SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " fellow " 753 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
Pegula beats fellow American Anisimova to finally reach Australian Open semis
It marked Pegula’s 14th win in her past 15 matches against fellow Americans.
Investment and Statecraft: The International Politics of Sovereign Wealth Funds - Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
In 1953, Kuwait established the world’s first sovereign wealth fund to invest the country’s oil revenues and generate returns that would reduce its reliance on a single resource. Since then, over 100 separate funds have been created to preserve national wealth and ensure long-term fiscal sustainability. Today, they manage over $10 trillion in global assets. In this discussion with GJIA, political economist Kathryn Lavelle explains the increasingly novel dynamics that surround fund behavior and what the world can come to expect from their growing presence in international financial markets. GJIA: When it comes to the roles sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) play in global markets and politics, what would you say makes them unique? Kathryn Lavelle: Sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) operate on behalf of governments as investors. That in itself is a strange relationship. Within them, a core contest takes place between the state’s interests (or sovereign) part of the dynamic, and the money interests (or wealth) part of it, and these two aspects are frequently in contradiction, serving fundamentally different goals. SWFs are also quite fascinating because when you talk to the people who manage these funds, they have an interest in convincing you that the decisions are made almost exclusively on a financial basis—they really will go to great lengths to differentiate their government owners and those who make the management decisions. At the same time, these people ultimately answer to someone in power. Therefore, for most SWFs, it remains deeply unclear who is actually making the investment decisions and for what purposes. Of course, it is not always clear how other vehicles, such as hedge funds and private equity make the decisions they do, but I think what a lot of people find particularly disconcerting about SWFs is that they seem to act on behalf of people who have a different identity from their own. People who could be trying to manipulate politics and markets in a way that would have a long-term effect on their own populations. Regular investors come and go at will, and they only share an interest in profit as far as most of us understand. However, SWFs have that extra “sovereign” part right behind them that obscures their true interest. GJIA: These funds can be found in countries all across the globe, in both authoritarian states and democracies. Would you say SWFs differ in their goals and structures between regime-type? KL: It is not necessarily regime type that makes the goals and structures of SWFs different. It has to do with their economies. Let’s look at a country like China. There’s going to be a debate about exactly how to characterize the regime, but it is a country with many different kinds of sovereign wealth funds, and a particularly opaque state connection to each. At one time, some of the state-owned Chinese oil companies created specialized investment vehicles listed outside Chinese markets that excluded parts of the firms that were more associated with human rights violations. At the same time, the China Investment Corporation (CIC)—China’s largest SWF—draws a lot of concern, not necessarily because of its investment activities, but because of the dynamics of global politics. So, I wouldn’t really tie differences to regime types themselves in a wholesale way, but rather to how such funds are perceived and how they are structured. Saudi Arabia’s SWF is getting all kinds of attention for its involvement in Hollywood, and this takes me right back to when I was a student in the 1980s, when people were concerned about Japanese investment entities buying assets in Hollywood. They aren’t quite the same in financial terms, but it’s the same kind of concern about foreign investment that drives people to be suspicious, and the whole idea that “foreigners are influencing Hollywood.” This holds true across industries, and it reflects where politics are in places like the United States right now. One metric we can try to look at is transparency, where all the funds will tell you, “we are transparent.” The problem you’ll keep running into with this approach is how you value things. When trying to do comparative studies of equity markets, you’ll find that every country doesn’t use Generally Accepted Accounting Principles like we do in the United States. A fund may appear opaque politically and not want people to show what they’re invested in or what their intent with that investment is, but they could also just not be able to report it because of the way it was purchased, or the kinds of shares they purchased. There are some assets out there that really are difficult to put a monetary value on. GJIA: To what extent do domestic politics shape SWF behavior in both the investing “home” country and the recipient “host” country? KL: This depends on the type of fund present and also on the extent to which voters’ political views are able to influence the fund. For example, in a democratic home state like Norway, the SWF doesn’t invest in nuclear weapons or tobacco because of social concerns, but there is a continuing debate over whether it should invest in oil, even though that’s where most of the money comes from. The degree to which Norway will continue to make those investments, and whether they contradict the government’s overall climate goals, is an open question in Norwegian politics. Because of the way the fund’s