Rafiq Dossani

One More Chance for COP Reform

The 28th U.N.-sponsored Conference of the Parties (COP) on climate change looks set to be a replay of earlier COPs. The consistent shortfall in achieving climate goals has meant that the parties to COP discuss the same items year after year. Perhaps it is time for COP to take a new look at its own decisionmaking process?

Is There a Future for Multilateralism?

The rise in the use of informal arrangements and the proliferation in the use of regional arrangements have weakened multilateral institutions. Multilateralism's failure, if it happens, could raise significant challenges on how to address global public issues.

The Biden-Moon Meetings: Much Ado About Something?

The May summit meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and South Korean President Moon Jae-in elicited a wide range of opinion about its value. With diplomacy-first progressives in power simultaneously in both nations for the first time in two decades, even subtle gains may be significant.

Stabilizing China-India Relations in 2021: Is This Possible?

China-India relations seem to be at their lowest point in decades. The Ladakh confrontation is fraught with the risk of escalation. But both countries have much to gain from a compromise. Leadership on both sides could help by focusing on the long-term gains in a spirit of give-and-take.

COVID-19 Options for 2021

The disorganized public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States helped ensure that the nation led the world in infections nearly from the beginning of the pandemic. With vaccines now becoming available, are we over the problem? Not necessarily.

Demystifying the Belt and Road Initiative

Under the Belt and Road Initiative, China works with more than 70 countries to design and implement large infrastructure projects. Why are countries of all stripes turning to China for funding when the world is awash with cash?

Economic Development: A Recipe for Social Cohesion in India

Given the staggering economic challenges that need attention, how might India refocus its attention away from sectarian divides to economic development? While there is no easy answer, focusing on inclusive growth and development might offer one potential route.

City Diplomacy Has Been on the Rise. Policies Are Finally Catching Up

Cities are not signing international treaties, nor do they have embassies around the world. But they can engage in all kinds of negotiations, reach agreements, and influence world politics. The State Department could tap into this power to enhance U.S. diplomacy, global image, and influence.

India and Kashmir, Now One

In a legally risky move that's already having consequences on the ground, the Modi government scrapped the part of the Indian constitution that gave Jammu and Kashmir special autonomous status. How consequential is this? And how should the international community react?

Modi Fans Nationalist Flames, Cruises to Victory in Indian Elections

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 2019 victory was a much greater achievement than his equally unexpected victory five years ago. Recognizing his weak position on economic and social issues, Modi shifted his campaign to a nationalist plank, and his party won overwhelmingly even in states where it lost elections just six months prior.

Engagement with North Korea: Small Steps May Matter More Than Big Ones

Kim Jong-Un has said he wants North Korea to become a normal country. Agreeing to a series of short-term measures could reveal his truthfulness as much as large measures could. This could also pave the way to eventually achieving the larger goals.

The Trump-Xi Meeting at G-20: Kicking the Can Down the Road

Much was expected of the discussion at the 2018 G-20 meeting in Buenos Aires between the United States and China on their ongoing trade war. However, nothing of significance emerged. With signs of a global economic slowdown surfacing earlier than expected, the failed outcomes of this meeting could come back to haunt world leaders.

New Pakistan, Old Challenges

While the United States has been voicing concerns about the destabilizing potential of China's Belt and Road Initiative, Pakistan needs the economic stability that initiative could bring. As long as Pakistan remains a poor country, its democracy will be at risk.

The U.S.-China Trade War: Different Messages

The trade war between the United States and China began with the notification of tariffs on $34 billion of traded goods on each side. Officials on both sides of the Pacific are using different messages to convey the dispute. What are the real impacts likely to be?

Politics in India—Not Business as Usual

India's ruling party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has suffered recent, self-inflicted electoral setbacks. But it is still the best-organized and richest political party in the country. Can opposing alliances defeat the BJP?

Do States Need Their Own Trade Policies?

