Journals of international security and international relations studies Photo: Yang Lanlan/CSST

With the accelerated evolution of digitalization and the enhancement of digital infrastructure, the latest wave of international relations research is increasingly centered around data and algorithms. High-density, multi-modal data and intelligent analysis are serving as indispensable tools. In 2023, the School of International Relations at the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) established the Computing Laboratory of National Security (hereinafter referred to as the “Lab”), which is committed to building data infrastructure and open-source computing platforms with the aim of enabling data accessibility and algorithm reusability, and deeply integrating traditional research paradigms and new technologies.

Data, algorithm as core

The new liberal arts laboratory, as a platform for data processing and implementing intelligent applications, has emerged as a crucial venue for scholars of international relations to conduct intelligent research. Dong Qingling, a professor from the School of International Relations at the UIBE and director of the Lab, explained that the Lab strives to reconstruct its research agenda around data and algorithms by building foundational data and algorithm frameworks, integrating social computing methods and experimental approaches.

In Dong’s view, the founding of the Lab aims to further the organic integration of traditional paradigms and intelligent research. First of all, the establishment of extensive data assets and rapid screening methods provide researchers with high-density, reliable, and effective data. In addition, the design and application of various “zero-code” and “foolproof” models enhances the capabilities of most international relations researchers, including those with no programming background, thereby enabling the multidimensional use of big data and enhancing research efficacy.

Multilingual literature and information have always been critical data sources in the field of international relations research. Accordingly, the Lab has integrated and connected a multilingual translation system, introducing two types of translation interfaces: page translation and deep translation. These interfaces can instantly translate 42 languages, including English, French, German, Japanese, and Russian. Additionally, the Lab offers personalized data processing features based on a user-specific keyword filtering mechanism, allowing for more tailored analysis and research.

Problem-oriented research

In response to disciplinary development trends and the pressing concerns of international relations research, the Lab continually innovates its research topics with problem-oriented awareness.

In the digital age, the generation of cognitive content and research on cognitive security have become hot topics in the field of national security studies. The Lab leverages its algorithmic strengths and platform tools to actively explore cutting-edge research areas, incorporating generated data into international relations research in addition to real and simulated data. Furthermore, it designs and develops a series of content generators based on generative adversarial networks, which “simulate” the generation of fake texts, images, and videos from seed content through experimental methods. By observing and measuring these generated forgeries, the Lab conducts social experiments to distinguish false information, thereby actively probing new cognitive security theories.

National security situational awareness represents a key research direction of the Lab, Dong continued. As the volume and variety of available data in international relations research increases, the value of data for situational awareness and information assessment has seen unprecedented growth. Reflecting public opinion and conflict prediction based on data have increasingly become integral components of the “data-based national governance” concept. Through deep mining of multi-source and multi-modal data, international relations researchers can not only investigate social activities in real time but also accurately identify target populations. Using software-generated predictions, they can issue crisis warnings and advance data-driven preventive decision-making in real time.

International political psychology is a perennial topic in the study of international relations. This discipline examines the evolution of psychological factors such as cognition, emotion, and personality traits of individual actors in international relations, particularly their dynamic effects on foreign policy and international relations. In recent years, with the advancement and application of new technologies and tools, studies of international political psychology have also made considerable strides. Centering on the above-mentioned research areas, the Lab has innovatively developed and applied political micro-psychoanalysis based on the training of convolutional neural networks, developing and deploying facial micro-expression recognition systems. Dong explained that the Lab’s current facial micro-expression recognition tool can now capture facial micro-expressions lasting between 0.02 seconds and 0.04 seconds in real time. This tool can be applied in various scenarios such as computational propaganda, psychological deterrence, and diplomatic negotiations, thereby opening up a micro-psychological perspective in international relations research.