The Institute of World Politics

About the Lecture: Over the past decade, China's emergence as a major maritime power has unsettled the status quo in Asia and beyond. By assessing the sources of Chinese seapower, this presentation will argue that China's seaward turn will pose a long-term challenge to U.S. maritime strategy.

About the book: The Terrorist Argument: Modern Advocacy and Propaganda, co-authored by Christopher C. Harmon and Randall G. Bowdish and published by Brookings Institution Press, is an entirely original study of the strategic communications of violent sub-state actors. The book exposes the surprising range of different media now in use by terrorists, including writing books and setting up television stations. It provides insights, observations, and conclusions reached in 9 case studies of media—of groups as different as secular Iranian dissidents, Islamists of ISIS and Al Qaeda, Filipino Maoists, and Irish militants. About the author: Christopher C. Harmon inaugurated two of his earlier terrorism books in IWP lectures (2010, 2014). He taught evening courses on terrorism and counterterrorism at the Institute for more than a decade following 9/11/01. Dr. Harmon served on a congressional staff, has taught at a half-dozen graduate schools, directed terrorism studies at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, and held two academic chairs in Quantico, Virginia. His most recent articles are in the geopolitics journal Orbis, Oxford Bibliographies, and Combating Terrorism Exchange. Since 2012, Harmon also serves on the editorial board of the leading English-language terrorism journal, Terrorism & Political Violence.

About the Lecture: On the publication date of her book, Blood Profits: How American Consumers Unwittingly Fund Terrorists, Dr. Vanessa Neumann will talk about her travels around the Americas and how narcotics, corruption and other forms of illicit trade fund non-state armed groups and threaten good governance. The talk will cover Venezuela, Colombia, Panama and Guatemala, drawing connections and distinctions between their challenges and their roles in international criminal networks. About the Speaker: Vanessa Neumann provides expertise on political risk affecting investment in the Western Hemisphere. She is a consultant to funds totaling over $1T AUM. She is an entrepreneur with extensive relationships to identify reliable partners and bridge relationships across the Western Hemisphere's industry and governments. She is the owner and founder of Asymmetrica, an anti-illicit trade and government affairs consultancy that is part of the research network for the UN Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate. She is a former advisor to the OECD's Task Force on Countering Illicit Trade, and a current P/CVE consultant to UN Women. In the 1990s, she conducted corporate planning and finance at Venezuelan petrochemicals conglomerate Corimon, through its NYSE IPO by Merrill Lynch. She lobbied US government for oil industry interests under Venezuela's Minister Counselor for Petroleum Affairs and helped bring first case before World Trade Organization. Returning to industry, she negotiated raw material price and payment terms with ICI, 3M, and DuPont to improve margins in petrochemicals manufacturing in 5 LatAm countries. She received a Ph.D. from Columbia University in theories of justice. She does field work in the reintegration of Colombian paramilitaries and research on LatAm security for think tanks. Currently, she is an academic reviewer for the US military's Special Operations Command, teaching text on counterinsurgency in Colombia. She is a fellow at FPRI and Yale, and associate at Columbia. She is author of the book, Blood Profits: How American Consumers Unwittingly Fund Terrorists, out December 5th, 2017.

About the Lecture: Mr. Tibor Babic will be talking about the events that were taking place immediately after the Socialist Republic of Slovenia declared independence from Yugoslavia to become an independent, autonomous, and sovereign state on June 25, 1991. He will talk about the war and the political process that took place in order for Slovenia to become a democratic nation governed by the will of its people. His hope is to give an another prospective, a prospective of people who experienced the war, who were on the battlefield, and in negotiation meetings. To present historical facts with emotions of the people during the war and immediately after the war ended. About the Speaker: Tibor Babic was born in Maribor, Slovenia, and after graduating high school, he went to Vienna, Austria to study political science. His goal is to work in international relations, which is why he chose to attend The Institute of World Politics for graduate school, where he graduated in May 2017. His research areas at IWP concentrate on EU and US relations and world order.

