In The News

The Future of Force

Joseph S. Nye February 11, 2015
Security threats have evolved in recent decades, and governments must likewise prepare strategies beyond the use of force to monitor, control insurgent groups that are destabilizing so much of the Middle East and Africa. Joseph Nye of Harvard University who coined the phrase soft power points to a trend pf blurred boundaries between military troops and civilians: “Accelerating this shift is the...

China, Russia and the US Juggle Soft and Hard Power

Alistair Burnett January 8, 2015
Reliance on soft power requires measured patience. Nations want their own way, and the world has seen a marked resurgence in use of hard power, suggests Alistair Burnett, editor of BBC's The World Tonight. The United States intervenes in Iraq and Syria; Russia has annexed Crimea and encourages rebels in eastern Ukraine, while China asserts broad territorial claims in the East and South China...

WWII Celebration Plans by Putin and Xi to Score Points

Stein Tønnesson November 13, 2014
The end of World War II was met with relief and massive infrastructure investment, and some one-time enemies even became close allies. Celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the war’s end may revive old animosities. Presidents of Russia and China are organizing a joint commemoration, and the early planning includes harsh rhetoric. Both countries have agendas. At a time when the West and Japanese...

Silk Road Diplomacy – Twists, Turns and Distorted History

Tansen Sen September 23, 2014
In foreign policy initiatives, China’s leaders promote an idyllic version of the Silk Road network of land and maritime routes stretching from Europe to Asia’s eastern coast, linking diverse cultures in trade. The goal is to link China’s historic and modern roles in promoting peace and prosperity for Asia. But the history of ancient expeditions is complicated, with goals and practices...

The Economics of Ebola

Amara Konneh August 14, 2014
The Ebola threat disrupts daily routines in the four countries where infections are spreading and concern is high in neighboring nations and beyond about doing business or accepting travelers and students from the region. The numbers of infections are small. Meticulous attention to precautionary measures can prevent the spread, but a 60 percent fatality rate is alarming. “The reason this...

All Eyes on Africa

J. Peter Pham August 14, 2014
Disturbing news out of Africa, whether about extremist Boko Haram or the outbreak of Ebola, are aberrations for a young continent eager to grow and innovate. Like China and Europe, the United States is ready to court Africa as signaled by the first US-Africa Leaders Summit, explains J. Peter Pham, director of the Africa Center at the Atlantic Council. “The summit itself underscores the broad...

The Islamic World and the West: Recovering Common History

Nayef Al-Rodhan July 15, 2014
One out of five people in the world are Muslim, and many Europeans express fear about growing numbers of Muslim migrants. “Islam in Europe tends to be viewed as not only a recent, but also a foreign and threatening presence,” explains Nayef Al-Rodhan, University of Oxford philosopher, neuroscientist and geostrategist. “Europe and the Arab-Islamic world have brushed shoulders for centuries, and...