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RAND's international affairs research comprises a range of cross-cutting issues, including global economies and trade, space and maritime security, diplomacy, global health and education, nation building, and regional security and stability. RAND also analyzes the policies and effectiveness of international organizations such as the UN, NATO, European Union, and ASEAN.

Commentary
The Fight for Sudan Was Inevitable
When conflict in Sudan did not end after the 2005 peace agreement, the international community fell into a familiar pattern of never-ending negotiations. But conflict resolution focused on agreements that split power between armed groups rarely leads to sustainable peace. The effects of such misbegotten efforts are plain to see.
Apr 27, 2023
Report
Weighing Options for Ukraine's Recovery
In making decisions about reconstruction, the Ukrainian people and their government will face trade-offs regarding timelines, prioritization of efforts, leadership, and funding. Understanding these trade-offs can improve their decisions and contribute to the transparency and integrity of the process.
May 2, 2023

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News Release
NATO Steers Towards New Focus on Human Security
Ahead of this week's NATO Summit in Madrid, RAND Europe's Centre for Human Security brought together over forty experts from across military, government, academia, think tanks, and civil society for a seminar to explore the concept of Human Security and its applications at NATO now and in the future.
Jun 24, 2022
News Release
Don't Cut Research Ties with China, Say UK Academics
A new study from the not-for-profit research institute RAND Europe involving more than 80 UK-based academics from a range of disciplines and institutions finds a resounding appetite for continued collaboration with Chinese colleagues, despite acknowledged tension over security concerns.
Jun 22, 2022
News Release
Efforts to Avoid Civilian Casualties in Raqqa, Syria, in 2017 Were Considerable but Insufficient
U.S. strategic choices in the battle to liberate Raqqa, Syria, from ISIS in 2017 likely increased civilian harm despite considerable efforts to avoid civilian casualties by both U.S. and coalition forces.
Mar 31, 2022
News Release
Pentagon Processes on Civilian Casualties Inconsistent, in Need of Reform
Lessons from U.S. military strikes that caused civilian casualties are not shared across the Department of Defense (DoD) in a way that meaningfully reduces future civilian casualties.
Jan 27, 2022
News Release
Traditional U.S. Approaches to Middle East Not Working: Reimagined Strategy Would Lean Less on Massive Arms Sales, More ...
U.S. policies in the Middle East are built on outdated “legacy” aid packages, massive arms sales, and a disproportionate focus on the Iranian threat that fail to advance American interests—or help the region's people—and need to be rethought.
Feb 23, 2021
News Release
Interest in a U.S. Grand Strategy of Restraint May Be Growing, So Advocates Need to Provide More Details
As the Biden Administration takes over, some U.S. policymakers have expressed interest in a new approach to America's role in the world: a realist grand strategy of restraint under which the U.S. would cooperate more with other powers, reduce its forward military presence and end or renegotiate some security commitments.
Jan 22, 2021
News Release
New Game, the First Offered by RAND to Public, Challenges Players to Design Defense Strategies for Uncertain World
The RAND Corporation has released a boxed version of Hedgemony: A Game of Strategic Choices that researchers originally developed to help the Pentagon craft its capstone guidance document, the 2018 National Defense Strategy. It is the first wargame offered by RAND to the public and carries a $250 price tag.
Sep 22, 2020
News Release
China 2050: How the U.S. Should Prepare for an Ascendant China
The United States should prepare for a triumphant or ascending People's Republic of China—scenarios that not only align with current PRC national development trends but also represent the most challenging future scenarios for the U.S. military.
Jul 24, 2020
News Release
Some Asian Nations Reforming Drug Policies; China Unlikely to Curb Fentanyl Exports in Short Term
Strict policies traditionally embraced by Asian nations to discourage illicit drug use are beginning to change, with a few nations adopting alternative approaches while other nations are taking an even harder line against drugs.
May 15, 2019
News Release
U.S. Military Gaps in Funding and Personnel Need Addressing to Deter Global Aggression
A significant gap exists between the stated strategic and defense policies of the United States and the resources and capabilities required to implement those policies successfully.
May 7, 2019
News Release
