In recent years, American universities have been setting up branches and full degree-granting campuses in China at a time when Chinese leaders are cracking down on so-called “Western values.” This has raised questions back in the States — including in the U.S. Congress — as to whether academic freedom is being compromised. In this episode, we look at the case of NYU Shanghai and what challenges American educational institutions face in China's current political environment.

When Donald Trump was elected to become the 45th president of the United States in November, it sent shockwaves across the world, particularly in Asia. Throughout his campaign, he made pledges that, if acted upon, could fundamentally alter the U.S. position in the region... and even the broader international order. In this episode, we look at the geopolitical hotspots in Asia including China, North Korea, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, India, and the Philippines, and how President Trump might address them.

In spite of ever-stricter sanctions on North Korea, the impoverished and isolated country continues to produce more sophisticated weapons. Many experts fear North Korea is approaching its ultimate goal of a nuclear ballistic missile arsenal capable of hitting targets around the world. In this episode, analysts describe how the “Hermit Kingdom” is managing to develop these weapons, and what, if anything, can be done to counter them.

For five decades, Myanmar (also known as Burma) languished under a hardline military junta, with most people living in poverty and any hint of dissent quickly stomped out. But in 2008, a new constitution set in motion a profound set of changes. Then this November, it culminated with something that's long seemed impossible: free and peaceful elections that allowed long-time political prisoner Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition party to take power. In this fourth episode of the Asia Society Podcast, we trace Myanmar's "bumpy zig-zag road" to reform and explore what lies ahead for the nascent democracy.

In the aftermath of the Arab Spring, several Middle Eastern countries have descended into violence as terror groups like the Islamic State have gained power. As they’ve seized territory in Syria, Iraq, and elsewhere, these organizations have systematically destroyed millennia-old archeological sites and trafficked priceless artifacts, creating a self-perpetuating cycle that provides funding for arms and erodes the region's shared identity. This process — which some experts have deemed "cultural cleansing" — has augmented the tragedy of the human lives lost to the conflict. In this episode, we explore what’s happening and what the world can do to stop it.

In July, after years of negotiations, Iran signed a historic deal with the United States and five other world powers to limit its nuclear capability in exchange for sanctions relief, triggering controversy throughout the world. But regardless of its international perception, the deal signals a major shift in Iran's domestic politics. In this episode, experts on the country discuss the political conflict playing out over Iran's future between aging hardline revolutionaries and a moderate younger generation more inclined to opening up to the world.

When Xi Jinping became China's top leader in 2012, few had any inkling of the sweeping changes that were to come. Three years later, a clearer picture has emerged, but many questions remain. Is he a reformer bent on curbing corruption at the highest levels of government? Or is he merely concerned with consolidating power within China's opaque political system? In this inaugural episode, scholars, journalists, and political figures weigh in on the man that some have described as China's most powerful leader since Mao.