The Last Door: A History of Torture in Mexico's War against Subversives
Gladys McCormick, associate dean and professor of history, has written a new book, The Last Door: A History of Torture in Mexico's War against Subversives (University of California Press, 2025). The book explores how the Mexican government increasingly used torture to suppress dissent as guerrilla movements spread across Mexico in the 1970s.
See related: Crime & Violence, Federal, International Affairs, Latin America & the Caribbean
Khalil Discusses Israel’s Plans for the Future of Gaza With CBS News
“This is not post-war planning. This is a continuation of Netanyahu's war,” says Osamah Khalil, chair of the International Relations Undergraduate Program. “This is what experts like I and many others have warned about for 22 months All of this was about expanding, annexing Gaza and the West Bank and expelling Palestinians.”
See related: Conflict, Government, International Affairs, Middle East & North Africa
Williams Quoted in Los Angeles Times Article on the Challenges Trumps Faces in Gaza and Ukraine
Michael Williams, associate professor of public administration and international affairs, says that Trump has advocated for a ceasefire in Ukraine “at the expense of other strategic priorities such as stability in Europe and punishment of Russia through increased aid to Ukraine.”
See related: Conflict, Federal, International Affairs, International Agreements, Middle East & North Africa, Russia, Ukraine
Estévez-Abe Discusses Hiroshima Anniversary With CNY Central
Margarita Estévez-Abe, associate professor of political science, tells CNY Central the world has not learned any lessons and now sees nuclear weapons as a tool for national security.
See related: Conflict, East Asia, International Affairs
Farhana Sultana Organizes DC Event Commemorating Bangladesh’s July Revolution
A diverse audience gathered in the U.S. Capitol for a series of remarks and panel discussions on the future of Bangladesh and its people.
See related: Conflict, Government, International Affairs, South Asia
Mitra Discusses Trump’s Import Tariffs in TIME Article
“The seductive rhetoric of Trump tariffs hides a combination of contradictions, wishful thinking, and superficial understanding of economics, which sells America a mirage and threatens to weaken the stability of the global trading system,” writes Devashish Mitra, professor of economics and Gerald B. and Daphna Cramer Professor of Global Affairs.
See related: Federal, International Affairs, Tariffs, Trade, United States
In Memoriam: Deborah Pellow
See related: In Memoriam
Taylor Weighs In on Trump’s Approach to Aiding Ukraine in Newsweek Article
“The good news for Ukraine is that...Trump has finally figured out that Putin is the main obstacle to peace,” says Brian Taylor, director of the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs.
See related: Federal, International Affairs, U.S. Foreign Policy, Ukraine, United States
Mitra Speaks With the Washington Post About Top Trump Officials Having Multiple Jobs
“It is always a bad idea to burden someone with multiple jobs, especially when at least one of those jobs is extremely important,” says Devashish Mitra, professor of economics.
See related: Federal, United States
Sultana Article on Democracy in Bangladesh, Anniversary of July Revolution Published on Counterpoint
“One year after the July Revolution, the memory of brave young lives lost continues to light the path toward a just, democratic, and united Bangladesh,” says Farhana Sultana, professor of geography and the environment.
See related: Conflict, Government, International Affairs, South Asia
Robert Rubinstein Honored With 2025 Wasserstrom Prize for Graduate Teaching
The award recognizes a faculty member who has an important impact on students and a special interest in the graduate seminar.
See related: Awards & Honors
Four Maxwell Professors Named O’Hanley Faculty Scholars
Brian Brege, Sarah Hamersma, Yüksel Sezgin and Ying Shi will hold the title for three years.
See related: Awards & Honors, Giving, Promotions & Appointments
Taylor Talks to AP About CIA Report Criticizing Investigation of Russia’s Support for Trump in 2016
“This report doesn’t change any of the underlying evidence—in fact it doesn’t even address any of that evidence,” says Brian Taylor, director the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs. Taylor suggests the report may have been intended to reinforce Trump’s claims that investigations into his ties to Russia are part of a Democratic hoax.
See related: Federal, International Affairs, Political Parties, Russia, U.S. Elections, United States
It's Not the Economy: The Effect of Framing Arguments on Attitudes Toward Refugees
The article, co-authored by Lamis Abdelaaty, associate professor of political science, was published in International Migration Review.
See related: Economic Policy, Human Rights, International Affairs, Law, Political Parties, Refugees, United States
Williams Speaks With New York Times, Newsweek About the NATO Summit
“The Europeans were saying how committed they are to Ukraine, especially the British, which is no surprise. But there was also really an attempt to keep controversial issues off the table. Ukraine wasn’t the front and center discussion it has been,” Michael Williams, associate professor of public administration and international affairs, says of the summit.
See related: Global Governance, Government, NATO, Ukraine, United States
Khalil Discusses the Israel-Iran Conflict and US Airstrikes With KTVU and LocalSYR
The situation is escalating in ways we have not seen before, says Professor of History Osamah Khalil. With Israeli airstrikes, rising tensions in Gaza, and now a strong U.S. military response, the risks are higher than ever. He warns Iran may try to disrupt global oil supply chains, which could have a domino effect. “If that’s the case, we could very rapidly see the global economy collapse.”
Denisa Jashari’s Article Honored with Sturgis Leavitt Award
The Southeastern Council of Latin American Studies presents the award at its annual meeting.
See related: Awards & Honors, Government, Latin America & the Caribbean, Religion
Yingyi Ma Talks to South China Morning Post About Trump’s Crackdown on International Students
“Chinese students, for many, many years have been full-pay students, if not more,” says Yingyi Ma, professor of sociology. “Some places charge additional fees for international students…and so the tuition is provide a very important buffer for American universities. Many of them are really cash-strapped, especially the state universities.”
See related: East Asia, Federal, International Affairs, U.S. Education, United States
Taylor Speaks With Forbes About Quinnipiac Poll Ratings on Trump’s Handling of Russia-Ukraine War
“Among the issues Quinnipiac asked about—immigration, trade, the economy, Israel-Gaza and universities—Trump’s numbers are the worst on Russia-Ukraine, and they also are the worst among Republicans,” says Brian Taylor, professor of political science.
See related: Federal, International Affairs, Russia, U.S. National Security, Ukraine
Bhan Contributes to Channel 4 News Piece on India’s Grip on Kashmir
“I see them [India's projects] as symbols of Indian prescence or public proclamation of their capacity to now settle Kashmiri land, to occupy it when they can,” says Mona Bhan, Ford-Maxwell Professor of South Asian Studies.
See related: Government, India, Infrastructure, International Affairs, South Asia