PROJECTS
Specialized Project
The US faces many challenges in the Indo-Pacific, headlined by an evolving geopolitical rivalry with China stemming from notable economic, security, and human rights concerns. Yet despite perhaps the most significant strategic rebalancing since the Cold War, the U.S. remains unprepared to adequately confront this challenge as regional allies lack adequate strategic unity. Most concerning is the breakdown in trust and cooperation between Japan and South Korea. The Biden Administration should prioritize a just and comprehensive resolution that promotes deeper trilateral strategic cohesion between the United States, Japan, and South Korea.
Specialized Project
Thirty years after declaring its independence from Somalia, the Republic of Somaliland seems to be strategically positioning itself to make a strong push for international recognition. Though it checks nearly every box for statehood, its pursuit of independence has been largely ignored, leaving the region stable, but isolated and without a voice in international forums and debates. Now, it is combining its track record of self-governance and democratic consolidation with a more shrewd and strategic foreign policy that capitalizes on the geopolitical rivalries that are roiling the Horn of Africa and Red Sea region.
Specialized Project
As Europe looks to take more responsibility for its defense and security, talk of “strategic autonomy” has resurfaced and given rise to a great deal of controversy. How realistic is this foreign policy ambition? This article addresses its surrounding misconceptions, necessity, and feasibility in light of challenges and existing capabilities.
Specialized Project
As the spread of the respiratory virus, COVID-19, began to wreak havoc on the lives of millions of individuals across the globe, women were one of the largest groups disproportionately affected. The gender pay gap is one aspect of the gender gap struggles that women endure everyday and one which has been especially exacerbated during the pandemic. Women make up the largest portion of American jobs lost due to the pandemic and therefore their representation in labor force will decrease. Policy that more directly addresses the gender pay gap is necessary to improve conditions for women in the US and abroad.
Specialized Project
The rise of an ICC chief prosecutor who has levied serious criticisms against the court's past policies calls into question the future of the ICC and International Criminal Law. Karim Khan's demonstrated recognition of the court's fixation on Africa, coupled with his commitments to peacebuilding in the Middle East, indicates that the geographic focus of the court may drastically change and with it the concept of international criminal law as we know it. This piece examines the factors that may lead to such a revolutionary shift.
Specialized Project
The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed more than four million lives to this day, making the global supply and distribution of vaccines critical to the health and safety of all civilians. The project discusses past and current trends in vaccine allocation as well as multilateral initiatives that address issues surrounding the equitable distribution of doses. Furthermore, the project also emphasizes the importance and benefits of vaccine multilateralism over vaccine nationalism in order to meet global vaccination needs.
Specialized Project
Ukraine has made significant progress towards joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) since its independence in 1991. However, significant barriers to Ukraine’s membership prevent it from realizing its Western-facing security aspirations. This paper will assess the main obstacles for Ukrainian entry into NATO. Ukraine suffers from a lack of internal stability and durable institutions which prevent it from meeting membership criteria and degrades its reputation among alliance members. Russian diplomatic, military and informational efforts however, remain the key factors in sabotaging Ukraine’s NATO ambitions.
Specialized Project
As India continues to compete as an international superpower, development across different regions of the nation have reflected the immense growth of the nation. Cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, and Delhi have witnessed the creation of hundreds of new startups and millions of venture capital dollars flowing into their regions. However, Hyderabad (and the greater state of Telangana) has taken numerous steps to create a strong foundation for long-term success, and this can be seen in three key areas: Community & Government Buy-In, A Developing Educational System, and the Creation of Vital Onramps for Development.
Specialized Project
As Joe Biden begins his term as President of the United States, he is left with the question of how to best tackle the dispute between the United States and Iran over the Iranian nuclear program and the JCPOA. To best understand how the Biden administration ought to proceed, it is important to first understand the legal context behind the final actions of the Trump administration and what strategy they wished to pursue.
Specialized Project
The clash of Communism and Capitalism was the theme of the Cold War era, during which brutal civil wars between the two ideologies arose on all major continents, many of which are often accompanied by mass atrocities. Through analyzing the geopolitical implications of the partitioning of Korea, this article examines how a political border drawn by the United States and the Soviet Union resulted in mass killings by both governments on the Korean Peninsula.
Specialized Project
This paper explores three development models and their impact on Ecuador’s development over the past 20 years. COVID-19 presents a huge crisis for the developing country - but also a chance to change. The institutional development model provides middle-ground institutional incrementalism. In a region battered by crisis, will Moreno consider a shift in his neoliberal crusade, or will the country continue to be engulfed in social unrest?
Specialized Project
Though the US is not treaty-bound to come to Taiwan’s defense, Taiwan’s strategic, economic, and political importance has led the US to maintain close relations with Taiwan since the Cold War. However, with the continued rise of Chinese regional power in East Asia, what should the US do if there comes a day when it can no longer defend Taiwan with conventional weapons?
Specialized Project
Since its independence in 1971, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has managed to circumvent many of the obstacles that face other regimes in the Middle East. The Emirati federal system presents an interesting model for federalism in the region. Yet, the UAE benefits from unique circumstances that allow its federalism to act as a stabilizing factor.
Increased Involvement in Peace and Security
A Conversation with Dr. Chantal de Jonge Oudraat and Nadia Crevecouer
This interview is a conversation with Dr. Chantal de Jonge Oudraat, the President of Women in International Security, and Nadia Crevecouer, former Senior Program Assistant. In the interview the two discuss the UN Security Council Resolution 1325, the Women Peace and Security Agenda, as well as UNSCR 2250, the Youth Peace and Security Agenda. Learn more about the intersection between the two agendas and the significance of women and youth involvement in peace and security affairs.
Fasica Mersha
Editor
The Indian Economy: Racing Forward or Holding Back
A Panel with Dr. Deepa Ollapally, Dr. Ajay Chhibber, and Dr. Pradeep Rau
In this talk with a panel of experts, we delve into the factors that have given India great economic growth in recent years, as well as the obstacles that have caused its severe economic challenges today. By analyzing the current state of politics and development on the subcontinent and India’s place in the global market, we will discuss how the Indian economy may evolve in the coming decade. Included on the panel are Deepa Ollapally, Director of Rising Powers Initiative and Associate Director of the Sigur Center for Asian Studies, Ajay Chhibber, Chief Economic Advisor of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the first Director General (Minister of State) of India's Independent Evaluation Organisation, and Pradeep Rau co-author of "India Business: Finding Opportunities in this Big Emerging Market."
Elad Raymond
Moderator
Sana Imam
Videographer