Dear readers,
Every year, we reflect on how much has taken place in the world since the publication of our last edition. This year is no different. Many of the previous months’ headlines have been deeply sobering: the attacks of October 7, genocide in Gaza, climate-fueled natural disasters, rising inflation, and conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Nagorno-Karabakh, Syria, Ukraine, Yemen, and beyond.
Amid such turbulent times, we hope that rigorous research and sharp policy prose can provide valuable perspectives on the roles of government and other actors in addressing injustice and driving change. This is the mission of the Journal of Public and International Affairs (JPIA).
JPIA’s 35th edition features 9 incisive and insightful articles that cover a wide range of domestic and international policy topics. Authors explore issues such as Russia’s influence in Africa, Guamanian political advocacy, the effects of European pesticide regulation on developing countries, and the ethics of organ donations. These articles contribute to the scholarship through theoretical analysis, field research, and quantitative methods.
JPIA’s capstone event is our Reading Weekend—the deliberative process in which editors from around the world get together to discuss, debate, and select the journal’s articles. This year, we welcomed 37 editors from 17 graduate programs. These master's and doctoral students came from across the United States and the world, including programs in France, Singapore, Spain, and Switzerland. Together, we reviewed over 100 submissions. It was a joy to work with so many dedicated policy students, each of whom brought a distinct set of skills and perspectives to the table.
Finally, we would like to thank everyone who made this journal possible. This includes our 10 authors, 37 editors, Tâm Lê Rovitto and Laura Kijewski from the SPIA Student Life team, and most of all, our fantastic JPIA board. It has been a pleasure and privilege to work with such a brilliant and thoughtful group of people: Anna, Ariel, Diana, Jenn, Michelle, and Paco. We’re so excited to see how the journal looks next year!
To our readers, enjoy!
Justin Schuster & Maya Woser, Editors-in-Chief
Omar Elhaj, Managing Editor