New video on my Diplomatic Nexus channel:
A compelling conversation with Ambassador Farrukh Khan – a seasoned diplomat with extensive UN experience. We explore the challenges and pressing reforms facing the United Nations, what it means to work within the UN system, and the evolving landscape of multilateral diplomacy.
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Welcome to your brain’s language party!
Picture this:
Your brain is throwing a secret party. The guests are languages from different continents, each dressed and styled in their own unique way. After a ceremonial bow, each one takes its cozy corner in your head, curiously eyeing the DJ who’s warming up. The Eastern beauties—Chinese, Japanese, and Korean—are true artists: vivid and imaginative. Naturally, this creative crowd prefers to hang out in the right hemisphere of the brain, where expressiveness and fantasy reign supreme.
And your brain is totally vibing, floating off somewhere. Pure bliss. Learning a bunch of different languages isn’t just a fun party—it’s a real workout too. Sure, it takes a decent chunk of time (oh well… no, oh my!), but your brain transforms into a genuine superhero with incredible abilities. This superbrain can not only dance and sing folk songs from around the world, but also run fast and jump high like an athlete.
A child’s brain isn’t just a galaxy—it’s the cosmos!
Children’s brains are a whole different story! They’re like superhero sponges that soak up languages easier than we gulp down our morning coffee. A kid growing up in a multilingual family doesn’t even bat an eye at the fact that Dad speaks one language, Mom speaks another, and Grandma speaks a third or even a fifth language. And grandpa might just stay silent in some special language of his own, sparing the world from the uncertainty of his thoughts.
A child’s brain is pure white magic! It juggles grammar and vocabulary like a circus performer, never gets tangled up between languages, and somehow manages to stay incredibly flexible. For children, learning languages isn’t stressful—it’s an adventure! The main things for them are chatting with their parents, exploring the world, and having fun while doing it. And playing while they’re at it. Languages? Pfft, that’s so easy when you’re a bright wizard!
What does the AI era whisper?
However, here emerges an intriguing puzzle of our time. On one hand, artificial intelligence translates faster than lightning and seems poised to send translators into retirement soon. Some even whisper, as if afraid that some Alexa might overhear from around the corner: “Why bother learning languages at all if AI does it better than us?”
And Alexa listens, taking mental notes. But for now, she only speaks when asked. Meanwhile, she’s probably thinking: “But wait a minute! Maybe it’s not just about translation? When your brain throws that language party, it doesn’t just translate words—it thinks differently, feels anew, sees the world through a different lens!”
So we get a dilemma worthy of Sherlock Holmes: trust languages to smart machines or keep training our sometimes lazy brains? Who knows, who knows? Personally, I have absolutely no idea.
With Stanley Krippner and Francis Macy
Shaping Global Leaders: Inside Seton Hall’s School of Diplomacy
Excited to share a video I created highlighting the School of Diplomacy and International Relations at Seton Hall University during my Spring 2025 semester there as the Tom and Ruth Distinguished Visiting Scholar.
The video captures the vibrant academic environment, distinguished faculty, and diverse student community that make this School stand out in international affairs education. I hope it provides insight into the exceptional work being done at Seton Hall in preparing the next generation of diplomatic leaders.
Wrapping up my time at Seton Hall’s School of Diplomacy
As my tenure as the Tom and Ruth Sharkey Distinguished Visiting Scholar at Seton Hall University’s School of Diplomacy and International Relations in New Jersey draws to a close, I reflect on this enriching experience. This photo was taken during the graduation ceremony.
Truth
Truth is never alone, but it is always lonely.
The Skill-Interest Relationship: Mastery Drives Passion
We often excel at what we like, but even more frequently, we grow fond of what we excel at. In essence, our skills shape our interests to a greater extent than our interests determine the development of our skills.
Musings on Bliss and Daily Life
Sometimes you experience pleasure from not writing. At times, you enjoy not talking. Occasionally, you feel delight in not eating, or not drinking, or not breathing. Sometimes, there even flashes a thought about the bliss of complete, final, and irreversible inaction.
But then everything returns to its usual course: you write in haste, talk incoherently, eat indiscriminately, drink hurriedly, breathe mindlessly, and chaotically try not to think about the impending absolutely complete, utterly final, and entirely irreversible inaction.
Prof. Dani Belo on U.S.-Canada Relations
Professor Dani Belo of Webster University (U.S.) has deep ties to the United States and Canada. In our YouTube conversation, he shares his thoughts on the current state of relations between these neighboring countries.
Paul Sharp: The Human Side of Diplomacy
I recently had the privilege of hosting Dr. Paul Sharp on my YouTube channel, Diplomatic Nexus. Dr. Sharp is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Minnesota in Duluth and an Honorary Editor of the Hague Journal of Diplomacy, and is widely recognized as one of the most prominent contemporary scholars in diplomatic studies.
In our wide-ranging discussion, we explored numerous aspects of modern diplomacy, including its human dimensions and understanding diplomacy as a social practice. Dr. Sharp shared insights from his extensive research, including his influential book “Diplomatic Theory of International Relations” (Cambridge University Press, 2009).
Our conversation highlighted how diplomatic interactions extend beyond formal state relationships to encompass complex social and personal dynamics that shape international relations.
For those interested in diplomatic theory and practice, I encourage you to watch our full discussion on my Diplomatic Nexus channel.
Alisher Faizullaev 