Research Activities

Keeping America Safe: Securing Networks for Critical Sectors

The Center for International Studies and the MIT Internet Research Policy Initiative spent two years with leading industry, academic, and government experts to identify deep weaknesses in critical systems, in how those systems are operated, and in the devices that connect to them. The report, published on March 28, 2017, breaks new ground and charts the pathway to a higher level of security for the nation’s critical systems, 85% percent of which are privately owned.

Secrecy, Surveillance, Privacy, and International Relations

The Center for International Studies convened a distinguished group of scholars and practitioners to address questions pertaining to secrecy, surveillance, privacy rights, and international relations in a workshop at MIT’s Endicott House in April 2015. The work is preserved as a series of papers.

Asian Security Challenges

A report from a two-day conference on “Asian Security Challenges.” The conference was held in New Delhi and cosponsored by the Center and the Delhi Policy Group.

The Liberal Foreign Policy Tradition

The Center, in cooperation with the History and Democracy Project and the US Section of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, convened a one-day meeting at the Wilson Center to explore the liberal tradition in US foreign policy.

Asia-Pacific Crisis Simulations

Organized by Richard Samuels, the Asia-Pacific Crisis Simulations bring together scholars and practitioners from the United States and countries from the Asia-Pacific region.

A New Approach to Iran

In 2009, the New Ideas Fund asked John Tirman to devise problem-solving, diplomatic ideas to address the US-Iran imbroglio. This “white paper” is the result, parts of which were published in periodicals and discussed on National Public Radio.

Iraq: The Human Cost

A website featuring empirical reports, studies, and other accounts that convey and assess the consequences of war for the people of Iraq.