Now would not be the first time California's business and trade interests haven't aligned with those of Washington. While it's the federal government, not California, that sets American trade policy, there are steps those in California could consider in order to optimize for trade opportunities abroad.

China's Field of Dreams in Pakistan

China is four years into joint planning and construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a vast economic development package. Beneath the surface, Beijing is testing a new "build it and they will come" model for delivering economic development and foreign aid.

The Driving Force Behind China's Ambitious 'Belt and Road Initiative'

By committing trillions of dollars to infrastructure projects across 60 countries, China could transform the lagging economies of the region and place itself in the enviable position of being Asia's true pivot. But the new Silk Road blueprint presents risks as well as benefits.

Is College Worth the Expense? Yes, It Is

Many American students struggle with the soaring cost of higher education. And for many college students, debt can have severe negative implications. But on balance, the benefits of a college degree appear to outweigh the costs.

Could the Kashmir Standoff Trigger Nuclear War?

Militants trained in Pakistan have been raiding the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir for over a quarter of a century, but the recent attack was the deadliest in years. A short-term return to peace remains uncertain and the longer term is even harder to predict.

Judgment on the South China Sea: What's Next?

On July 12, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in favor of the Philippines' claims to maritime entitlements in the South China Sea. How China reacts could have far-reaching consequences for all nations that depend on a peaceful and integrated Southeast Asia.

Integrating STEM Learning in Early Childhood Education

Young children can understand concepts in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and early development of STEM skills seems to support learning later in life. But an effective teaching system is needed before STEM learning can be fully integrated into early childhood education.

Aging in Asia: Can the 'Tigers' Continue to Roar?

Changing demographics will force Japan and the “Asian Tigers” — Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan — to find ways to remain economically dynamic while increasingly looking after their elderly. How might public policy help accomplish this?

In Sri Lanka, Elections Could Signal New Opportunities

With the inauguration of President Maithripala Sirisena in Sri Lanka, both the United States and India have an opportunity to influence reconciliation between the country's Tamils and Sinhalese. But if that influence is used unwisely, the result may be the same sort of aggressive Sinhalese nationalism that propelled Mahinda Rajapaksa to power a decade ago.

College Ratings and Affordable Education

There are reasons to believe American students from the middle- and lower-income tiers aren't making affordable college choices. Can a new ratings system help them make better, more affordable decisions?

Helping Teachers Overcome Technology Barriers in Early Childhood Education

When it comes to helping children appreciate the benefits of using technology in a classroom setting, early childhood education providers play a critical role integrating that technology appropriately, intentionally, and productively. But these educators face myriad barriers to fulfilling these roles.

Access to Technology Is Key to Early Childhood Education

For children from all income classes to benefit from the proper use of technology in early childhood education, providers, families, and children themselves must have access to an adequate technology infrastructure, including devices, connectivity, and software.

The Role of Technology in the Lives of Children

On a typical day, children ages 3-5 spend an average of four hours with technology, and technology use is increasing among children of all ages. Debates about the role of technology in early childhood education are ongoing, with some providers, parents, and others yet to be convinced of its potential benefits.

India Votes — and What It Might Mean for the United States

If elected, Modi could turn out to be the politician that India's Congress accuses him of being, focusing on an internal agenda that discourages foreign engagement. The U.S. would no doubt prefer that he follow the economic course he charted in Gujarat.

Instead of Promoting STEM Education Indiscriminately, Try This

With all the evidence demonstrating the importance of STEM education for success in the 21st century, well-intentioned policymakers may be tempted to indiscriminately promote all STEM curricula, across all levels of education. But unpacking what STEM really means reveals the need for a more nuanced approach.

Four Issues That RUSA's Plans for Research Universities Ought To Address

The Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan, or National Higher Education Mission, is the key implementing initiative of the Indian government's 12th Five Year Plan for higher education. It promotes three policy priorities in higher education — equity, expansion, and excellence.

What to Make of P-TECH Schools

There is no doubting the viability of STEM skills in the 21st century job market and the long-term benefits of going to college. But the P-TECH program could be promising for two reasons that have nothing to do with technology.

