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Welcome Students! September 16, 2015

Welcome Students!

Hello and welcome back to this year's new and returning Woos!

WWS Reacts: Hungary Declares a State of Migration Emergency September 15, 2015

WWS Reacts: Hungary Declares a State of Migration Emergency

A law passed by the Hungarian parliament last week gave the government the right to declare a state of migration emergency to cope with the tens of thousands of refugees crossing the border. The law, which took effect today, Sept. 15, could have irreparable effects on Hungary and the European Union, according to Kim Lane Scheppele, Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Sociology and International Affairs at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and the University Center for Human Values. We discussed the new law with Scheppele, whose work focuses on the intersection of constitutional and international law,…

Inequality Grows as Economies Develop, Regardless of Technology September 14, 2015

Inequality Grows as Economies Develop, Regardless of Technology

While technological progress favoring skilled workers is one of the main drivers behind inequality in America, the chasm between the rich and poor also grows naturally as an economy develops, according to a study led by Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.When economies grow and individuals become richer, demands for high-skilled workers increase. This is because consumers shift their spending toward sectors that use high-skill workers more intensively, like education and healthcare.A paper published in the National Bureau of Economic Research shows that these demands account for about 30 percent of the…

Princeton's Online Portal to Global Health September 08, 2015

Princeton's Online Portal to Global Health

After a visit to Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Editor-in-Chief of The Lancet Richard Horton wrote that in Princeton, he found "a university not at all relaxed about its present or its future," but rather "an institution anxious to make an impact."With its latest addition — a new, fully revamped online portal connecting all things global health — Princeton is showing just how much it aims to be, as Horton says, "a leading voice in global health affairs."The Global Health Program website, developed by Kristina Graff, director of global health programs and associate director at Princeton's Center for…

How to Curb Emissions? Put a Price on Carbon September 03, 2015

How to Curb Emissions? Put a Price on Carbon

Literally putting a price on carbon pollution and other greenhouse gasses is the best approach for nurturing the rapid growth of renewable energy and reducing emissions.While prospects for a comprehensive carbon price are dim, especially in the U.S., many other policy approaches can spur the renewables revolution, according to a new policy article published in Nature.The current price of carbon – which is below zero, once fossil-fuel subsidies are taken into account – is far too low given the hidden environmental, health and societal costs of burning coal and oil.The authors – which include Princeton University's Michael Oppenheimer, Albert G. Milbank…

Political Challenges, Not Just Scientific Ones, Shape Response to Epidemics August 28, 2015

Political Challenges, Not Just Scientific Ones, Shape Response to Epidemics

The fight against epidemics like Ebola is waged by health care workers on the ground and by researchers in the lab. But it is also fought by public officials and politicians, from community elders to national leaders to the heads of international organizations.Understanding the role of government and politics before, during and after health emergencies is one step toward improving preparedness, response efforts, and saving lives, according to Princeton University researchers who will discuss "The Politics of Plagues" at the Princeton-Fung Global Forum. The forum, an annual international conference sponsored by the University, will address "Modern…

WWS Reacts: Why Is Hungary Building a Fence on the Serbian Border? August 21, 2015

WWS Reacts: Why Is Hungary Building a Fence on the Serbian Border?

A border fence intended to halt migrants from traveling to Hungary through Serbia will be finished by the end of August. The border, located in Southern Hungary, has become a popular crossing point for thousands of migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa hoping to flee from the poverty and war in their home countries. A host of legal implications are wrapped up in these migration patterns and the building of this fence. We discussed these issues with Kim Lane Scheppele, Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Sociology and International Affairs at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and the University…

Cellphone Data Can Track Infectious Diseases August 20, 2015

Cellphone Data Can Track Infectious Diseases

Tracking mobile phone data is often associated with privacy issues, but these vast datasets could be the key to understanding how infectious diseases are spread seasonally, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.Princeton University and Harvard University researchers used anonymous mobile phone records for more than 15 million people to track the spread of rubella in Kenya and were able to quantitatively show for the first time that mobile phone data can predict seasonal disease patterns.Harnessing cellphone data in this way could help policymakers guide and evaluate health interventions like the timing…

Class Snapshot: “Preschool, Primary and Secondary Education in South Africa” August 05, 2015

