iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 08/10/2026

Join @buffett.northwestern.edu and the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Chicago for a conversation with @rafal-trzaskowski.bsky.social, Mayor of Warsaw, on how urban leadership can strengthen democratic resilience, respond to crises, and support international cooperation.

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 22/09/2026

🌷 May: From Oil Barrels to Pipelines: Citizenship and Political Life in Nigeria with School of Communication & Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences' Dotun Ayobade What can Nigeria’s retired oil barrels tell us about citizenship and political life?

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 22/09/2026

🌸 April: The Global Energy Transition with McCormick School of Engineering's Sossina Haile Can a carbon-free energy future be built from materials the earth already has in abundance?

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 22/09/2026

🌱 March: Above the Law: The U.S. and the International Criminal Court with @weinbergcollege.bsky.social's Daniel Krcmaric Why has the United States spent decades at odds with the world’s leading war crimes tribunal?

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 22/09/2026

❄️ February: Art, Archives and African Sovereignty with @sesp-nu.bsky.social's Sally Nuamah Can artist-led cultural movements offer genuine independence, or do they risk reproducing systems of extraction?

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 22/09/2026

⛄️ January: Partnering to Tackle Public Health Crises: Viral Hepatitis as a Case Study with @feinberg.northwestern.edu's Claudia Hawkins How can partnerships between communities, institutions, and research networks improve infection prevention and treatment?

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 22/09/2026

🍂 November: The Yemeni Women Fighting to Preserve Their Heritage with @medillschool.bsky.social's Brent Huffman How are women working to preserve Yemen’s heritage amid war, looting, and climate change?

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 22/09/2026

🍁 October: Governing Diversity in Economic History with @kelloggschoolnu.bsky.social's Nancy Qian Why do some civilizations endure for centuries while others disappear?

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 17/09/2026

Has women’s agency been overlooked in histories of the 1947 Partition of India? Research Fellow Angad Singh's new research argues that focusing on desire alongside violence offers a more nuanced understanding of women’s experiences at this time. Learn more: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 15/09/2026

How do different forms of repression operate together, and how do these measures shape public attitudes? Drawing on evidence from Turkey, Buffett Research Fellow Ulaş Erdoğdu (@polisciatnu.bsky.social) co-authored research seeking to answer this question. Read: academic.oup.com/jpr/advance-...

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 10/09/2026

"I'm doing a form of anthropological work that can push our discipline to tell stories that inspire us for the future, but also make us proud of where we came from," shared Craig Stevens, who completed his Anthropology PhD at @weinbergcollege.bsky.social as a Buffett Dissertation Fellow.

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 10/09/2026

"Chennai has some of the most expansive welfare programs in India, yet many are food insecure and undernourished. I was interested in researching how communities have been organizing to fill those gaps," said International Senior Thesis Grantee Anusha Kumar, a 2026 @sesp-nu.bsky.social graduate.

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 08/09/2026

"We made this arbitrary gap — that this [media] is boring but serious and this [media] is really fun but stupid — but it doesn't have to be,” said Allison Yang, founder & CEO of video game studio Reality Reload, during @buffett.northwestern.edu’s Brave New Futures symposium panel on new media.

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 04/09/2026

More than 100 artists, technologists, and business leaders joined live performances and discussions ranging from African autonomy in the age of AI and the future of African cultural performance. Learn more: www.africanartsfutures.com

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 04/09/2026

How might art and technology converge in the pursuit of African sovereignty in the age of AI? That question drove the inaugural African Arts Futures Symposium held this summer at the University of Ghana with the support of a Buffett Global Collaboration Grant.

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 03/09/2026

The stakes remain urgent for Afghan women and girls as they fight for education, safety, and basic human rights under Taliban rule. Join @loyolachicago.bsky.social's Rule of Law Institute & Art Works Projects for an exhibit, film excerpt, and discussion event on women’s rights in Afghanistan.

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 02/09/2026

China recently pledged to share their data to help developing countries build AI systems. However, rules in place so that Chinese AI models cannot deviate from the Chinese Communist Party's official narratives mean that Chinese chatbots can evade answering sensitive questions and revise history.

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 31/08/2026

Cyberattacks targeting U.S. water systems have been reported in at least a dozen states and more than 100 municipalities, with officials suspecting some may be linked to Iran-backed hackers. How can AI help us predict and protect against these threats?