India Embraces MOOCs, but What If It Is a 'Lousy Product'?

One hundred engineering colleges around India will rely heavily on virtual instruction under a new program. Given the amount India is investing, it is important to make the best possible use of the complex and evolving Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) model.

Making Colleges More Affordable

President Obama has released a plan to make colleges more affordable for the middle class. The plan calls for linking federal student aid to college performance, capping student loans at 10% of income, and incentivizing innovative instructional approaches to cut costs and improve quality.

The Cost of Higher Education: The Big Picture

According to Secretary of Education Arnie Duncan, tuition is becoming less affordable because institutions are not performance-oriented and thus do not use their funding wisely. But would a more efficient system really bring measurable reductions in tuition costs?

Increase Funds for Quality

In India, perhaps if the funds that are needed are put in with the help of philanthropists like Shiv Nadar, Azim Premji or Rajendra Pawar, it may be possible to build world class universities, writes Rafiq Dossani.

Report

Conference Proceedings on Indian and U.S. Security Cooperation: Defense Production, Indo-Pacific Region, and Afghanistan

A two-day conference explored Indian and U.S. views on security across the Indo-Pacific, informed by six papers discussing bilateral security cooperation, Russian arms sales to India, and the challenges posed by China to regional security.

Journal Article

Effect of Child Benefit Payments on Child Outcome Expenditures in South Korea

Using longitudinal data, Korea's child benefit programs are shown to generate positive child outcome expenditures. The effects are higher for lower- and middle-income families, suggesting that policy should target income groups.

Report

Public Health and Soft Power: The Republic of Korea's Initial COVID-19 Response and Its Implications for Health Diplomacy

The Republic of Korea's successful proactive response to the coronavirus 2019 pandemic has received global attention. How might the nation leverage this success to demonstrate soft power and help build a strong alliance for global health security?

Report

Democracy in the Asia-Pacific Region

In this report, RAND researchers study democratization and the factors that influence it among small Asian states, identify policies that can support democratization, and examine how external actors can help countries democratize.

Report

Implementing China's Grand Strategy in Asia Through Institutions: An Exploratory Analysis

In this report, the authors review the literature on China's grand strategy and discuss China's use of institutions in implementing its grand strategy toward Asian nations of interest to China, including the countries of the Korean Peninsula.

Report

Engagement with North Korea: A Portfolio-Based Approach to Diplomacy

Following the failure of recent efforts by the United States to engage North Korea in denuclearization negotiations, the author proposed and tested an approach to negotiations, the portfolio method, that addresses the reasons for past failures.

Journal Article

Addressing Impact Evaluation Gaps in Belt and Road Initiative Projects in Africa: The Standard Gauge Railway Project in Kenya as a Proof of Concept

Proposing new directions for evaluation framework development targeting the Belt and Road Initiative projects, using the Standard Gauge Railway project in Kenya as a proof of concept of our proposed evaluation framework.

Draft

Demystifying the Belt and Road Initiative: A Clarification of its Key Features, Objectives and Impacts

This report describes the Belt and Road Initiative's common criticisms, defining characteristics, and externalities, and the authors explore implications for policymakers.

Journal Article

Trade Relations Between Taiwan and South Asia Under the New Southbound Policy

This paper provides an assessment of Taiwan's global status as an economy, to discover where its global comparative advantages lie, then assesses its economic relations with South Asia.

Report

Supporting the Development of a Vision and Strategic Plan for Zhejiang University's Academic Medical Center (为浙江大学学术型医学中心制定愿景与战略规划): Chinese Translation (simplified characters)

This is a Chinese translation of a report that identifies and assesses potential models of organization to help achieve the goals of Zhejiang University's academic medical center.

Report

Supporting the Development of a Vision and Strategic Plan for Zhejiang University's Academic Medical Center

This report identifies and assesses potential models of organization to help achieve the goals of Zhejiang University's academic medical center.

