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diplomacy

Unraveling Alliances: Texas A&M’s Decision and the Future of Qatar’s Educational Diplomacy

Texas A&M ended its 21-year long-term education alliance with Qatar with immediate plans to end operations in Qatar by 2028. This unexpected turn is affecting Qatar’s public education diplomacy as the system board of regents of Texas A&M voted 7-1 in favor of ending its contract.

The university cited various factors that contributed to the withdrawal, including the heightened instability in the Middle East, the core mission of advancing Texas A&M solely in the United States, and the disinformation campaign regarding the Qatar campus potentially having a connection to nuclear reactor research done in Texas or the Los Alamos National Lab. 

The withdrawal of Texas A&M University had a negative impact on Qatar’s Education City, established in 1997. As of February 2024, Qatar hosts prestigious American universities, including Virginia Commonwealth University, Weill Cornell Medicine, Carnegie Mellon University, Georgetown University, and Northwestern University. These distinguished American Universities have allowed Qatar to successfully carry out education diplomacy campaigns to diversify its economy, attract global talent, address the nation’s developing needs, and promote cultural exchange. 

Texas A&M’s withdrawal paves a way for similar actions by other American universities, creating a domino effect that can ultimately alter the need for Qatar’s Education City and educational diplomacy efforts. 

Professors and students currently teaching or attending Texas A&M Qatar’s campus voiced their opinions and concerns across social media platforms. Khalid Al-Sada, the student government president and a senior majoring in chemical engineering at the Qatar campus, spoke to various media outlets, including the Texas Tribune, stating, “we were all just left wondering what is going to happen to the dreams, the hopes we had, our hopes, what we wanted to achieve with all the different studying and all of that.” 

Texas A&M’s exit could leave Qatar with a negative reputation in education and business. The potential negative reputation will have financial implications in Education City that will affect operational funding, causing Qatar to seek alternative funding sources or adjust its financial structure. Texas A&M’s decision would lead to a decrease in enrollment and the potential discontinuation of research and innovation programs that once filled an educational gap. 

Furthermore, this will prompt Qatar to reconsider its strategy for attracting and maintaining international educational partnerships. The new educational approaches would involve exploring fresh partnerships. However, the withdrawal of American universities can leave a gap, allowing Qatar’s Gulf neighbors and competitors, the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) and Saudi Arabia, to influence higher education significantly. The U.A.E. has already established a New York University (N.Y.U.) Abu Dhabi campus and continues to establish American medical school campuses such as Baylor College of Medicine in Dubai. 

The future of Qatar’s education city and education diplomacy efforts are still being determined, with a trail of pressing questions. If Qatar’s Education City begins to fail due to the withdrawal of universities, will Qatar pivot and focus on its ambitious climate change and sustainability goals? How will Qatar persuade its international peers that it is a stable and safe region to do business after the disinformation campaign? Either way, with the anticipation of Qatar’s responses, the Texas A&M board will continue to implement its plan to withdraw from Qatar by 2028, thus leading to an unraveling of alliances between Qatar and Texas A&M that could negatively impact the diplomatic relationship between Qatar and the United States. 

Samia Rodriguez is a master’s candidate in Northeastern University’s Global Studies and International Relations program. 

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What Is The Significance of Navalny’s Death?

February 16th, 2024 signified the loss of another hope for the reconstruction of law and order in modern Russian society. Alexei Navalny was an active opposition to Putin. Navalny started his career back in 2007 and forcefully ended his anti-Putin movement in 2024 due to his unexpected death at the Arctic Circle prison. This event carries greater significance to world affairs and identifies Russian power.

Alexei Navalny was known for his actions, specifically anti-corruption campaigns in Russia, appeals to the nation to rise for revolution, presidential election boycott, and other anti-current government movements that are not welcomed in the non-democratic state. Predictably, his actions were strictly controlled by elites in Russia and were not warmly met by the government.

