A Word from the Editor
The forces of change in global affairs have been transformed in recent years. Private entities, whether they are NGOs, profit-driven corporations or merely individuals, increasingly shape the outcome of international issues. One need not look further than the revolutions sparked by individuals across the Arab world at the beginning of this year as evidence.
The growing influence of these non-state actors leaves many open questions to be addressed. One of the most pertinent of these is whether the motives of these entities are necessarily aligned with the people they impact upon. Indeed, the long-term impact of these diverging motives is a theme that runs through a number of contributions.
This edition is led by several articles that adopt varying approaches to the magazine’s theme. Joel Wing-Lun analyses the public influence of prominent Chinese historian and intellectual Wang Hui, one of the forefathers of China’s ‘New Left’ movement. Joel’s article explores the significance of his scholarship for both Chinese foreign policy and in understanding the political and cultural implications of the continued rise of China. In contrast, Madeleine King looks at the increasing role of leading universities across the world as transnational actors. She hypothesises about the impact that their desire for an increasing corporate presence will have upon the leaders of tomorrow. Finally, as the United States ends an era of manned space expeditions, Ben Brooks questions whether privatised space travel will be able to fill the void.
Beyond these articles, our contributors have examined a wide range of different issues being defined by private sector bodies, including the rise of the medical tourism, the politicisation of news corporations and the role of NGOs in developing nations. Others give analysis of the recent events in South Sudan and the Ivory Coast, as well as the assassination of Osama bin Laden. I would also encourage all readers to visit our online edition, which includes a number of compelling contributions that have not been included in this print edition.
The Sydney Globalist is a chapter of the ever-expanding Global21 network. In this edition, we have welcomed contributions from students from a range of universities across the world. I would encourage all readers of The Sydney Globalist to visit the network and the magazines of other chapters online at www.global21online.org. On a final note, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to our generous sponsors and everyone involved in the production of this edition. Your creativity, vision and commitment makes our magazine possible!
Yours in global affairs,
Andy Thomas, Editor-in-Chief