governance is structured, it may not be easy to resolve. On the other hand, some people consider pension funds, like the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) in Ohio, to be quasi-SWF. They have a very strict separation between the people who make up the management division and the fund owners. No teacher or professor would want to invest in things that may harm the future of their students. At the same time, a fund manager might see an opportunity in a diversified multinational corporation that offers a good return, despite it deriving part of its revenue from e-cigarettes. These contests are very apparent. Domestic politics can work in host countries too. A good example is Singapore’s SWF, Temasek, investing in Thailand’s telecommunications sector. If you study political economy, you already know that countries everywhere are uncomfortable with foreign ownership of their telecom sectors because a foreign entity could monitor or manipulate our communications with each other. In the case of Temasek, there was significant pushback from Thai citizens surrounding the deal, which went on to influence national political sentiment toward Singapore as a whole, underscoring the risks some SWFs may face with their investment choices. In this case, fund behavior led to the dissolution of the entire Thai government in 2006 and a subsequent coup d’état. GJIA: To address some of this unease, the Santiago Principles were established in 2009 to ostensibly promote trust and transparency. From your perspective, have these mechanisms actually changed fund behavior? KL: In international relations theory, we always like to have a clear set of norms and best practices—the orientation we want the proverbial ship to be going in. In that regard, the Santiago Principles at least got the discussion going about which direction SWFs should take at a time when people were very skittish about the growing size of these funds. Nobody wanted them to be out there and potentially destabilizing economies, so talks about disclosure, conditions for withdrawal, and the independence of managers were helpful when initiated. The biggest stumbling block was that there wasn’t exactly a good way to measure compliance with the Principles, let alone how to hold funds to them. If you read the Principles, they’re overall quite vague. In general, a fund doesn’t want to reveal how and why they make certain investment decisions because that information is proprietary—a fund makes money off of how and why it makes decisions—so how do you reconcile that with loosely-defined ideas of openness? Some decisions might have a political purpose. The bottom line is that trying to figure out and assign a score to compliance is not easy, and it is therefore the reason why the Santiago Principles never really got off the ground to the point where they could truly direct fund behavior. GJIA: Many emerging markets are looking to build their own SWFs from mineral and oil revenues. Historically, have funds shaped development trajectories in these countries? KL: I think the big story in international emerging markets investment is that the investment is increasingly no longer unidirectional. In the past multinational corporations of primarily Western background were the main form of foreign direct investment in a country. That has changed dramatically, to the point where you have companies from so-called “developing countries” taking over companies in the United States. Therefore, the landscape of international investment has changed, and I think SWFs are certainly a possibility to be the next step in the game. Historically, you didn’t need an entire financial vehicle to reinvest commodity revenues in your country, but as emerging markets get more financially sophisticated, their capacity to operate such funds has increased. SWFs would allow treasuries to move from relying on holding foreign exchange assets like cash or government bonds to having broader financial markets and targeted growth areas, while easing pressure on welfare expenditures. GJIA: With their increasing financial weight, do you see the presence of SWFs being a factor in the political choices leaders will have to make with regard to domestic and foreign policy? KL: It will depend on just how big the funds get. One of the reasons people are already apprehensive is because of their scale, and if certain SWFs in certain countries achieve a large-enough size, the presence will absolutely be cause for concern. The other factor political leaders will have to consider are their objectives. It’s not always clear how to define a SWF, or even where its activity is concentrated, but it is certainly a worry from the perspective of national security of opaque external investment. More than that, I think one of the most interesting questions going forward is whether the United States, the home to the world’s largest financial markets, will develop its own fund, for which the Trump administration announced a plan. There have also been several proposals in Congress. Were it to come into being, it would have tremendous weight. At the same time, one of the hallmarks of U.S. capitalism is a lack of government ownership of shares, so it would not be clear how such a fund would be received in domestic politics, or which direction it would take. Given how politically fragmented the country is, a Democratic administration would likely be concerned about different sectors of the economy, such as healthcare, and want investment there, rather than a Republican administration, which might prefer defense industries. No investment vehicle could thrive under conditions of such instability. Moreover, it remains unclear where the money to fund a theoretical U.S. SWF would come from. It would be a fundamentally different entity depending on whether it is financed with debt, economic