About FSI

The Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies aspires to a future where international policy decision-makers across all sectors of the workforce rely on the most rigorous research based on data and scientific evidence in order to make the world a more secure, free, sustainable and healthy place to live.

As the world continues to reshape itself around us due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other forces, FSI continues Stanford’s tradition of academic excellence by addressing the global questions of the future.

A spirit of optimism has fueled our intellectual momentum for over 30 years, marked by scholarly contributions to issues such as nuclear security, international relations, environment and energy, governance, and global health.

Our role is not only to anticipate critical problems but to prepare the next generation of leaders to solve them.

Over the next decade, we will expand our impact in the world by investing in the three core areas of our mission — research, teaching and policy.

Our Address

Encina Hall
616 Jane Stanford Way C100
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-6055

General inquiries

fsi-communications@stanford.edu, (+1) 650-723-4581

Media Contact

• Ari Chasnoff, Director of Communications

Information for Donors

• Michelle Townsend - All donor/development inquiries

Student Programs

• Patrick Laboon, Academic Program Manager

Event Inquiries

• Debbie Warren, Event & Bechtel Conference Center Manager

At FSI, our areas of expertise are:

• Governance: addressing issues of democracy, dictatorship, corruption and poverty, our scholars and practitioners produce expert research and train civil society activists around the world.
• Security: We tackle a wide range of international security issues, from longstanding concerns like nuclear proliferation, regional conflict and military defense to new challenges such as cybersecurity and biosecurity.
• Global Health: In partnership with the School of Medicine, FSI brings together interdisciplinary scholars who address global health problems through the lenses of economics, nutrition, security and politics.
• International Development: FSI researchers examine international development from new and creative perspectives. Experts in education, health, governance, energy and social justice collaborate to learn how different levers of action can impact communities. 
• Environment & Energy: At the intersection of physical sciences and policy, our researchers work to find solutions for hunger, environmental degradation, emerging energy markets and more.
• Regional Expertise: FSI's scholarly work spans the globe, including Gi-Wook Shin (Korea), Kathryn Stoner (Russia), and Anna Grzymala-Busse (Europe). 

The security, governance, climate and development challenges around the world have never been more daunting, but our scholars have never been better positioned to understand and offer solutions. Building on a strong foundation, FSI continues to produce world-class scholarship, teach future generations of leaders and influence international policy by advancing knowledge.

Through our multidisciplinary research centers and programs, FSI has launched new initiatives on U.S.-Asia security, European security, biosecurity, the Middle East, and global governance in the areas of health and economics. All of these projects share three characteristics: collaboration among faculty from our different research centers, an interdisciplinary approach to scholarship, and a commitment to producing policy recommendations that address critical global problems. 

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Each year, Stanford undergraduates study with our faculty, join our research trips abroad, and intern with global policy organizations through our Global Student Fellows program.

Our graduate students include pre- and post-docs, research fellowships, and the Ford Dorsey Masters in International Policy (MIP), a two-year master's program that prepares students for professional work in international affairs. Combining multi-disciplinary analysis of the international system with exposure to current world issues, MIP provides students with the foundational skills to address global problems. 

Most of the institute's activities are supported by research grants and gifts from individual and corporate donors. Of the institute's annual budget of approximately $50 million, 85 percent comes in the form of endowment income, foundation grants, contracts and gifts. The remainder is drawn from university and designated funds.

FSI actively seeks gifts from Stanford alumni and friends.