Browse FSI scholarship on geopolitics, global health, energy, cybersecurity and more.
Featured Publications
Security Through Cooperation: Space, Nuclear Weapons, and U.S.-Russia Relations after the Cold War
Rose Gottemoeller uses lessons learned from U.S.-Russia relations during the George H. W. Bush and Clinton administrations to offer insights into how Russia today may be convinced to end its war against Ukraine and resume cooperation for the sake of global security.
Autocrats vs. Democrats: China, Russia, America, and the New Global Disorder
A clear-eyed look from Michael McFaul at how the rise of autocratic China and Russia are compelling some to think that we have entered a new Cold War—and why we must reject that thinking in order to prevail.
The National College Entrance Examination shapes the future of millions of students in China each year, but Hongbin Li and Ruixue Jia illuminate how this test of all tests is also shaping education, labor markets, political legitimacy, and social values beyond the PRC.
Children and Youth Services Review,
November 1, 2025
Background Mindfulness-based interventions (MI) have shown efficacy in improving mental health among adults; however, the results for younger populations remain inconsistent Research on this topic in low- and middle-income countries is still limited. This study seeks to address this gap by examining the impact of a mindfulness-based intervention on Chinese migrant youth.
Methods A randomized controlled trial delivering mindfulness and life skills mentorship to 653 migrant students aged 9 to 17 in China. Quantitative results in depression and anxiety were examined between Mindfulness Training group (MT group, n = 167), the Mindfulness Training plus Life Skill Training group (MT + LS group, n = 118), and Control group (n = 368) using student t-tests and Differences-in-Differences. Qualitative study from 20 interviews was conducted using a semi-structured interview and deductive approach.
Results Quantitatively, participants in intervention group did not show significantly different anxiety and depression symptoms compared to control groups post intervention. Nevertheless, qualitative data highlighted several key benefits of the mindfulness intervention, including improved emotional regulation and increased social support among participants.
Conclusions A volunteer-led, two-month mindfulness and life skills intervention with Chinese migrant youth did not yield statistically significant reduction in depression or anxiety symptoms. While no notable quantitative benefits were observed, qualitative findings suggested enhanced application of mindfulness and emotional regulation skills among participants that the quantitative measures failed to capture.
From FSI Director, New York Times bestselling author, and former ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul comes a clear-eyed look at how the rise of autocratic China and Russia are compelling some to think that we have entered a new Cold War—and why we must reject that thinking in order to prevail.
Background Under-resourced communities in rural China have long faced limitations in accessing and utilising caregiver and child healthcare (CCH). The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated health inequities globally, while its precise impacts on CCH remain understudied. We report differences in parental migration, maternal mental health, household and nutrition expenditures, child feeding practices, and prenatal, postnatal, and childbirth care following pandemic lockdowns in rural China.
Methods We compared two groups of families with children who grew to the age of six months either before or during lockdowns. We enrolled eligible households from 80 rural townships, randomly selected from four poverty-designated counties in Sichuan Province, China. We interviewed the control group of primary caregivers in November and December of 2019 (pre-COVID-19), and the case group in May of 2020 (approximately five months into the pandemic). Statistical analyses included t tests and linear regressions with adjustments. P-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant.
Results Compared to the control group, the case group presented significantly lower paternal migration and more favourable maternal mental health. Caregiving behaviours (including household and nutrition expenditures) and child feeding practices did not differ, except for higher spending on infant micronutrient supplements. Prenatal health services utilisation, including home visits, was slightly higher, while postnatal services utilisation was lower.
Conclusions Our findings suggest that many aspects of CCH in rural China were similar or improved during the early pandemic lockdowns. These data highlight the importance of promoting targeted public health interventions, such as mental health support initiatives, accessible perinatal care options, and family-centred education campaigns, in under-resourced communities and during future healthcare crises.