Specifically, in August 2020, Alexei Navalny was poisoned by the famously known nerve agent, Novichok. This chemical is the deadliest chemical currently known to humanity. Novichok was invented by Russian scientists during the Cold War. Luckily, after the poisoning, Alexei Navalny was able to get to Germany in time to receive medical support and have a successful recovery. The most observable Putin’s opponent stayed in the German hospital and acquired all needed help until January 2021. Navalny then decided it was time for him to fly back to his homeland and facilitate anti-Putin views to the nation. He initiated his campaign by urging people to stand up against current elites and topple Russian governance. While landing Navalny’s airplane at the wrong airport within Moscow, the demonstrations was not deterred; however, not exactly in the way that Alexei was anticipating. Soon enough, he was arrested for the violation of parole and sentenced to prison for 19 years. While the protests continued in Russia, soon after Navalny’s disappearance from the public eye, the Russian government successfully stopped the rebellions. Thereafter, in 2023, Navalny was moved to the Arctic Circle, where he spent his last days and ultimately encountered his death.

The statements relevant to the recent death of the opposition are continuously altering their interpretation by pro-Putin executives. The original justification for death being “blood clot” was later changed to “sudden death syndrome,” as well as the date of his death shifting from February 15th to February 16th.

Navalny was the hope of the Western World to change the authoritarian regime within Russia. Now that Putin is not facing Navalny’s opposition, is there anything else providing hope for a potential freedom of Russia from Putin’s authority? However, with the rise of anti-Putin desires of the Russian nations, new opposition will be found in the country. As of right now, it is possible to predict that the widow of Alexei will be the one shouldering this role. Altogether, it will be ultimately up to the Russian nation to identify the future of their country. If the population is willing and ready for the regime change, the leader will be able to start the process. If the nation has still not gained enough basis to promote an anti-Putin perspective, then there are almost no outside factors that can shake and decrown Russian elites.

At the same time, Putin’s time might end without Navalny’s counterplay. The current president is 71 years old, and his era might be ending in the short future. It is important to note that in Russia, the system is mainly based on Putin’s authority; it is yet stable enough to survive the shift of power without significant institutional changes within the country.

Overall, the death of Navalny again highlighted to the rest of the world the absence of law and order in the Russian Federation, as well as the emphasis on the presence of a stable authoritarian regime within the state.

Written by Events Intern, Sofiia Lobas.

References:

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/alexei-navalnys-death-what-do-we-know-2024-02-18/

https://carnegieendowment.org/politika/91665

Photo credit: Rom T

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Why France is Failing West Africa

Niamey, Niger

Popular demonstrations fill the streets of the Western African nation after a military coup that occurred against the democratically elected President Bazoum last week.

Massive demonstrations led to attacks on the French Embassy as well as the condemnation of other West African nations that imposed sanctions on Niger as well as demanding the departure of foreign troops from their land, including both the military bases of The United States and France. The West African Economic Community (ECOWAS) has also threatened force if President Bazoum is not reinstated by Sunday August 6th.

France, the former colonial power of Niger and much of Western Africa, responded threatening retaliation on any action taken against French nationals. Macron going as far as to claim that the coup d’etat is, “completely illegitimate and profoundly dangerous for the Nigeriens, Niger, and the whole region”.  During Macron’s presidency aid to the region has increased and Macron began the process of returning cultural artefacts stolen during the French occupation of West Africa. French military presence in the Sahel region remains present to fight jihadist militants that kill local civilians, police, soldiers, and ECOWAS members. Despite these efforts, France has grown incredibly unpopular among many nations in the region.

In neighboring Mali in May of 2022, following a breakdown in relations the French forces began pulling out of the nation and as of late June 2023, Mali removed the French language as its official language with overwhelming support. The new Constitution passed with almost 97% of the vote on June 18th in a move to recognize local African languages such as Bambara, Bobo, and Dogon. In Algeria, President Abelmadijd Tebboune has moved primary education to be in Arabic and English stating, “French is a spoil of war, but English is an international language”. These changes all signal a rapid decline in the presence and perception of France in its former colonies in West Africa.

