When Foreign Aid Fuels Repression: Migration, Borders, and Autocrats

Over the course of 20 years, countries in the Global North spent more than $70 billion to control migration in the Global South—funding that, in some cases, fueled repression. SIS professor Nick Micinski and Rice University professor Kelsey Norman join Big World to discuss “migration management aid,” a form of aid the U.S. used in 2025 to deport Venezuelans to El Salvador. They explore the history of this form of aid and explain how it has ended up funding autocracy and repression in some parts of the Global South.Topics covered:The history of migration management aidThe goals of migration management aid and its pitfallsRecent examples of how the United State and the European Union used migration management aidHow migration management aid can end up funding repressionWhere migration management aid is used the mostWhat solutions exist-----Big World is an international affairs podcast produced by the School of International Service at American University in Washington, DC.Episode CreditsHost: Madi MingesProducer: Morgan DesfossesArt: Amy ZawadaConnect with us:📲 Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn✉️ Subscribe to our newsletter🔗 Check out our websiteRead more about Nick and Kelsey’s expertise in Aiding Autocrats: Migration Management, Governance, and Repression in Africa.

This September marks 25 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks that killed thousands of Americans and launched the United States into the 20-year War on Terror. SIS professor and foreign policy expert Greg Aftandilian joins Big World to reflect on how 9/11 changed the U.S.’s approach to foreign policy and assess what America has learned from the War on Terror.Topics Covered: The legacy of 9/11 on U.S. foreign policySuccesses and failures from the War on TerrorThe impact of increased Islamophobia and xenophobia post-9/11How terrorism and extremism changed after 9/11What the U.S. learned from the War on Terror-----Big World is an international affairs podcast produced by the School of International Service at American University in Washington, DC.Episode CreditsHost: Madi MingesProducer: Morgan DesfossesArt: Amy ZawadaConnect with us:📲 Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn✉️ Subscribe to our newsletter🔗 Check out our website

What does a career as a conflict resolution professional look like? School of International Service professor Anthony Wanis-St. John joins Big World to reflect on his career journey as a conflict resolution professional, break down what makes ceasefire agreements succeed or fail, and provide insight on how students can build careers in peacebuilding through mediation, diplomacy, and conflict resolution skills.Topics covered:Wanis-St. John’s non-linear career path as a peace and conflict resolution professional and the most challenging part of his work The main steps of negotiating a ceasefire, especially in regions with decades of conflict Why recent peace talks between the U.S. and Iran as well as Israel and Lebanon appear fragile The telltale signs of a strong negotiation versus a more tenuous negotiation The jobs and pathways available for people seeking careers in conflict resolutionWanis-St. John’s biggest piece of advice for aspiring conflict resolution professionalsBig World is an international affairs podcast produced by the School of International Service at American University in Washington, DC.

When the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, the founders envisioned that the United States would become a powerful country committed to liberty and democracy. As America marks its 250th anniversary, what would the founders think of the U.S.’s role on the world stage today? SIS professor and author of Bipartisanship and US Foreign Policy Jordan Tama joins Big World to analyze key moments in the 250-year arc of U.S. foreign policy and examine what is genuinely unprecedented about this present moment.What role in the world did the founders envision for America 250 years ago and what would they think today?How is domestic political polarization impacting the U.S.’s standing on the world stage?Does bipartisanship on U.S. foreign policy still exist?How has the balance of power between Congress and the President shifted over time?What are the impacts of this administration’s retreat from soft power, including the shuttering of USAID and withdrawal from international organizations?Learn more about Jordan Tama’s expertise in his book, Bipartisanship and US Foreign Policy-----Big World is an international affairs podcast produced by the School of International Service at American University in Washington, DC.Episode CreditsHost: Madi MingesProducer: Morgan DesfossesArt: Amy ZawadaConnect with us:📲 Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn✉️ Subscribe to our newsletter🔗 Check out our website

In this episode of Big World, SIS alumnus and tech accountability advocate Zamaan Qureshi joins us to discuss the impact of AI and social media on teen mental health, the push for stronger regulation, and how U.S. tech policy compares to other countries.Qureshi shares what drew him into tech advocacy (2:47) and how he came to co-found Design It For Us—a youth-led grassroots coalition pushing for safer online spaces (4:35). He breaks down the specific harms young people are experiencing from social media and explains how platform design features like infinite scroll, like counts, and beauty filters feed into this and are deliberately built to maximize time spent on these products (8:11).What does taking on Big Tech look like in practice (11:12)? What can the United States learn from international approaches like the UK's Age Appropriate Design Code or Australia's social media ban for users under 16 (15:08)? What risks does the rapid mainstreaming of AI chatbots like ChatGPT pose to young people (22:53)? And what does the recent landmark jury verdict against Meta and YouTube mean for the future of the tech accountability movement (27:20)? Qureshi answers these questions, and more.--Big World is a production of the School of International Service at American University.-----Big World is an international affairs podcast produced by the School of International Service at American University in Washington, DC.Episode CreditsHost: Madi MingesProducer: Morgan DesfossesArt: Amy ZawadaConnect with us:📲 Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn✉️ Subscribe to our newsletter🔗 Check out our website

