Open Problems on Central Simple Algebras

We provide a survey of past research and a list of open problems regarding central simple algebras and the Brauer group over a field, intended both for experts and for beginners.Comment: v2 has some small revisions to the text. Some items are re-numbered, compared to v

Taking advantage of catastrophes: education privatization reforms in contexts of emergency

Episodes of disaster are powerful triggers of education reform. The sense of urgency and bewilderment associated with catastrophic situations (including natural disaster or armed conflicts) prove a seizable opportunity for education reform advocates, rendering other stakeholders more receptive to drastic interventions. In particular, catastrophic situations are distinctive enablers of privatization and pro-market education reforms in that they allow for a particularly accelerated and drastic advancement of such types of reforms

The power brokers of neoliberalism: Philanthrocapitalists and public education

Since the 1970s business groups have staged the control of education, first in the form of partnerships with schools and universities to support science, math, and technology, and more recently in the form of venture philanthropy. This article examines how these business groups, including the “billionaire boys club” and their mega foundations, have become the power brokers of neoliberalism and have gained influential control over educational policies and other cultural spaces in the United States. Using the strategies of institutional capitalism, these venture philanthropies are using public money to lobby legislators and school districts to enact school choice friendly legislation, expand the proliferation of charter schools, and negatively shape social perceptions about public education