Go Exploring

The World In Focus is an Internatnotes mini-series featuring concise briefings on the most current policy updates presented on a regional scale. The EU Artificial Intelligence Act (2024) In a past article, our team had reviewed the impacts of Singaporean and East Asian developments for AI, but it is crucial to recognize the developments in regulating similar algorithmic technology 6,000 miles away from the South China Sea. Before the introduction of the EU AI Act on May 21st

Introduction In centuries past, little concern was paid to the landmass that encompasses Svalbard. The Arctic archipelago, centered roughly 800 miles or 1,280 kilometers above the Arctic Circle, houses a permanent population of less than three thousand civilians. Yet in a period where major geopolitical presences dictate the security postures of nations worldwide, its isles serve as an omission far beyond the southern latitudes, born as a manifestation of a precarious history

The 1970s marked a transformative period across the European continent. However, particular events of interest to economists were the global oil crises in 1979 and 1973. Following the outcomes of the respective Yom Kippur War and Iranian Revolution, commodity prices increased exponentially, and according to the U.S. Federal Reserve history, the rates were over four hundred percent globally. Crucially, these outcomes revealed that industry across Europe, similar to other regi

When examining the intricacies of global order, some may envision its characteristics in the form of orchestrated harmony. During a given year, thousands of orchestras—consisting of the most talented virtuosos worldwide—come together to align their individual strengths and skills, and further contribute to a sweet-sounding melody.

What do Nordic history, community choirs, and elves have in common? They are all topics covered in Michael Booth’s The Almost Nearly Perfect People, a novel exploring the domestic characteristics of Nordic countries. In his most popular novel, Booth aims to prove that the Scandinavian nations, often viewed by foreigners as epitomes of societal harmony and collaboration, have their own diverse histories, issues, and phenomena that many may be unaware of. Delving into the Danis

A Continuation of My Postwar Saga As I seek to remain committed to my Postwar reading goals, I was able to complete yet another section of the comprehensive but nonetheless tempting novel. Initially, I found myself a bit confused in regard to the main premise of the following chapters—chapter 22—but soon concluded that the premise, regarding themes of the varying relationships amongst decentralization, nationalism, and supranational organization, was explained from a variety

My Ambivalent History with History As I continued heading through my summer reading series, I could not deny reading solely about what had drawn me to the field of international relations in the first place: European history. As I’ve grown up—constantly hyper-fixating on a variety of topics around me—one of my many interests resides in Ruta Septy’s novels, and although I wasn't initially intrigued by the intricacies of global wars and political tensions, I soon found myself t

Amidst the chaos of finals week, I felt the liberating presence of another summer approaching, and I developed a keen desire to try something different. For context, I had spent my past summer quite slothfully, following what I’d believed to be another endlessly long year of high school. Therefore, once I finally completed my first year of high school, my frequent behavior included reading endless bundles of historical fiction novels, but as the weeks into June and July rapi