The McGill International Review

Host Sydney Murray sits down with global health expert Tim Evans to discuss what get Tim out of bed in the morning, who is the next Bill Gates, population views tied with public health issues and communication, the power in exploring the unknown, the speed of scientific advancement, and the Canadian medical education system. 

L'animateur Theo Shouse s'entretient avec Boris Proulx, correspondant parlementaire pour Le Devoir à Ottawa, pour discuter de l'élection fédérale.

In this opinion piece, Noa Wittenberg-Ross investigates the Mohawk Mothers' efforts to delay excavation at the Royal Victoria Hospital construction site due to the suspected presence of unmarked graves. She sits down with Kahentinetha, a Mohawk activist, and Phillippe Blouin, a Canadian anthropologist, to better understand their perspective and struggle. 

Host Theo Shouse sits down with economist Dean Baker to discuss tariffs, industrial policy, inequality, and relations between the United States and China.

Part 2: Host Sydney Murray sits down with Sridhar Venkatapuram, Senior Lecturer in Global Health and Philosophy at King's College, to explore the ethical dimensions of global health. They discuss how ethical frameworks are both integrated and overlooked in today's global health landscape, examining critical issues such as the Human Right to Health and Health Justice within our current global context. Venkatapuram also reflects on the far-reaching implications of the past five years of global events and how they have shaped public health policies and priorities worldwide.

Part 1: Host Sydney Murray sits down with Sridhar Venkatapuram, Senior Lecturer in Global Health and Philosophy at King's College, to explore the ethical dimensions of global health. They discuss how ethical frameworks are both integrated and overlooked in today's global health landscape, examining critical issues such as the Human Right to Health and Health Justice within our current global context. Venkatapuram also reflects on the far-reaching implications of the past five years of global events and how they have shaped public health policies and priorities worldwide.

Host Sabrina Nelson sits down with Christopher Miller, the Financial Times' Chief Ukraine Correspondent, to discuss the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and its potential evolution. They also delve into his experience reporting from Ukraine since 2010 and discuss his book “The War Came To Us: Life And Death In Ukraine.”

Host Theo Shouse sits down with Andrew Day, the senior editor of The American Conservative, to discuss the Ukraine War and US foreign policy regarding Russia, China, and Iran.

Host Theo Shouse sits down with journalist and author Anatol Lieven of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft to discuss the West's relationship to Russia since the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the Ukraine War.

Host Theo Shouse sits down with economist James K. Galbraith to discuss his latest book, Entropy Economics, which rethinks and rejects orthodox economic concepts like equilibrium by introducing the second law of thermodynamics to the dismal science.

Host Theo Shouse sits down with Gerald Butts, former Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, to discuss populism and democracy in North America and what it means to be a liberal.

Host Sabrina Nelson sits down with Declan Walsh, Chief Africa Correspondent for The New York Times, to discuss his frontline reporting on Sudan's conflict and across Africa, as well as his unexpected expulsion from Pakistan. Walsh reflects on some of the lessons he's learned throughout his career as a foreign correspondent, especially in politically sensitive environments.

Host Sabrina Nelson sits down with sits down with Hugh Kinsella Cunningham, an award-winning photojournalist and Pulitzer Center grantee, to discuss his work documenting health, conflict, and society in the Democratic Republic of Congo. They delve into his recent award-winning projects, his experiences on the ground, and his perspective on the current challenges facing the region.

Host Kai Samuel-Szablowski sits down with Prof. Vincent Rigby, former national security and intelligence advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, to discuss the threats posed by foreign interference in Canada.

Host Kai Samuel-Szablowski sits down with Ujjal Dosanjh, a former premier of British Columbia and federal minister of health, to discuss the Khalistan movement in Canada, Trudeau's leadership, and the breakdown of Indo-Canadian relations.

Host Sabrina Nelson sits down with Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories, to discuss her findings in her most recent report “Genocide as Colonial Erasure” and her analysis, from an international law perspective, of the current Israel-Gaza war.

Host Sabrina Nelson is joined by Stephen Saideman, a prominent political scientist currently holding the Paterson Chair in International Affairs at Carleton University, to examine Canada's involvement in Afghanistan, and discuss Canada's place and role in international security and NATO. 

Host Sabrina Nelson sits down with Clarissa Ward, award-winning journalist and Chief International Correspondent for CNN, to discuss her international reporting career across the Middle East, Asia and Eastern Europe, her views on journalism and some of the main lessons she has learnt from her career so far. 

Host Sabrina Nelson sits down with Bob Rae, ambassador and permanent representative of Canada to the United Nations, to discuss Canada's role in the UN and multilateralism, the future and challenges of international governance, his domestic and federal career and Canada's foreign policy.  

Host Theo Shouse sits down with Kelley Vlahos, editorial director of Responsible Statecraft and former executive editor of The American Conservative, to discuss US foreign policy and the emergence of the restraint movement, which opposes military intervention.

Host Alex Ritch sits down with political scientist Melissa Deckman, CEO of the Public Religion Research Institute, to discuss how religion, particularly evangelical Christianity, could affect the 2024 presidential election.

