The NBR Analysis offers thought-provoking essays and briefs on the most important economic, political, and strategic issues in the Asia-Pacific region today. PDFs are free.
In the wake of the events of September 11 and the war against the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, U.S. interest in the Central Asian region has reached a historic high point. At the same time, the increasing authoritarianism, endemic corruption, socioeconomic inequality, widespread trafficking of drugs, weapons, and people, and weak domestic legitimacy of the five new Central Asian states raise concerns about the potential for future unrest and political radicalism in the region particularly if Central Asia’s radical Islamist movements are able to capitalize on growing social tensions.
Just how unstable are the newly independent Central Asian states? What are the prospects for cooperation among them on key issues of security and development? This issue of the NBR Analysis focuses on vital factors underlying state stability in the region that are often neglected by analysts: the troubling conditions of the region’s educational and physical infrastructures.
Trends in Secular Educational Development in Azerbaijan and Central Asia: Implications for Social Stability and Regional Security Mark S. Johnson
The State of Physical Infrastructure in Central Asia: Developments in Transport, Water, Energy, and Telecommunications Justin Odum and Erica Johnson
Can Pakistan’s Neighbors Help Deal with Pakistan? (May 12)
Korea’s Elections and the KORUS FTA Yoon-shik Park (Apr 12)
After the Summit: Investing in Nuclear Materials Security Christopher P. Twomey (Apr 12)
Taiwan's Future: Narrowing Straits Robert G. Sutter (May 11)
Aftershock: The 112th Congress and Post-Crisis Asia Edward Gresser and Daniel Twining (Mar 11)
Sino-U.S. Competition and U.S. Security: How Do We Assess the Military Balance? Dan Blumenthal (Dec 10)
Power Constrained: Sources of Mutual Strategic Suspicion in U.S.-China Relations David M. Lampton (Jun 10)
Pakistani Partnerships with the United States: An Assessment Daniel Markey (Nov 09)
Shock of the New: Congress and Asia in 2009 Edward Gresser and Daniel Twining (Feb 09)
Post–September 11 Afghanistan-Pakistan Relations: Prospects for Counter-insurgency Cooperation Abdulkader H. Sinno and Rasul Bakhsh Rais (Dec 08)
Challenges Facing Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) Ijaz Khan and Pervaiz Iqbal Cheema (Aug 08)
Aspects of Islamism in South and Southeast Asia Robert W. Hefner, Animesh Roul and Joseph Chinyong Liow (Aug 08)
Understanding China's New Sovereign Wealth Fund Eric G. Altbach and Michael H. Cognato (Jul 08)
Russian Energy Policy and Strategy Paul J. Saunders, Robert Legvold and Mikhail Kroutikhin (Jul 08)
Assessing Regional Reactions to China's Peaceful Development Doctrine Carlyle A. Thayer, Jae Ho Chung and Brahma Chellaney (Apr 08)
Muslim Professional Associations and Politics in Southeast Asia Robert W. Hefner, Ann Marie Murphy and Bridget Welsh (Mar 08)
Islamic Finance: Global Trends and Challenges Zeti Akhtar Aziz and Shamshad Akhtar (Mar 08)
Nuclear Asia: U.S. Policy in an Age of Proliferation Gary Samore and Mitchell B. Reiss (Mar 07)
Emerging Trends, Dormant Interest: Developments in Northeast Asian Politics Michael H. Armacost and Yukio Satoh (Jan 07)
U.S. Services Trade, Employment, and Competitiveness Robert Bednarzik and Brett Theodos (Dec 06)