Considering International Initiatives in an Unprecedented Year

In a year when the value of global engagement has been questioned, the University’s international community of faculty, researchers and students at the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies (PIIRS), the Office of International Programs (OIP) and the Office of the Vice Provost for International Affairs remind us why understanding the world — and one another — matters more than ever.

Recently, together with a group of Princeton graduate student researchers, we collected online data in seven countries that neighbor Russia and/or Ukraine to analyze popular attitudes toward the war and identify factors that may counter growing war fatigue. 

Half of the almost 6,000 respondents were randomly exposed to an empathic prompt encouraging them to reflect on the challenges of daily life in wartime Ukraine. These participants expressed more sympathy and concern for Ukrainians, a higher likelihood of engaging in actions such as contacting politicians or attending protests and a greater willingness to support humanitarian aid. However, the study also shows that these effects were much weaker among respondents with greater exposure to Russian media. This research shows that even brief moments of reflection can move people toward international solidarity, but optimism is tempered by the pernicious effects of propaganda and misinformation.

From data-driven research to student experiences abroad and faculty collaborations across continents, Princeton’s international initiatives work to address the issues that connect us all. Our global challenges — democratic backsliding, environmental degradation, global and domestic inequality, violent civil and interstate conflict — are at the heart of PIIRS researchers’ work. Our scholars, remarkable in their range of scholarly backgrounds and interests, bring their singular life experiences to bear in animating our world’s most pressing problems. 

This is Princeton Int’l’s 10th year of exploring Princeton’s commitment to studying the world’s most intractable problems. And for the first time in recent history, we must grapple with the fragility of academic freedom, not just in authoritarian strongholds like Russia but at home. This year has brought unprecedented attacks on U.S. democratic institutions and potentially devastating threats to knowledge production via suppression of both speech and research funding. Fortunately, Princeton remains a relative haven for academic freedom and integrity; it has both the leadership and the resources to continue to promote the type of international engagement that is under siege elsewhere. This means global scholarship is more important than ever. 

Growing up in 1980s Communist Romania, I learned that when confronted with a repressive regime, it becomes even more important to build community beyond family and close friends. Such broader networks must be inclusive and deliberate about creating a space where dissenting opinions are tolerated and respectfully debated. Princeton has been that place for many decades, and these troubling times have only strengthened its commitment to building an international community that values academic freedoms above all else. This, after all, is the surest way to preserve a legacy of excellence.