Host Theo Shouse sits down with Matt McManus, author and political science lecturer at the University of Michigan, to talk about his book on liberal socialism, the history of conservatism in the United States, and egalitarianism.

Host Patrick Nelson sits down with economist and blogger Bryan Caplan to discuss the economics and ethics of housing deregulating, immigration, and adjacent topics.

In his final episode as host, Andrew Xu sits down once again with Vivian Wang, a China correspondent for The New York Times. They discuss the difficulties of covering the nuances of Chinese politics as a foreign correspondent, the true extent of the Chinese government's surveillance state, and the insularity within the Chinese government's decision-making.   References "Xi Jinping's Recipe for Total Control: An Army of Eyes and Ears" by Vivian Wang, The New York Times "Xi and Blinken Trade Small Nods Over a Large Gap" by Ana Swanson and Vivian Wang, The New York Times Intro/Outro music: Synapse by Shane Ivers Andrew's New Podcast

Host Theo Shouse sits down with Jeet Heer, a political correspondent for The Nation, to discuss the Democrats' and Republicans' foreign and labour policies.

Host Theo Shouse sits down with Pamela Paul, a columnist for the New York Times. They talk about free speech on university campuses, pro-Palestinian protests, and the books they're going to read this summer.

Host Andrew Xu sits down with Richard Reeves, the President of the American Institute for Boys and Men. They discuss the underrepresentation of male students on college campuses, the significance of biological differences between boys and girls, and changes in the perception of feminism over time. References "Stop Pretending You're Not Rich" by Richard Reeves, The New York Times "Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do about It" by Richard Reeves "How to Solve the Education Crisis for Boys and Men | Richard Reeves" from TED "The Men — and Boys — Are Not Alright" from The Ezra Klein Show "There Was Definitely a Thumb on the Scale to Get Boys" by Susan Dominus, The New York Times Magazine "Less than a third of American women identify as feminists" by Catherine Morris, Ipsos

Host Theo Shouse sits down with Substack writer and Jacobin columnist Ben Burgis to discuss the morality of war and democratic socialism.

Host Andrew Xu sits down once again with David French, a columnist for The New York Times. They discuss gender polarization, the ways that men are falling behind in society, and roles that religious institutions have traditionally played in cultivating cultural norms.

Host Alex Ritch sits down with Kyle Matthews, the Executive Director of the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies. They discuss digital concerns surrounding online extremism and speculate on the future trajectory of the issue.

Host Ines Fahmi sits down with Rose Horowitch, an assistant editor for the Atlantic. They discuss the phenomenon of Gen Z men and women drifting apart politically, and some of the potential causes and correlations for this sentiment.

Host Ines Fahmi sits down with Dr. Gloria Mark, the Chancellor's Professor of Informatics at the University of California, Irvine. They discuss her research on the decline of our attention spans, and the impact that new technologies have had on our productivity.

This episode explores a few current trends around femininity on social media and beyond. Senior Editor Clare and Staff Writer Charlotte join hosts Alison and Teodor in discussing Sephora tweens and coquette “tradwives” and what kinds of femininity are valued and what this may say about the state of patriarchy today.

Host Theo Shouse sits down with Substack writer, former Federal Reserve economist, and Bloomberg opinion columnist Claudia Sahm, to discuss inflation, consumer sentiment, Biden's stimulus package, and the Federal Reserve.   References "Decomposing Supply and Demand Driven Inflation" by Adam Shapiro, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco "Is the Landing Soft? Will It Stay That Way?" by Paul Krugman, The New York Times "The Quasi-Inflation of 2021-2022: A Case of Bad Analysis and Worse Response" by James K. Galbraith, Institute for New Economic Thinking

Host Anzhu Wei sits down with Sara Mbago-Bhunu, the Regional Director of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)'s East and Southern Africa Division. They discuss smallholder farmers, and the role of agricultural investment in adapting to climate change.  

Host Andrew Xu sits down with Melissa Kearney, the Neil Moskowitz Professor of Economics at the University of Maryland. They discuss her recent book The Two-Parent Privilege, which examines the economic advantages that two-parent households have over one-parent households.   References "The Two-Parent Privilege: How Americans Stopped Getting Married and Started Falling Behind" by Melissa Kearney "‘The Two-Parent Privilege' gets caught in the trap of convention" by Becca Rothfeld, The Washington Post "What Relationships Would You Want if You Believed They Were Possible?" from The Ezra Klein Show

The Best International Feature Film Oscar has a strange set of nomination rules that have resulted in intrigue, controversies, and international soft power plays. To unpack this awards season enigma, host Anzhu Wei sits down with Professor Laura Isabel Serna of the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts.   Correction: Totem was shortlisted for the 2024 Best International Feature Film Award.   References "The Oscars' International Feature Film Category Needs a Total Overhaul. Here's a Simple Fix" by Peter Debruge, Variety

Host Theo Shouse sits down with Matthew Rosenberg, a Pulitzer Prize–winning correspondent at the New York Times. They discuss the Afghanistan war, which Rosenberg reported on for many years, and the conflict between US forces and Iranian proxies in the Middle East. Finally, they discuss political violence in the United States and the upcoming presidential election.

