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- Beth Duff-Brown, Communications and Editorial Manager
September 5th, 2012
Mitchell named first vice provost of online learning
CISAC, FSI Stanford NewsComputer scientist and CISAC affiliated faculty member John Mitchell has been named the first vice provost for online learning. The creation of the Office of the Vice Provost for Online Learning signals both a restructuring of the university and its dedication to ensuring pedagogical agility and rigor in the face of global, economic and social transformations. Read more »
September 4th, 2012
Higuchi: Fukushima Daiichi failures not uniquely Japanese
CISAC, FSI Stanford in the news: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists on September 4, 2012Toshihiro Higuchi, historian and 2011-2012 CISAC fellow, explains how the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear incident was not due to Japanese cultural shortcomings. He criticizes Japanese officials as using two sides of the the same coin: pre-Fukushima, they praised the safety record as a testament to Japanese self-discipline, harmony and professionalism. In the aftermath of the nuclear accident, they now say the failures are due to obedience, groupism, and narrow-mindedness. Blaming the problem on cultural factors prevents long-lasting reform.
August 30th, 2012
Building confidence key toward a successful U.S.-China relationship
Shorenstein APARC, CISAC, SCP in the news: China-US Focus on August 20, 2012In a recent interview about the U.S.-China bilateral relationship, Thomas Fingar spoke of the need for the two countries to focus on building more confidence in one another for their future wellbeing.
August 27th, 2012
Fellows explore science & policy of nuclear power and weapons
A fascination with the political and scientific fallout of nuclear weapons and the complexities of nuclear energy is what drives CISAC's six nuclear fellows. The fellows – funded by grants from the Stanton and MacArthur foundations – spend their time at Stanford conducting research to build public engagement and shape government policy. 
Read more »
August 21st, 2012
Chenoweth wins APSA Woodrow Wilson Award
Visiting scholar Erica Chenoweth and co-author Maria Stephan won the American Political Science Association's 2012 Woodrow Wilson Foundation Award for their book, "Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict."
August 17th, 2012
Deciphering the National Intelligence Estimates on Iran's nuclear program
Op-ed: Foreign Policy on August 15, 2012CISAC Affiliate Jeffrey Lewis, founder of the blog ArmsControlWonk.com, explains that journalists and foreign policy elites have misunderstood the National Intelligence Estimates on Iran's nuclear program, particularly the 2007 report, which claimed that Iran halted its covert nuclear weapons program in 2003. Lewis spoke with FSI's Tom Fingar, who explained that the report intended to signal that Tehran is sensitive to international pressure, and that it could restart the nuclear weapons program at a later date.
August 16th, 2012
William J. Perry, former secretary of defense, favors Syrian "no-fly, no-drive zone"
in the news: LA Times on August 10, 2012As Syria's civil war intensifies, pressure is mounting on President Obama to do more to weaken the Assad regime and aid Syrian insurgents. William J. Perry, former secretary of defense and co-director of CISAC's Preventive Defense Project, believes there should be a "no-fly, no-drive zone" in northern Syria to protect civilians and rebels.
August 14th, 2012
Granick: Cyberdefense doesn't need to happen through Congress
in the news: CNN on August 13, 2012CISAC affiliate Jennifer Granick outlines the complexities of meeting the nation's cybersecurity needs and what options exist to secure networks. She argues that this can be done effectively by raising standards through regulation and focusing on critical infrastructure, rather than intrusive legislation and pre-emptive cyberattacks.
August 10th, 2012
Fellows Ed Blandford and Toshi Higuchi win inaugural Sagan Prize
Ed Blandford, a nuclear engineer and Stanton nuclear security postdoctoral fellow, and Toshi Higuchi, a historian and postdoctoral fellow, share the inaugural Scott Sagan Prize. The award is given to the CISAC researcher who best embodies our mission by their dedication to scholarship and their contribution to our unique intellectual community.
August 6th, 2012
Contemplating a third nuclear test in North Korea
CISAC, FSI Stanford in the newsCISAC co-director Siegfried Hecker and Frank Pabian, a recent CISAC visiting scholar, believe they've pinpointed the epicenters of the two nuclear tests conducted by North Korea and conclude the North is capable of carrying out a third within weeks. Read more »
August 3rd, 2012
Why Pakistan's strategy of supporting militant groups is now backfiring
in the news: International Security on July 12, 2012CISAC Affiliate Paul Kapur and Indiana University's Sumit Ganguly explain the complex relationship between militant groups and Pakistani security. They outline why supporting militant groups has worked as a strategy for Pakistan since its founding, but why this strategy has become a trap for weak states.
