On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron vowed to rebuild the Cathedral of Notre Dame within five years, in time for the 2024 Paris Olympics. While some experts have raised doubts that timeline is feasible, Barry Strauss, professor of history at Cornell University’s College of Arts and Sciences, says that Macron’s approach mirrors that of Roman emperors who, since ancient times, have been conscious of the symbolic – and political – power of holy sites.   

International

Arts and Sciences

Arts & Humanities

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Tom Pepinsky, professor of government at Cornell University and an expert in South East Asian politics, says the 2019 Indonesian election is an important opportunity for citizens of the fourth most populous democracy to exercise political power.  

International

Law and Policy

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Earlier this week, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared a state of emergency in major cities across the country in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19. Kristin Roebuck, assistant professor in the department of history at Cornell University, studies modern Japan with a focus on the history of medicine and law, race and sexuality and Japanese international relations. She points to Japan’s abysmal domestic violence record and says that those Japanese who feel least safe at home face heightened threats and dwindling protections in the era of COVID-19.

International

Arts and Sciences

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On Thursday, teachers in Chicago went on a strike after their union (CTU) rejected a deal from the Chicago Public Schools (CPS). Lee Adler, an expert on education and collective bargaining at Cornell University’s ILR School, says that to the union’s decision not to take the city’s offer stems from a desire to fix more than just teachers’ salaries.   

Industrial and Labor Relations

Labor Relations & Human Resources

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Allen Carlson, associate professor of government at Cornell University and an expert on Chinese politics, says the shadow of SARS is haunting China as it wrestles to bring under control yet another infectious disease outbreak within its borders.

International

Arts and Sciences

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Protests are spreading in India, where farmers are rallying against new agricultural laws that they say will undermine their livelihood and benefit big corporations.  Sarah Besky, associate professor in the ILR School at Cornell University, studies labor relations with an emphasis on farming and the tea industry in India. She is available for interviews about the economic dynamics underlying the current protests.

Law and Policy

International

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Tom Pepinsky says that Prime Minister Mahathir’s resignation has created an unclear future for Malaysia, in which a new multiethnic regime or Malay-first coalition could gain power.

International

Law and Policy

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Alexandra Blackman, assistant professor of government at Cornell University, comments on the Middle East deal signing Trump will be presiding on Tuesday. 

International

Law and Policy

Arts and Sciences

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Art Wheaton, auto industry expert and director of the Western NY Labor and Environmental Programs at the Worker Institute, says BMW’s absence from the auto show in New York City is indicative of a major shift in the industry.

Economics and Business

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Election results are slowly rolling in in Thailand, accompanied by growing complaints of irregularities. According to the votes counted so far, the pro-military party is set to retain power. Thomas Pepinsky, professor of government at Cornell University and an expert in South East Asian politics, says preliminary results suggest the outcome is unlikely to bring stability to the country’s politics.

International

Arts and Sciences

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