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Are You in a “Very Chinese Time of Your Life Right Now”?
By Claire DIVISIA In April 2025, a seemingly innocuous post by Twitter user @girl_virus declared: “you met me at a very chinese time in my life.” What began as a parody of a quote from the cult classic Fight Club quickly mutated into a defining cultural trend for Gen Z: “becoming Chinese,” or “Chinamaxxing.” Becoming…
Keep readingCountdown to 2026 Fifa World Cup: The Universality of Joy and Rupture of the Fifa World Cup Final 2022
By Patrick LUO Source: the Atlantic December 18, 2022. World Cup Final in Qatar. Argentina vs France. Penalty shootout to decide. The Argentines must score this kick to win. Moments later…. The players run towards Montiel, the decisive kicker….. The French stood with their faces dejected. Outside of the stadium: Argentina in tears of joy,…
Keep readingReframing Disability: From Individual Burden to Structural Failure
By Gabriele CEPAVICIUTE The 1994 American comedy-drama film “Forrest Gump”, directed by Robert Zemeckis, tells the story of a man who moves through life by constantly adapting to the world around him. Early in the film, a young Forrest, wearing leg braces and being chased by other children, is urged forward with the now-iconic line:…
Keep readingThe Politics of Time Zones
By Le Xuan YEO Crossing the Channel Tunnel from the United Kingdom to France in February meant turning my clock forward by an hour. Yet, in China, as far as I travelled across the whole country, the time zone remained the same, at GMT +8. And now, as I turn my clock forward once again…
Keep readingThe Dictator is Dead, Long Live the Dictator: Why Fascism in Spain Didn’t Die With Franco
By Asier TRASPADERNE On Nov. 20, 1975, Francisco Franco, Spain’s dictator since 1939, died comfortably in the “La Paz” Hospital in Madrid. While his death, announced on national television by a teary PM Carlos Arias Navarro, brought joy and relief to many; it was also mourned by thousands across the nation. Following the end of…
Keep readingCritical Raw Materials: Where Geopolitics, Competition, and Diversification Ignore Socio-Environmental Protection
By Thomas LANDERRETCHE Frank Herbert’s magnum opus Dune presented itself as not only an allegory regarding the power of religious belief, but also as a warning to when actors—in pursuit of resources— ignore their quests’ impact on the environment and people. Just like how the extraction of spice in Arrakis comes at the detriment of…
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