...the protests in China and Iran. Today Kai covers her thoughts about protests in her city of Shanghai! How did Covid contribute to rage in society? What will the future hold for autocracies? What about for democracies? And how does the World Cup fit into this? Kai talks about this and more in today's episode!

Learn more about Professor Wu's research here! Interview with Professor Wu from the University of California-Irvine! In this episode, Professor Wu talks about her research on historical Asian American figures and the current climate of ethnic and cultural studies. Kaixin and Professor Wu discuss questions about the Supreme Court's cases on Affirmative Action and how that will affect diversity in higher education. Also, who were Patsy Mink and Dr. Mom Chung? (hint: both are amazing Asian American pioneers in their respective fields) Listen to find out all this and more!

...Today we talk about the most heavily censored topic in China: its relations with Taiwan. Joining me is Alvin who's from Taiwan but living in China right now. How has he coped with being Taiwanese in China? Will US involvement anger China even more? Will there be a war to take back Taiwan? We discuss our thoughts on these pressing questions. We also discuss his research paper focusing on major risks for Taiwan in 2022. I ask him if his analysis has changed due to the Pelosi visit and the changing tide in the Ukraine-Russian war. 

Learn more about Professor Williams' research here! Interview with Professor Heather Williams from Pomona College! In this episode, Professor Williams talks about her research on the politics of water. We use water every day but are we aware of its scarcity? Kaixin and Professor Williams discuss questions like: What circumstances force people to migrate due to water accessibility? What should governments do to secure water access for their citizens? What future technologies will help desalinize water in a cost-effective way? Listen to find out all this and more!

Learn more about Professor Wise's research here! Interview with Professor Carol Wise from the University of Southern California! In this episode, Professor Wise talks about her research dealing with the international political economy. Professor Wise describes Latin America's relations with China, an increase in trade since the 2000s. Kai and her discuss the implications of China's national congress that finished convening a week ago in Beijing. How will the next 5 year leadership of Xi Jinping affect US-China relations, specifically the trade war? AND Professor Wise mentions her favorite international relations book! Listen to find out more. 

...What was school like in America compared to China since Covid started? How has school lockdowns affected students' social skills, anxiety, learning? Find out in this episode, and a new sub-series called Conversations with Friends, where Kai talks to her friend Bella about all this and more! 

...Covid's Mental Health Effect. Kai talks about her feelings after living through Shanghai's 3 month lockdown. She addresses concerns about the growing mental health crisis amongst teens, including her own experiences. Talking about anxiety and depression is the first step in destigmatizing it. Mental health is often overlooked by the media and in this episode we are highlighting the impact Covid has had on our mental well-being.

In the buzz of hundreds of notifications every day, it is hard to pinpoint what news stories are important. In this episode, I highlight some of the top stories of 2022 so far. I also go over our new schedule of NEW EPISODES EVERY TUESDAY. Be sure to listen to our upcoming episodes that will go over everything from global leadership decline to is our planet doomed??

We don’t talk about…China’s zero-covid policy. No, we actually don’t. Censorship is rampant on China’s social media as government officials hurry to block any criticism of these lockdowns. However, even with this heavy regulation, some posts have been a rallying cry for those suffering under the policy. From animals being abandoned to residents running out of food, Kai and Mina talk about their reaction to China’s zero-covid policy. They also discuss why China will not abandon it despite its clear failure.

We don’t talk about…being stuck at home for 2 months straight. While the rest of the world moves on and lives with covid-19, China is taking a different strategy. The city-wide lockdown in Shanghai has been implemented since mid-March. All residents have been confined to their homes for nearly two months. Mina lives in an apartment and is only permitted to leave for covid testing. Kai lives in a house and is only allowed to walk inside the compound. They discuss their experiences with the lockdown and how they, and everyone else, have been coping with this unprecedented lockdown.