July 27th, 2012
Q&A: Stanford terrorism expert Martha Crenshaw on Olympic security
CISAC, FSI Stanford NewsMartha Crenshaw, a senior fellow at FSI and CISAC, explains what kinds of threats exist at the Games and what's being done to safeguard the XXX Olympics. Read more »
July 26th, 2012
Department of Defense concerned about U.S. electric grid vulnerability
in the news: CNN Security Clearance Blog on July 26, 2012Paul Stockton, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and americas’ security affairs, and former CISAC senior research scholar, told a top homeland security conference that the U.S. electrical grid is extremely vulnerable to attack and natural disasters. Read more »
Granick: News of built-in surveillance for online calls “terrifying”
in the news: Forbes.com on July 26, 2012CISAC Affiliate Jennifer Granick responded to a Forbes.com article that claimed Microsoft may have made it easier for law enforcement to tap into calls on Skype. Technology companies such as Microsoft may be anticipating more regulation and building surveillance compliance into their products even though they are not currently required.
July 25th, 2012
Ambassador Donahoe: Open online communication necessary for human rights
in the newsEileen Chamberlain Donahoe, U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Human Rights Council and former visiting scholar at CISAC, dropped by Ustream headquarters in San Francisco to launch its first live fireside chat series. Donahoe took questions via Twitter and discussed human rights and the UNHRC resolution supporting freedom of expression on the Internet.
July 24th, 2012
Joe Felter testifies before House Armed Services Subcommittee
CISAC Senior Research Scholar, Col. Joseph Felter (Ret.) tells a U.S. House Armed Services Subcommittee: "Ultimately, counterinsurgency campaigns can only be as good as the government they support and even the best, most effective militaries conducting operations in support of such a campaign cannot compensate long for failures in governance." Read more »
July 23rd, 2012
After historic flight to space, Ride kept close ties to Stanford and CISAC
CISAC, FSI Stanford in the newsSally Ride, the first American woman in space and a science fellow at CISAC, died Monday after fighting pancreatic cancer. “She was very interested in arms control and had a passion about bringing more girls into science," said former CISAC co-director Sidney Drell. Ride will be remembered as a trailblazer for women in the sciences and a space program dominated by men. Read more »
July 18th, 2012
A look back at the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization
CISAC, FSI Stanford NewsKEDO’s profile on the North Korean landscape was unmistakable, its impact on Pyongyang profound. Yet real knowledge and understanding about the organization in public and official circles in South Korea, Japan, and the United States was terribly thin at the beginning, and remains so to this day. As a result, the lessons learned from KEDO's decade-long experience working with the North Koreans have been largely misunderstood. Read more »
July 15th, 2012
Stanford now recruiting for faculty appointment in emerging security issues
AnnouncementStanford University seeks candidates for a new faculty position focused on emerging issues in international security. This is an open search with respect to disciplinary expertise; the rank is equivalent to the level of associate or full professor. The successful candidate will be expected to provide leadership for the study of emerging issues in international security and cooperation at Stanford University. Applications are due by October 31, 2012.
July 12th, 2012
Tino Cuéllar: Government agencies learning from their mistakes
CISAC, FSE, FSI Stanford in the newsCISAC Co-Director Tino Cuéllar talks to BigThink.com about why government agencies have such a bad track record. He explains that some agencies are well aware of their shortcomings and are working to improve operations and their relationship with the public, particularly agencies protecting public health and the food supply. Read more »
July 9th, 2012
Sig Hecker: "It's time to close the door" on nuclear testing
in the newsIn an interview with the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization, CISAC Co-Director and nuclear expert Sig Hecker explains why U.S. ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty would bolster national security. He also discusses stockpile stewardship and how the U.S. nuclear arsenal is secure and reliable without nuclear tests. Read more »
Cybersecurity Fellow Jonathan Mayer focus of story about online privacy
in the news: Mother JonesStanford's Jonathan Mayer, one of CISAC's incoming cybersecurity fellows, is credited with uncovering one of the biggest online privacy stories of the past year: How Google was secretly planting cookies on a vast number of iPhone browsers. Read more »
July 6th, 2012
Former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry named Perry Fellow
CISAC, FSI Stanford, Shorenstein APARC NewsFormer U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry has been awarded a William J. Perry Fellowship in International Security at CISAC, where he'll continue to address emerging security challenges facing the United States. Read more »
July 5th, 2012
U.N. Rights Council passes landmark resolution on Internet freedom
in the newsThe U.N. Human Rights Council passed a resolution declaring that access to the Internet and freedom of expression online is a human right. U.S. Ambassador Eileen Donahoe, a former CISAC affiliate, said the resolution affirms "that human rights in the digital realm must be protected and promoted" as they should be in the physical world.
Perry says U.S. can break dependence on foreign oil within 10 years
in the newsWilliam J. Perry, former secretary of defense and CISAC faculty member, says the United States has the means to end its dependence on foreign oil due to investments and advancements in battery technology and alternative energy sources. Perry, the current chair of the U.S. Secretary of Energy’s advisory board, says that although nuclear power could increase proliferation risks, the reduced cash flows to OPEC countries could strengthen global security.