abortion Law, Informed Decision Making and Abortion: Crisis Pregnancy Centers, Informed Consent, and the First Amendment, and Medical Evidence and Expertise in Abortion Jurisprudence .
Carole Joffe is Professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco. She is the author of Doctors of Conscience: The Struggle to Provide Abortion before and after Roe v. Wade, Dispatches from the Abortion Wars: The Costs of Fanaticism to Doctors, Patients and the Rest of Us and co-author of Obstacle Course: The Everyday Struggle to Get an Abortion in America.
Robin Marty is Executive Director for the West Alabama Women’s Center and a freelance reporter. She’s the author of Handbook for a Post-Roe America and co-author of The End of Roe v. Wade: Inside the Right’s Plan to Destroy Legal Abortion.
Rachel Rebouché is the Interim Dean of Temple University Beasley School of Law and the James E. Beasley Professor of Law. She is the author of Abortion Rights as Human Rights, co-author of “Eugenic Abortions” and the Problematic Popularity of the Reason-Based Ban and The New Abortion Battleground.
This program is produced by Ankine Aghassian, Doug Becker and Sudd Dongre.
58 min
November 10, 2024Scholars’ Circle – Insights on 2nd Trump Presidency – November 10, 2024
Election Day 2024 has come and gone. And the US elected Donald Trump and a huge red wave that turns every branch of government and every lever of power to the Trump-dominated Republican Party. What does this mean for the nation and the world? We look forward today at the US and the world in 2025 and beyond.
Jeremi Suri is Professor in the Department of History and the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, Austin. He holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. He is the co-author of “Problems with President Records are Not Just About Trump” with Kenneth Osgood. He is also the author of The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America’s Highest Office. He is the host of the podcast This is Democracy.
Sanford Levinson is W. St. John Garwood and W. St. John Garwood, Jr. Centennial Chair in Law at the University of Texas Law School. He is the author of many publications including Our Undemocratic Constitution: Where the Constitution Goes Wrong (and How We the People Can Correct It) and Framed: America’s 51 Constitutions and the Crisis of Governance and, with Cynthia Levinson, Fault Lines in the Constitution: The Framers, Their Fights, and the Flaws that Affect Us Today.
Hamoud Salhi is Professor of Political Science at California State University, Dominguez Hills. He is commentator for Arabic media.
This program is produced by Ankine Aghassian, Doug Becker and Sudd Dongre.
58 min
November 10, 2024Scholars’ Circle – Insights on 2nd Trump Presidency – November 10, 2024
Election Day 2024 has come and gone. And the US elected Donald Trump and a huge red wave that turns every branch of government and every lever of power to the Trump-dominated Republican Party. What does this mean for the nation and the world? We look forward today at the US and the world in 2025 and beyond.
Jeremi Suri is Professor in the Department of History and the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, Austin. He holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. He is the co-author of “Problems with President Records are Not Just About Trump” with Kenneth Osgood. He is also the author of The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America’s Highest Office. He is the host of the podcast This is Democracy.
Sanford Levinson is W. St. John Garwood and W. St. John Garwood, Jr. Centennial Chair in Law at the University of Texas Law School. He is the author of many publications including Our Undemocratic Constitution: Where the Constitution Goes Wrong (and How We the People Can Correct It) and Framed: America’s 51 Constitutions and the Crisis of Governance and, with Cynthia Levinson, Fault Lines in the Constitution: The Framers, Their Fights, and the Flaws that Affect Us Today.
Hamoud Salhi is Professor of Political Science at California State University, Dominguez Hills. He is commentator for Arabic media and host of SWANA Radio.
This program is produced by Ankine Aghassian, Doug Becker and Sudd Dongre.
58 min
November 03, 2024Scholars’ Circle – LGBTQ communities and their impact on global politics – November 3, 2024
LGBTQ communities are marginalized in so many places around the world. While their presence in international politics is growing, they still face quite a lot of threats and challenges. We explore LGBTQ communities and their impact on global politics.
S. N. Nyeck is Associate Professor of Africana Studies in the Department of Ethnic Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder. She is the author of African(a) Queer Presence: Ethics and Politics of Negotiation (Palgrave 2021) and co-author of Frontiers and pioneers in (the study of) queer experiences in Africa Introduction.
Nick Mulé is Professor in the School of Social Work and the School of Gender, Sexuality & Women’s Studies at York University, Canada. He is the author of Mental Health Issues and Needs of LGBTQ Asylum Seekers and Refugee Claimants, and Refugees in Toronto, Canada, The Growing Presence of LGBTQIs at the UN: Arguments and Counter Arguments and Politicized Priorities: Critical Implications for LGBTIQ Movements.
