Stanford CISAC

As global competition intensifies, CFIUS faces rising pressure to protect U.S. innovation. A new report by CISAC’s Andrew Grotto and colleagues outlines steps the administration can take now to strengthen America’s investment-screening system.
cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/gtg/publicat...

Grounded by Red Ink: The Hidden Chokepoint in U.S. Air Force Readiness At sunrise in the Pacific, a fighter jet rolled to the end of the flight line as crew chiefs swarmed in final checks. Everything pointed to “ready.” Then

Aging jets aren’t the real problem. Bureaucracy is.
In a new article for @warontherocks.bsky.social, Air Force National Defense Fellow Austin Gruber breaks down the hidden chokepoint dragging U.S. Air Force readiness into the red.
warontherocks.com/2025/12/grou...

Hope and Despair: The Emotional Response to the War in Ukraine

Next week: "Hope and Despair: The Emotional Response to the War in Ukraine" with Gabrielius Landsbergis and Michael McFaul

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events.stanford.edu/event/hope-a...

US accused of killing Venezuelan drug boat survivors – Trump’s military agenda is based on impunity The Trump administration’s military strategy in Latin America breaches long-established legal rules and norms in three key ways.

A new analysis argues the US killing of survivors from a Venezuelan drug-boat incident reflects a broader pattern of military actions carried out with impunity. CISAC scholar @andrewmbell.bsky.social explains implications for regional stability & international law
theconversation.com/us-accused-o...

Anonymous Online Survey Detection of Political Violence, Social Unrest and

Next week: "Anonymous Online Survey Detection of Political Violence, Social Unrest and Human Rights Violations" with Andrew Shaver

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cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/events/anony...

Hospital massacre caps a long series of attacks on healthcare in war-torn Sudan Almost 500 patients, their relatives and others were killed at al-Fashir's last functioning hospital during the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces' recent takeover of the Sudanese city, the World Healt...

"The attacks on healthcare in al-Fashir, given their repeated and frequent nature, are clear violations," said CISAC professor @tomdannenbaum.bsky.social on the recent hospital massacre in Sudan.
www.reuters.com/world/sudan-...

Book Talk with Michael McFaul | Autocrats vs. Democrats: China, Russia

Next week: "Book Talk with Michael McFaul | Autocrats vs. Democrats: China, Russia, America, and the New Global Disorder"

RSVP here ⤵️
cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/events/book-...

International Panel on Children in War - December 2, 2025 Please circulate the information on this international panel, highlighting researchers and clinicians speaking about Children in War, hosted online. Registration details below.

Happening tomorrow! Tune in to the International Panel on Children in War, bringing together global experts to discuss children in conflict and the future of humanitarian protection. For more information and where to RSVP, click the link below ⤵️

drruthgibson.substack.com/p/internatio...

Lessons From Los Alamos America has the most to lose from restarting nuclear testing.

The story of Los Alamos National Laboratory isn’t just history, it's a warning sign. In his latest for Foreign Affairs, Professor Emeritus Siegfried Hecker exposes the lessons we can’t afford to miss.
www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state...

The deadline to apply for the CISAC fellowship program is almost here! Make sure to have your applications in by December 3rd to be considered for the 2026-2027 academic year.
cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/cisac-fellow...

Finance and Research Administration Manager in Dean of Research, Stanford, California, United States CISAC is seeking an experienced Finance and Research Administration Manager to oversee the Center’s financial and grants portfolio. Reporting to the.....

CISAC is hiring! We are seeking an experienced Finance and Research Administration Manager to oversee the Center’s financial and grants portfolio. This role manages all aspects of CISAC’s financial operations and research administration activities⤵️

careersearch.stanford.edu/jobs/finance...

When it comes to nukes and AI, people are worried about the wrong thing It’s more subtle than Skynet.

Speaking to @voxdotcom.bsky.social, Herb Lin of @stanfordcisac.bsky.social joins other nuclear security experts in explaining what AI use in nuclear enterprise protocols could look like, and whether or not such integrations are beneficial or inherently dangerous. ow.ly/3IKw50Xw7cy

David Relman Awarded the 2025 Barry Prize for Distinguished Intellectual The Barry Prize for Distinguished Intellectual Achievement is the American Academy of Sciences and Letters premier recognition of excellence in scholarship

Please join us in congratulating David Relman for being awarded the 2025 Barry Prize for Distinguished Intellectual Achievement! The award is the American Academy of Sciences and Letters premier recognition of excellence in scholarship.
cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/news/david-r...

