From migration, to climate change, to the rise of artificial intelligence, policymakers today face an increasingly complex set of challenges.
Global Affairs Explained: Twenty-First Century Challenges
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Global Affairs Explained: Twenty-First Century Challenges
This course is part of Global Affairs Explained Specialization
Instructor: CFR Education
Included with
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level
Recommended experience
2 weeks to complete
at 10 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
What you'll learn
Describe key twenty-first century global challenges and explain their impacts on global affairs.
Assess the ways in which different twenty-first century challenges are interconnected.
Evaluate the strategies policymakers use to address twenty-first century challenges.
Skills you'll gain
- Cybersecurity
- Public Health
- Policy Analysis
- Policy Development
- Climate Change Mitigation
- Emerging Technologies
- Public Policies
- Environmental Policy
- Immigration Law
- Technology Strategies
- Information Technology
- Climate Change Adaptation
- International Relations
- Sustainable Development
- Economics, Policy, and Social Studies
- Artificial Intelligence
Details to know
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Recently updated!
December 2025
Assessments
6 assignments
Taught in English
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This course is part of the Global Affairs Explained Specialization
When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
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There are 7 modules in this course
In this opening module, we discuss course aims, organization, and measures for assessment. By familiarizing themselves with this introductory material, learners will prepare themselves for success in later, more content-driven modules.
What's included
1 video2 readings1 discussion prompt
Keeping the world healthy is a tall task, especially as the global health landscape evolves. This module explores the global health challenges facing the world today and the efforts to respond to them.
What's included
1 video11 readings1 assignment2 discussion prompts
People have moved across borders throughout history, and today is no different. As migration continues to shape societies around the world, it also raises complex questions for policymakers. This module explores the global landscape of migration and how governments have responded to it.
What's included
1 video12 readings1 assignment2 discussion prompts
Climate change is one of the most urgent problems facing the world in the twenty-first century. And tackling it is far from an easy task. This module explores the fundamentals of climate change, and what humans can do to address it.
What's included
1 video16 readings1 assignment2 discussion prompts
People around the world are living longer, healthier, and more prosperous lives than ever before. Despite that, significant challenges for global development remain. This module explores the evolution of efforts to improve the world—including global infrastructure, education, and health.
What's included
1 video14 readings1 assignment2 discussion prompts
The internet is a defining technology of the twenty-first century. As it has grown it has surfaced new issues of cybersecurity, data privacy, and online rights. Meanwhile, the rapid rise of artificial intelligence poses new challenges and opportunities alike. This module explores how cyberspace has shaped societies and how policymakers have tried to manage it.
What's included
1 video15 readings1 assignment2 discussion prompts
What's included
1 video3 readings1 assignment1 discussion prompt
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Instructor
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Council on Foreign Relations
Council on Foreign Relations
Status: Free TrialCouncil on Foreign Relations
Council on Foreign Relations
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