Why this, why now?
Regional approaches can succeed where global agreements falter. They are rooted in specific local contexts and circumstances; they can move more quickly; they are anchored in a deeper understanding of history and culture. Regional coalitions can be more flexible in incorporating actors at multiple scales, including cities, sub-national states, civil society groups, and the private sector.
As a university-wide center under the office of the Provost, the MacMillan Center for International & Area Studies is a hub for researchers from all disciplines at Yale University. The Center is home to seven regional councils that bring together researchers with interests in Africa, East Asia, Europe, Latin America and Iberia, the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Galvanizing the MacMillan Center’s expertise on the major world regions and its collaborative partnerships, the Regional Futures Lab documents, amplifies, visualizes, and publicizes impactful regional approaches to global threats – with particular emphasis on the Global South.
This new effort is intended to accelerate solutions and educate future leaders while creating new pathways to build cross-regional coalitions based on shared challenges. It was established on a foundation of the intellectual assets Yale has to offer while leveraging the MacMillan Center’s network of more than 60 partners around the globe. This future-oriented initiative aims to create a robust feedback loop where policy shapes research, research informs teaching, and teaching equips students with the skills to influence policy. It is a holistic model designed to cultivate a generation of changemakers adept at navigating the complexities of our divided world, equipped with the expertise that comes from a revitalized approach to regional studies.
Current Programs
Building naturally on current research and teaching at Yale, Food and Climate emerged as the topics for pilot phase of the Regional Futures Lab. At the request of Yale faculty and key partners, additional topics under consideration include health, migration, security, and philanthropic collaboration.
This program is open to all researchers at Yale. Additional topics under consideration include:
- Cities
- Health
- Migration
- Security
- Philanthropic collaboration
Global Table
A collaboration between the Yale MacMillan Center, the Yale Schwarzman Center, and Yale Hospitality, Global Table aims to illuminate the connections between sustainability, health, culture, and community. With emphasis on indigenous ingredients and social action, it centers around bringing culinary thought-leaders from around the world to campus connect with students and researchers and share menus that celebrate connections of people and place.
Regional Climate Futures
While global climate negotiations are vital for setting shared priorities in mitigating climate change and adapting to its impacts, regional- and local-scale alliances have the potential to inspire proactive solutions in the context of shared history and geography. Through a series of public conversations, workshops, and classroom collaborations designed to explore the possibility of regional collaboration, we have begun to take stock of effective examples and lessons learned in an effort to showcase.