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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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Journal Article
Written Evidence Submitted by RAND Europe: ARC0008 The Evolving Security Environment in the Arctic
This evidence addresses the Arctic's changing environment, characterised by climate change and militarisation, and its impact on the UK.
Jul 20, 2023
Journal Article
Study on the Factors Influencing the Uptake of EU-funded Security Research Outcomes: Final Report
This study aimed to improve the understanding of the factors that hinder or foster the uptake of the results delivered by the civil security area of the overall EU-funded programme for research and innovation.
Jul 20, 2023
Commentary
ChatGPT Is Creating New Risks for National Security
Large language models like ChatGPT and Claude offer a wide range of beneficial applications. But there are significant risks associated with their use that demand a coordinated effort among partner nations to forge a solid, integrated defense against the threat of malign information operations.
Jul 20, 2023
Commentary
Fighting in Sudan Is Creating a Rift Among U.S. Security Partners
While the national security community often focuses on strategic competition between the United States and its near-peer adversaries, the conflict in Sudan is a good reminder that regional powers are also engaged in competition for influence and resources.
Jul 20, 2023
Commentary
Making Military Aid Work
Security cooperation and military aid efforts can fail, but they can also exceed expectations and provide strategic benefits. Ukraine appears to be one such success. For a relatively modest investment between 2014 and 2021, the United States has reaped a substantial gain in terms of Ukraine's military capacity and efficacy.
Jul 17, 2023
Blog
NATO Summit, Russia's Failures in Ukraine, Vietnam Bans 'Barbie': RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the NATO summit in Vilnius, Russia’s repeated missteps in Ukraine, why America's superintendents are so stressed, and more.
Jul 14, 2023
Multimedia
Navigating Governance in a New Space Era
Senior policy researcher and RAND's Space Enterprise Initiative lead, Bruce McClintock, provides a detailed overview of the current challenges and opportunities in space, as well as the need for governance in this new space era.
Jul 14, 2023
Report
Great-Power Competition and Conflict in Africa
This report explores the potential for competition and conflict among the United States, China, and Russia in Africa; where and why competition might turn into conflict; what form that conflict might take; and the implications for the United States.
Jul 13, 2023
Report
Preparing for Great-Power Conflict
The U.S. and Chinese militaries have each been shaped by a distinct set of experiences. How have these experiences affected the way both forces prepare for a potential major-power conflict?
Jul 12, 2023
Report
Educating and Training the Department of Defense Workforce for Global Health Engagement to Support the Geographic Combatant Commands
The authors (1) analyze the elements of global health engagement (GHE) education and training (E&T), (2) develop and evaluate options for improving GHE E&T, and (3) present an integrated and sequenced set of E&T recommendations for the GHE community.
Jul 11, 2023
Report
Funding Global Health Engagement to Support the Geographic Combatant Commands
The authors identify the evolving global health engagement (GHE) priorities of five of the six geographic commands and the challenges they face supporting their combatant command objectives with current funding sources for GHE activities.
Jul 11, 2023
Report
Assessing Technology Platforms for Global Health Engagement to Support Integration of Efforts Across Geographic Combatant Commands
The authors assess the technology and process requirements to support the life cycle of global health engagement (GHE) activities and assessments — from planning to evaluation — and the information- and knowledge-sharing needs of the GHE community.
Jul 11, 2023
Commentary
The War in Ukraine—Whose Quagmire?
Ukraine faces new perils. Not because of anything happening on the battlefield, but because Western impatience could force Ukraine into the spot it least wants to be in: at the negotiating table with Russia. Or, worse, not at the table where its future may be decided.
Jul 11, 2023
Commentary
NATO's Vilnius Summit Holds the Key for Ukraine's Reconstruction
Repelling Russia's invasion will be top of mind at the NATO summit in Vilnius. But longer-term security decisions may be even more important to Ukraine's future, after the fighting stops.
Jul 11, 2023
Commentary
Russia's War in Ukraine Could Reshape the Global Arms Market in Favor of China
The war in Ukraine is straining Russia's defense production, which is having downstream effects on Moscow's ability to export arms. China has the opportunity, the incentive, and the capacity to gain from Russia's losses. As Russia relinquishes more of its share of the global arms market, there is not much standing in the way of China's success.
Jul 10, 2023
Commentary
Is the Warning Clock on Our National Defense Running Out?
The United States has never invoked a ten-year rule regarding preparations for long-term military competition with China, as Great Britain did after World War I. But there have been times when the United States has behaved as if such a rule were in place.
Jul 10, 2023
Commentary
India Is Becoming a Power in Southeast Asia
The moment has been long in coming, but India is turning into a strategic actor in Southeast Asia. Even though the United States and its Asian treaty allies are not involved, India's moves raise the tantalizing possibility that it will increasingly complement the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy to counter China in the coming years.
Jul 10, 2023
Commentary
Yemen's Year-Long Truce Creates Opportunities for Durable Peace
The truce in Yemen does not represent a comprehensive peace, but it does offer a path to ending the civil war for good. Going forward, an inclusive political process—one that includes all parts of Yemeni society, including women, civil society groups, and youth—will be critical.
Jul 10, 2023
Journal Article
Minimum Health and Safety Requirements for the Protection of Mental Health in the Workplace
This study provides a comparative analysis of legislation regarding psychosocial risks in the workplace and best practices in EU Member States, and makes recommendations for how the EU can best support Member States in this area.
Jul 6, 2023
Report
Overcoming Barriers to Working with Highly Capable Allies and Partners in the Air, Space, and Cyber Domains: An Exploratory Analysis
In this report, the authors consider how the United States can enhance engagement with highly capable allies and partners to improve interoperability by identifying some of the main barriers to security cooperation with these countries.
Jul 5, 2023

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RAND Topic:
International Affairs

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Thomas Van Bibber

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

Thomas Van Bibber is an assistant policy researcher at RAND and an M.Phil. student at Pardee RAND Graduate School. He has a B.A. from Duke University, where he studied public policy and physics. Prior to joining Pardee RAND, he was an associate in the private sector, providing data-driven…
Paul Schaffner

Policy Analyst

Paul Schaffner (he/him) is a policy analyst in the RAND Corporation's Washington DC office. Prior to joining RAND, Schaffner spent eight years in the U.S. Marine Corps, most recently in the 3rd Radio Battalion, III Marine Expeditionary Force. He deployed overseas as a communications maintenance…

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