2011-2012 PIPS Fellows

Allison Baer

"Educational Reform and the Arab Spring: Combating Radicalism in Pakistan."

Pakistan's dysfunctional education system is a major contributor to growing radicalization in the country, undermining domestic and regional stability. Previous top-down efforts by the international community to reform Pakistan's education system have met with little success largely due to government corruption and misallocation of resources.

This brief proposes that the United States lead the international community in supporting a grass-roots approach to reforming Pakistan's education system. Working through UNESCO's International Bureau of Education (IBE), the international community should capitalize on lessons of the Arab Spring by combining informal internet education with traditional educational resources to empower the reform efforts of moderates. This approach would involve: (1) the development by the IBE of a curriculum modeled after those of moderate Islamic states, such as Indonesia, Kuwait, Jordan, and Turkey; (2) the creation of a free internet-based database in which IBE's curriculum would be available; and (3) the construction of urban education centers-similar to the former United States Information Agency Libraries and Information Resources Centers-in Pakistan's provinces to provide educational material and teacher training. The aim is to provide moderates with the training and material support necessary to establish better schools and reduce radicalization in Pakistan.

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Benjamin Buch

"The Active Denial System: Obstacles and Promise."

The Active Denial System (ADS) is a non-lethal weapons technology that uses millimeter-wave directed energy to arrest and deter potential adversaries. Developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Department of Defense's Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate, ADS provides U.S. troops with a highly effective means of responding to potential threats, while also preserving human life.

Despite its promise, ADS has confronted non-technological challenges in its deployment, most recently in Afghanistan. This brief analyzes the psychological, sociological, and political barriers to the use of non-lethal directed energy weapons. Specifically, it surveys the psychological and sociological biases against radiation-based and non-lethal technology and how these prejudices were overcome for previous technological developments. It also examines potential human rights concerns and political complications that might arise from the deployment of ADS in peacekeeping and COIN operations. Given these obstacles and concerns, the brief then proposes technical changes to the weapons system, criteria and venues for its deployment, and outreach initiatives to increase public awareness and acceptance of ADS and similar technologies.

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Peter Klicker

"A New 'Freedom' Fighter: Building on the T-X Competition."

The development and deployment of state-of-the-art fighter aircraft gives the United States dominance in the air, but prevents the U.S. government and aerospace industry from fulfilling the demand of less advanced foreign air forces for low-cost fighters. China, in contrast, has succeeded in this market segment for decades and will further its competitive posture in the years to come. U.S. efforts to fill this fighter gap through the Light Air Support (LAS) program have focused on identifying a turboprop aircraft for close air support or counterinsurgency (COIN) operations. Many foreign air forces, however, have been reluctant to spend scarce resources on armed turboprops, which they view as having limited capability.

This brief proposes that the U.S. Air Force instead capitalize on the existing T-X competition, which seeks a replacement for large numbers of T-38 training jets, to develop a low-cost fighter for export. During the Cold War, the United States sold a significant number of militarized jet trainers, such as the F-5 and the A-37, to partners in the developing world. The practice of turning a jet trainer into a low-cost, easily maintained, fighter was a success and should be revived. This program will allow the United States to strengthen its political and military relationships, bolster its aerospace industry, and counter rising Chinese influence.

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Katherine Mitchell

"The Active Denial System: Obstacles and Promise."

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Emily Pehrrson

"Making the Grade: An International Regulatory Framework for Cybersecurity."

Loosely governed states unable or unwilling to crack down on cyber crime within their borders threaten U.S. cybersecurity. Current U.S. policy offers technology transfers freely to "like-minded" states to secure their cyber networks, without requiring these states to make cybersecurity a domestic policy priority.

This brief proposes a voluntary, private-sector based cybersecurity "grades" system paired with security incentives administered through NATO to encourage improvements in cybersecurity. Participating states will be awarded grades based on the quality of their cybersecurity infrastructure. Incentives will increase incrementally with each security grade attained and include access to: (1) law enforcement training programs; (2) NATO cyber rapid reaction teams; (3) limited technology transfer; and (4) intelligence sharing. This proposed framework would initially apply to NATO members, and would later be expanded to targeted non-member states. This policy will cut long-term costs for the United States and act as a short to medium-term incentive for the rapid development of international cybersecurity regulations.

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Efrat Rosenzweig

"Crowdsourcing Global Security: Fighting Pandemic Disease in the Information Age."

Pandemic disease constitutes a threat for which the United States and the international community are unprepared. The ability to prevent pandemics hinges on detection at the earliest stages of a potential crisis. Epidemiological surveillance in areas where novel viruses are most likely to emerge is rudimentary, allowing most diseases to spread undetected far beyond their point of origin. Left unchecked, pandemic disease can lead to millions of deaths, bioterrorism, resource wars, state failure, and mass migration, and cripple military efforts. Reliance on inadequate and outdated reporting is a dangerous oversight that potentially compromises national and global stability.

This brief proposes an alternative method of preventative surveillance, using crowdsourcing technology to provide states with real-time data on potential epidemiological threats. Based on reporting by health professionals, this system will create a map on which clusters of similar cases indicating a possible epidemic could be observed. Tracking emerging diseases from patient zero gives states the opportunity to isolate a disease before it spreads to epidemic or pandemic proportions, preventing an international crisis. Ultimately, information sharing between states in the field of public health will provide a basis for increased cooperation in other areas vital to international security.

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