Manuela Picq is Senior Lecturer in the Departments of Political Science and Sexuality, Women’s and Gender Studies at Amherst College and Professor of International Relations at Universidad San Francisco de Quito (Ecuador). She is the author of Vernacular Sovereignties: Indigenous Women Challenging World Politics (University of Arizona Press 2018) and (with our other guest) Sexualities in World Politics: How LGBTQ Claims Shape International Relations , co-editor with Markus Thiel (New York: Routledge, 2015).
Markus Thiel is Associate Professor in the Department of Politics and International Relations at Florida International University, Miami and director of FIU’s Jean Monnet Center of Excellence. His publications include ‘The EU’s international LGBTI rights promotion: promises & pitfalls’ (Routledge, 2021) and co-author of The Politics of Social In/Exclusion in the EU: Civic Europe in an Age of Uncertainty.
This program is produced by Ankine Aghassian, Doug Becker and Sudd Dongre.
59 min
October 28, 2024Scholars’ Circle – Election by gerrymandering and a tribute to Professor Philip Zimbardo – October 27, 2024
First, we discuss gerrymandering and redistricting and what it means for the upcoming elections on First Tuesday of November 2024.
Christian Gross is the professor of political science and public policy at the University of Southern California. He is also the academic director of the USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy. He is the author of Congress in Black and White, Race and Representation in Washington at Home, and co-author of numerous pieces, including campaign finance transparency affects legislators election outcomes and behavior.
Jonathan Cervas he’s assistant teaching professor at Carnegie Mellon University. He’s the co-author of the forthcoming Partisan Gerrymandering Cases and State Supreme Courts in the 2020s redistricting Round and also has served in many roles as a consultant on redistricting, including the special master who drew the New York state and congressional maps for 2022.
Then, we pay tribute to Philip Zimbardo, the psychologist behind the infamous Stanford experiments. He died at home in San Francisco on Oct. 14, 2024 he was 91 in San Francisco. This excerpt is from his interview with Scholars’ Circle in Feb. of 2016. You can find his full interview here.
Philip Zimbardo was Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Stanford University and *core faculty at Palo Alto University. He is the creator of the The Stanford Prison Experiment. He authored numerous publications including The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil, Psychology and Life, and The Psychology of Attitude Change and Social Influence.
This program is produced by Ankine Aghassian, Doug Becker and Sudd Dongre.
58 min
October 21, 2024Scholars’ Circle – Election issues of Tariff on imports and Childcare affecting Economy and Workforce – October 20, 2024
I “the most beautiful word in the English language is tariff.” That is a direct quote from former President and current Republican candidate for President Donald Trump. On most issues that involve funding, when the former President is asked how he intends to pay for a proposal, his response is to increase tariffs. In 2018 the US initiated a round a tariffs and a trade war with China. And after his election in 2020, President Biden has left most of the tariffs in place and increased tariffs in other areas. So what are tariffs and what are their impact on the US economy? Who pays them? What is their effect on the one issue that most Americans use to define economic health—inflation. And what do the two candidates propose as the future of US tariff policy following the 2024 elections. [ dur: 38mins. ]
Iva Bozovic She is Associate Teaching Professor of International Relations at the University of Southern California. She is co-author of “Scaffolding: Using formal contracts to support informal relations in support of innovation.”
Lui Hebron, formerly of California State University and currently an academic coach at the University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley. He is the editor of Asian Security in the Age of Globalization.
For many Americans, the cost of child care is a significant challenge to parents returning to the job market. And this has a particular importance to working women, who are traditionally expected to be the children’s primary care giver. According to the US Census Bureau child care prices for a single child ranged from $4,810 a year for school-age home-based care in small counties to $15,417 for infant center-based care in very large counties. When adjusted for inflation, this equals between $5,357 and $17,171 in 2022 dollars. These price ranges were equivalent to between 8% and 19.3% of median family income per child in paid care. And while the number is increasingly, only 13% of American corporations offer onsite child care. What can be done to control the cost of child care? What does this increased cost mean for women’s ability to work? And what should the US government do to increase access to child care across the nation? [ dur: 20mins. ]
Elizabeth Palley. She is Professor of Social Work at Adelphi University. She is co-author of In Our Hands, The Struggle for US Child Care Policy.
This program is produced by Ankine Aghassian, Doug Becker and Sudd Dongre.
59 min