Nonviolent Ways the United States Could Exploit Russian Vulnerabilities
Russia's use of information warfare and its conventional military arsenal make it a formidable opponent, but the state also has significant weaknesses that could be exploited. A range of nonviolent measures could stress Russia's military, its economy, and the regime's political standing at home and abroad.
Apr 24, 2019
News Release
Unconventional Approaches Could Help Deter Russian Intimidation and Aggression Against the Baltic States
Amid concerns that Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are vulnerable to Russian intimidation and hybrid warfare, a new RAND Corporation report concludes that unconventional defense plans could help deter and counteract Russian aggression.
Apr 15, 2019
News Release
Middle Eastern Communities Can Resist Sectarianism
Middle Eastern communities are generally resilient to the worst sectarian impulses and even communities that experience sectarian strife can recover from it. Indeed, at least at the local level, communities can resist the slide toward sectarianism and promote resilience and cross-sectarian cooperation.
Jan 14, 2019
News Release
A Study of Potential Paths to Korean Unification Recommends Avoiding Approaches Involving Armed Conflict
An examination of nine potential paths to Korean unification recommends actions that the Republic of Korea (ROK, or South Korea) and the United States can take to set the conditions for stable reunification, should the opportunity arise.
Oct 31, 2018
News Release
RAND Europe (EU) Established in Belgium as Not-for-Profit International Association to be 'Focal Point' for RAND's EU Research Activity
RAND Europe recently announced that its co-application with the US-based RAND Corporation to establish an international non-profit association (AISBL) in Belgium, RAND Europe (EU), has been successful after it received the required notarial deed and approval by Royal Decree.
May 22, 2018
News Release
3D Printing Could Disrupt Labor Markets and National Security
While advances in additive manufacturing offer potential breakthroughs in prosthetic arms, jet engine parts, and a host of other products, 3D printing, as it is known, may also disrupt traditional labor markets and exacerbate existing security threats from violent actors.
May 9, 2018
News Release
By 2040, Artificial Intelligence Could Upend Nuclear Stability
Artificial intelligence has the potential to upend the foundations of nuclear deterrence by the year 2040. While AI-controlled doomsday machines are considered unlikely, the hazards of artificial intelligence for nuclear security lie instead in its potential to encourage humans to take potentially apocalyptic risks
Apr 24, 2018
News Release
RAND Study Examines Ways U.S. Can Better Counter Political Warfare
The United States needs to improve the ways it combats adversaries adept at using political warfare tactics to achieve their goals and undermine U.S. interests and allies.
Apr 5, 2018
News Release
To Protect Overseas Interests, China Likely to Rely More on Contractors and Host Nation Forces Than Its Own Military
China is far less likely to involve its military in security activities abroad than has been the case for the United States or for imperial powers of previous centuries. To bolster security for the Belt and Road Initiative and other economic activities abroad, China will instead rely heavily on civilian contractors and host nation-provided forces, with Chinese military and paramilitary forces playing an important but limited role.
Mar 27, 2018
News Release
UK Likely to Be Economically Worse-Off Outside the EU Under Most Plausible Trade Scenarios
The UK economy is likely to suffer under the most probable post-Brexit trade scenarios. Leaving the EU with no deal and operating under World Trade Organization (WTO) rules would lead to the greatest economic loss for the UK, reducing GDP by nearly 5 per cent, or $140 billion, 10 years after Brexit, compared with EU membership.
Dec 12, 2017

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International Affairs

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Emmi Yonekura

Physical Scientist

Emmi Yonekura (she/her) is a physical scientist in the Engineering and Applied Sciences Department at the RAND Corporation. Her recent research focuses on climate change impacts on national security and strategic and operational military readiness. Recently, Yonekura was principal investigator…
Mary Avriette

Assistant Policy Researcher and Ph.D. Candidate, Pardee RAND Graduate School

M. Avriette is a Ph.D. student in the Research, Analysis, and Design stream at the Pardee RAND Graduate School and an assistant policy researcher at RAND. She is an active-duty veterinarian in the U.S. Army. Her research interests include national security, developing-nation economics, zoonoses…

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