About Us

Mission

The Jamestown Foundation’s mission is to inform policymakers and the broader community about events and trends in societies that are critical to the United States and its partners. Jamestown provides objective analysis and context, drawing upon indigenous and primary sources.

Programs

The Jamestown Foundation’s main publications are China Brief, Eurasia Daily Monitor and Terrorism Monitor. Click on the map below to explore them.

About Us

 

Origins

Founded in 1984 by William Geimer, The Jamestown Foundation made a direct contribution to the downfall of Communism through its dissemination of information about the closed totalitarian societies of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union.

William Geimer worked with Arkady Shevchenko, the highest-ranking Soviet official ever to defect when he left his position as undersecretary general of the United Nations. Shevchenko’s memoir “Breaking With Moscow” revealed the details of Soviet superpower diplomacy, arms control strategy and tactics in the Third World, at the height of the Cold War. Through its work with Shevchenko, Jamestown rapidly became the leading source of information about the inner workings of the captive nations of the former Communist Bloc. In addition to Shevchenko, Jamestown assisted the former top Romanian intelligence officer Ion Pacepa in writing his memoirs. Jamestown ensured that both men published their insights and experience in what became bestselling books. Even today, several decades later, some credit Pacepa’s revelations about Ceausescu’s regime in his bestselling book Red Horizons with the fall of that government and the freeing of Romania.

The Jamestown Foundation has emerged as a leading provider of information about Eurasia. Our research and analysis on conflict and instability in Eurasia enabled Jamestown to become one of the most reliable sources of information on the post-Soviet space, the Caucasus and Central Asia as well as China. Furthermore, since 9/11, Jamestown has utilized its network of indigenous experts in more than 50 different countries to conduct research and analysis on terrorism and the growth of al-Qaeda and al-Qaeda offshoots throughout the globe.

By drawing on our ever-growing global network of experts, Jamestown has become a vital source of unfiltered, open-source information about major conflict zones around the world—from the Black Sea to Siberia, from the Persian Gulf to Latin America and the Pacific. Our core of intellectual talent includes former high-ranking government officials and military officers, political scientists, journalists, scholars and economists. Their insight contributes significantly to policymakers engaged in addressing today’s newly emerging global threats in the post 9/11 world.

 

Nikolai Getman: The Gulag Collection

In 1946, an artist named Nikolai Getman was imprisoned in the Soviet Union’s GULAG, a system of forced labor camps across Siberia and the interior of the USSR. Upon his release in 1954, Getman commenced a public career as a politically correct painter. Secretly, however, for more than four decades, Getman labored at creating a visual record of the GULAG, which vividly depicts all aspects of the horrendous life (and death) so many innocent millions experienced during that infamous era. Getman’s collection is unique because it is the only visual record known to exist of this tragic phenomenon. In early 1997, The Jamestown Foundation learned of The Gulag Collection and that Getman was desperate to get the painting transported to the West; he feared that upon his death they would be destroyed. With the financial support of Jim Kimsey, The Jamestown Foundation brought the paintings to the United States, where in 1997 they were put on display in the U.S. Congress. The Collection remained with Jamestown until 2009, when it was permanently transferred to the Heritage Foundation, where it resides today (heritage.org).

 

Donor Privacy & Confidentiality Policy

Effective Date: January 2023

At The Jamestown Foundation, we are committed to protecting the privacy and security of our donors’ personal information. This Donor Privacy and Confidentiality Policy outlines our commitment to protecting donor data and privacy and describes how we collect, use, store, and share donor information. By interacting with our organization and providing your personal information, you consent to the practices described in this policy.

  1. Information Collection: We collect personal information from donors when they engage in activities such as making donations, signing up for our publications, newsletters, or participating in events. The information we collect may include:
    • Name, address, email address, and phone number
    • Donation history and contribution details
    • Payment information (credit card details, bank account numbers, etc.)
    • Communication preferences
  1. Use of Information: We use the collected donor information for the following purposes:
    • Processing donations and providing donation acknowledgements
    • Communicating with donors about our activities, events, and campaigns
    • Sending newsletters and other relevant updates
    • Conducting donor surveys and feedback requests
    • Internal record-keeping and analysis
  1. Data Security: We take reasonable measures to protect donor data from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. We use industry-standard security practices to safeguard the information we collect, including encryption, secure networks, and access controls. However, please note that no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee the absolute security of your data.
  2. Third-Party Disclosure: We do not sell, trade, or rent donor information to third parties. However, we may share certain data with trusted service providers who assist us in carrying out our activities, such as payment processors or email service providers. These service providers are contractually obligated to maintain the confidentiality and security of the data and can only use it for the purposes specified by us.
  3. Donor Rights: Donors have the right to:
    • Access their personal information held by us
    • Request corrections or updates to their information
    • Opt-out of receiving future communications
    • Request the deletion of their personal information, subject to legal obligations

To exercise these rights or for any questions regarding this policy, donors can contact us using the provided contact information.

