The overarching question imparting urgency to this exploration is: Can U.S.-Russian contention in cyberspace cause the two nuclear superpowers to stumble into war? In considering this question we were constantly reminded of recent comments by a prominent U.S. arms control expert: At least as dangerous as the risk of an actual cyberattack, he observed, is cyber operations’ “blurring of the line between peace and war.” Or, as Nye wrote, “in the cyber realm, the difference between a weapon and a non-weapon may come down to a single line of code, or simply the intent of a computer program’s user.”
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International Security
International Security ResearchRSS
Stephen Walt enumerates five lessons that leaders and publics around the world might learn after a year of war in Ukraine.
International Security Experts
Stephen M. Walt
Robert and Renée Belfer Professor of International Affairs; Faculty Chair, International Security Program; Member of the Board, Belfer Center; Faculty Affiliate, Future of Diplomacy Project; Faculty Affiliate, Middle East Initiative
Erica Chenoweth
Frank Stanton Professor of the First Amendment, Harvard Kennedy School; Susan S. and Kenneth L. Wallach Professor, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study; Member of the Board, Belfer Center
Jacqueline L. Hazelton
Executive Editor, International Security Journal; Former Associate, International Security Program, 2000–February 2022; Former Research Fellow, International Security Program, 2009–2011
Diplomacy
Diplomacy ResearchRSS
Immediately after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last month, the U.S. government expelled 13 Russian diplomats working at the United Nations (UN). It did so on the grounds they were Russian intelligence officers or operatives working under diplomatic cover. We do not know details about their alleged activities, but we do know something for certain: the Kremlin has a long history of using the UN for espionage.
Diplomacy Experts
Joseph S. Nye
Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor; Member of the Board, Belfer Center ; Faculty Affiliate, Future of Diplomacy Project
Paula J. Dobriansky
Senior Fellow, Belfer Center; Senior Fellow, Future of Diplomacy Project
Calder Walton
Assistant Director for Research, Intelligence Project; Assistant Director, Applied History Project
Energy & Environment
Energy & Environment ResearchRSS
How can China make good on its pledge to reach carbon neutrality by 2060? In Foundations for a Low-Carbon Energy System in China, a team of experts from China and the United States explains how China's near-term climate and energy policies can affect long-term decarbonization pathways beyond 2030, building the foundations for a smoother and less costly national energy transformation.
Energy & Environment Experts
Henry Lee
Director, Environment and Natural Resources Program; Senior Lecturer in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School; Co-Principal Investigator, Energy Technology Innovation Policy; Member of the Board, Belfer Center; Faculty Affiliate, Middle East Initiative
Halla Hrund Logadóttir
Associate, Arctic Initiative ; Co-Founder, Arctic Initiative
Nicola De Blasio
Senior Fellow, Environment and Natural Resources Program / Science, Technology and Public Policy Program
Science & Technology
Science & Technology ResearchRSS
When it comes to the measures intended to keep us safe from COVID, Bruce Schneier doesn’t have to look very hard for vulnerabilities. But the fact that these measures are flawed is precisely why they’re going to be so helpful in getting us past the pandemic.
Science & Technology Experts
Venkatesh "Venky" Narayanamurti
Benjamin Peirce Professor of Technology and Public Policy, Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Physics, Emeritus; Member of the Board, Belfer Center
Bruce Schneier
Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School; Fellow, Cyber Project
Lauren Zabierek
Former Executive Director, Cyber Project