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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
From the Ashes of Hamas-Israel War, Can Economics Drive Peace?
The economic costs of the violence in Gaza threaten Israel's economic future. For the Palestinians, the costs may be so large that they undermine the possibility of an independent Palestinian state. But the magnitude of these economic losses may, paradoxically, forge a new pathway toward peace once the fighting stops.
Nov 28, 2023
Report
National Identity and the Origins of the War in Ukraine
From the 1990s to the 2022 invasion, Russia's manipulation of Ukraine was based on a post-Soviet Russian identity that was hostile to the European project. Meanwhile, Ukraine formed a national identity that was at odds with Russia's, and it grew stronger and more resistant to Russian influence.
Nov 29, 2023

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News Release
RAND Analysis Outlines Possible Further Escalation in Ukraine Conflict, Including Potential for Russian Nuclear Attack
A new RAND Corporation analysis evaluates the potential for further escalation of Putin's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, including the grave prospect of a Russian nuclear attack on Ukraine. A perception that Russian military losses on the battlefield are threatening the security of Putin's regime would provide the most likely trigger for a nuclear attack on Ukrainian territory.
Sep 21, 2023
News Release
Successful Reconstruction of Ukraine Will Depend on Early Action, Bipartisan U.S. Effort, and U.S.-Europe Partnership
Durable Ukrainian reconstruction will require an end to the fighting, but ultimate success hinges on a U.S.-Europe partnership and the establishment of effective post-war security arrangements.
Jun 14, 2023
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

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RAND Topic:
International Affairs

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Sarah Harting

Senior International/Defense Researcher

Sarah Harting is a senior international/defense researcher at RAND, a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School, and directs RAND's Stanton nuclear security fellowship program. Her research focuses on U.S. defense strategy and doctrine, long-term strategic planning, defense technology and…
Nolan Yager

M.Phil. Student, Pardee RAND Graduate School, and Assistant Policy Researcher, RAND

Nolan Yager is an M.Phil. student at Pardee RAND and an assistant policy analyst at RAND. His research interests include national security policy, U.S. Grand Strategy, international relations, gray-zone warfare, cybersecurity, high-value healthcare reform, undersea cables, health policy,…

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