The Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies is Stanford University’s home for nonpartisan, interdisciplinary research, teaching and policy impact in international affairs.

Welcome to the FSI Policy Roundup for June 2026. This monthly series highlights our scholars' analyses on pressing policy issues around the globe.

Get takeaways on how the United States can compete more effectively with China's innovation capacity, and learn how a team of scholars is using data to better identify and counteract modern slavery and human trafficking in Brazil.

Take a deep dive using the links below, and let us know what you think by replying to this email.

The Strange Defeat of Nuclear Deterrence and the Coming Crisis in Strategic Stability by Rose Gottemoeller

Unexpected Tricks That Work to Reduce Polarization by Saumitra Jha

India Will Not Become Another China by Dinsha Mistree

Washington Steps Back from Russia-Ukraine Mediation, and It’s Not a Bad Thing by Steven Pifer

The JCPOA Was Flawed, But it Bought Time; A New Deal Should Aim Higher by Or Rabinowitz

DeepSeek AI and the Great Talent Competition by Amy Zegart

Frameworks for assessing China’s innovative capacity often underestimate it, and the consequences of that blind spot are growing, caution scholars at SCCEI's China Conference. READ MORE

Modern slavery is ubiquitous around the globe, but Grant Miller and colleagues are bringing data and cross-disciplinary expertise together to combat human trafficking in Brazil. READ MORE