New Global Policy Horizons Lab Used to Research Conflict in Yemen

Photo: Professor Dani Belo and History major Samantha Ramay discuss her research project in the Global Policy Horizon Lab on the Webster Groves campus.

Samantha Ramay, a History major with a minor in International Relations, is tackling a huge research project this year. She is analyzing how diplomatic, economic, military and humanitarian factors are colluding and colliding as part of the unfolding crisis in Yemen and the Red Sea. And she’s using the University’s new Global Policy Horizon Lab to aid her efforts.

“Webster has provided me with academic opportunities I didn't even know existed,” Ramay, a junior who will graduate in 2025, said. “I have been encouraged to pursue challenges outside my comfort zone thanks to the wonderful support I've received from faculty mentors. These interactions in the classroom and beyond have left me inspired and empowered to pursue new paths in my education.”

Her project is focusing on the recent Red Sea attacks being launched out of Yemen by Houthi rebels, allegedly in response to the war in Gaza. She is analyzing the complex web of history, ideology and policies in the Middle East that have contributed to the Yemen crisis. Her final study will be presented as a conflict assessment report that summarizes her findings and offers policy suggestions. Once completed, she will use other resources in the lab to submit the paper for evaluation and publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

“The lab has given me the incredible opportunity to engage in international relations research in the way a policy analyst would, and also be compensated for my research thanks to the Don Maland Scholarship for Conflict Analysis and Resolution,” Ramay said. “I am incredibly thankful to be trusted with such a rewarding responsibility.”

The Global Policy Horizon Lab was created with students like Ramay in mind, said International Relations Professor Dani Belo.

“The lab is designed for students from all majors to explore national and international policies, with an emphasis on security,” Belo said. “By using the resources offered in the lab, we hope to equip students the practical knowledge and skills needed to pursue careers in the policy community.”

The lab was launched in the fall of 2023 in Room 104 of the H. Sam Priest Building. While the lab is physically located on Webster’s main campus in St. Louis, it is open to students at all of Webster’s locations around the world, Belo said. “Our resources are all digitally accessible online,” he said. Faculty also can use the lab’s resources, he added. 

Any student who wishes to participate in the lab should contact Belo at danibelo@webster.edu and visit the lab website.