Big World

Feb 25 2025 83 ep. 27 mins 43
Big World Podcast artwork

Big World shines a spotlight on complex ideas and issues that matter. Each episode features an expert from the School of International Service at American University in Washington, DC, breaking down a big, important topic into small bite sizes.

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Tariffs and Trade Wars

Feb 25 2025 32 mins  
In this episode, School of International Service (SIS) professor Michael Stanaitis joins Big World to discuss trade wars and tariffs during President Donald Trump’s second term.Stanaitis, a member of the SIS Department of Global Inquiry and professor for SIS online graduate programs, begins our conversation by defining tariffs and explaining how the United States has historically

A Development Dilemma in Haiti

Feb 03 2025 25 mins  
In this new episode, School of International Service professor and anthropologist Scott Freeman joins Big World to discuss development, displacement, and international aid in Haiti.Freeman, a professor in the Department of Environment, Development, and Health, begins our conversation by explaining the background of the 2011 Caracol Industrial Park development project

The Power of the Dining Table

Jan 06 2025 30 mins  
In this new episode, School of International Service professor Johanna Mendelson Forman and University of Milan professor Andrea Borghini join Big World to discuss the power of the dining table.Mendelson Forman, who teaches and researches culinary diplomacy and social gastronomy, and Borghini, an expert in food philosophy, begin our conversation by discussing the symbolism of the d

Lessons in Climate Resilience

Nov 01 2024 19 mins  
In this new episode, School of International Service professor Ken Conca joins Big World to discuss climate resiliency in the face of natural disasters.Conca, a professor in the Department of Environment, Development, and Health, begins our conversation by explaining why he wrote his new book, After the Floods: The Search for Resilience in Ellicott City (2:19). Conca also

What's Ahead for Mexico's Democracy?

Oct 09 2024 22 mins  
In this new episode, School of International Service Distinguished Diplomat in Residence and former US Ambassador to Mexico Earl Anthony Wayne joins Big World to discuss Mexico’s recent election and US-Mexico relations.Wayne, a professor in the Department of Foreign Policy & Global Security, begins our conversation by explaining why Mexico is important to the United Stat

How to Get a Job in International Affairs

Sep 03 2024 24 mins  
Sara Jones, the director of the SIS Office of Career Development joins Big World to discuss the topic at the forefront of many international affairs students’ minds: how to get a job. Jones oversees career development support for SIS undergraduates, graduate students, and alumni, including events, advising, and employer relations.Jones begins our conversation by sharing the best

Sports Diplomacy and the Olympic Games

Aug 01 2024 34 mins  
Cue the fanfare: in this new episode, School of International Service professor Robert Kelley joins Big World to talk about sports diplomacy and the soft power of the Olympic Games.Kelley, an expert in new diplomacy studies who researches at the intersection of politics and culture, begins our conversation by defining and explaining the objections of both sports and public diplomac

Abortion Access in a Post-Roe World

Jul 01 2024 25 mins  
*Note: This episode was recorded before the US Supreme Court in Food and Drug Administration v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine unanimously rejected a lawsuit challenging the FDA's rules for prescribing and dispensing the abortion medication mifepristone on the issue of standing.American University School of Public Affairs professor, lawyer, and reproductive rights and policy exp

Intercultural Communication in the Global Workforce

May 30 2024 17 mins  
SIS online programs professor and intercultural consultant Melissa Hahn joins Big World to discuss the importance of fostering strong interpersonal relationships in the global workforce. Hahn is the author of a recent book titled, Forging Bonds in a Global Workforce: Build Rapport, Camaraderie, and Optimal Performance No Matter the Time Zone.Hahn, who teaches intercultural communic

Star Wars, Imperialism, and Post-Conflict Societies

May 01 2024 37 mins  
School of International Service professor Patrick Thaddeus Jackson joins Big World to discuss imperialism, post-conflict societies, and the parallels between the Star Wars universe and our own.Jackson, the chair of the SIS Department of Global Inquiry, begins the discussion by describing how the original movie trilogy depicts the struggles of organizing a resistance movement (5:26)