What Will be the Biggest Global Issue of 2021?
Last year was inarguably dominated by the global coronavirus pandemic that continues to ravage the world in 2021. However, as looking forward to the rest of the year, we are still left wondering what the biggest global issue of this year will be.
This was the question posted to faculty at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University as part of the #GlobalIssue2021 social media campaign. Faculty weighed in with their thoughts, discussing a range of issues from addressing climate change, combating societal disinformation, and – of course – eradicating COVID-19. This campaign follows our survey of Pardee School faculty on a similar question in 2018, 2016, 2015 and 2014.
The pandemic and its rippling societal impacts were top of mind for many of our faculty. Professors Rachel Brulé, Kevin Gallagher, William Grimes, Noora Lori, Perry Mehrling, Adil Najam, Rachel Nolan, and Vivien Schmidt all said COVID-19 will be – in some sense – the biggest issue of the year. Whether it is addressing the health crisis itself or mitigating the ongoing civil and economic damages, the pandemic continues to be top of mind for many of our scholars.
Last year also brought into question many facts about democracy and civil rights that many take for granted. Worldwide protests against police brutality and a tumultuous election season in the United States – capped with a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol – laid bare the inequalities in our society. There is clearly work to be done to ensure justice and equality for all. Professors Brule, Robert Hefner, Timothy Longman, and Nolan made it clear in their responses that addressing systemic inequality is a top priority for the year.
Other prominent issues of note for the year ahead included stopping the spread of disinformation, navigating a new nuclear landscape, combatting climate change, and bringing an end to the era of bitter/finger-pointing diplomacy. Clearly there are many issues to tackle in 2021 beyond COVID-19, and while ending the pandemic remains a global priority, there will still be a myriad of crises to handle once the dust settles.
To view all faculty submissions, search #GlobalIssue2021 on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. If you would like to share your thoughts on this year’s biggest global issue, share it on our Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter with #GlobalIssue2021. Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest insights from our faculty.