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News Archive 2015

Long-scarred Fall River wary of another trade deal (comments by Nitsan Chorev)

May 8, 2015 The Boston Globe

Nitsan Chorev, professor of sociology and international studies, comments on President Obama's proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership, which some fear will snuff out Fall River's hard-earned progress toward rebirth. “The winners are going to be companies that rely heavily on copyright and intellectual property protections . . . the other winners are going to be foreign companies,” Chorev says.

Many countries, including US, are in denial (by Stephen Kinzer)

May 7, 2015 The Boston Globe

Stephen Kinzer writes about the history of denial on the part of many countries for genocide and other atrocities they have committed. He cites the Ottoman massacre of Armenians 100 years ago as one example.

Nepalese Scholar At Brown Coordinates Relief Efforts (interview with Atul Pokharel)

May 5, 2015 RINPR

Postdoctoral Fellow Atul Pokharel from Nepal, is using his international development expertise and personal knowledge of the country to help guide relief efforts after a major earthquake. He launched a web site that would answer three key questions for people looking for ways to help.

Cambiando la conversación sobre la probreza (by Deepak Lamba-Nieves)

April 29, 2015 El Nuevo Día

Postdoctoral Fellow Deepak Lamba-Nieves featured in El Nuevo Día on “Changing the Conversation on Poverty”.

Untie the farmer (by Ashutosh Varshney)

April 29, 2015 Indian Express

Sol Goldman Professor of International Studies and the Social Sciences and Director of the Brown-India Initiative Ashutosh Varshney in The Indian Express: "It is well known that most of what lifts the technological base of agriculture and connects it productively to urban opportunities requires public investment — in irrigation, research, seeds, power, transport, schools, skills, etc."

Did the Brutal Death of Mussolini Contribute to Hitler’s Suicide? (comments by David Kertzer)

April 29, 2015 Foreign Policy

Faculty Fellow David Kertzer comments on the execution of dictator Benito Mussolini, which happened 70 years ago this week.

From College Hill to Capitol Hill: Reflections on the Rewards and Challenges of Politics, Policy and Public Service

April 27, 2015

On April 22nd 2015, Congressman David Cicilline '83 and Richard Locke, the Director of the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown discussed a range of foreign policy issues, including Congressman Cicilline's recent experience on a Congressional delegation to Cuba and his thoughts on the impact of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to Congress, ISIS, and the draft US-Iran deal. The pair also talked about how Congressman Cicilline's experiences at Brown and as a state legislator and mayor of Providence helped lead him to Capitol Hill.

Watson Institute to screen documentary on diplomat Richard Holbrooke

April 27, 2015 Providence Journal

"The Diplomat," an HBO documentary film about the life and legacy of U.S. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, will have a free screening at Brown University's Watson Institute for International Studies, Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.

'Pope And Mussolini' Tells The 'Secret History' Of Fascism And The Church (interview with David Kertzer)

April 24, 2015 Fresh Air, NPR

Faculty Fellow David Kertzer talks to Terry Gross on NPR's Fresh Air about his Pulitzer Prize winning book, "The Pope and Moussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe".

Republicans could push multiple goals through budget reconciliation (comments by Richard Arenberg)

April 23, 2015 Washington Examiner

Rich Arenberg comments on Republicans attempts to try to pass multiple significant measures such as comprehensive tax reform and repealing Obamacare using a special budget procedure that allows Congress to pass legislation with only 51 votes in the Senate.

America’s next president will carry a big stick (by Stephen Kinzer)

April 22, 2015 Boston Globe

Journalist in Residence Stephen Kinzer in the Boston Globe: "Our next president will be more interventionist, more likely to threaten and use military force, and less eager to negotiate."

Refocusing Earth Day on the big issues (by Timmons Roberts)

April 22, 2015 Newsweek

Ittleson Professor of Sociology and Environmental Studies Timmons J. Roberts in Newsweek: "Neighborhood cleanups for Earth Day are important, and I participate in them—they build community and give people a sense of efficacy in the face of terrifying and overwhelming environmental issues like climate change and the unrelenting rise of waste."

Why the Iran deal is a logical extension of U.S. nonproliferation policy (co-authored by Nick Miller)

April 21, 2015 Monkey Cage Blog, The Washington Post

Nicholas Miller, Dean’s Assistant Professor of Nuclear Security and Policy, and Or Rabinowitz on Monkey Cage Blog: "More often than not, instead of using military force against the nuclear upstart or making unrealistic demands that the country surrender all of its nuclear capabilities, the U.S. government has elected to broker pragmatic deals to restrict a country’s nuclear program and thereby limit the damage to the nonproliferation regime."

David Kertzer Awarded Pulitzer Prize for: “The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe"

April 20, 2015 The New York Times

Watson Faculty Fellow David Kertzer was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for: Biography or Autobiography — “The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe."

Mayoral control of schools worked for New York City, but other poor districts haven’t been so lucky (comments by Kenneth Wong)

April 20, 2015 The Buffalo News

Kenneth Wong, chair of education, comments on mayoral control of school districts, noting that it's critical for the mayor to be committed to the role in order for it to be successful.

Shifting care: Will the promise of health care jobs be fulfilled? (comments by Theresa Devine)

April 20, 2015 Providence Business News

Theresa Devine, lecturer in public policy, comments on the local health care job market, noting that employment in that industry is likely to rise, but that much of this employment is likely to be outside hospitals and other inpatient facilities.

R.I. Gov. Raimondo nominates 6 new board members to Commerce Corp. (MJ Kaplan appointed)

April 16, 2015 Providence Journal

Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy MJ Kaplan is among six new nominees selected by Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo for the board of the Commerce RI, the state's economic development agency.

Public-private ties in Jewelry District benefit schools, city, and state (by Christina H. Paxson)

April 14, 2015 Providence Journal

In an op-ed published Tuesday, April 14, 2015, in theProvidence Journal, Brown University President Christina Paxson shows how the Jewelry District can be the cornerstone of a bright future for Rhode Island — “a vibrant ecosystem of academics, commerce, and innovation.”

The Good News About Spying (by Timothy Edgar)

April 14, 2015 Foreign Affairs

Timothy Edgar, visiting professor at the Watson Institute, explains that despite citizens' disapproval of the United States' surveillance programs, President Barack Obama has done much to protect civil liberties by way of transparency reforms.

Günter Grass, Writer Who Pried Open Germany’s Past but Hid His Own, Dies at 87 (by Stephen Kinzer)

April 14, 2015 The New York Times

Journalist in Residence Stephen Kinzer in The New York Times: "Some critics found his increasingly apocalyptic books published after the 1970s repetitive and self-righteous. Others said his relentless activism had overwhelmed his identity as a writer."

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