Ralph Bunche Institute

Ibn Khaldun, the late 14th century statesman and historian, is regarded as one of the earliest social scientists on the strength of his classic, The

How has the human rights movement developed into the international force that it is today? What ideological and material factors shaped its development? How successful

Are we in the golden age of conspiracy theories? How can society respond to dangerous theories, such as COVID conspiracy theories and misinformation, that create

What is behind the current standoff over refugees trying to enter Poland from Belarus? Why is the EU supporting Poland’s position? Have asylum seekers become

Why would warring parties turn to the UN, even when they don’t have an interest in guaranteeing peace? Have rebel groups learned to manipulate the

What conditions led to the recent coup in Sudan? Has the international community’s response had a significant impact on the Sudanese regime? Will changing international

Is legally avoiding taxes a smart thing to do, or is it dodging one’s social responsibility? Does tax avoidance treat the law as a mere formality to circumvent, a tool to manipulate, or a shield of justification? How can we reform tax codes to prevent tax evasion while ensuring that those legal tools are still usable for legitimate purposes?
Katharina Pistor, Edwin B. Parker Professor of Comparative Law at Columbia Law School, talks to RBI director John Torpey about the Pandora Papers, what they reveal about international tax evasion, and how much tax reform we can expect in the foreseeable future.

Have efforts to make war ‘humane’ made it easier for the United States to undertake military action?  How do those efforts balance with efforts that

In the recent Czech elections, a broad coalition edged out the populist ANO (YES) party and changed the political landscape. Meanwhile, the ailing Czech President