surplus, commodities, or the sale of state companies, as in the case of Singapore. If it is debt, or government borrowing of some form, then the fund would have to outperform whatever the cost of that debt is, which is not an easy thing to do. I think our political leaders have enough on their plate. Our system has worked well keeping political and investment functions generally separate. We have seen different forms of business rise and fall, and even the perception of different countries, all of which funds are tied to. Unless a major SWF either starts—like in the case of the United States—or collapses—an issue that concerns the Saudis, I don’t see any political tsunamis on the horizon. . . . Kathryn Lavelle is the Ellen and Dixon Long Professor of World Affairs at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Her research explores the exchange between domestic and international and political institutions with a particular emphasis on political economy and multilateralism. Dr. Lavelle’s first book, The Politics of Equity Finance in Emerging Markets, explored the political circumstances that surround large issues of stock in the developing world. After being granted tenure at Case Western, she was awarded an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellowship and named the William A. Steiger fellow, a designation given to the most promising political scientist in her class of fellows. While in Washington during 2006-2007, she worked on the staff of the House Committee on Financial Services on issues related to domestic and international monetary policy. Dr. Lavelle holds a PhD in political science from Northwestern University; an M.A. in government and foreign affairs from the University of Virginia; and a bachelor’s degree in international economics from Georgetown University. She is a permanent member of the New York Council on Foreign Relations. This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity and length. Interview conducted by Sid Mehrotra. Image Credit: Jason Leung, Unsplash Content Licenses, via Unsplash
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and Sundance Institute Name Winners of Science-In-Film Initiative’s Feature Film Prize and Artist Grants
L–R: Jonathan Cuchacovich, Sonia Kennebeck, Alan Fischer, Daeil Kim, Andrew Stanton, Colby Day, Tetiana Anderson 2026 Sundance Film Festival Awards Juried Sloan Feature Film Prize to In The Blink of An Eye by Director Andrew Stanton and Grants Three Screenwriting Fellowships PARK CITY, UTAH, JANUARY 26, 2026 — Today at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival,
50-year SBA veteran retires; law firm doubles in size; new fellowship cohorts named
Take a look at some of the recent promotions and new hires announced at south Louisiana businesses.
Collaborative Science Is Key to Conserving Highly Mobile Marine Species
Research from Pew marine fellows is a critical resource for helping to protect large ocean species and can offer invaluable input as a network of high seas marine protected areas (MPAs) nears reality.
Do Incentives Matter When Politics Drive Emigration?
SURF postdoctoral fellow Emil Kamalov explains why political freedoms outweigh material benefits for many Russian emigrants considering return.
Mayor Jacob Frey: Subpoenas to me, fellow officials ‘obviously frivolous’
The subpoenas come as President Trump continues to float the possibility of invoking the Insurrection Act in Minnesota.
New Leadership Louisiana program targets statewide health challenges
Leaders for a Better Louisiana’s Leadership Louisiana initiative is expanding with the launch of a new program focused on the state’s health care sector. The program, Leadership Louisiana Health Fellows, is designed to give leaders from business, policy, education and health-related fields a deeper understanding of the systems shaping health outcomes across Louisiana. The program […]
Introducing the 2026 CCST Science & Technology Policy Fellows - California Council on Science & Technology (CCST)
We are excited to introduce the 2026 Class of CCST Science & Technology Policy Fellows. The program places PhD scientists in Legislative and Executive Branch offices.
Public health lab hosting fellow in CDC program
Casey Field, PhD, entered the CDC's Laboratory Leadership Service fellowship program in 2024.
UMW Undergraduate Science Fellowship Extends Applications for First Cohort
The Piscopo Rodgers Science Fellows Program at the University of Mary Washington has opened applications to incoming undergraduate students who want to pursue research and careers in medicine, biology, chemistry, computer science, earth and environmental science, mathematics or physics. The program, which offers funding of up to $6,600 per year for four years of undergraduate […]
Beth Johnson named Balog Faculty Fellow of Science
Beth Johnson, associate teaching professor, director of academics for the Science BS/MBA program, and director of the Integrative Science Major for the Eberly College of Science, has been named the James and Alvina Balog Faculty Fellow of Science. The fellowship supports an outstanding faculty member in the Eberly College of Science working with the Science BS/MBA program.
Science for Public Good: Introducing the Community Engagement Graduate Fellows
Four graduate students from the College of Sciences were recently selected for the new Community Engagement Graduate Fellowship, made possible through a gift from Google. This one-year research opportunity awards up to $5,000 for each fellow to develop a project with local partners that aims to build stronger communities.
Video: This Might Be the Best Sport for a Longer Life
Research consistently shows that physical activity is linked to healthy aging. But do some sports confer more longevity benefits than others? Simar Bajaj, a reporting fellow for Well, explains.
