The 7 Most Critical Global Trends The Center For Strategic And International Studies (CSIS) Is Tracking In 2025

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), one of the world’s foremost non-partisan think tanks, remains a crucial source for policymakers and global leaders seeking clarity on complex international affairs. As of , CSIS is intensely focused on a new era of great power competition, analyzing everything from shifting nuclear dynamics to the weaponization of drones by criminal organizations.

This article provides a deep dive into the latest, most pressing research and major initiatives underway at the Washington D.C.-based institution, revealing the critical global trends that will define the strategic landscape for the United States and its allies in 2025 and beyond. The information is fresh, unique, and essential for understanding the current state of global security and development.

CSIS Leadership Profile: Dr. John J. Hamre

The Center for Strategic and International Studies is led by a distinguished figure in U.S. defense and policy, Dr. John J. Hamre. His extensive background provides CSIS with unparalleled authority in the realm of national security.

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• Name: John J. Hamre, Ph.D.
• Current Role: President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CSIS.
• Tenure at CSIS: Elected President and CEO in January 2000, serving for over two decades.
• Previous Government Service: Served as the 26th U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense from 1997 to 1999.
• Organizational Status: Under his leadership, CSIS is frequently cited as the world's number one Defense and National Security think tank.
• Key Affiliation: Also holds the position of Harold Brown Chair at CSIS.

Dr. Hamre guides the organization’s mission as a bipartisan, nonprofit policy research institution dedicated to finding strategic solutions to global challenges.

Tracking the New Global Reality: CSIS's 2025 Strategic Trends and Reports

CSIS's research agenda for 2025 is dominated by geostrategic competition, the erosion of established international norms, and the rapid evolution of military and non-military technologies. These initiatives provide the most current analysis on the risks facing the global order.

1. The Shifting Global Nuclear Landscape (Strategic Trends 2025)

The flagship Strategic Trends 2025 report highlights a significant shift in the global nuclear landscape. The research indicates that old nuclear guardrails are deteriorating while new rivalries are converging, creating a highly volatile environment.

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CSIS analysts are charting how the United States and its allies must adapt their deterrence strategies to this new reality, which includes the strategic competition between major powers.

2. Avoiding Strategic Miscalculation in U.S.-China Relations

In a major two-year initiative, CSIS has launched the "Project on Avoiding Strategic Miscalculation in U.S.-China Relations." This project is critical given the intensified geostrategic competition between Washington and Beijing.

The goal is to explore safe and effective pathways to advance U.S.-China coordination on shared concerns, even amid deep security and economic rivalry, to prevent unintended escalation.

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3. The Economic Security of Sustainable Development

The Sustainable Development and Resilience Initiative (SDRI) is applying a crucial economic security and risk management lens to global development issues.

Key areas of focus include:

• Climate-Resilient Infrastructure: Examining new paradigms for infrastructure investments that can withstand the impacts of global climate change adaptation.
• U.S. Technology Offer: Analyzing the promise and pitfalls of the U.S. technology offer to developing countries, a central theme of the 2025 Global Development Forum.
• Financial Inclusion: Exploring the role of technological innovations in promoting financial inclusion across the developing world.

The SDRI emphasizes the need for research on the business, political, and U.S. foreign policy implications of a changing global landscape.

Emerging Threats and Technological Frontiers

Beyond the great power dynamics, CSIS is dedicating significant resources to analyzing emerging threats that leverage new technologies, demonstrating its commitment to staying ahead of the curve in defense and security analysis.

4. The Weaponization of Narco-Drones in Mexico

CSIS research in 2024 detailed a significant leap forward in the capabilities of cartels in Mexico through the use of "narco-drones."

The data compiled by CSIS showed that a substantial number of drone attacks targeted rival criminal groups, while others were aimed at security forces and civilian populations, highlighting a new dimension of transnational organized crime and internal security challenges.

5. China's Naval Modernization and U.S. Capabilities

A June 2024 report from CSIS focused on China Naval Modernization and its implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities. This research is vital for understanding the shifting military balance in the Indo-Pacific, particularly as China continues to expand and refine its naval fleet, including the development of new vessel types like the world's first dedicated drone carrier.

6. Major Shifts in Space Security (Aerospace Security Project)

The CSIS Aerospace Security Project is actively examining the major shifts, challenges, and emerging trends shaping space in 2025. As space becomes an increasingly critical domain for both military and commercial operations, CSIS provides analysis on space security, counterspace capabilities, and the need for new international norms to govern the domain.

7. The Future of the Transatlantic Alliance and the Indo-Pacific

CSIS hosted a 2025 Transatlantic Dialogue on the Indo-Pacific, a crucial event for U.S. allies and partners.

This dialogue addresses the complex questions surrounding future security and economic scenarios, particularly in light of potential political changes in the United States and the ongoing need for a coordinated Western response to challenges emanating from the Indo-Pacific region.

The CSIS Impact on Policy and Global Affairs

The Center for Strategic and International Studies continues to be an essential engine of policy analysis, providing the foundational research that informs the decisions of key policymakers, government agencies, and international organizations. By focusing on fresh, data-driven analysis—such as the Strategic Trends 2025 and the new project on U.S.-China miscalculation—CSIS ensures that its vision of a safer and more prosperous world is grounded in strategic reality.

The breadth of its expertise, spanning from defense and national security to sustainable development and technology, confirms its status as a premier think tank. For anyone seeking to understand the critical forces shaping the world today, the latest reports and initiatives from CSIS offer the most authoritative and up-to-date insights.