State & Hill

Susan D. Page and Kamissa Camara in discussion An alarming number of countries in Africa have been experiencing coups over the past few years—a total of nine coups in three years—in Sudan, Burkina Faso (twice), Chad, Guinea, Mali (twice), and more...

Expert on inequality and political violence now directs the Ford School’s International Policy Center As an undergraduate, associate professor Megan Stewart took a class on Middle East politics and became interested in how a political movement,...

To address our most pressing global challenges, we need professionals with the knowledge and skills to analyze complex problems, build policy coalitions, and advocate effectively" John Ciorciari The Ford School's two internationally-focused...

Lessons in restorative justice By Miriam Wasserman In spring 2019, Aprisal Malale (MPP '20) found himself at the side of an unmarked grave in Guatemala.  Malale, along with Towsley Policymaker in Residence Hardy Vieux (MPP/JD '97), and three...

"One positive international experience can flip a switch, change a student's academic and professional trajectory. You never know what that experience might be," says Dan Ellis, assistant director of the International Policy Center (IPC). He and...

“(Putin) has already violated every international treaty, including the U.N. charter, by invading. This has international implications, not just European implications. Now, the question of what we do and how we do it, with regards to sanctions or...

By Rebecca Cohen (MPP '09) Thousands of Afghans holding pro-democracy values—some with ties to the U-M community—were left behind in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. In August, Taliban forces rapidly took control and formed a new...

By Rebecca Cohen (MPP ‘09) In 20 years of global experiences, roughly 600 Ford School students have traveled to 18 countries, not including internships or study abroad. The lessons they bring back with them have helped shape careers of...

“Everything we did was informative and educational. I felt privileged to meet with the people [we did.] I also appreciated the time allotted for debrief and discussion (much of this was on the bus), [and] firsthand experiences of policy project...

Robert Axelrod on "the blame game" for responding to cyber attacks In a world where cyber attacks are both increasingly common and increasingly dangerous, deciding whether and how to respond to one is an estimable challenge for policymakers. Blame...

In the first days of Donald J. Trump's presidency, journalists from across the world called Marina Whitman. They wanted to discuss the implications of Trump's meetings with auto executives. They wanted to understand how Trump's proposed tariff on...

Ford School faculty members often engage in collective problem-solving--with other scholars, of course, but also with policymakers and practitioners all around the world. The goal of these collaborations? Finding better solutions, and mutually...

Take a moment to let this sink in. In 2016, the UN Refugee Agency reported 65.3 million forcibly displaced people around the world, including 21.3 million refugees. That's the highest rate of forcible displacement since the agency began tracking...

John Ciorciari's office is neat as a pin, but a towering stack of books looms by his keyboard. Ciorciari has just earned tenure. He's just been appointed director of the Ford School's International Policy Center. He's just returned from a week-long...

This April, Bob Axelrod was invited to attend a closed-door workshop at Oxford University's Centre for the Resolution of Intractable Conflict. The focus: The 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. One year ago, the U.S. and other powerful nations forged an...

Chiang Mai wasn't Annie Maxwell's (MPP '02) first introduction to the EpiHack. As president of the Skoll Global Threats Fund, which pioneered the "epidemiology hackathon" in 2013, Maxwell had heard a good deal about them. They were multi-day events...

Eight years ago, development economist Dean Yang spent a week in Malawi visiting microfinance institutions, the banks and credit unions that provide financial services to some of the world's most vulnerable citizens. Yang, who works to combat...

By Miriam Wasserman International economic development students with U.S. Ambassador to Brazil Liliana Ayalde (center front, holding U-M flag) For the students of PubPol 674, the Ford School’s international economic development course, a spring...

Two new books from Ford School faculty members John D. Ciorciari and Joy Rohde deepen our understanding of international criminal justice systems and the role social scientists have played, for better or for worse, in American national...

International development interns put ideas to work One block down Hill Street, just west of State, is Ali Baba's, a small Middle Eastern restaurant with habit-forming grape leaves and baklava. Any day of the week, you're sure to find a table, or...

Japan has known earthquakes—the Great Kanto quake of 1923, the Great Hanshin quake of 1995, the Fukui quake of 1948, and hundreds of others—but Japan had never known an earthquake like the 9.0 Tohoku quake that struck just off the northeast coast...

Understanding labor patterns in rural Malawi Jessica Goldberg understands the precepts of labor economics well enough to know when something doesn't seem right. "I see things all the time in Malawi where I observe someone's behavior and I think,...

In 2000, it was Costa Rica. In 2005: Ethiopia. This spring: the Philippines. Each of these developing countries has been the focus of the International Economic Development Program (IEDP), a three-credit Ford School course that allows University of...