YouTube video by Stanford Health Policy Stanford Health Policy Forum: Engineered Threats to Global Health

Health Policy Forum: Watch 🎬 Stanford experts David Relman, MD, and Hank Greely, JD examine the global health risks of engineered pathogens—and how to safeguard the public without curbing synthetic biology’s potential benefits.
@law.stanford.edu @stanfordcisac.bsky.social @hankgreely.bsky.social

Senior Research Scholar & William J. Perry Lecturer in Dean of Research, Stanford, California, United States (Full-time, 3-year fixed term, renewable) Stanford University’s Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC), part of the Freeman Spogli....

CISAC is hiring! We’re seeking a Senior Research Scholar & William J. Perry Lecturer with policy experience and expertise in international, nuclear, deterrence, digital, bio, or environmental security.

Click below to apply and learn more ⤵️
careersearch.stanford.edu/jobs/senior-...

Fellowship Spotlight: Kevin Bustamante CISAC Fellow, Kevin Bustamante, examines how race, hierarchy, and geopolitics intersect in a changing world

How do shifting global power dynamics shape racial hierarchies in world politics? In a new Q&A, CISAC fellow Kevin Bustamante breaks down how structural racism emerges, and why it matters for today’s policy debates.
cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/news/fellows...

Political scientist and former U.S. defense official Colin Kahl has been named the next director of FSI, Stanford’s hub for nonpartisan, interdisciplinary research and teaching in global affairs.

🧵 Here’s how Prof. Kahl's experience will shape FSI’s next chapter:

Examining the Effect of Starlink on Ukrainian Battlefield Performance

Next week: "Examining the Effect of Starlink on Ukrainian Battlefield Performance" with @renardsexton.bsky.social.

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cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/events/exami...

Drones, Drugs, and the Constitution: The New Frontiers of Executive Power | Stanford Law School Since September 2025, the Trump administration has conducted at least nineteen drone strikes against suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbe

Next week: "Drones, Drugs, and the Constitution: The New Frontiers of Executive Power" with CISAC's @htrinkunas.bsky.social and Allen Weiner

RSVP here⤵️
law.stanford.edu/event/drones...

Nuclear Tests and Their Legacy of Harms in Asia-Pacific Nuclear “tests” are best conceptualized as environmental disasters with consequences that are still felt today, particularly in Oceania and Central Asia.

As nuclear tensions rise again, history offers a warning: every “test” left real victims and poisoned lands. CISAC Affiliate, @maximepolleri.bsky.social revisits the lasting consequences of nuclear weapons testing in his latest for @thediplomat.com
thediplomat.com/2025/11/nucl...

How America Failed to Disarm North Korea: The Inside Story | Joel Wit

Next week: "How America Failed to Disarm North Korea: The Inside Story" with Joel Wit

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cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/events/how-a...

The Unforgiving Hour: New Technologies, Old Ideas, and the Fragility of

Next week: "The Unforgiving Hour: New Technologies, Old Ideas, and the Fragility of American Power" with Amy Zegart

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cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/events/unfor...

The US and Russia can lead the way in banning nuclear-armed drones Putin’s surprising call to extend the New Start treaty is a chance for atomic powers to make the world safer

As drones become a ubiquitous part of war, Rose Gottemoeller of @stanfordcisac.bsky.social says steps need to be taken now to prevent them from becoming a new means to deliver nuclear weapons: ow.ly/K7Yx50Xli7a

The War in Ukraine and the Future of Security in Europe

Next week: "The War in Ukraine and the Future of Security in Europe" with Rose Gottemoeller, Colin Kahl and Gabrielius Landsbergis

RSVP here ⤵️
cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/events/war-u...

Don’t miss your chance to apply for a CISAC fellowship! The deadline is December 3.

For more information and where to apply, check out the CISAC Fellowship page ⤵️
cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/cisac-fellow...

Studying the secret world of spycraft Amy Zegart has devoted her career to understanding national security challenges and emerging threats in the digital age.

From an 11-year-old in Kentucky mesmerized by Deng Xiaoping in a cowboy hat to one of the nation’s leading experts on intelligence and technology, CISAC's Amy Zegart turned childhood curiosity into a lifelong calling.
news.stanford.edu/stories/2025...

OUT TODAY!

My new book, Autocrats vs. Democrats, looks at the challenges posed by autocratic Russia and China and explains how/why the U.S. must lead the democratic world in response.

In stores and online: www.harpercollins.com/products/autocrats-vs-democrats-michael-mcfaul?variant=43731712606242

This week | Oct. 30, 3:30pm PT
"What’s Next in the Iran-Israel Nuclear Conflict" with Siegfried Hecker, Abbas Milani, and Or Rabinowitz.

RSVP here ⤵️
cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/events/whats...

🗓️Save the date | Nov. 6, 9:00am PT
The 4th Annual Geopolitics of Technology in East Asia Conference is right around the corner!

RSVP to save your spot today⤵️
cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/events/4th-a...