In this new episode of Big World, SIS professor emeritus Philip Brenner joins us to discuss the politics behind the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and how it connects to the growing crisis in Cuba.Brenner kicks off our episode by contextualizing the close alliance between Venezuela and Cuba (1:54) and the history of U.S. relations with both nations (4:31). Brenner also explains what was happening in the months leading up to the United States’ capture of Maduro and why the Trump administration was pressuring Venezuela to cut off oil to Cuba (9:23).Does the capture of Maduro fall within the bounds of international law? (11:02) How has the ongoing oil embargo fueled a humanitarian crisis in Cuba? (12:43) Brenner answers these questions and considers the Trump administration’s current approach to U.S.-Cuba relations (16:47) and where Cuba’s political future stands (19:54).--Big World is a production of the School of International Service at American University. This episode was produced by Madison Minges with assistance from Morgan Desfosses.

In this episode, School of International Service's Judy Gearhart joins Big World to discuss international labor organizing and the fight for workers' rights within the global supply chain.Gearhart, a research professor at the Accountability Research Center and host of The Labor Link Podcast, begins the conversation by describing challenges and abuse that workers currently face in the global supply chain, highlighting forced labor in the seafood industry as a case study (3:24). What makes migrant workers particularly vulnerable (6:54)? How has global supply chain governance evolved, and what impact did the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights have on corporate responsibility (8:56)? Gearhart explores these questions while addressing the staggering $236 billion in annual profits illegally generated through forced labor (13:27). She also shares powerful stories of resilience from organizers in Thailand and Bangladesh (14:59) and explains how transnational solidarity networks connect local worker movements to international reform campaigns (18:54).To conclude, Gearhart discusses the impact of US funding cuts to USAID and international labor programs and emphasizes the necessity of supporting collective worker agency to address the root causes of abuse (23:20).Episode CreditsHost: Madi MingesProducer: Morgan DesfossesArt: Amy ZawadaSocial MediaInstagramLinkedInFacebookBlueskyX/Twitter

In this new episode, SIS visiting scholar in residence Laura Field joins Big World to discuss the intellectual backbone of the New Right.Field is a writer, political theorist, and the author of the recently published book Furious Minds: The Making of the MAGA New Right. In this episode, Field explains why she wrote this book (2:15) and what surprised her most in her research (3:30). Field also explains why Donald Trump was not the New Right’s first choice for the 2024 Republican nominee (6:38), discusses the differing factions that make up the New Right (10:20), and shares why she decided to focus her book on the intellectuals behind New Right ideology (19:04).Is there a gender divide on the New Right? (22:44) How much influence do the intellectuals in the New Right have on Trump’s voter base? (26:16). Field answers these questions and considers where the New Right movement goes from here (28:59). The episode concludes with Field sharing what she hopes readers will take from her book (31:36).

In this new episode, School of International Service professor and former US Ambassador to Mongolia Piper Campbell joins Big World to share reflections on her 30-year career in diplomacy and provide practical advice for aspiring foreign service officers.Campbell, the chair of the Department of Foreign Policy & Global Security, begins our conversation by explaining why she chose to pursue a career in diplomacy (2:01) and discusses the multiple stages of her career (3:49). Campbell also describes the various pathways available within the State Department to engage in diplomacy (8:11) and shares advice for how future diplomats can prepare for the variety of situations they are likely to encounter in their career (10:24).What are the different “cones” within the State Department, and what do they mean for a diplomat’s career path (14:53)? Why does it remain important for students to continue studying diplomacy amid recent changes in the federal hiring landscape (19:42)? Campbell answers these questions and shares her biggest piece of advice for aspiring foreign service officers (26:17).Career Resources Mentioned in this Episode:https://careers.state.gov/https://www.usajobs.gov/

In this episode, School of International Service (SIS) professor Yerevan Saeed joins Big World to talk about Kurdish history, geopolitics, culture, and more.Saeed, the director of the Global Kurdish Initiative for Peace and Barzani Scholar-in-Residence in the Department of Politics, Governance, and Economics (PGE), begins the conversation by talking about the history of the Ottoman Empire and the struggles of the Kurdish people to gain statehood (1:41). He then discusses the importance of statehood recognition and what gaining that would mean for the Kurds (6:27).How do a stateless people conduct diplomacy with surrounding nations and the United States? (11:39). Saeed considers this question and emphasizes the severity and longevity of the Kurdish struggle in the Middle East (18:28). Despite facing centuries of marginalization, Saeed explains how the Kurds have kept their culture and traditions alive and have remained resilient throughout time (22:53). To conclude our episode, Saeed talks about SIS’s Global Kurdish Initiative for Peace and how folks can follow their work online and on social media (25:25).