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Security & Diplomacy

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Small UAVs Will Empower Non-State Actors, Posing New Threats to State Legitimacy

​The low cost and high capabilities provided by advances in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles technology pose a risk to the stability of embattled central governments worldwide. Small and cheap systems can enable non-state actors to strike at unprotected state infrastructure with impunity and would be an effective tool for weakening and delegitimizing embattled governments. 


Commentary by Nikita Nikishin
6/24/2025​
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The AUKUS Deal and Australia’s Unique Role in Strengthening Deterrence in the Indo-Pacific
Commentary by David Baker
6/24/2025
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The State of US-China-Taiwan Relations: A Discussion with Dr. David Bachman
Interview by Nick Tselikov
4/21/2025

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The Future of Poland’s Foreign Policy Under Tusk

With the emergence of Tusk and the retreat of Euroscepticism in Poland, the country is gearing itself to be a regional leader in the new security paradigm instigated by the Ukraine War. 

Commentary by Luke Park & Caleb Chan
5/29/2024

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The Homegrown Threat to U.S. Security

In a conflict-ridden world shaped by dwindling American dominance, the US military-industrial complex needs to be ready for tests that it can’t pass right now. 

Commentary by Jack Such
4/29/2024

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​Transitioning Amongst Chaos: Haiti’s Hope for a Better Future

This policy brief examines Haiti's ongoing humanitarian and political crisis, attributing it to weak governance, gang violence, and ineffective past interventions, and proposes five people-centered strategies to foster a stable future for the country.​

​Policy Recommendation by Raj Kumar
2/1/2023

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ASEAN’s Role in Defining The UK’s
​Indo-Pacific Ambitions


​This policy analysis explores how the UK's strategic ambitions in the Indo-Pacific hinge on deepening diplomatic, economic, and security ties with ASEAN, leveraging historical connections and shared commitments to a rules-based order to counterbalance China's regional influence.​
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Commentary by Max Cheung
1/27/2023

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Interethnic Conflict Lives on in Post-Tigray Ethiopia
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After winning the war in the Tigray Region, Addis Ababa now faces a more-daunting challenge: keeping the peace.
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Commentary by Tam Nguyen
1/24/2023

Mission Statement

Analyzing the foreign policy tools of nations in peace and war

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RESEARCH FOCUS: THE FUTURE OF CONFLICT
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With the Russian Federation's invasion of Ukraine, Europe is experiencing its largest ground war since the Second World War. The conflict has seen the application of new technologies and tactics that underscore the ever-changing nature of war, and which hold immense implications for current and future conflicts elsewhere.

 Below the threshold of kinetic warfare, tensions between the world's great powers in the Indo-Pacific and beyond reveal the diversity of strategy available to nations seeking to advance their security interests. From cyber attacks to grey-zone tactics which skirt the boundaries of actionable hostility, nations face a variety of novel challenges in the pursuit of security. 

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In the 2022-2023 academic year, the Security and Diplomacy group will explore these themes and others in our research. We aim to understand these new trends in technology, tactics, and strategy, and to gain insight into the future of conflict.

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  • Home
  • RESEARCH
    • Economics & Business
    • Security & Diplomacy
    • Human Rights & Development
    • reports
  • EVENTS
  • Strategic Leadership Project
  • About RI
    • Leadership
  • Submissions