Education

The 10 TED Talks They Should Have Censored

Some ideas aren't worth spreading.

BY JOSHUA E. KEATING | MAY 17, 2012

The Ravenous Dragon and the Fruits of Adversity

Academic economists usually air their new ideas first in working papers. Here, before the work gets dusty, a quick look at transition policy research in progress.

BY PETER PASSELL | MAY 7, 2012

China's Left Behind Children

Breakneck growth has made China an economic miracle. But will the destruction of families prove to be too high a cost?

BY DEBORAH JIAN LEE, SUSHMA SUBRAMANIAN | MAY 1, 2012

Lying to Tell the Truth

Saving the world is no excuse for fudging the facts.

BY CHRISTIAN CARYL | MAY 1, 2012

Teaching Intolerance

You should see what even first graders have to read in Saudi Arabia.

BY EMAN AL NAFJAN | MAY/JUNE 2012

Back to School

Egyptian and Tunisian classrooms learn to learn in a post-dictator era.

BY URSULA LINDSEY | APRIL 23, 2012

The End of History in the New Libya

The Green Book is gone, but what will replace it?

BY CLARE MORGANA GILLIS | MAY/JUNE 2012

Qaddafi's Classrooms

A tour of textbooks in Libya -- from the musings of the dictator's Green Book to the "democracy pamphlets" that have replaced it.

APRIL 23, 2012

Get an MBA, Save the World

If you want to work in international development, go work for a big, bad multinational company.

BY CHARLES KENNY | MAY/JUNE 2012

It’s Not Just You, America

Economic inequality is today’s hot-button issue -- whether you live in a wealthy country or a poor one.

BY CHRISTIAN CARYL | APRIL 18, 2012

The New Crossroads of History

Ten things you didn't know about Turkey.

BY ANDREW FINKEL | APRIL 9, 2012

Longform's Picks of the Week

The best reads from around the world.

BY MAX LINSKY | MARCH 30, 2012

16 Ways to Fix Burma

On the eve of the country's historic elections, 16 experts give us their prescriptions for the future.

MARCH 30, 2012

Lessons for America from the Global War on Sleaze

When it comes to fighting corruption, it turns out there’s a lot that the U.S. can learn from developing countries.

BY CHRISTIAN CARYL | MARCH 20, 2012

No Teacher Left Behind

The good news is that more kids are in school, and for longer, than ever before. But if we want them to actually learn something, it's time to focus on the teachers.

BY CHARLES KENNY | MARCH 12, 2012

China's Top Party School

At Beijing's Central Party School, it's a lot more Communist platforms than keg stands.

BY DAN LEVIN | MARCH 6, 2012

Mind the Gap

Inequality is an increasing problem around the world. But there are cures.

BY PETER PASSELL | MARCH 1, 2012

Off the Beaten Path

Some of the best economic innovations come from places you wouldn't expect.

BY JEFFREY FRANKEL | FEBRUARY 16, 2012

The Strange Revolution in Bahrain, One Year On

The revolt in little Bahrain is easy to ignore. But it’s actually part of a big global story.

BY CHRISTIAN CARYL | FEBRUARY 14, 2012

There Will Not Be Blood

Across the world, crime is down -- and in a big way. Are violent movies to thank for less real blood and gore?

BY CHARLES KENNY | FEBRUARY 6, 2012

The Little Economy That Could

If you're looking for an unlikely economic success story, you can hardly do better than Mauritius.

BY JEFFREY FRANKEL | FEBRUARY 2, 2012

The Harvard of Hong Kong, and 8 Other Great International Schools

Didn’t get into the college of your dreams? Don’t want to bankrupt your parents? Here’s where to go.

BY LOIS PARSHLEY | JANUARY 31, 2012

The Battle for Bihar

Sleaze still plagues India. But one place is fighting back.

BY SUDIP MAZUMDAR | JANUARY 25, 2012

The Complete Obama

A pre-State of the Union guide to Barack Obama's favorite foreign-policy themes -- and how they've evolved over time.

BY URI FRIEDMAN | JANUARY 24, 2012

Girl Power and the Fragility Trap

Academic economists usually air their new ideas first in working papers. Here, before the work gets dusty, a quick look at transition policy research in progress.

BY PETER PASSELL | JANUARY 20, 2012

Doctors Without Borders

Letting medical professionals and other skilled workers from the developing world emigrate is a good deal for everyone.

BY CHARLES KENNY | OCTOBER 11, 2011

Left Behind

Americans created the knowledge economy. So why can't they keep up with it anymore?

BY MISHAAL AL GERGAWI | NOVEMBER 2011

Hot Teachers

The revolution may have left Tahrir Square, but Egypt's education system is boiling with anger.

BY SHARIF ABDEL KOUDDOUS | SEPTEMBER 21, 2011

Green Shoots in the Killing Fields

Citizens of the Democratic Republic of the Congo believe there's hope for their war-torn country even if no one else does -- and their optimism is starting to get results.

BY CHARLES KENNY | JUNE 20, 2011

The Big Test

Does China's nerve-racking gaokao college-entrance exam really identify the country's best and brightest, or is it even sillier and more unfair than the SAT?

BY CHRISTINA LARSON | JUNE 10, 2011