This unit provides students with an in-depth understanding of current political and social issues in Afghanistan, as well as a more general knowledge of contemporary issues related to democratic transition and state-building.
FSI's research on the origins, character and consequences of government institutions spans continents and academic disciplines. The institute’s senior fellows and their colleagues across Stanford examine the principles of public administration and implementation. Their work focuses on how maternal health care is delivered in rural China, how public action can create wealth and eliminate poverty, and why U.S. immigration reform keeps stalling.
FSI’s work includes comparative studies of how institutions help resolve policy and societal issues. Scholars aim to clearly define and make sense of the rule of law, examining how it is invoked and applied around the world.
FSI researchers also investigate government services – trying to understand and measure how they work, whom they serve and how good they are. They assess energy services aimed at helping the poorest people around the world and explore public opinion on torture policies. The Children in Crisis project addresses how child health interventions interact with political reform. Specific research on governance, organizations and security capitalizes on FSI's longstanding interests and looks at how governance and organizational issues affect a nation’s ability to address security and international cooperation.
This unit examines the concept of war crimes—violations of the rules of proper warfare—and how our modern society has prosecuted individuals who commit them.
This unit introduces students to expressions of Buddhism in art in the Japanese context. Lessons on art history, Buddhism, religious institutions, and curatorial practices encourage students to see objects in new ways and to realize that looking and displaying can shape our understanding of the world in significant ways. This unit features art of Ruth & Sherman Lee Institute of Japanese Art at the Clark Center, Hanford, California.
An Introduction to Sovereignty: A Case Study of Taiwan examines the key issue of sovereignty and provides an in-depth look at the unique status of Taiwan among the nations of the world.
This unit introduces students to key elements of Soviet and Russian history through the philosophies and legacies of six of its leaders - Lenin, Stalin, Khrushchev, Gorbachev, Yeltsin, and Putin. Each lesson features a 30-minute lecture about one of the leaders by a 91³Ô¹Ï professor. Activities utilize primary source documents, statistics, political propaganda posters, and quotes.
This unit explores and debates the proper role of the United Nations and the international community during humanitarian crises. Students read recent case studies of Somalia, Bosnia, Eastern Zaire, and Kosovo.
This curriculum unit examines three case studies of ongoing regional wars—Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Kashmir—and one past regional war, Guatemala. Students are introduced to these wars in their historical and global context, as well as in the context of efforts to establish and maintain peace.
This curriculum unit introduces students to health care in general and to comparative health care-related issues between the United States and Japan, specifically.
This unit, based on and including annotated lectures from a 91³Ô¹Ï course, provides students with the background and tools to define terrorism; understand the nature of liberal, democratic societies; evaluate specific counterterrorist measures; and decide on how they think terrorism is best countered.
This unit introduces students to the topics of diasporas, migration, and the role and experience of diasporic communities in the United States. Students learn about five diasporas in the United States-the Armenian, Chinese, Cuban, Irish, and Yoruban- from their development as diasporas to their contemporary identities, roles, and remaining homeland ties.