Once seen as the backbone of the post-World War II global architecture, the US now grapples with deep internal polarization, weakening institutions, and declining international credibility. The rise of Silicon Valley as a political force, with tech giants influencing policy from free speech to data and security, signals a deeper crisis in domestic political accountability. Meanwhile, the securitization of migration and militarization of law enforcement has important implications for the region and beyond. South America is home to increasingly influential markets and emerging powers, with leaders looking beyond the western hemisphere for political and economic cooperation. The region is also experiencing shifting dynamics in organized crime amid an ever-evolving security landscape. Fiker Institute’s North & South America Program seeks to interrogate the evolving nature of power across the Americas. How is power shifting across the continents with the rise of alternative state and non-state actors? How are domestic developments in the US impacting the White House’s foreign policy agenda? In what ways and on which terms will regional relations evolve, impacting local communities as well as the international order?
US-Gulf Relations: Power, Risk & Regional Order

US-Gulf Relations: Power, Risk & Regional Order

Fiker Institute hosted the Director General of b’huth (Dubai Public Policy Research Centre) Mohammed Baharoon and Associate Professor of Political Science at NYU Abu Dhabi Adam Ramey to discuss what is at stake for Gulf security, shifting alliances, and the broader balance of power.

Are Tariffs Becoming the New Sanctions? 

Are Tariffs Becoming the New Sanctions? 

States are increasingly reverting to economic coercion in international politics. The sweeping use of sanctions and – particularly since President Trump’s second term in office – tariffs to influence other states is evidence of its growing salience. Economic coercion refers to the use of economic tools – specifically economic restrictions – to coerce a foreign government, actor, or entity […]

Dr. Hana Attia
Re-Evaluating Ceasefires in Armed Conflicts: Cases from Latin America

Re-Evaluating Ceasefires in Armed Conflicts: Cases from Latin America

As part of the newly launched Memorandum of Understanding between Fiker Institute  and the University of Oxford’s Global Security Programme, Fiker Institute hosted Dr. Annette Idler, Director of the Global Security Programme at the University of Oxford’s Pembroke College and Associate Professor in Global Security at Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government, for a public lecture on the role of ceasefire in global security.

Global US Absence & Alternative Power Centers 

Global US Absence & Alternative Power Centers 

While the West flourished post-Second World War, the Global South faced marginalization. Today, the international order is undergoing a realignment of power. More nations are standing against hegemony, and what once seemed permanent is shifting into a new reality: the rise of multipolar cooperation, a stronger voice from the Global South, and the recognition that the world’s future cannot rest in the hands of a single power.

Shurouq Jaradat
America’s Climate Finance Exodus: What It Means For Africa

America’s Climate Finance Exodus: What It Means For Africa

On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump upended years of climate finance commitments to Africa. The US President issued an executive order withdrawing the US from the Paris Agreement and rescinding the US International Climate Finance Plan. This did not come as a surprise as it is the second time President Trump has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement. […]

Undoing the Transatlantic Partnership: Europe vs. Trump

Undoing the Transatlantic Partnership: Europe vs. Trump

The transatlantic partnership, historically a shared pillar of security and economic prosperity for the United States (US) and Europe, now faces unprecedented challenges as US President Donald Trump’s second term ushers in a new era of confrontation. At the Munich Security Conference in February 2025, Vice President JD Vance sharply criticized European leadership, revealing the widening rift between the […]