In our first article, we welcome a team from Harvard and Yale Universities – Brendan Case, Flynn Cratty, Tim Lomas, and Alexander Batson. Their piece The Dance of East and West: A Brief History of an Unstable but Enduring Conceptual Partnershipgives historical insight into the questions above. By endeavouring to “explore variations on the East-West theme throughout six key historical eras: pre-history; the Classical Age; the rise of Christianity; the medieval world; the Enlightenment; and the Cold War”, they off er essential context for any understanding of our titular dichotomy – its origins, its evolution, and its effect on the world we find ourselves in today.