Nuclear fission was discovered in the late 1930s. The first application went towards military use, and gradually expanded to civil use such as power generation. Power generation gained importance in two stages: firstly, to shift away from oil in power generation after the oil shocks in the 1970s, and second, to arrest climate change due to CO2-free nature of nuclear power more recently. This typically applies to Japan, which has become the world third largest in nuclear power generation. However, nuclear power is violent by nature, and major accidents of nuclear power plants shook the public confidence in nuclear safety. Japan has been put into such situation in a most radical way due to the Fukushima nuclear disaster of March 2011.

RAMSES (Le Rapport annuel mondial sur le système économique et les stratégies), is a yearly publication that provides in-depth reviews and prospective analysis on current events, providing readers with indispensable insights and perspectives for understanding contemporary geopolitics on the global scale. Edited by Thierry de Montbrial and Philippe Moreau Defarges, RAMSES relies on the expertise of Ifri’s research team and its network of associates.

The interplay of the foreign, domestic and military dimensions of Russia's Arctic policy is characterized by peculiar incompatibilities. The position of power secured by the military superiority and ambitious modernization of strategic forces is supposed to grant Moscow strong influence and tangible advantages in the Arctic relations.

This series of policy papers, published by Ifri and the Canon Institute for Global Studies, provides a Japanese perspective on the causes, the mechanisms and the consequences of the global economic crisis, as well as the measures implemented by the States to cope with it.

The multifaceted crisis in Mali, which has effectively led to state collapse and split the country in two, has drawn international attention to Algeria’s role in the stability of the Sahel. One might expect Algeria, as the region’s preeminent military power, and one that has sought to position itself as a leader in counter-terrorism, to lead the international response to the growing chaos along its volatile southern border.

Mormonism has been making headlines ever since Mitt Romney declared his candidacy to the White House. This 19th century American-born religion puts forth a set of values that is both original and strong. A better understanding of these values is necessary as Mormonism develops both inside and outside the United States.