Innovation policy increasingly depends on financial institutions Discussions of China’s technological competition with the United States generally focus on industrial policy, manufacturing capabilities, export controls, or advances in strategic sectors such as artificial intelligence and semiconductors. By comparison, less attention has been devoted to the financial institutions that support innovation.

The summit reflects a longer-term strategic transition The upcoming NATO Summit in Ankara comes at a time when the Alliance is undergoing one of its most significant strategic adjustments since the end of the Cold War. Public attention will understandably focus on defence spending commitments and on the national implementation

Israel’s strategic position is entering a period of profound uncertainty. For decades, its security has rested on three mutually reinforcing pillars: military superiority, an exceptionally close partnership with the United States, and the capacity to cultivate pragmatic relationships with regional and international actors despite enduring political disagreements. Today, each of

How Social Media Are Changing Not Only Travel but Also the Way Democracies Understand the World “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”— Marcel Proust Proust’s observation is usually read as a reflection on personal growth. It is also, perhaps unintentionally, a

As Russia’s war against Ukraine enters its fifth year, assessments of the Russian economy remain sharply divided. Some analysts continue to anticipate a severe economic crisis, driven by sanctions, military spending, labour shortages, and declining energy revenues. Others point to Russia’s ability to sustain military operations, maintain macroeconomic stability, and

Over the past few years, we have witnessed an unprecedented transformation. Artificial intelligence is reshaping the world of work, globalisation is evolving under the pressure of geopolitical tensions and regionalised supply chains, while social media is profoundly influencing how younger generations build their identities, acquire knowledge, and engage with society.

The U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran demonstrated both the strengths and the limitations of contemporary American power in the Middle East. Operationally, the campaign delivered significant military effects. According to U.S. government assessments, coalition forces conducted more than 10,000 air sorties, struck over 130,000 targets, and substantially degraded Iran’s missile,

Despite the fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran, the economic consequences of the Strait of Hormuz crisis continue to reverberate across global markets. The disruption of maritime traffic through one of the world’s most strategically significant waterways has immobilised roughly one-fifth of global oil exports and a comparable

The Trump-Xi summit in Beijing ultimately revealed less about resolving U.S.-China tensions than about the evolving mechanisms by which both governments are attempting to manage a relationship increasingly defined by long-term strategic competition. Meeting in China for the first time since 2017, Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping projected a

On May 11, Beijing announced that U.S. President Donald Trump would visit China from May 13 to 15, just two days before the summit was due to begin. The timing drew attention. Trump had publicly confirmed the visit weeks earlier, while Beijing had kept a deliberately measured public stance, stating

Executive Summary The United Arab Emirates’ withdrawal from OPEC, effective in late April, marks more than an institutional rupture within the world’s most consequential energy cartel. It signals the start of a new competitive era in global oil markets — one in which the architecture of supply is being redrawn

A Continent That Chose Comfort Over Responsibility The announced reduction of U.S. troops from Germany is not a crisis imposed upon Europe. It is a consequence Europe has brought on itself, through decades of deliberate underinvestment, chronic free-riding, and a political culture that consistently prioritised welfare spending and intra-European squabbling

Multilateralism is a fundamental part of the liberal international order, as theorised by scholars like Robert Keohane and G. John Ikenberry, who emphasise its importance in reducing transaction costs, producing global public goods, and stabilising expectations among state actors. From this perspective, the notion of a unilateral reorganisation of multilateral

Wealthy investors turn to art as private banks lag on advisory services Growing demand from European high-net-worth clients emphasises gap in wealth management expertise. Wealthy investors across Europe are increasingly incorporating art into their investment portfolios, but private banks are finding it difficult to meet the rising demand for specialised

Executive Summary Recent developments related to the Iranian crisis have questioned the long-held belief that Dubai can stay shielded from regional geopolitical tensions. Images circulating of an Iranian drone hitting the Burj Khalifa — the tallest building in the world and a symbol of Dubai’s global stature — have unsettled

The Middle East has entered its most volatile phase in years as direct military confrontation involving Iran, Israel, and the United States threatens to redraw regional power dynamics and upend fragile diplomatic efforts. What had long simmered as a shadow war—marked by cyber operations, covert strikes, and proxy conflicts—has now erupted into overt state-to-state

Why a 20th-Century Diplomatic Model Is Failing 21st-Century Security Switzerland’s refusal to align with the European Union on designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation should not be analysed in isolation. It is the latest manifestation of a broader strategic failure: the inability of Swiss diplomacy to adapt to an

Assessment Overview The announcement of a “Board of Peace” at the World Economic Forum reflects an important shift in how major actors conceptualise conflict and stability. Peace is increasingly treated not as a post-conflict condition but as a strategic capability: the ability to shape escalation dynamics, control negotiation frameworks, and

Quantum Space and the Limits of Open Integration Few fields better demonstrate the boundaries of the globalisation model than quantum science. Quantum computing, sensing, and communication are often framed as long-term or speculative breakthroughs. In practice, they shape how states perceive power, secrecy, and reliance on technology. Their importance is

The End of the Globalisation Era For much of the period following the end of the Cold War, globalisation was treated less as a policy choice than as an economic inevitability. Trade liberalisation, cross-border capital flows, and globally integrated supply chains were assumed to be self-reinforcing and, ultimately, irreversible. The