Royal Society president reignites Elon Musk row by defending lack of action
Society should only eject fellows for fraud or other defects in their research, says Paul Nurse
Open inquiries probe potential involvement at the ‘highest levels of Minnesota politics’: Manhattan Institute senior fellow
Manhattan Institute senior fellow Chris Rufo discusses the ongoing investigation into the alleged Minnesota fraud scandal and how widespread the issue may be on ‘Jesse Watters Primetime.’
Tufts Vice Provost for Research Named Foreign Fellow of Indian National Science Academy
Bernard Arulanandam, vice provost for research at Tufts University and professor of immunology at Tufts University School of Medicine, has been named a foreign fellow of the Indian National Science Academy
‘Lots of people don’t want to do it’: Paul Nurse on his controversial second term as Royal Society president
The Nobel prize winner discusses claims of a ‘boys’ club’, Elon Musk’s fellowship and rightwing attacks on science
Former 'View' co-host backs Jenny McCarthy's critique of show, laments switch from entertainment to politics
Actress Sherri Shepherd backed fellow ex-"View" co-host Jenny McCarthy's criticism of "The View" in an exclusive clip of "Sherri," obtained by Entertainment Weekly on Thursday.
Roger Arliner Young | Black Zoologist, Women in Science, Women of Color, Race, & Fellowship
Roger Arliner Young was the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. in zoology in the United States and is known for her biological research and teaching as well as social activism.
Nurse executives named American Organization for Nursing Leadership Fellows
First time any ECU Health team member has represented the system as an AONL Fellow, let alone two, and they join a group of only 25 leaders from across the country.
'Gaggle' politics podcast launches 2026 with a new co-host
Reporters at The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com participate in a weekly politics podcast hosted by two of their fellow reporters.
Lauren Madden named Sound Science Fellow by the National Center for Science Education
Lauren Madden, professor of elementary science education, was named a Sound Science Fellow by the National Center for Science Education. As one of six scholars receiving this fellowship, Madden will be contributing to national efforts to promote accurate and evidence-based science education in K-12 classrooms. “I’m incredibly proud of this honor and grateful to partake […]
Men's Basketball Travels to Charleston for Monday Night Tip on CBS Sports Network
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – William & Mary men's basketball hits the road for the first time in CAA action when to travels to fellow league unbeaten Charleston on Monday night. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. from TD Arena in Charleston, and the game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network with Paul Fritschner and Dr. John Giannini on the call.
A natural evolution of cruelty
It’s not always the best-adapted animal that survives. Sometimes, it’s the one that exploits its fellow creatures
Zohran Mamdani Supporters Celebrate “Politics of Optimism” at His Inauguration
Tens of thousands of New Yorkers braved freezing temperatures and police barricades to be part of Zohran Mamdani’s inauguration as mayor on New Year’s Day. Democracy Now! spoke with many Mamdani supporters, including a high school student and Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, about what the day represented to them, their hopes for the new administration and how it could set a model for progressives across the country. “Organized people will always be more powerful than organized money,” said Diana Moreno, a fellow democratic socialist who is running for Mamdani’s vacant seat in the New York State Assembly.
Co-worker stabs fellow employee at Strongsville business, police say
An employee at BidFTA Online Auctions in Strongsville was stabbed Monday morning by a co-worker, police say.
McLean's Longfellow Middle School Competes for 14th Consecutive Science Olympiad State Title
McLean's Longfellow Middle School’s Science Olympiad team is preparing to compete for its 14th consecutive state title.
Iron Forums Builds Community for Christian Leaders in Business
Iron Forums connects Christian leaders in business through faith-based fellowship, accountability, and peer support, creating space for leadership rooted in purpose.
Business people on the move
Natalia Spanos has joined the Latino Community Association as a 2025 Immigration Law fellow. She joined the association through the Equity Corps of Oregon fellowship program. In addition, the association […]
A Nutty Solution: Lessons From an Acorn
How a Bren School PhD fellow helps high school students shift from focusing on the what, toward a deeper interest in the how.
Gen Z moviegoing is back. I welcome my fellow movie freaks with open arms.
I'm not the only movie theater freak out there: Gen Zers are bringing it back.
Men, boys meet to address mental health challenges at South Side breakfast event
Fellowshipping with one another on the city's South Side, boys and men are sitting down to talk about a pressing issue that often goes undiscussed.