8. Data Retention: We retain donor data for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy or as required by law. When donor information is no longer needed, we securely dispose of or anonymize it to prevent unauthorized access.

9. Policy Updates: We may update this Donor Privacy and Confidentiality Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We encourage donors to review this policy periodically for any updates. The revised policy will be effective immediately upon posting on our website.

 

Wooyeal Paik

Dr. Wooyeal Paik is Associate Professor of Political Science and International Studies at the Yonsei University, Seoul.

Keun-wook Paik

Dr. Keun-Wook Paik is a London-based specialist on Sino-Russian oil and gas relations and is currently an associate fellow at the Royal Institute of International... MORE

Emil Pain

Emil Pain is Director of the Center of Ethnopolitical Studies in Moscow.

Deep Pal

Deep Pal is a Research Intern at Freeman Chair in China Studies at CSIS and a master’s candidate at The George Washington University. He is... MORE

Tammy Lynn Palacios

Tammy Palacios leads the Priority Sustainable Counterterrorism initiative as a Senior Analyst at the New Lines Institute. This model is predominantly non-kinetic and builds off... MORE

Claudia Palazzo

Claudia Palazzo is a geopolitical analyst focused on the post-Soviet space. She is currently a PhD candidate in intelligence and security studies. She is the... MORE

Jagannath P. Panda

Dr. Jagannath Panda is the Head of the Stockholm Centre for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs (SCSA-IPA) at the Institute for Security and Development Policy... MORE

Rajaram Panda

Professor Rajaram Panda is a Lok Sabha Research Fellow, Parliament of India and Member, Governing Council of Indian Council of World Affairs, and Centre for... MORE

Raffaello Pantucci

Raffaello Pantucci is a Senior Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) and the author of the forthcoming We Love Death as You Love... MORE

Straton Papagianneas

Straton Papagianneas is a PhD Candidate at Leiden University, where he studies the automation and digitalization of PRC courts and its implications for judicial practice.... MORE

Prashanth Parameswaran

Dr. Prashanth Parameswaran is a fellow with the Wilson Center’s Asia Program, where he conducts research and analysis on Southeast Asia political and security developments,... MORE

Reza Parchizadeh

Dr. Reza Parchizadeh (@DrParchizadeh) is a political theorist, security analyst, and cultural expert. He wrote his master’s thesis on Middle Eastern history and Orientalist philosophy,... MORE

Hlib Parfonov

Hlib Parfonov is a graduate of the National Aviation University (Kyiv) and a flight engineer. Since 2020, he has headed security policy at the Doctrine... MORE

Alison Pargeter

Alison Pargeter is a Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the School of Security Studies, King’s College London and the author of several books on the Muslim... MORE

Alison Pargeter

Alison Pargeter is a Research Fellow at the International Policy Institue, Kings College London.

Seung Ho Park

Seung Ho Park is Parkland Chair Professor of Strategy at China Europe International Business School.

Joshua NT Park

Joshua NT Park is a Ph.D. Senior Researcher in IAS (Institute for Asian Strategy), Seoul Korea. He is currently a visiting scholar in Taipei, Taiwan.

Siodhbhra Parkin

Siodhbhra Parkin is currently the Program Monitoring and Evaluation Manager at PILnet PILnet: The Global Network for Public Interest Law. A former Fellow at the... MORE

Umed Partov

Umed Partov is an expert on security and politics of Central Asia. He is a PhD candidate at the George Mason University School for Conflict... MORE

Gulshan Pashayeva

Dr. Gulshan Pashayeva is a Board Member of the Baku-based Center of Analysis of the International Relations (AIR Center), established in February 2019. Previously, she... MORE

Vladimir Pastukhov

Vladimir Pastukhov holds a doctorate in political science and is a visiting fellow at St. Antony’s College, University of Oxford. In the 1990s, he was... MORE

Mikko Patokallio

Mikko Patokallio is a senior contributor at The Ulkopolitist, the leading Finnish blog on foreign and security policy.

Dragan Pavlićević

Dragan Pavlićević hearned a PhD from the University of Nottingham’s School of Contemporary Chinese Studies researching China’s domestic politics. Dragan is currently researching China’s multilateral... MORE

Irina Pavlova

Irina Pavlova is a historian and political analyst with a doctorate in history. She is a former senior research fellow at the Russian Academy of... MORE

Nenad Pejic

Nenad Pejic is Associate Director of Broadcasting for RFE/RL. Prior to joining RFE/RL in 1993 as Director of the South Slavic and Albanian Language Broadcast... MORE

Yuan Peng

Yuan Peng is Deputy Director at the Institute of American Studies, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations and former Visiting Fellow at the Center for... MORE

Ryan Pereira

Ryan Pereira is a 2016 Boren Fellow in the United Arab Emirates researching jihadism and Countering Violent Extremism.