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 26/08/2026

“I was really curious how communities [in Chennai] are organizing to address the fact that climate change is increasingly threatening urban communities and their food security,” said recent @sesp-nu.bsky.social graduate Anusha Kumar.

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 25/08/2026

With nonprofits in Thailand, Vietnam, Morocco, Argentina, & Costa Rica, our Elliott Scholars advanced community-driven change & applied lessons from their coursework to make a difference. Northwestern students: Apply to become an Elliott Scholar by Nov. 1. buffett.northwestern.edu/programs/und...

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 25/08/2026

Our 14 Elliott Scholars spent the summer contributing to community-led international development efforts around the world. After taking winter and spring courses on the foundations of international development and how to bring people into policy, they embarked on an internship abroad via GESI.

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 24/08/2026

"I believe that the persistence of global poverty is an unsustainable, unforgivable sin...That's why I study what I do,” shared Buffett Faculty Fellow Christopher Udry, Professor of Economics at @weinbergcollege.bsky.social & co-director of @kelloggschoolnu.bsky.social's Global Poverty Research Lab.

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 21/08/2026

Taught by two Institute staffers, the seminar was a collaboration with @scholarsatrisk.bsky.social, a nonprofit working to protect scholars who are threatened, displaced, or imprisoned for their academic work. Read the UN's call for Abilov and Samadov's release: www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel...

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 21/08/2026

Through our spring-quarter course on defending global academic freedom, undergraduates designed advocacy campaigns for two Azerbaijani scholars and activists currently imprisoned abroad, Igbal Abilov and Bahruz Samadov, who were wrongfully convicted of treason for their academic and advocacy work.

Class in front of the Rock on Northwestern's campus that says "Scholars at Risk"

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 18/08/2026

"COP changed how I think about how research is conducted, how it’s presented, and how people value research differently depending on where it comes from,” shared Javiera Cabezas Parra, a PhD student in Northwestern's Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, on her experience attending COP30.

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 17/08/2026

"[VR] consumer technologies aren't designed with an elderly, rural African woman in mind. But my research [shows] this tech is accessible for them... that opens up a lot of opportunities," said Craig Stevens, who just completed his Anthropology PhD at Northwestern as a Buffett Dissertation Fellow.

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 14/08/2026

#2: An international student from Brazil, Renato helped launch two programs that now provide mentorship for Northwestern University international students on financial aid and a student-led council giving them a voice. Read the full story: buffett.northwestern.edu/news/2026/bu...

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 13/08/2026

3/3: The stories, originally published in the 1930s, speak to this year’s HiT Prize theme of hospitality, in many forms, and of antonyms, from meditations on proper social conduct to the treatment of strangers and of those in need. Learn more: nupress.northwestern.edu/blog/2026/08...

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 13/08/2026

“Track wealth rather than income—in so many cases, [measurements of income inequality] are improving while wealth concentration at the very top is off the scale," said Jeffrey Winters, Director of our Equality Development & Globalization Studies (EDGS) program and @polisciatnu.bsky.social professor.

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 12/08/2026

"What kind of social order do you get when religious institutions become responsible for functions that might otherwise be expected from markets or the state?" asks Jeff Eden, Assoc. Professor of History at Northwestern. He & Buffett staff are in Indonesia at the ISRSF / IFAR Consortium's conference

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 11/08/2026

As social media platforms pull back on content moderation, disinformation is growing more sophisticated. What can we do about it? Experts shared insights at our symposium, including @imranahmed.bsky.social & more. 🎥 buffett.northwestern.edu/events/brave... 🎧 buffett.northwestern.edu/events/past-...

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 09/08/2026

“How the Ukraine war ends could have a profound impact on how leaders interpret the US's acquiescence to foreign ambitions, or lack thereof,” shared Laura Cooper at a Buffett Conversation on global security, deterrence, and modern warfare. Watch the recap: bit.ly/4xqyVJm

Laura Cooper speaking along with moderator Ian Kelly

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 07/08/2026

What began with Jose Aguilar playing clarinet at a birthday party in Salta, Argentina for children battling cancer became a benefit concert for Fundación HOPe. 🎶 Read how our Elliott Scholar made it happen, and tune into the concert tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. CT! buffett.northwestern.edu/news/2026/a-...

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 05/08/2026

"When a people's history is destroyed, a fundamental part of their identity is lost with it," said Buffett Faculty Fellow & filmmaker @brenthuffman.bsky.social. He's following Yemeni women protecting their heritage from war, climate change, & looting. 🎥 or 📖: buffett.northwestern.edu/news/2026/bu...

