Current History Podcast

Get notified when new podcast episode goes live by subscribing at https://current-history.com.  Subscribers receive all podcasts and posts through the Current History substack. Your support helps make this content possible.Artificial intelligence and digital technology are reshaping higher education worldwide, disrupting how students are assessed, fragmenting attention in the classroom, and exposing inequalities across global education systems. Dr. Lidia Lozano, a language educator and researcher with experience at Princeton, Columbia, and Harvard, draws on experience America, Europe, and internationally to examine how universities are shifting away from take-home written work toward oral exams, in-class presentations, and process-based evaluation that reveals how students actually think. We also explore the global dimension: how AI systems trained predominantly on English-language and Western sources risk deepening existing disparities across languages and education systems. The episode closes on what AI cannot replace: the authenticity, empathy, and human presence that are not peripheral to learning, but foundational to it.About the GuestDr. Lozano is an expert in language acquisition and cross-cultural understanding. She holds a PhD in Philology from the University of Barcelona. She has teaching experience at Princeton University, Columbia University, and Barnard College, and research experience at the Harvard University and the University of Barcelona. She has co-authored articles, learning materials, and a multimedia course on language acquisition. Dr. Lozano has also worked in project management and administration at the United Nations in New York and volunteered for UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring Report. Additionally, she has served as cultural expert for the European Commission and has been selected for inclusion on the European Parliament's list of research experts.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lidia-lozano-phd-a6071a378/Website: https://www.lidlozano.comAbout the HostKen Briggs is a writer, researcher, and consultant with a deep interest in history, policy, global affairs, and emerging technology. A former engineer, Ken has spent a lifetime thinking, writing, and talking about these issues and created Current History to explore how they shape the world we live in. His research interests include the geopolitical impacts of the energy transition and technology, political science and philosophy, and applied history. As a consultant, he also advises companies on navigating policy and geopolitical risk.Subscribe to the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@current-historySubscribe to Current History on Substack: https://current-history.com/subscribe/ Follow Ken on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenbriggs3/Follow Ken on X: https://x.com/KenWBriggs3Topics and Timestamps00:00 – Introductions01:50 - Guest background04:52– Topic 1: AI and the testing crisis07:54 - Topic 2: From product to process11:30 - Topic 3: Teaching in a screen-saturated world14:55 - Topic 4: Declining attention spans21:16 - Topic 5: Is AI a threat or an opportunity?27:53 - Topic 6: International perspective30:29  - Topic 7: Education, Culture, and the Future36:16 – OutroFor Further Reading1. UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report2. Statistics on teacher pay can be found here: UNESCO Global Report on Teachers (2023)2. Nomophobia: Is the Fear of Being without a Smartphone Associated with Problematic Use? — Kaviani et al., International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20203. Identity: The Demand for Dignity and the Politics of Resentment (Review) - David Fowkes, International Journal of Constitutional Law4. The Importance of Non-Verbal Communication in Classroom Management — Özad & Uygarer, Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 20095. Data on language distribution on the internet: W3Techs: Usage Statistics of Content Languages for WebsitesAbout the PodcastI created Current History to explore how history shapes current events in geopolitics, technology, and public policy. If you found this conversation useful, consider subscribing below.Current History is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Subscribers receive every podcast and essay directly in their inbox. Its free for now, with paid options if you would like to support this work directly. The Founding Member plan guarantees lifetime access without a paywall.You can also subscribe on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@current-history. Get full access to Current History at current-history.com/subscribe