Class Snapshot: “Preschool, Primary and Secondary Education in South Africa”

Class: “Preschool, Primary and Secondary Education in South Africa”Location: Cape Town, South AfricaDescription: This undergraduate task force focused on issues in the South African education system, from early childhood education to secondary school and vocational training. Education is an integral factor in overcoming the country’s poverty issues and ensuring its economic future. Students examined challenges within each sector of the system, such as its potential for growth when students face the challenge of being taught in any one of 11 languages. Students concluded the course with a report offering recommendations that could help the South…

Twitter Chat Focuses on Reporting a Global Health Crisis August 05, 2015

Twitter Chat Focuses on Reporting a Global Health Crisis

Pam Belluck, an alumna of Princeton University and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for The New York Times, participated in a live Twitter chat on Wednesday, July 29, to discuss her real-time coverage of the Ebola crisis.Belluck, a Ferris Professor of Journalism at Princeton, discussed the media's role in a health crisis. She answered questions from both the Princeton community and the public.Belluck is a moderator at the upcoming Princeton-Fung Global Forum on "Modern Plagues: Lessons Learned from the Ebola Crisis." Register for the conference here. View a transcript of the chat below.[View the story "As it Happens: Reporting a Global Health Crisis"…

Policymakers of Tomorrow August 05, 2015

Policymakers of Tomorrow

In mid-June, 29 rising college seniors cut their summer breaks short and set up shop at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. The undergraduates in this year’s Junior Summer Institute (JSI) class hailed from 24 U.S. colleges and universities, representing 16 states and 14 majors. The seven-week program prepares students for graduate study and careers in public policy and international affairs. Students are admitted to JSI based on a demonstrated commitment to public service and multicultural social issues. “This year’s JSI students are exceptionally motivated to bring about change and serve others in the…

Global Vaccine-Development Fund Could Save Thousands of Lives, Billions of Dollars August 03, 2015

Global Vaccine-Development Fund Could Save Thousands of Lives, Billions of Dollars

Ebola is a preventable disease, and yet a safe and effective vaccine has not been deployed. As with many vaccines, financial barriers persist: pharmaceutical companies see high costs with limited market potential, and government support is lacking.But there may be a solution to this vaccine crisis with the ability to save at-risk populations, according to a perspective piece written by physicians based at Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania and the Wellcome Trust.The article, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, proposes the creation of a $2 billion global vaccine-development fund – supported by governments, foundations and…

WWS Reacts: What Does the New Ebola Vaccine Mean for Global Health? August 03, 2015

WWS Reacts: What Does the New Ebola Vaccine Mean for Global Health?

A new Ebola vaccine has shown to be 100 percent effective in phase three trials, according to an article in The Lancet. Developed by the Public Health Agency of Canada, the vaccine has been administered to nearly 8,000 people in Guinea since March 2015. The vaccine has been licensed to Merck and NewLink Genetics, and a supply will likely be produced within a couple of weeks. We discussed the vaccine, its development and what it means for global health with Princeton University's Adel Mahmoud, lecturer with the rank of professor in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and retired president of Merck Vaccines. Mahmoud is a…

Medicare and Medicaid Myths: Setting the 50-Year Record Straight July 29, 2015

Medicare and Medicaid Myths: Setting the 50-Year Record Straight

Over the past half-century, Medicare and Medicaid have become bedrocks of the U.S. health care system, together providing insurance coverage for more than 100 million people. Yet, these programs remain controversial, a battleground between those opponents who perceive them to be costly, "big government" programs and supporters who see them as essential to the nation's commitment to safeguard the most vulnerable among us. Not surprisingly, many myths have emerged in the highly politicized debate about these policies. The 50th anniversary of both programs on July 30 offers a chance to set some of the record straight.Myth 1: Medicaid originated as a…

WWS Reacts: Iran Nuclear Deal July 16, 2015

WWS Reacts: Iran Nuclear Deal

On July 14, 2015, an agreement was signed by Iran and the P5+1, the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, China, France, Russia, the U.S. and the U.K., plus Germany. The final Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was reached after 20 months of negotiating the limiting of Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. The announcement was both praised and denounced by officials in the U.S. and across the globe, including U.S. allies in the Middle East. We discussed the agreement and its political and historical significance with two scholars at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs:…