UC Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation

In the second episode of our new podcast miniseries, Georgia Kernell is joined by professors Ben Bishin and Jennifer Merolla at UC Riverside for a closer look at how group identities shape voters’ attitudes and behaviors at the ballot box. Listen now: ucigcc.org/podcast/unde...

The IGCC team is thrilled to be in Washington, D.C. this week, connecting with our network and hosting a special re-launch event for @currenthistory1.bsky.social, a current affairs magazine now under IGCC editorial management. Follow along for updates from our nation's capital!

In our latest policy brief, IGCC director Tai Ming Cheung analyzes the new bello-economics age in which states are preparing for war not only by readying their armed forces, but also by pursuing whole-of-nation efforts to fortify and militarize their economies: ucigcc.org/publication/...

New on Talking Policy, the first episode of our podcast miniseries all about American elections. Guest host Georgia Kernell is joined by Stuart Soroka and Lynn Vavreck of UCLA to discuss the media environment surrounding the U.S. electoral system. Listen now: ucigcc.org/podcast/unde...

In a new Alumni Confidential interview, 2013-14 IGCC dissertation fellow Cameran Ashraf, now head of human rights at the Wikimedia Foundation, reflects on why the challenges to human rights today are so different from the past, and offers his advice to future scholars: ucigcc.org/alumni-confi...

History and domestic politics have long constrained military cooperation between South Korea and Japan. Yet their armed forces are quietly forging closer ties—a shift with important security implications for the region. Read more in our latest blog post from Jung Jae Kwon: ucigcc.org/blog/the-qui...

On a new episode of our Talking Policy podcast, host Lindsay Shingler is joined by Rebecca Best and Lindsay Cohn to discuss the rising strains in civil-military relations in the United States and other democracies: ucigcc.org/podcast/the-...

Please join us in welcoming ten new dissertation fellows and two new postdoctoral fellows to IGCC! Read more about our fellowship programs, and get to know the newest IGCC scholars on our website here: ucigcc.org/news/igcc-we...

On a new, special episode of Talking Policy, we hear perspectives from China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States, exploring the critical questions being raised by the shifting geopolitical order in Northeast Asia today: ucigcc.org/podcast/a-se...

The September 2026 issue of Current History is out now, featuring a collection on Civil-Military Relations edited by Rebecca Best. Dive in: online.ucpress.edu/currenthisto...

New research by IGCC Dissertation Fellow Chi Fang (2025-26) evaluates the Trump administration’s “America First Arms Transfer Strategy,” analyzing how and whether it will strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base. Read more in our latest policy brief: lnkd.in/gszxN74w

On the latest Talking Policy, Stephan Haggard speaks with Folashadé Soulé about Africa’s role in the shifting global order, from Pan-Africanism to partnerships with China and other emerging powers. Listen now: ucigcc.org/podcast/afri...

On our blog, IGCC Dissertation Fellow Miki Hayashi (2025-26) examines Trump’s transactional approach to China and its implications for U.S. allies. She argues that countries threatened by China should strengthen their defenses. Read more: ucigcc.org/blog/allies-...

In a new interview, Dawn Murphy speaks with IGCC about China’s growing engagement with the Global South and how Beijing uses regional cooperation and global initiatives to shape the international order. Read more: ucigcc.org/blog/five-qu...

On our blog, Jung Jae Kwon examines whether China, Russia, and North Korea are becoming a more closely aligned strategic bloc and what that means for regional and global security. Read more: ucigcc.org/blog/china-r...

In a new interview on our blog, Christina Cottiero discusses how U.S. retreat from international institutions is creating opportunities for China and Russia to reshape global governance. Read the full interview on our website: ucigcc.org/blog/five-qu...

While Washington and Brussels pause, two Asian democracies are writing the rules that may shape how advanced AI is actually governed. The safety community should be paying far closer attention. Read more: ucigcc.org/blog/for-the...

We're delighted that IGCC research director and Current History senior editor Stephan Haggard sat down to discuss the relaunch of the legendary global affairs journal, Current History,(now managed by IGCC) with Mathilde Fasting on her podcast Liberal Halvtime. Tune in here: civita.no/podcast/how-...

On our blog, former IGCC Dissertation Fellow Jesus Venzor Rojas explores how identitarian rhetoric is reshaping U.S. migration diplomacy following the Trump administration's rejection of the UN Progress Declaration on Migration. Read more: ucigcc.org/blog/how-ide...

On our blog, IGCC postdoc Adi Rao examines how historical base rates and crisis data can improve conflict forecasting, helping policymakers and analysts better distinguish genuine escalation risks from headline-driven speculation. Read more here: ucigcc.org/blog/revenge...

The 2026 NEACD draws to a close today. Over the last two days, participants have discussed how to build trust and mitigate conflict among adversaries and allies in the Asia-Pacific region. Many thanks to our hosts and the IGCC & NEACD leadership who made this year's dialogues a success!

On our blog, IGCC dissertation fellow Roland Ovbiebo writes on the recent rise in mercury pollution as a result of climate change-driven natural disasters, and why international cooperative frameworks are critical preventative measures for further contamination: ucigcc.org/blog/how-cli...

This week, our 2026 Public Policy and Nuclear Threats (PPNT) Boot Camp came to an end, bringing the 22nd year of the program's existence to a close. Learn more about the program and this year's cohort here: ucigcc.org/news/igccs-p...

