Happy Sunday, Meridian Readers! September is in full swing and we know it’s a busy time for everyone, so let’s take a second to sit back, relax and catch up.  Afghan talks could mean diplomatic opportunities for Islamabad Publication: The Washington Diplomat | By Jason Overdorf Feeling exhausted after a busy few months? Asad Majeed Khan, Pakistan’s top diplomat in Washington, feels your pain. Here’s why: At the beginning of July, the International Monetary Fund approved a $6 billion bailout package for his country that could be political kryptonite for his populist boss, Prime Minister Imran Khan. A week later,...

The Study of U.S. Institutes (SUSI) brings over 100 emerging international leaders from more than 20 countries to the U.S. for an immersive education program that spans several weeks. SUSI focuses on five global themes: civic engagement, economic development, religious freedom, closing the skills gap and public service. Once they’ve selected a theme to study, students are sent to one of five colleges, which included Bard College, the University of Massachusetts, Temple University, the University of Washington and the University of Nevada. The program culminated in Washington, D.C. with a symposium that allowed students to showcase all they had...

The U.S. Congress – Republic of Korea National Assembly Exchange Program is a unique program designed to broaden the perspectives of Korean and American young people on the legislative process, the history of U.S.–Korean relations and current economic, political and security aspects of the bilateral relationship. The program also provides the U.S. and Korean participants with firsthand experience of each other’s people and culture, and creates opportunities for participants to form long-lasting personal contacts. The following was written by Corbin Cerny, a participant of the program. South Korea remains an obscure place in the American mindset. Despite the many cases of...

The U.S. Congress – Republic of Korea National Assembly Exchange Program is a unique program designed to broaden the perspectives of Korean and American young people on the legislative process, the history of U.S.–Korean relations and current economic, political and security aspects of the bilateral relationship. The program also provides the U.S. and Korean participants with firsthand experience of each other’s people and culture, and creates opportunities for participants to form long-lasting personal contacts. The following was written by Leah Castleberry, a participant of the program. It was truly an honor to be selected as a member of the...

Hey there, we’re happy to see you. Maybe it’s your first time here, maybe you tune in every week; regardless- you’re here for some international affairs updates, and we have those for you. Let’s jump in. Foreign diplomats brace for Trump 2020 win Publication: POLITICO | By Nahal Toosi Here’s the scoop: Trump’s win in 2016 shook up U.S. foreign relations in a big way, and the expectation that he’ll win again could affect how allies and adversaries continue to approach negotiations with the U.S. Foreign diplomats are still feeling burned after assuming Donald Trump would lose in 2016...