School of International Service, AU

05/31/2026

Is sinking plants in the sea the next big innovation for carbon dioxide removal?

In this new piece published by The Conversation, SIS research professor Wil Burns explains how ocean biomass sinking works, analyzes concerns surrounding this method of carbon removal, and explores other options to store carbon in the ocean.

Read it on our website ⬇️

After the Environmental Protection Agency recently granted a permit to a carbon removal startup for ocean biomass sinking, Professor Wil Burns explains how the process works and analyzes potential concerns about this form of carbon removal.

05/29/2026

𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫: 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧?

In their new Working Paper, Felipe Hevia and Diego Prado Tuma examine the case of Honduras, looking at the role of CSOs in education systems with limited state capacity.

They spotlight the possibilities of a strategic alliance between between organizations that defend the right to education and organizations that focus on the quality of education.

They argue that a such an alliance would allow for a more comprehensive articulation of demands for quality and equity in education, generating synergies around the strengthening of public education systems.

English: https://bit.ly/3S6BC3j
Spanish: https://bit.ly/4dQpXwO

Thanks to Education Out Loud Global Partnership for Education Foro Dakar Honduras

05/28/2026

Former President of the World Bank, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick joins Professor Hansong Li to revisit his vision for a world of stakeholders in this latest global affairs episode of Worldviews. Their conversation considers whether major powers like the U.S. and China can still be thought of as responsible stakeholders, the uncertain future of the WTO, World Bank, and IMF systems, and how the reshaping of U.S. politics is impacting the world at large.

Listen now on Spotify or YouTube: https://youtu.be/d6ZDMmqxcJM?si=pAa55tSNOlQfRzVD

In a world of divisions and discontents, does the vision of nation-states like the U.S., China, and others as responsible stakeholders still hold promise? Wh...

05/27/2026

In this piece originally published by The Conversation, SIS professor Yan Bennett discusses three big takeaways from President Donald Trump’s two-day summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Read the full analysis on our website ⬇️

Professor Yan Bennett provides major takeaways from President Donald Trump's two-day summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

05/26/2026

"The outbreak […] is not an unlucky collision of a virus, a bat, and a nurse, but is instead a predictable result of interrelated political, social, and economic structures."

In a new Q&A, SIS professor and Chair of the Department of Environment, Development & Health Lauren Carruth unpacks the conditions driving the spread of the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in the DRC, the WHO’s recent emergency declaration, and how the U.S. withdrawal from the WHO and cuts to USAID, NIH, and the CDC have impacted the global health response.

Read more:

SIS professor Lauren Carruth answers questions about the recent emergency designation from the WHO, the conditions contributing to the current spike of Ebola, and what the global health response looks like in this moment.

05/26/2026

In this latest episode of Big World, Zamaan Qureshi, SIS/BA ’24, co-founder of Design It for Us, explains how platform features like beauty filters, like counts, and infinite scroll are fueling a teen mental health crisis—and what better regulation could look like.

Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts 🔗 https://bit.ly/42fZio2

05/21/2026

On the one-year anniversary of her death, the School of International Service (SIS) community honors the life and legacy of Sarah Milgrim, SIS/MA ’23, whose life was tragically taken in an act of antisemitic violence on May 21, 2025, in Washington, DC.

Sarah was a bright scholar whose commitment to peace, environmental justice, and global understanding left a lasting impression on all who knew her.

In the wake of this tragedy and with the blessing of her family, SIS has established the Sarah Milgrim Memorial Fund to honor and remember Sarah’s life and spirit. The fund will offer flexible support to SIS graduate students working at the intersection of environment, peace, conflict resolution, and related fields of study and service that were central to Sarah’s work and close to her heart.

“Sarah's commitment to service, desire to connect across differences, and willingness to tackle hard problems exemplifies how so many SIS students and alumni seek to engage in the world,” said SIS interim dean Rachel Robinson. “The Sarah Milgrim Memorial Fund will not only celebrate her legacy but also help ensure current students can access experiences that help them in their journeys to make a difference in the world.”

The Sarah Milgrim Memorial Fund is actively accepting contributions. To read more about Sarah's life and learn how you can support the memorial fund, visit this link ➡️ https://bit.ly/4u8An1f

05/20/2026

"I've been very fortunate in my career that, because of the AU training and my internships, people felt like I could do this," says Alex Ward, SIS/BA ’11, SIS/MA ’14.

In a new feature, Ward traces his path from international relations major to White House national security reporter at the Wall Street Journal—and the SIS coursework that shaped how he approaches his beat.

Read the full article:

How an SIS alum turned a love of American foreign policy into a decade-long career as a journalist.

05/18/2026

Congratulations to SIS/MA ’92 alumna Patty McIlreavy, president and CEO of the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, for being named to the 2026 TIME100 Philanthropy list. CDP is the only full-time resource dedicated to helping donors maximize their impact in response to domestic and international disasters.

“The challenges facing the world today are too interconnected, too urgent, and too human to be solved by any one institution alone. The future belongs to movements built across sectors, across communities, and across generations,” said McIlreavy in response.

Read about her work:

Find out who else is on the TIME100 Most Influential People in Philanthropy 2026 list

05/17/2026

SIS alumnus Zamaan Qureshi of Design It for Us joins this latest episode of Big World to break down the deliberate design choices behind AI and social media that are fueling the teen mental health crisis and how Gen Z is pushing back.

Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts 🔗 https://bit.ly/42fZio2