About the Lecture: Organizations combined are spending billions of dollars on information security tools. Based on news headlines this spending does not seem to be reaching the desired result. This talk will focus on important foundational business and Information Technology hygiene areas necessary to properly protect and defend your organization. Darren Death PS 2 About the Speaker: Darren Death has worked in information technology for over 17 years building and securing enterprise solutions primarily for the Government sector. As the Chief Information Security Officer, he is responsible for the ASRC Enterprise Cyber Security program which includes ASRC Federal and its parent company Arctic Slope Regional Corporation. In the role of Chief Information Security Officer, he manages the Cyber Security program across the 4Billion dollar ASRC portfolio crossing many business sectors to include Financial Services, Health Care, Construction, Retail, Energy, and Federal Government Contracting. Follow Darren on Twitter: https://twitter.com/darrendeath Follow Darren on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrendeath/

About the lecture The historical idea of Novorossiya in Russia, in regard to Ukraine, has been a manufactured reality for at least the last 250 years since it was first uttered. Before that, it was a concept that shaped attitudes about Ukraine, denying but not destroying a separate national existence, and implicit to Russo-centric historiography. During the Soviet period, it was used for state power, as attitudes became murder. Today, Novorossiya is invoked in the central government's denial campaign of the not-so-secret war with Ukraine. But where did it come from? And how has it been repackaged? And why does Putin not matter, ultimately? This presentation will seek to answer these questions and more through an investigation of eastern Ukraine, who is doing the fighting, and who really cares about this war. About the speaker Jarrod McDowell graduated from IWP in 2017 with an MA in National Security Affairs, with a focus on intelligence. He received his BS in History from Emmanuel College. During his time at IWP, he worked for TRAC as an Editorial Researcher. Today, he continues in a similar role as a DoD civilian.

About the Lecture: Lt. Col. Dave Blair (USAF) will discuss his book Chasing Jericho: Tactical Adaptation in the Royal Navy's West Africa Squadron and the Eventual Sudden Collapse of the Atlantic Slave Trade. On the 25th of March, 1807, the British Empire turned from the primary backer of the Atlantic Slave Trade to its most powerful adversary. Between that date and 1867, the year the last known Atlantic slave ship sailed, the British spent tens of millions of pounds and lost thousands of sailors in the course of suppressing the trade. Their foreign office bribed and pressured European sea-going powers into an international treaty network against the trade, backed by Royal Navy cruisers. Royal Navy officers built a network of treaties with leaders on the West African coast, similarly by way of economic incentives, pressure and at times, force. The British were willing to act unilaterally, even assaulting Brazilian slave ships at their moorings in the Americas. Amidst all of this, the perennially controversial effort faced vocal doubts as to its efficacy and social value, and was nearly called off in the late 1850s. The outcome of this campaign -- the eradication of the Atlantic Slave Trade -- is remarkable amongst illicit market suppression attempts for its clear success... Without the campaign of the British Royal Navy against the Atlantic slave trade, which campaign is today largely forgotten, the immense work of William Wilberforce in declaring that trade illegal would likely have been meaningless as the slave trade would have continued much as before. More pertinent to the 21st century, the Royal Navy's strategy and tactics provide lessons that can prove useful in today's transnational security challenges. About the Speaker: Lt. Col. Dave Blair (USAF) is a Senior Special Operations Aviation Advisor at the Office of the Secretary of Defense, where he works on emerging aviation technology, artificial intelligence, and competitive strategies. He is a proud graduate of a Small Technical College on the Front Range of the Rockies (Class of 2002); he also holds a Masters from Harvard and a Doctorate from Georgetown as a member of the first class of the CSAF's Prestigious PhD Program. He is an Evaluator Pilot in Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), with more than 2,000 combat hours in six theaters of combat in the AC-130 Spooky Gunship, MQ-1 Predator, and MQ-9 Reaper.

About the speaker: Rebeccah Heinrichs is a senior fellow at Hudson Institute where she provides research and commentary on a range of national security issues, and specializes in nuclear deterrence, missile defense, and counter-proliferation. Her work has appeared in major newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Times, and Investor’s Business Daily as well as political journals such as Politico and The Hill. She is a regular national security commentator on Fox News and Fox Business as well as other networks. Rebeccah was the vice chairman of the John Hay Initiative's Counterproliferation Working Group, where she contributed to the group's book: Choosing To Lead. In this capacity she also provided counsel and briefings to governors, federal legislators, and presidential candidates. Rebeccah served as an adviser on national security and foreign policy to Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, and helped launch the bi-partisan Missile Defense Caucus. She has testified before Congress and has presented to numerous organizations including the Aerospace Industries Association, the Reserve Officers Association, the National Defense Industrial Association, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and for the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. She holds an MA in national security and strategic studies from the U.S. Naval War College. She also graduated with highest distinction from its College of Naval Command and Staff, receiving the Director’s Award for academic excellence. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ashland University in Ohio, and graduated from the Ashbrook Scholar Program. Rebeccah currently resides in Arlington, Virginia with her husband and their children.

