Research reports
Long-form report drawn from research project or stand-alone conference; usually multi-authored and co-branded; expect two months at minimum for publication turnaround.
Recent Reports
Strengthening the Representation of Women in Diplomacy: Lessons from the Field
February 2026This report situates the challenges to women’s representation in diplomacy within their broader institutional and socio-political contexts and identifies practical, actionable, and transferable solutions. Through our dialogues, we identified a range of structural, institutional, and cultural barriers and co-created a practical toolkit, based on proven practices, that address them. The solutions encompass critical priority areas for action across diplomatic institutions, including data collection, fairer recruitment and career progression, expanded professional development, and improved work-life balance
How Myanmar’s War Became the World’s Second Biggest Drone Fight
January 2026Myanmar’s war is currently the world’s second most intense conflict for drone attacks after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It is a nationwide uprising in which diverse rebel groups with significant youth participation and technological capability confront a well established military backed by China and Russia. Both the military and opposing armed groups make extensive use of drones, whose accessibility and adaptability allow new attack methods that overcome major operational constraints. Myanmar’s experience shows that simple, inexpensive drones can be employed at scale across a wide array of operational contexts. As such, the war offers a ground truth: drones are being mainstreamed into modern warfare far beyond the confines of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Strengthening the Representation of Women in Diplomacy: Lessons from the Field
January 2026This research report from IDEAS’ UN Business and Human Security Initiative, and commissioned by Interpeace’s Finance for Peace Initiative, is designed to deliver a conceptual and evidentiary basis of how businesses and the private sector can better contribute to peace outcomes. The report - authored by Jason Miklian, Mark van Dorp and John Katsos - presents a comprehensive evidence-based summary of how businesses have positively impacted peace, drawing on case studies and dissecting the mechanisms through which companies can affect peace in different sectors.
From Globalisation to Geopolitics: The Changing Dynamics of World Order and their Implications for the EU
November 2025This research report from LSE IDEAS’s Europe Initiative and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, authored by Richard Higgott, discusses this shift from globalisation to geopolitics. The paper analyses the changing dynamics of world order including ‘middle powers’, the role of strongman leaders, and the implications for the European Union – concluding with strategic recommendations for European policymakers.
Brexit - A Critical Audit in the Cold Light of Day
November 2025This research report from the LSE IDEAS Europe Initiative and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, authored by Iain Begg, distinguishes and critically analyses three broad categories – economic, social, and governance – of Brexit’s impact on the UK and EU, highlighting the uneven effects on various sectors and groups.
Energy Security in the Baltics: Perceptions in the Midst of the Russia-Ukraine War
April 2025Amidst the geopolitical complexities of Eurasia, the strategic employment of energy resources has emerged as a potent tool for projecting power. Since coming to power, Vladimir Putin has wielded energy security as a means to exert influence across the region, with the pinnacle of this influence underscored during the February 2022 escalation of the Russia-Ukraine war. This paper delves into perceptions on energy in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania amidst the Russia- Ukraine war, specifically focusing on attitudes towards energy security, renewable energy sources, and energy efficiency.
Ukraine's Drone Ecosystem and the Defence of Europe: Lessons Lost Can't be Learned
April 2025Ukraine’s unique capabilities in drone warfare have significantly contributed to halting the largest land invasion in Europe since 1945. Given the looming threat of escalation on its eastern flank, NATO allies have a problem: falling short in understanding Ukraine’s drone ecosystem risks abdicating the strategic momentum in drone warfare to Russia and its allies. Through primary interviews with military, government, and civilian actors, we argue that the core characteristics of this ecosystem represent lessons to be learned themselves. Unfolding across the categories of speed, scale, and urgency, we recommend to NATO allies three policy proposals stemming from our analysis: the establishment of an institutionalised joint venture system for defence technologies, a systematic civil-military liaison structure, and the commitment to binding defence contracts in exchange for soliciting Ukrainian drone expertise. We conclude by pointing towards the sober truth: NATO countries cannot learn the lessons from Ukraine’s drone ecosystem if they concede to Russia’s strategic goals.