The Center has been working closely with the Crisis States Programme of the Development Studies Institute at LSE. The Crisis States Programme was started to study why some political systems and communities, in what can be called the “fragile states” have broken down even to the point of violent conflict while others have not.

The partnership between the CSP and the Stanhope Centre has been created to study how media structures, media law and policies, and media content, integral to the development of civil society, are significant factors in the analysis of state stability, democratisation or "failure." In addition to this coordinated research project, the Stanhope Centre has been working with DESTIN graduate students interested in the study of media and crisis, to develop their thesis topics. The Stanhope Centre has become a valuable resource for student guidance and research development.