Central Asia – Catalyst

The Myth of the Oriental Beauty: The History of the Hypersexualization of Asian Women

April 9, 2021April 8, 20214 min read Ruolan Ma

After nearly 200 years, Asian women are still not being given the respect and dignity that they deserve, all because of a sick and incorrect stereotype. When will the world stop seeing Asian women through this hypersexualizing and dehumanizing filter?

Electoral Unrest in Kyrgyzstan

November 1, 2020April 8, 20215 min read Emily Duecker

Kyrgyzstan has a reputation of being one of the only countries in central Asia to have a semi- democratic government. Despite this, the country is no stranger to political unrest: in the past 15 years, two presidents have been overthrown by revolts, and recent developments in the ongoing situation hint there could be a third.

Coronavirus Outbreak: Discussing the Effectiveness of the Chinese Government’s Response

February 5, 2020December 29, 20204 min read Enkhuun Byambadorj

Fear and panic engulfed China’s usually vibrant and thunderous New Year festivities, as the country was faced with the outbreak of a novel coronavirus originating in Wuhan, China, the capital of Hubei province. December 8th, 2019 witnessed the first death … Continue reading

The United States’ Use of Human Rights as a Bargaining Chip in its Trade War with China: Why Here? Why Now?

November 15, 2019December 29, 20206 min read Laurence Campanella

As the trade war rages on between China and the United States, President Donald Trump’s recent strategy of calling out the human rights abuses of President Xi Jinping’s administration comes as an interesting development. The trade war can be traced … Continue reading

David Malpass at McGill: An Uncertain Future For the World Bank?

November 12, 2019April 8, 20216 min read Ariana Castillon

Nonetheless, while the World Bank does contribute to some important projects and initiatives, there is still pervasive institutional bias that values the desires of its Western donors over the needs of the developing nations it seeks to assist.

Mongolia’s Raw Coal Ban Promises Results… But What Kind of Results?

November 4, 2019February 16, 20215 min read Enkhuun Byambadorj

This is a story of development – the aid-dependent economy, deep public mistrust in the government, rapid urban migration, and a silent plague that blankets the sky in the cold winter months.