Session 1: Our Digital World: Media and Misinformation

FEBRUARY 25. (Watch the recording on ISA's YouTube Channel!) Part of the Thinking Globally in 2025 Series. As the boundary between new technologies and social platforms becomes increasingly blurred, how are the ways that we communicate and share information introducing novel political and personal opportunities? How does the evolving media and communication landscape usher in new routes and challenges for navigating global relations in 2025? Consider, for example, the recent controversy surrounding the TikTok ban and the subsequent user migration to RedNote. As these processes continue to unfold, we will discuss insights and resources offered by distinct fields of academic expertise ranging from Journalism, Media and Communication, to Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and more. Join experts from the International Studies Association and the University of Connecticut in our first of three public virtual panel discussions on Thinking Globally in 2025. 

Session 2. Our World: Public Health

MARCH 25. (Watch the recording on ISA's YouTube Channel!) The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated how effectively addressing public health challenges demands global sharing of knowledge, treatments, and solutions. At the same time, the emergence of nationalist self-isolating states will likely hinder such jointly-enacted public health approaches, further complicating the public health landscape. How will the emergent political climate affect accessible distribution of preventative care, dissemination of health information, and abilities to address future global health crises in well-coordinated ways? We will discuss insights and resources offered by distinct fields of academic expertise including Medicine, Pathobiology, Sociology, and more. Join experts from the International Studies Association and the University of Connecticut in our second of three public virtual panel discussions on Thinking Globally in 2025.

Session 3: Our Ecological World: Oceans & Waterways

APRIL 22. (Watch the recording on ISA's YouTube Channel!) Historically, oceans and waterways have both connected and divided human interaction. This pattern continues in the contemporary ways that oceans and waterways structure global relations. Consider current debates over the ownership of the Panama Canal or how the cutting of undersea cables is wreaking havoc on both international transmission of information and global supply chains. Ocean levels are also rising and warming, threatening ocean life and nearby human communities. Join experts from the International Studies Association and the University of Connecticut in our third public virtual panel discussion on Thinking Globally in 2025 to discuss insights and resources into these simultaneous processes offered by distinct fields of academic expertise including Environmental Studies, History, Law, Political Science, and Spanish.