UH: $2M Moore Foundation grant backs new postdoctoral science fellowship
Eleven emerging scientists will soon take on some of Hawaiʻi’s most urgent environmental and scientific challenges through a new University of Hawaiʻi systemwide postdoctoral fellowship program, funded by a $2 million grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Semlitz Fellowship builds bridges between sustainability science and business
The Semlitz Family Sustainability Fellows program brings together MBA and early career science students to strengthen the intersection between sustainability science and business decision making.
BlackRock names 5 engineers to its top circle of technologists shaping the future of the firm
BlackRock's tech fellow program honors the firm's most distinguished engineers. Meet the newest members of the elite cohort.
Washburn musician rocks StageNorth stage
Washburn native Yazmin Bowers performed at StageNorth Dec. 6 with her band Beat Zero, joined by the Havana Quartet and fellow Blue Canvas Orchestra member Scott Kirby.
How religious extremists have influenced science curriculum in Texas and beyond
AU Youth Organizing Fellow Ishan Kanaskar explains how religious extremists have tried to influence science curriculum in Texas.
Fairfax Co. middle school eyeing 14th straight Science Olympiad state title
Longfellow Middle School’s team has won 13 consecutive state Science Olympiad titles, and is eyeing a 14th. The school has won the state championship 19 times.
Palantir says its 'Neurodivergent Fellowship' has received 2,000 applications and counting
Palantir's new fellowship for neurodivergent talent draws 2,000 applications, showing demand for merit-based, unconventional hiring in tech and AI.
3 separate US strikes on alleged drug boats have initially left survivors. Each time they’ve been treated differently
As the US military has undertaken a campaign of attacks against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, at least five people have survived initial strikes ending up in the water after explosions killed fellow crew members and disabled their ships.
STEM Students Blend Science and Policy in New Capitol Campus Fellowship
Ella Camp (C'26) has always loved science but wanted to pivot from a career focused solely on research. In a new Earth Commons fellowship, she found an opportunity to dig into environmental public policy.
MIT affiliates named 2025 Schmidt Sciences AI2050 Fellows
MIT postdoc Zongyi Li, Associate Professor Tess Smidt, and seven additional MIT alumni were named 2025 Schmidt Sciences AI2050 Fellows. The fellowships will support their work in AI against difficult and intractable problems.
In Celebration of New Line Cinema’s The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring’s 25th Anniversary, Extended Editions of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Coming Back to Theatres from Fathom Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures on January 16-18 and 23-25
In Celebration of New Line Cinema’s The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring’s 25th Anniversary, Extended Editions of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Coming Back to Theatres from Fathom Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures on January 16-18 and 23-25 All Three Epic Movies Also Offered in DBOX Technology at … Continued
Reform UK’s deputy leader says racism claims about Nigel Farage from fellow pupils are ‘made-up twaddle’
Richard Tice claims that allegations against Farage are ‘nonsense’ from people with ‘a political axe to grind’
Supreme Court to debate if sidewalk preacher may pursue First Amendment suit
Gabriel Olivier’s lawyers will tell the Supreme Court on Wednesday that his sidewalk ministry is about sharing his faith with his fellow citizens – and should be protected by the First Amendment.
Mulvaney addresses future of politics and populism at Brooks School event
Director Mick Mulvaney, the 2025–26 Nixon Distinguished Policy Fellow, delivered a keynote on the rise of populism in America to a full lecture hall of Cornell students, highlighting shifts in U.S. politics and engaging in wide-ranging discussion on contemporary policy challenges.
Nan Yao Named MRS Fellow for Contributions to Materials Science
Nan Yao has been selected for the 2026 class of Materials Research Society Fellows for his distinguished research accomplishments and contributions to the advancement of materials research world-wide.
CT LEND Fellows Train to Improve Health Care for People with Developmental Disabilities
Three School of Social Work MSW students are learning to assist children and adults with neurodevelopmental disabilities as 2025-26 Connecticut Leadership E ...
AI becomes a political wedge issue, creating odd bedfellows across parties
MAGA media personality Steve Bannon described the fight on the right as one between populists and "broligarchs" in the tech industry.
Science at the statehouse: experts will embed at the legislature to help lawmakers craft informed policies
The new program mirrors efforts in other states to bring nonpartisan scientific input to lawmaking
Farmers can and should monitor mental health
It's important to reach out to your fellow farmers to make sure they're not having a mental health crisis.
People, Politics, and Places fellowship grants students a closer look at rural America
The Hoover Institution’s People, Politics, and Places Fellowship affords students first-hand summer experiences in rural American communities.