Masthead & Editor's Note: Fall 2025
Leadership
Editor-In-Chief: Dan Kent
Managing Editor: Sharon Chen
Lead Content Editor: Dan Hogestyn
Lead Copy Editor: Austin Blanton
Operations Director: Tamari Dzotsenidze
Communications Director: Jorge Arroyave
Director of Special Projects: Kevin Chen
Editors
Content Editors: Alexandra Helfgott, Catherine Dai, Gabriel Falk, Lisa de Rafols, Michael Henry, Richard Ulbricht, Vincient Arnold
Copy Editors: Hekmat Aboukhater, Jacob Coughlin, Michael Iwuoha, Rachel Lee, Rafael Gonzalez, Sarah Cheung
Editorial Flex Pool: Emily D’Arco, Jonas Nepozitek
Editor’s Note
John Stuart Mill, in The Spirit of the Age, wrote that “the first of the leading peculiarities of the present age is that it is an age of transition.” While he was speaking of “old institutions and old doctrines” being questioned by an unruly public, his words seem no less true today than they did in 1831. Rather than monarchies and monied classes falling to revolution, however, we face a different kind of societal transformation altogether: the reformation of world order itself.
Great power competition between a rising China and a defiant America continues unabated. Technological innovation, from artificial intelligence to cryptocurrency to a new space race, is reshaping economies and altering our future in unpredictable ways. Democracy around the world is in freefall as autocracies grow in number and solidify their power. The physical toll of climate change is now felt in the lives of millions, rather than merely a forecast of future dangers. Political parties have dramatically realigned in the wake of cultural upheaval, leading to razor-thin election outcomes.
Where these trends lead us, what we are transitioning toward, and what our “old institutions and old doctrines” become are still deeply unsettled questions.
In the midst of this uncertainty, we hope the Yale Journal of International Affairs (YJIA) Fall 2025 Issue begins to bring some clarity. From nuclear energy to women’s rights movements, guardrails in space policy to the effect of climate change in Vanuatu, the first issue of our twenty-first volume grapples with the moment’s complexity at both the micro and macro levels. With actionable policy recommendations and rigorous analysis, this issue draws on the diverse global affairs discipline to promote positive change around the world.
Organizationally, the Yale Journal enters its 21st year stronger than ever. We received more submissions for consideration in this fall’s issue than in any year prior. We are expanding our digital communications, revamping our editorial operations, and engaging in other new strategic projects. As editor in chief, I am so proud of the work of our editorial and operations teams to execute this vision, and grateful to our wonderful authors for trusting us with their intellectual contributions. Their collective work is what makes this scholarly project possible. I especially want to thank Sharon Chen (MBA 2026) for her Herculean efforts to make this Fall 2025 issue happen. She is a peerless leader who we are lucky to have on the YJIA team.
I hope these pieces bring conversation, nuance, and understanding to the complex constellation of challenges facing our world.
Dan Kent
Editor-in-Chief