AI, Global Justice, and Model UN at Spelman, Episode 2

What does a Model UN debate stage have in common with the future of artificial intelligence? More than you might think. In this episode, Spelman College Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Mark Lee sits down with John Wagner Givens, DPhil, associate professor of International Studies, and Lauren Chase Dent, C'2026, to explore the powerful resurgence of Spelman's Model UN team — and its surprising intersection with AI and global justice. From surveillance technology in China to data centers threatening communities across the Global South, this conversation asks the questions that matter most: Who truly benefits from AI advancement? Who bears its costs? And who gets a seat at the table when those decisions are made? Dent shares how the critical thinking, diplomacy, and advocacy skills she sharpened in Model UN directly shaped her success at Goldman Sachs — proof that the skills forged in the classroom travel far. Meanwhile, Givens examines AI's growing role in education and international diplomacy, and what that means for the next generation of global leaders being trained right here at Spelman. The episode also pays tribute to Spelman alumna and retired professor Jean Meadows, Ph.D., whose vision and dedication laid the foundation for Spelman's Model UN program. This is global justice. This is AI. This is Spelman.  Learn more about the "Echoes and Algorithms" podcast series.