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

This month, explore a new podcast that's investigating the issues on the forefront of healthcare policy — including why the artificial intelligence currently in use in medical settings looks so different than the tech being hyped in the headlines — and read up on strategies that could be used to create sustainable growth at scale in Southeast Asia.

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

Trump-Xi: Why Taiwan Can't Be on the Menu by Larry Diamond

Supervised Machine Learning Enables Identification of People with Untreated Substance Use Disorders Using EHR-like Data by Keith Humphreys

Mitigating the Risks of AI in Nuclear Operations by Herbert Lin

Has NATO Expansion Made Europe Safer? by Michael McFaul

Selection, Stability, and Shock: Political Attitudes of Chinese Students at Home and Abroad by Jennifer Pan

The Most Pro-U.S. Arms Treaty … Likely Won’t Ever Take Effect by Steven Pifer

How does the reality of AI in health care stack up to media hype over agentic AI? Michelle Mello joins Paul Costello on the inaugural episode of the Health Policy Forum podcast to discuss. LISTEN NOW

A new report details six strategies Southeast Asia could employ to achieve more economic growth while still taking into account energy security and environmental sustainability. READ MORE