Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies

Who We Are The Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI) is Stanford University’s hub for nonpartisan, interdisciplinary research, teaching, and policy impact in international affairs. Our mission is to produce world-class scholarship, prepare future leaders, and influence policymaking in pursuit of solutions to the most critical global issues. At FSI, leaders with deep experience in the highest levels of government collaborate with top academic scholars and a vibrant community of students, postdocs and staff. The largest of Stanford’s policy research institutes, FSI is a trusted convener of people and ideas across disciplines, building bridges among academia, government and industry. FSI offers a unique intellectual space at Stanford that serves as home to scholars who believe that complex global concerns require multidimensional solutions. This constellation of problem solvers cuts across traditional academic boundaries with the aim of propelling the best ideas forward for the widest possible impact. Students from across Stanford come to FSI for training and mentorship that prepares them for leadership roles as international policy decision-makers across all sectors of the workforce. Our Vision 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.