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 August 2026. This monthly series highlights our scholars' analyses on pressing policy issues around the globe.

Get recommendations on how health providers and policymakers around the world can plan for how higher temperatures will impact aging populations, and learn from researchers at the Tech Impact and Policy Center (TIP) what the data says about the efficacy so far of Australia's age restriction legislation for teen users of social media.

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

Steering New Dynamics in the Asia-Pacific by Thomas Fingar

Achieving Cyber Risk Resilience: Analyzing Alternative Approaches by Andrew Grotto

Negotiating With Putin, Xi, and the World's Autocrats by Michael McFaul

For Israel, the U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Deal Is a Major Strategic Failure by Or Rabinowitz

Will China Crack Down on Open-Weight Models? by Graham Webster

Why Governing World Models Is AI's Next Big Policy Challenge by Amy Zegart

High temperatures will affect more people in more places than previously thought, pushing health providers and policymakers to find ways of remediating the risks of extreme heat. READ MORE

Three months into Australia's Social Media Minimum Age restrictions, scholars at the Tech Impact and Policy Center discuss what the data says about compliance and user behavior. READ MORE