Report

Using Technology to Promote Postsecondary Success and Savings: An Evaluation of the University of Texas at Tyler's PATSS Initiative

The University of Texas at Tyler has adopted a class format that allows for both online and in-person instruction. This research measures the impact of this format and offers recommendations for its continued implementation.

Journal Article

Conservation Geopolitics: Envisioning the Future of the 'Belt & Road Initiative' in the Mountains of Central Asia

China's Belt and Road Initiative offers Central Asia opportunity for rapid economic development through transport corridors. For such development to be sustainable, policy needs to focus on critical goals such as climate action and water resilience.

Journal Article

The Services Sector in India

Article shows that India's services sector has remained low value-added for years. It recommends that value-added services be linked to the manufacturing sector through public policy to enhance the contribution of services to economic growth.

Report

U.S. Policy in Asia — Perspectives for the Future: Proceedings from a RAND Corporation Conference in Early 2017

These conference proceedings explore the arenas of U.S.--Asia engagement, provide an understanding of the outcomes of past interaction, and make the case for the terms of future engagement.

Journal Article

Promoting the Sustainable Development of Transport and Economic Corridors Under the Belt and Road Initiative

We show in this paper that corridor developments historically began with transport linkages that were intended to facilitate development along intra-national routes.

Report

Wanxiang Innovation Energy Fusion City: Recommendations for Developing an Innovation Cluster

RAND authors develop a mission statement and recommend policies to help achieve the Wanxiang Group's vision of developing the Wanxiang Innovation Energy Fusion City into an innovative cluster built around smart and green automotive technologies.

Report

Maritime Issues in the East and South China Seas: Summary of a Conference Held January 12–13, 2016

This conference summary presents key insights from a January 2016 conference focusing on maritime disputes in the East and South China Seas.

Report

Families, Powered On: Improving Family Engagement in Early Childhood Education Through Technology

The authors describe barriers that hinder family engagement in early childhood education and ways technology might help -- empowering families to become better educators at home, and strengthening connection and communication between school and home.

Report

Getting Early Childhood Educators Up and Running: Creating Strong Technology Curators, Facilitators, Guides, and Users

The authors describe efforts that might be helpful in creating confident, knowledgeable providers of early childhood education who can help ensure appropriate, intentional, and productive use of technology among young children.

Report

The Power of Innovation to Drive Inclusive Growth: Proceeds from the 2014 L.A. Policy Symposium

Video of the 8th Annual L.A. Policy Symposium,

Report

How Much and What Kind? Identifying an Adequate Technology Infrastructure for Early Childhood Education

The authors examine how stakeholders might collaborate to (1) define what constitutes an adequate technology architecture for the purposes of addressing the digital divide in early childhood education and (2) help ensure that it is realized.

Report

Moving Beyond Screen Time: Redefining Developmentally Appropriate Technology Use in Early Childhood Education

The authors challenge the traditional emphasis on screen time as a measure of "developmentally appropriate" technology use by young children and discuss how to move toward a more comprehensive definition.

Report

Getting on the Same Page: Identifying Goals for Technology Use in Early Childhood Education

Technology use among young children is on the rise, but technology's role in early childhood education (ECE) is still in debate. The authors offer ways to move past that debate and identify several potential core goals to guide technology use in ECE.

Commentary

Using Early Childhood Education to Bridge the Digital Divide

Many low-income children lack the same access to technology as their more-advantaged peers. This Perspective explores the role of early childhood education in ensuring that low-income children can access technology and learn how to use it.

Report

Building the Links Between Funding and Quality in Higher Education: India's Challenge

Reviews India's and other countries' higher education systems and suggests seven policy actions that the Indian national government and other stakeholders can take to improve higher education by linking funding to quality.

Research Brief

Linking Funding and Quality to Improve Higher Education in India

RAND researchers developed a course of action to help India implement policies and reforms that link higher education quality to funding to increase accountability, encourage greater innovation, and contribute to national goals.