Radical Islam and Resettlement Jihad by The Institute of World Politics

Iran and the US Response with Dr. Douglas Streusand by The Institute of World Politics

The Future of Statecraft by The Institute of World Politics

About the speaker: Andrew Harris is an active duty US Army Military Intelligence Officer, serving as an Executive Officer for the Intelligence and Security Command Headquarters, and an Alumnus of the Institute of World Politics, a graduate school in Washington, DC. His previous assignments include two deployments to Afghanistan as an Infantry Platoon Leader and an Assistant Brigade Intelligence Officer, and service as the Battalion Intelligence Officer for the 1st Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment.

Eurasian Geopolitical Power and Its Threat to the U.S. by The Institute of World Politics

About the book: Bruce Hoffman's Inside Terrorism has remained the seminal work for understanding the historical evolution of terrorism and the terrorist mind-set. In this revised third edition of his classic text, Hoffman analyzes the latest developments in global terrorism, offering insight into new adversaries, motivations, strategies, and tactics. He focuses on the rise of ISIS and the resilience of al-Qaeda; terrorist exploitation of the Internet and embrace of social media; radicalization of foreign fighters; and potential future trends, including the repercussions of a post-caliphate ISIS. Hoffman examines the demographics of contemporary terrorist leaders and recruits; the continued use of suicide bombers; and the likelihood of a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear terrorist strike. He also considers the resurgence of violent antigovernment militants, including white supremacists and opponents of abortion. He argues that the war on terrorism did not end with Osama bin Laden's death and that ongoing instability and strife in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and Yemen, among other places, will both sustain terrorist movements and have broad implications for domestic and international security around the globe. About the author: Bruce Hoffman is a professor in Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service and the director of the Center for Security Studies and the Security Studies Program. He is also a senior fellow at the U.S. Military Academy’s Combating Terrorism Center and a visiting professor of terrorism studies at St. Andrews University. Hoffman is the editor of the Columbia University Press series Columbia Studies in Terrorism and Irregular Warfare, coeditor of The Evolution of the Global Terrorist Threat: From 9/11 to Osama bin Laden’s Death(Columbia, 2014), and author of Anonymous Soldiers: The Struggle for Israel, 1917–1947 (2015).

Marek Jan Chodakiewicz, Ph.D., the Head of the Kościuszko Chair of Polish Studies at The Institute of World Politics

Russia's road to dictatorship and terror under Yeltsin and Putin and how it led to Russia's interference in U.S. internal affairs. The author will also discuss the significance of this interference and how the U.S. should react. Mr. David Satter is affiliated with the Hudson Institute and the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). He has written four books about Russia and the Soviet Union, including The Less You Know, the Better You Sleep: Russia's Road to Terror and Dictatorship, which was released in September in paperback.

Mass migrations, which began in the Polish lands already in 1944, lasted until the end of the 50s. Their effect was the displacement of a dozen or so millions of people into unfamiliar, alien lands. The lecture will show the diary of migrants of those times from the corpus of over one thousand works, digitized and subjected to qualitative analysis. Professor Jakub Isanski is a sociologist working at the Faculty of Social Sciences at one of the biggest Polish universities: the University of Adam Mickiewicz in Poznan. He specializes in issues related to migrations and its social consequences. Among his published papers are the results of field research on contemporary Polish migration.

In many respects, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth resembled the United States of America, albeit in the pre-modern era. The aim of this lecture is to present the similarities between the two political entities, pointing to analogies between the two systems of government and the thoughts and attitudes that spawned them. Mrs. Maria Juczewska is an Associate Director of the Kościuszko Chair of Polish Studies at The Institute of World Politics. She is a communication specialist with international experience. Her main research interests are topics related to Central and Eastern European affairs with focus on propaganda and disinformation. She also writes journalistic reports for American NGOs’ portals.

About the Lecture: Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church has been an outspoken critic of the Ukrainian government and the Maidan movement. The organization and culture of Orthodox Christianity is often enigmatic for Westerners, so the significance of these comments is lost. What role, if any, does religion play in the ongoing crisis in Donbas? About the Speaker: Geoffrey Seroka is a graduate student at The Institute of World Politics, studying International Affairs. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Government from Patrick Henry College in 2015.