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 03/08/2026

#1: This fall, @buffett.northwestern.edu will welcome Denise Garcia as the Roberta Buffett Visiting Professor of International Studies at @weinbergcollege.bsky.social. Garcia is a professor of political science at @northeasternu.bsky.social and a founder of its Experiential Robotics Institute.

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 31/07/2026

Vijayendra "Biju" Rao ( @bijurao.bsky.social ), former World Bank economist & Buffett Distinguished Practitioner-Scholar in Residence, shares why he decided to teach our Elliott Scholars the importance of bringing people into policy in our new Buffett Q&A: buffett.northwestern.edu/news/2026/bu...

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 28/07/2026

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Nadia Murad joined @buffett.northwestern.edu's The Peace We Make Symposium for a conversation on surviving the Yazidi genocide and turning pain into purpose — to be "the last girl with a story like mine." Watch the full recording: buffett.northwestern.edu/news/2025/th...

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 24/07/2026

What if you could reach through the glass to pick up a museum artifact using VR? That's where Craig Stevens' Augmented Curiosities exhibition comes in.

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 17/07/2026

How are global climate negotiations important for US cities like Chicago? Join speakers from the Carbon League, @germanwatch.bsky.social, and Industrial Policy Lab Indonesia as they share insights from the June 2026 UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies meetings in Bonn and explore what they mean for Chicago.

From Bonn to Chicago: Local and Global Perspectives on the Just Transition

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 17/07/2026

Congratulations to the Roberta Buffett Institute's director Deborah A. Cohen, Richard W. Leopold Professor of History at Northwestern University, on her election to @britishacademy.bsky.social, a recognition of her outstanding contributions to her field: www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/news/92-new-...

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 16/07/2026

“[In Sudan], Children are being caught in a relentless cycle of violence, displacement and deprivation,” says Sheldon Yett, @unicef.org Representative to Sudan, in an @ipsnews.net article. Read the article: www.ipsnews.net/2026/07/un-r...

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 15/07/2026

How does cooperation unfold during global climate negotiations? @polisciatnu.bsky.social PhD student Kevin Wagner shares insights from COP30 in Brazil, where he conducted research with Buffett Institute support. Read the Q&A: buffett.northwestern.edu/news/2026/co...

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 14/07/2026

At The Peace We Make symposium, students created the conversation. Hosted by @buffett.northwestern.edu and led by its Youth & Peacebuilding Working Group, the event brought together activists, politicians, NGO leaders, & negotiators to explore how young people are shaping the future of peace.

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 13/07/2026

Buffett Dissertation Fellow Craig Stevens brings VR into anthropology, using immersive technology to help communities connect with their cultural heritage and interpret artifacts. Watch the 15-minute documentary: buffett.northwestern.edu/news/2026/bu...

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 01/07/2026

Before being dismissed for being part of the academic resistance movement, he documented and shared the daily silent protests of Boğaziçi University employees speaking out against the university's government-appointed rector.

Candan with his phone and microphone set up for recording

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 01/07/2026

This fall, the Roberta Buffett Institute will welcome @cncndn.bsky.social as a 2026–27 Buffett Distinguished Artist in Residence. Since 2021, he has been dismissed from Boğaziçi University three times after nearly 20 years of teaching documentary and film production.

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 01/07/2026

"Can Candan is an outspoken critic of the restrictions on academic freedom, democratic rights, and human rights violations in Turkey, both as an academic and through his documentary films," a recent article in Khrono, a Norwegian newspaper for higher education and research, states.

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 26/06/2026

Congratulations to Gayle Woloschak, Buffett faculty affiliate & @feinberg.northwestern.edu professor, for her appointment to Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF)'s Scientific Advisory Committee! RERF studies radiation health effects in the atomic bomb survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 25/06/2026

Last year, Trihadmojo traveled to the 30th Conference of Parties (COP30) as a Northwestern delegate supported by @buffett.northwestern.edu. After COP30, he attended SB64 to further engage with international climate governance. Learn more: buffett.northwestern.edu/news/2026/fr...

People sitting and standing around a table

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Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 25/06/2026

"Progress here is rarely a single victory. It is the steady refusal to let cooperation break," reflected Northwestern University PhD student Bambang Trihadmojo after attending SB64, the 64th sessions of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) subsidiary bodies.

United Nations Climate Change Conference sign in room

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