Research, learning, and impact
The Ford School is home to or co-sponsor of a growing number of active, multi-disciplinary research centers and initiatives leveraging the knowledge and expertise across the University of Michigan. They serve as a...
With the guidance and support of the Ford School’s research centers, graduate and undergraduate students are creating a real-life impact in a range of areas by working with external partners. The Ford School is deeply integrated with a wide range of...
Over the past few years, deepening ideological and strategic divisions in many parts of the globe have suggested the arrival of a new Cold War.
The coming year may reveal much about this new phase of world politics, with profound diplomatic...
Susan Page, Africa News: "I think the main objective [of the trip] will be to position themselves in relation to China, which is a shame because African countries want to be considered for what they are, not as a battleground between great...
Javed Ali, Newsweek: "The Wagner Group's paramilitary nature and disregard of international human rights and acceptable standards of military conduct also demonstrate the depths Putin's regime will pursue, regardless of the destructive nature of...
Pakistan is facing a multidimensional crisis. Its economy is teetering on collapse due to a possible political crisis, the rupee plummeting and inflation at decades-high levels, devastating floods, and a significant shortage of energy.
Offering...
Javed Ali, TRT World: "I don't think there's any credible effort to engage in peace talks, just based on the nature of the ferocious fighting in the east. It seems like each side is looking to break through against the other in these pockets, but...
The Ford School is pleased to announce an exciting lineup for the winter 2023 Policy Talks @ the Ford School series and other special public events hosted with partners from across campus.
Events are free and open to the public unless otherwise...
In the aftermath of Sunday's riots, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva promises to bring rioters to justice. This morning, he met with Rosa Weber, president of the Supreme Federal Court of Brazil, and other leaders to work "in defense of...
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan vowed on November 20, 2022, that another ground invasion of Syria would take place after launching a series of airstrikes targeting northern Syria and Iraq. In an article for the Middle East Institute,...
Ford School professor Melvyn Levitsky, a former U.S. ambassador to Brazil, has been commenting on the new relationship between the countries as President Lula da Silva takes office.
BBC Brazil, January 2, 2023: "[Inviting Lula to the White House]...
Javed Ali, Newsweek: "(Putin) believes he has sufficient manpower, equipment, and financial resources to continue the fight until he achieves his goals. His statement about defending Russia's interests there and conjuring up the notions of patriotic...
Javed Ali, CBC: "How many more months can the Russian military withstand these types of troop and equipment and material losses? I don’t think they can do this for more than six months to a...
Javed Ali, TRT World: "It sounds like President Zelenskyy will get some of what he had requested previously from the U.S. government, including this one Patriot air defense system. But it’s only one system, and one system alone is not going to...
John Ciorciari, Newsweek: "The war is now in an extended, grinding phase. The first full winter under sanctions will invite dissent within Russia, especially after Putin's much-criticized mobilization effort. Putin needs to show some credible wins...
Javed Ali, Newsweek: "Over the past year both the Ukrainians and the Russians have demonstrated an ability to make advances, hold territory, but then withdraw to different locations in order to regroup from losses and consolidate for future...
Javed Ali, Newsweek: "It comes with considerable risks for the Belarusians. Look at the pounding that the Russian military has taken in Ukraine. Belarus is such a small country. It has such limited military resources. Losing a few hundred troops or...
WXYZ: "The administration has to have this at the top of its agenda in terms of the bilateral relationship. I'm pretty sure we'll eventually cut a deal, but that is subject to these...
With the war in Ukraine dragging on, some are wondering how long international aid to Ukraine will flow for. Javed Ali, associate professor of practice, and John Ciorciari, associate dean for research and policy engagement, told Newsweek what...
Javed Ali, HuffPost: "It just reinforces the perception of who Putin is and how sort of diabolical this strategy of his is, and the list of potential war crimes keeps getting longer. If Russia isn’t already a pariah country, it would absolutely...
The Weiser Diplomacy Center (WDC) is excited to announce four impressive recipients of the 2022 WDC fellowship.
The four 2022 fellows, Jacob Gillis (MPP ’24), Gerardo A. Méndez Gutiérrez (MPP ’24), Gabriel Sylvan (MPP ’24), and Oieshi Saha (MPP...
Melvyn Levitsky, Folha de S. Paulo: "It's normal to have protests. But acts like the ones that happened in the U.S., fueled by public figures who appropriate people's emotions and encourage violence, are a real threat in our times. That's what I saw...
Melvyn Levitsky, The Dialogue: “Lula has attained almost mythical status among the lower-middle and lower classes in Brazil. His rise from poverty to trade union leader to president of Brazil in addition to popular programs to keep kids in school...
President Biden is set to be the first U.S. president to visit Cambodia in 10 years when he attends the ASEAN summit in November. John Ciorciari, associate dean, director of the International Policy Center and Weiser Diplomacy Center and professor...
Melvyn Levitsky, The Hill: While lawmakers may ultimately fall in line behind the Biden administration, the divisions and political damage may not fade so quickly. “On the progressive side, [it] makes them look like they’re weak in the sense of not...
Haiti has once again found itself in crisis, rattled by an assassination, overtaken by gang violence, and led by an unelected government. Associate dean John Ciorciari recently penned an article in Foreign Policy warning of the consequences of...
As the spring semester came to a close in April 2022, Ford School students pursued international public policy interests around the world. In total, the Weiser Diplomacy Center (WDC) and International Policy Center (IPC) funded 16 summer...
For the third year in a row, University of Michigan students tackled policy-relevant questions posed by the U.S. State Department officials in Diplomacy Lab (DipLab) projects.
In the Winter 2022 term, graduate and undergraduate students formed...