This afternoon at Public Policy and Nuclear Threats (PPNT) Boot Camp, participants tackled simulations in breakout groups before presenting their solutions. Tonight's reception and closing keynote from Dr. Kim Budil will formally bring this year's event to a close!

The penultimate day of our PPNT Boot Camp was jam-packed with sessions, including morning lectures from Rolf Mowatt-Larssen and Kim Knight on nuclear terrorism and nuclear forensics, and a lunchtime seminar on presidential sole authority over nuclear use led by Linton Brooks.

Today at PPNT Boot Camp, we were pleased to welcome two representatives from Livermore National Lab's Center for Global Security Research (CGSR), Brad Roberts and Michael Albertson. Our thanks to Brad and Mike for sharing their presentations on the Two Peer Problem and Strategic Stability with us!

IGCC is proud to announce our new partnership with @ucpress.bsky.social as editors of Current History, America's oldest journal of contemporary world affairs. Learn more about the journal, IGCC's involvement, and what's inside the first issue here: ucigcc.org/current-hist...

Today's PPNT Boot Camp presentations were focused on understanding global nuclear powers, including the NATO, Chinese, and North Korean nuclear programs. Our thanks to Elaine Bunn, Tong Zhao, Sulgiye Park, and Doug Loverro for sharing their expertise with us!

Our 2026 Public Policy and Nuclear Threats (PPNT) Boot Camp is officially underway! After an opening dinner and keynote lecture from Los Alamos director Thom Mason last night, participants have begun their first full day with lectures from John Scott and Linton Brooks. Stay tuned for more updates!

Can the liberal order survive America's retreat? A new essay from IGCC experts in @jodemocracy.bsky.social examines what the Trump administration's sovereigntist approach means for the multilateral architecture that liberal democracy depends on. Read more: www.journalofdemocracy.org/articles/can...

As the latest heatwave continues to set records across Europe, climate-related disasters are an increasingly existential problem for the continent. Theodoros Ntounias explores the relationship between climate change and public trust in Europe on our blog: ucigcc.org/blog/climate...

IGCC senior fellow Jimmy Goodrich was quoted in the New York Times this week: "The U.S. government should have stronger controls on the export and manufacturing of CPUs for the China market... it is a loophole in the current regulations." Read more here: www.nytimes.com/2026/06/23/t...

In a new episode of Talking Policy, Thom Mason, director of the Los Alamos National Lab, joins us to discuss the shifting world order, the future of nuclear deterrence, and the next generation of nuclear security specialists. Listen now: ucigcc.org/podcast/nucl...

In his latest analysis for our blog, IGCC senior fellow Jimmy Goodrich discusses China's new “AI for Science” national strategy. Guided by government initiatives, Beijing is aggressively deploying AI across multiple fields—but how will it manage risk? Read more here: ucigcc.org/blog/inside-...

In the latest IGCC working paper, John Ahlquist and Theodoros Ntounias of @ucsandiego.bsky.social examine the power and influence of labor unions, ultimately concluding that their preventative and resistant power against threats of democratic backsliding is quite weak: ucigcc.org/publication/...

New research by Prabin Khadka and Linnéa Gelot from Somalia and South Sudan shows that civilians judge peacekeepers not only by protection outcomes, but by whether their actions align with local expectations of effort, responsibility, and commitment: ucigcc.org/publication/...

In a new working paper, Ph.D. candidate Malika Talgatova of University of California, San Diego examines how authoritarian regimes use both traditional and digital forms of information control to maintain political power and social stability: ucigcc.org/publication/...

Read IGCC co-director Tai Ming Cheung explain why there is a critical need for more attention to Chinese scientific research: www.businesstimes.com.sg/opinion-feat...

IGCC recently convened our 2025–26 Postdoctoral Fellows in Washington, D.C. for a dynamic conference showcasing their latest research. From nuclear policy to artificial intelligence and global security, the fellows shared insights on pressing issues. Read more here: ucigcc.org/news/postdoc...

Congrats to our Postdoctoral Fellows in Technology & International Security for standout presentations at the UC–National Labs Fellowship Conference! 👏 Learn more about the IGCC Postdoctoral Fellowship: ucigcc.org/funding/post...

In a new interview on our blog, Associate Professor at Duke University, Rachel Myrick speaks with Stephan Haggard about her new book in which she analyzes how polarization affects foreign policymaking. ucigcc.org/blog/five-qu...

Bangladesh’s 2026 election marked a rare democratic success story. On our blog Fernanda Buril and Erica Shein explore how the right leadership and decisions can reset a nation’s democratic path: ucigcc.org/blog/free-at...

Research shows growing public interest in nuclear power, but support still trails behind technological progress. In this essay, IGCC postdoc Dominic Brennan explores why advances and transparency haven’t translated into stronger public trust: ucigcc.org/publication/...

The public oversight model established during the Internet age has fundamentally shifted as AI firms have sidestepped the public sector, leaving a gap in governance over these new technologies. IGCC postdoc Emily Kim explains in analysis for our blog: ucigcc.org/blog/nobodys...

In recent years, civil liberties have been increasingly curtailed or suspended, even in advanced democracies, for policy purposes. On our blog, Anil Menon and Pawel Charasz ask if this trend will continue as governments attempt to address immigration concerns: ucigcc.org/blog/will-pe...

In his latest contribution for our blog, IGCC researcher James Lee asks of Taiwan, "If war broke out tomorrow, would they have the will and determination to defend themselves?" Read his analysis here: ucigcc.org/blog/does-ta...