Get notified when new podcast episode goes live by subscribing at https://current-history.com/subscribe.  Subscribers receive all podcasts and posts through the Current History Substack. Your support helps make this content possible.In this episode, Ken Briggs speaks with public policy scholar and energy policy expert Santiago Creuheras about what it actually takes to move countries on energy both domestically and internationally. They discuss Mexico's energy transition, whether multilateral frameworks are effective, and what the state of Latin American democracy means for serious energy policymaking. They also examine why good policy fails at the implementation stage, why energy efficiency remains chronically underused despite the evidence for it, and what effective international energy governance looks like in a more fragmented world.About the GuestSantiago Creuheras is a public policy scholar and sustainable development expert with over 25 years of experience across government, international institutions, and academia. He served as Deputy Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Energy of Mexico and chaired the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation, elected by unanimous endorsement of all member countries.He co-led the G20 Energy Efficiency and Energy Transitions Finance Working Group and has held senior advisory roles at the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank, the International Energy Agency, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. At Harvard, where he holds three master’s degrees, he is a Kennedy School JFK Fellow, a Weatherhead Visiting Scholar, and teaches alongside Professors Matt Andrews and Ricardo Hausmann. His research examines Mexico’s democratization process and the broader trajectory of Latin American democracy and sustainable development.About the HostKen Briggs is a writer, researcher, and consultant with a deep interest in history, policy, global affairs, and emerging technology. A former engineer, Ken has spent a lifetime thinking, writing, and talking about these issues and created Current History to explore how they shape the world we live in. His research interests include the geopolitical impacts of the energy transition and technology, political science and philosophy, and applied history. As a consultant, he also advises companies on navigating policy and geopolitical risk.Subscribe to the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@current-historySubscribe to Current History on Substack: https://current-history.com/subscribe/ Follow Ken on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenbriggs3/Follow Ken on X: https://x.com/KenWBriggs3Topics and Timestamps00:00 – Introduction00:41 - Guest introduction: Santiago Creuheras02:16 – What drew you to interdisciplinary policy work?02:45– Topic 1: Sustainable Public Value: A framework for policy06:25 - Topic 2: Mexico’s energy transition13:35 - Topic 3: From Mexico to the G20 – multilateralism and energy efficiency as the first fuel29:13 - Topic 4: The future of energy governance in a multipolar world40:35 - Topic 5: Democracy and sustainable development in Latin America50:36 - Topic 6: Implementing policy that actually sticks57:06 – Listener takeaways58:36 – OutroFor Further ReadingG20 Energy Transition Working Group: Doubling Energy EfficiencyHarvard Growth Lab: Atlas of Economic ComplexityEnergy Efficiency in Public Facilities Project - World Bank GroupCreating Public Value - Harvard Kennedy SchoolThe View from New York: The Poblano Subdiaspora Get full access to Current History at current-history.com/subscribe

Get notified when new podcast episode goes live by subscribing at https://current-history.com/subscribe.  Subscribers receive all podcasts and posts through the Current History Substack. Your support helps make this content possible.In this episode, Ken Briggs speaks with policy researcher Marcus Wong about the transformation of the Arctic from a frozen afterthought into a contested strategic arena. They discuss the retreat of sea ice, Russia's military buildup, China's polar ambitions, the legal ambiguities surrounding the Northwest Passage under UNCLOS, the gaps in Canada's Arctic defense posture, and what a serious Canadian strategy would actually require.About the GuestMarcus Wong is a public relations professional, former public official, and policy analyst whose graduate research at Havard focused on Canadian Arctic sovereignty and security. Marcus also holds degrees from Queens’ University in Canada and the University of Birmingham in the UK. He spent two decades in communications and government relations.Marcus served as an elected member of West Vancouver City Council, has been appointed to the West Vancouver Police Board and the Board of Trustees at Queen's University, and worked for the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Embassy of Canada in Washington. He is a board member of the NATO Association of Canada and the author of the six-part Power Play in the Arctic series we are discussing today.About the HostKen Briggs is a writer, researcher, and consultant with a deep interest in history, policy, global affairs, and emerging technology. A former engineer, Ken has spent a lifetime thinking, writing, and talking about these issues and created Current History to explore how they shape the world we live in. His research interests include the geopolitical impacts of the energy transition and technology, political science and philosophy, and applied history. As a consultant, he also advises companies on navigating policy and geopolitical risk.Subscribe to the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@current-historySubscribe to Current History on Substack: https://current-history.com/subscribe/ Follow Ken on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenbriggs3/Follow Ken on X: https://x.com/KenWBriggs3Topics and Time Stamps00:00 – Introduction00:41 - Guest introduction: Marcus Wong01:52 - Opening question: Why the Arctic, why now?05:10 - Topic 1: The new Arctic -- climate, sea ice, and resources09:11 - Topic 2: The great power competition18:19 - Topic 3: Canada's vulnerabilities and legal challenges26:34 - Topic 4: A credible path forward.35:06 - Topic 5: Expert scenarios and the decade ahead40:33 - Listener takeaways43:27 - Outro For Further ReadingPower Play in the Arctic — NATO Association of CanadaPart 1: From Isolation to InsecurityPart 2: Dissecting the Arctic’s Power Struggles by StatePart 3: A Policy Prescription for Canada’s Arctic DefencePart 4: A New Partnership Model for Sovereignty in the High NorthPart 5: Blueprint for Canadian Arctic LeadershipPart 6: Cold Fronts, Hot Choices — Dr. George Soroka Looks Ahead Get full access to Current History at current-history.com/subscribe