Anti-French Sentiments in the region emerge from the apparent wealth disparities between France and the African states. Among young Malians and Nigeriens, they view France as the main reason for the prevailing poverty in their nations. Despite the independence of these states France has maintained a very prominent presence in many African nations. One of the best examples of the way that France maintains economic control over these states is through the CFA Franc, a regional currency which is directly tied to the euro, by French guarantee. Critics claim that this allows the French government to manipulate the economic power of the nations who use it as their national currency including Mali, Niger, Senegal and other former French colonies in Africa.

These emerging coups in African states signal a dramatic step away from democracy, but to others it represents the ability for self-determination in former French colonies.

Written by Administrative Intern Charles Larkin

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A Seat For a Seat: Understanding How Sweden’s Future NATO Membership Comes Down to the Turkish President.

Sweden’s ascension into NATO is secured, claims NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg. The recent news emerging from the NATO conference in Vilnius, Lithuania, is positive for Sweden hoping to finally join the alliance after being blocked by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan since April. Sweden and Finland both had applied to join the North American and European military alliance at the same time, fearing Russia’s military expansion. Finland’s acceptance into the alliance occurred recently on April 4th 2023, while Sweden’s had been delayed. 

In order for a new nation to join NATO, all other current members must agree unanimously, meaning Turkey’s sole opposition to the Swedish joining the alliance functions as a veto. 

Turkey’s main claims against Sweden were that Sweden was supporting forces against the Turkish government by providing a free operating environment to Turkish dissidents that Turkey labels as terrorist organizations.

The list of organizations includes a religious movement that the Turkish government accused of trying to overthrow President Erdogan in 2016 and supporters of a Kurdish militant organization that continues to fight against the Turkish state. A recent Quran burning demonstration by an Iraqi Christian immigrant outside of a Mosque in Stockholm on June 27th added tension, as Turkey viewed the act as a sign of both Islamophobia and another reason that Sweden and Turkey cannot see eye-to-eye. 

Sweden had been recently taking action to appease the Turkish government, recently amending its constitution and hardening its counterterrorism laws. The Swedish government also extradited many of the individuals wanted by the Turkish government to gain favor. But this appears to not be sufficient for the Turkish government as they announced that in exchange for letting Sweden join NATO, the European Union should, “clear the way” for Turkey to Join the European Union (EU). 

Turkey’s application for the EU, which began in 2005, has been stalled due to the Union’s criticisms of both human rights violations and deficits in rule of law in Turkey. These concerns have resulted in the Union labeling the Turkish government currently unfit to join due to disproportionate repressive measures. Turkey has received sanctions from the European Union for its activities in the Mediterranean as recently as 2021. 

Turkey currently enjoys a very privileged diplomatic position and the latest condition could present huge economic opportunities for Turkey,  but it is still undecided how the EU will react to this change as many NATO members are also EU members. It is very possible that we may see a seat in the EU being traded for a seat in NATO. 

Written by Administrative Intern, Charles Larkin

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Where’s the Money?: Holidays and COVID Bailouts

Written by Fundraising and Technology Intern, Norbu Kangchen

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Russian-Ukrainian War: Zelensky Calls for ‘Open Diplomacy’

As the Russian-Ukrainian War continues to stretch on into its ninth month, negotiations between each sides’ respective leaders have continued to struggle. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has been issuing daily updates to his citizens as the war continues on, and in his November 7th address, recently stated his terms for open diplomacy which included respect for the UN Charter, territorial integrity of Ukraine, and prosecution of war criminals. This has been a change from his previous stance that peace talks with Russia were an “impossibility” if done under Russian president Vladimir Putin. Ukraine’s current situation is complicated by its reliance on assistance from the United States, which recently underwent its midterm elections.The potential shift in political climate may alter the level of aid provided.

November marks an important time globally, with meetings such as the G20 summit and the ASEAN summit both taking place this month. Russian forces have retreated from the Kherson region, Though it appears the conflict will continue at this time, the recent turn of events have raised hopes that Russia is losing steam in its campaign. The Biden administration has not established a strong position on how Ukraine should proceed, but expresses hope that more fruitful peace talks can occur now that the winter months are closing in, posing a danger for troops and civilians still caught in the conflict.

Program Management Intern, Cindy Tse

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