Host Andrew Xu sits down with Will Stancil, a research fellow on the Institute on Metropolitan Opportunity. They discuss the state of the US economy, concerns surrounding Biden's age, and the incentives of mainstream journalism.

Host Theo Shouse sits down with Nadim Houry, the executive director of the Arab Reform Initiative, a think tank advocating for social justice and democracy in the Middle East. They discuss Israel's offensive in Gaza, tensions between Iranian proxies and US forces, and American military interventionism.

From January 31st to February 2nd, 500 McGill students went on strike to oppose the Québec tuition hike. In this episode, host Anzhu Wei talks with striking students on the picket line and student leaders, to understand the situation.

Le 15 septembre, les dirigeants du United Automobile Workers (UAW) ont annoncé le début d'une grève syndicale. Le 20 octobre, 34,000 membres du syndicat étaient en grève et environ 5,000 employés avaient été mis à pied par le big three automobile américain. Vincent Guillotte revient sur cette grève syndicale avec Joseph Abounohra, éditeur principal.

Host Andrew Xu sits down once again with Jessica Grose, an opinion writer for The New York Times. They discuss the negative effects of pandemic-induced school closures, the increased prominence of grade inflation in schools, and other contributors to teacher demoralization in the United States.   References "The Rise and Fall of the Teaching Profession" from The Annenberg Institute "Has School Become Optional?" by Alec MacGillis, The New Yorker "People Don't Want to Be Teachers Anymore. Can You Blame Them?" by Jessica Grose, The New York Times "The pandemic's lesson on teacher licensure" by Matt Yglesias, Slow Boring "Don't Ditch Standardized Tests. Fix Them." by Jessica Grose, The New York Times "Congress Isn't a Schoolyard. Time to Deal With Toxic Immaturity." by Jessica Grose, The New York Times

Host Andrew Xu sits down with Yascha Mounk, the head of Persuasion and a contributing writer for The Atlantic. They discuss his new book The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time, and the set of ideas, ideologies, and cultural attitudes which he dubs "the identity synthesis" in his book.   References "The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time" by Yascha Mounk "Yascha Mounk: The Identity Trap - Why New Group Identity & Social Justice Ideas Failed to Transform America" from The Realignment

Host Andrew Xu sits down once again with Vivian Wang, a China correspondent for The New York Times. They discuss the decline in student exchange programs between China and the US, the way that Chinese citizens feel about potentially living in the US, and the extent to which this issue serves as a useful barometer for understanding US-China relations.   References "Can U.S.-China Student Exchanges Survive Geopolitics?" by Vivian Wang, The New York Times Intro/Outro music: Synapse by Shane Ivers

Host Andrew Xu sits down with David French, a columnist for The New York Times. They discuss the potential dangers of a second Trump presidency, the internal politics of the pro-life movement in America, and how to frame rhetoric to persuade people of differing political dispositions.   References "What the Next Generation of Christians Needs (with David French)" from Good Faith "Donald Trump Tests Pro-Life America" by David French, The New York Times "Shiny, Not-So-Happy People (with David and Nancy French)" from Good Faith "Shiny Happy People: The Rise and Fall of the Duggar Family" by Frances Parish, The McGill International Review

Why have our favourite pop star and football player taken over the headlines with their relationship? Hosts Alison and Teodor, and guests Zach and Anya share their takes on Taylor Swift's and Travis Kelce's relationship in the very first episode of The Editors' Desk podcast.

Host Blaise Brosnan sits down with Substack writer and podcast host Robert Wright, to discuss the concept of non-zero-sumness, the origins of early Christianity, and the evolution in the perception of the Abrahamic God as described in his book The Evolution of God.   References "The Evolution of God" by Robert Wright "The ‘River to the Sea' Rorschach test" by Robert Wright, Nonzero Newsletter

Host Blaise Brosnan sits down with Substack writer and internet culture reporter Katherine Dee, to discuss the causes of sex negativity, the cultural landscapes of the digital ecosphere, and the underlying motivations of right-wing subcultures online.   References "The coming wave of sex negativity" by Katherine Dee, Default Wisdom "Among the Spiritual Psychotics" by Katherine Dee, Tablet "Self-Made: Creating Our Identities from Da Vinci to the Kardashians" by Tara Isabella Burton "Mass Shootings and the World Liberalism Made" by Katherine Dee, Contra "Who Does Saudi Better: Google or Reddit?" by Katherine Dee, Tablet

Host Zalan Teodor Gaspar sits down with Wojciech Przybylski and Agnieszka Homańska of Visegrad Insight to discuss the results of the 2023 Polish elections, the issues that defined the election, and what the results mean for the European Union.

Host Zalan Teodor Gaspar sits down with Henry Olsen, a columnist for The Washington Post and a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. They discuss the winners and losers of the first 2024 Republican presidential primary debate, the influences of Pierre Poilievre's brand of conservatism, and the sources of the rise in conservative support in Canada more broadly.   Special thanks to CKUT for helping with the production of this episode.