In this episode of Current History, I sit down with Dr. Rolandas Simkevicius, a historian, security expert, and former classmate, for a wide-ranging discussion on Russia, Ukraine, Eastern Europe, and the future of the international order.Rolandas is a historian and international relations and security expert with over two decades of experience across government, academia, and the private sector in Europe and the United States. He holds a PhD in International Relations from King’s College London, degrees from Vilnius University and Boston College, and is completing a Master’s in Government at Harvard University. He has served as an advisor at Lithuania’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, consulted for UK government agencies, and worked as a security consultant for multinational firms, including Accenture. His work spans European security, Russia, transatlantic relations, and Japan.As a native of Lithuania born in the former Soviet Union, he brings a first-person, personal perspective of living in Eastern Europe under the shadow of Russia. In addressing the conflict in Ukraine, he offers a unique perspective as someone who was directly impacted by the fall of the Soviet Union and Russia’s attempts to reclaim its former empire. For him and the citizens of countries on NATO’s eastern flank, security is not an abstraction. It is a lived memory.From there, we turn to the present.What is the state of the war in Ukraine? How should we understand Russia’s military posture and Europe’s response? Rather than treating Moscow’s behavior as erratic or irrational, Rolandas situates it in a longer historical arc. Russian statecraft, he argues, follows patterns that are legible if you take history seriously. We discuss the idea of Russia’s “endgame,” whether territorial, political, or civilizational.We also examine why Eastern Europe sees NATO as a necessary counterweight to Russia. For states like Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland, alliance commitments are existential. The Baltic view of security differs sharply from debates in Washington or Western Europe. That divergence helps explain tensions within the alliance, as well as its resilience.The conversation then widens to U.S.–Russia relations. What does Moscow ultimately seek from Washington? Is confrontation structural, or contingent? How does American policy look from Eastern Europe? We explore the strategic logic on both sides and what it suggests about escalation, deterrence, and long-term competition.In the final third of the episode, we step back to the broader question of world order. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney recently described the current moment at Davos as a “rupture” of the post–Cold War system. Is that accurate? Are we witnessing the consolidation of a multipolar world, or simply a more contested version of U.S. primacy? We discuss what this shift means for Europe, Canada, and middle powers that depend on stable rules and predictable alignments.We also detour briefly to East Asia. Rolandas has studied Japan extensively, and we examine rising tensions between China and Japan. How do maritime disputes and security anxieties in the Pacific echo patterns we see in Eastern Europe? Where do the parallels break down? And what does this tell us about the broader structure of the international system?Throughout the discussion, one theme recurs: geography and history matter. States carry memory. Alliances reflect fear as much as ideology. And periods of apparent stability often conceal deeper structural stress.What You’ll Take AwayBy the end of the episode, you’ll come away with a clearer understanding of:* How Eastern Europe interprets Russian behavior* What Russia may ultimately be trying to achieve* Why NATO remains central to security on its eastern flank* How U.S.–Russia tensions fit into a wider global realignment* What emerging debates about multipolarity mean in practiceIf you follow global affairs, European security, or the long-term trajectory of the post–Cold War system, this conversation will sharpen your perspective.I created Current History to explore how history shapes present choices in geopolitics, technology, and public policy. If you found this conversation useful, consider subscribing below. Subscribers receive every podcast and essay directly in their inbox. Its free for now, with paid options if you would like to support this work directly. The Founding Member plan guarantees lifetime access without a paywall. You can also subscribe on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@current-history. Get full access to Current History at current-history.com/subscribe

In this episode of the Current History podcast, Ken Briggs is joined by education reform advocate Don Parker for a wide-ranging discussion on the state of compulsory education in the United States.Drawing on decades of experience as a superintendent, charter school board member, policy advisor, and instructor in public policy, Parker explains why education became the central focus of his work and where today’s K–12 system is falling short. The conversation examines competing proposals for reform, including school choice and charter models, and asks what realistic improvement would actually look like in practice.The episode also takes on some of the most contested issues in education today. Parker and Briggs discuss the urban–rural divide in school choice debates, recent Supreme Court rulings on religious charter schools, and renewed calls to abolish the federal Department of Education. Throughout, the emphasis is on tradeoffs, incentives, and institutional design rather than slogans.Don Parker is a nationally published leader in education reform. He served as district superintendent for an urban charter school system in Tulsa, Oklahoma, sat on the same board for 15 years, and advised the Oklahoma State Department of Education under three state superintendents. He currently teaches public policy through Harvard’s Division of Continuing Education. Prior to his work in education, Parker spent over two decades as a senior manager and executive in the technology and banking sectors.Subscribe to Current History to receive new podcast episodes and essays directly. Your support helps make this work possible. Get full access to Current History at current-history.com/subscribe

Get full access to Current History at current-history.com/subscribe

Get full access to Current History at current-history.com/subscribe

Current History is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Current History at current-history.com/subscribe