Brian M. Perkins

Brian M. Perkins is an Intelligence Manager at a large risk management consultancy and is a former Navy Signals Intelligence Analyst. He has published extensively... MORE

William H. Persing

William Persing is a research assistant at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. He received his BA in Russian Studies and economics from Bucknell University and a... MORE

Alexandros Petersen

Alexandros Petersen was the author of The World Island: Eurasian Geopolitics and the Fate of the West (Praeger: 2011). A scholar of grand strategy and... MORE

Jeremy Peterson

Jeremy Peterson is a Brussel’s based journalist with experience in investigating organized crime in Europe and Russia for EU governments and the Council of Europe.

Nikolay Petrov

Nikolay Petrov is a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, and is chair of the Carnegie Moscow Center’s Society and Regions Program.... MORE

Sebastien Peyrouse

Sebastien Peyrouse is a Research Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and an Associate Scholar at the Institute for International and Strategic... MORE

Sarah Phillips

Sarah Phillips lectures at the Centre for International Security Studies, Sydney University. She lived and worked in Yemen for nearly four years and specializes in... MORE

Allan Pilch

Allan Pilch is a Researcher at the Center for the Study of Targeted Killing

Carlos Mauricio Pineda Cruz

Carlos Mauricio Pineda Cruz, a former Salvadoran Diplomat who has been posted in Venezuela and Mexico, is currently studying at Oxford University’s Latin American Center.

Andrei Piontkovsky

Andrei Piontkovsky is a Russian scientist, political writer and analyst. He is a member of PEN International and a regular political commentator for the BBC... MORE

Algirde Pipikaite

Algirde Pipikaite is an expert on the Baltic States, especially political and international issues related to Lithuania. Moreover, she has international academic and professional experience... MORE

Avery Plaw

Avery Plaw is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. He is the author of several articles on drones and a... MORE

Pavlo Podobied

Pavlo Podobied is an analyst and head of department at the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance. His research interests include Russia-Ukrainian relations, Russian Muslims, and... MORE

Michaela Pohl

Michaela Pohl, Assistant Professor of History at Vassar College, has written extensively about post-Soviet politics and ethnic relations.

Andrew Polk

Andrew Polk is a founding partner of Trivium/China, a Beijing-based advisory firm. He was formerly director of China research at Medley Global Advisors and senior... MORE

Kevin Pollpeter

Kevin Pollpeter is China Program Manager at Defense Group Inc.’s Center for Intelligence Research and Analysis.

Jeffrey Pool

Jeffrey Pool is a freelance consultant, specializing in security and terrorism issues in the Middle East. He is a former U.S. Army linguist, having received... MORE

Mihai Popșoi

Mihai Popșoi is an expert on Moldova. He runs the blog Moldovanpolitics.com.

Elizabeth Portale

Elizabeth Portale is a Partner at StrateVarious LLC and for this project serves as Senior Project Associate at The Jamestown Foundation. In her consulting work,... MORE

Geoff D. Porter

Dr. Geoff D. Porter was the North Africa analyst with Eurasia Group, a consulting firm that advises corporate, financial services and government clients on political... MORE

James Pothecary

James Pothecary is a senior political analyst at Falanx Assynt. He specializes in political violence, and has experience working in political analysis and security operations.... MORE

Mamie Powers

Mamie Powers is the Deputy Editor of Eurasia Daily Monitor at The Jamestown Foundation. She graduated from Bryn Mawr College with a BA in Russian... MORE

Samir Ranjan Pradhan

Samir Ranjan Pradhan, Ph.D., is a Senior Researcher in the GCC Economics and Gulf-Asia Program at the Gulf Research Center, Dubai. He has authored several... MORE

Yauheni Preiherman

Dr. Yauheni Preiherman is a foreign policy and security analyst based in Belarus. He is the founder and director of the Minsk Dialogue Council on... MORE

Michael Preiss

Mr. Preiss is chief investment strategist for CFC Securities in Hong Kong, and a guest lecturer at the Graduate School of the People's Bank of... MORE

Manuel Nicola Primitivi

Manuel Primitivi is an anthropologist focused on conflicts and extremism. He has a graduate degree in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Amsterdam. He has... MORE

Matti Puranen

Dr. Matti Puranen is a Senior Researcher at the Finnish National Defence University.

Martin Purbrick

Martin Purbrick is a writer, analyst, and consultant. He spent over 32 years in Asia working in the Royal Hong Kong Police serving in Special... MORE

Benjamin S. Purser, III

Benjamin S. Purser, III is a PhD candidate in the Department of Political Science at the University of Colorado–Boulder. He previously served as an officer... MORE

Susan Puska

Colonel Susan M. Puska (retired) is a former U.S. Army Attache. She currently works for Defense Group, Inc., in Washington, D.C.