About the Lecture: The Islamic Republic of Iran wants nuclear weapons to solidify its growing regional hegemony in the Middle East. Such an event will destabilize the already precarious regional order. The Trump Administration is committed to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear arms at all costs--even potentially risking war with the Islamic Republic. If conflict with Iran were to erupt, Iran's long-time strategic partner, the Russian Federation, would disproportionately benefit. About the Speaker: Brandon Weichert is a former Congressional staffer and the founder of The Weichert Report. His book on national security space policy will be released shortly. Brandon holds a B.A. in Political Science from DePaul University and is an Associate Member of New College at Oxford University. Recently, Brandon obtained his M.A. in Statecraft and National Security Affairs with a Specialization in Defense Policy from the Institute of World Politics in Washington, D.C. On top of being a contributor to the conservative publication, American Greatness, Brandon does speaking engagements, presents papers, and conducts media interviews. He has been featured on BBC World News World Update with Dan Damon, he has been interviewed by The Christian Science Monitor, he has appeared on The Dino Report with Dino Costa, and he has been featured on the Seth & Chris Show offering his expertise as a national security and foreign policy specialist.

About the lecture: The Eastern Question is a subject that involves the the East, the West, Russia, the Balkans, Turkey and the Middle East. It is a story of threat perception, religion and strategic considerations that have their origins going back to the Trojan Wars, carry up through the Crimean War and into the current tensions facing the Region, from Syria to the Ukraine, in the 21st century. About the speaker: Dr. Williams is originally from Michigan. He received degrees and diplomas from Culver Military Academy, the University of Virginia, the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, the University of Florence, Italy, and two Masters and a Doctorate in International Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, a joint Tufts and Harvard Program. He has lived in four foreign countries and has studied and worked professionally in four foreign languages: French, Greek, Italian and Turkish. Formerly a Wall St. and International Investment Banker, he is currently a licensed Realtor, operates a small consulting business, and lectures on a variety of topics, including American History, Turkey and the Middle East. He has been featured on National Public Radio related to several of his interests, has written news Commentary pieces on Turkey and the Middle east, and has published scholarly articles on Ottoman and Turkish Law. He has recently spent two semesters (2016-‘17) in Istanbul teaching a course at Koç University titled, “Turkey and America, East and West – Where the Twain Meet”. Phil is a past National Board member of the English-Speaking Union, a Past Virginia State President of the Sons of the American Revolution, and has served on the board of the American Friends of Turkey for over twenty-three years. Marilyn Williams is his wife and they have two grown children, Margaret (34) and Phillips (32).

About the lecture: The Eastern Question is a subject that involves the the East, the West, Russia, the Balkans, Turkey and the Middle East. It is a story of threat perception, religion and strategic considerations that have their origins going back to the Trojan Wars, carry up through the Crimean War and into the current tensions facing the Region, from Syria to the Ukraine, in the 21st century. About the speaker: Dr. Williams is originally from Michigan. He received degrees and diplomas from Culver Military Academy, the University of Virginia, the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, the University of Florence, Italy, and two Masters and a Doctorate in International Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, a joint Tufts and Harvard Program. He has lived in four foreign countries and has studied and worked professionally in four foreign languages: French, Greek, Italian and Turkish. Formerly a Wall St. and International Investment Banker, he is currently a licensed Realtor, operates a small consulting business, and lectures on a variety of topics, including American History, Turkey and the Middle East. He has been featured on National Public Radio related to several of his interests, has written news Commentary pieces on Turkey and the Middle east, and has published scholarly articles on Ottoman and Turkish Law. He has recently spent two semesters (2016-‘17) in Istanbul teaching a course at Koç University titled, “Turkey and America, East and West – Where the Twain Meet”. Phil is a past National Board member of the English-Speaking Union, a Past Virginia State President of the Sons of the American Revolution, and has served on the board of the American Friends of Turkey for over twenty-three years. Marilyn Williams is his wife and they have two grown children, Margaret (34) and Phillips (32).

About the lecture: What does America owe its veterans? At a time when so few serve in the military, many Americans either place veterans on a pedestal or see them as victims. The fact is that most are neither heroes nor victims, but men and women who did their duty as they were given to see it. For that, they deserve neither adulation nor pity but understanding. One way to achieve this understanding is to appreciate the veteran's odyssey, the soldier's sojourn within, and subsequent return from, the "temple of Mars." About the speaker: Dr. Mackubin Thomas Owens is Dean of Academic Affairs and Professor at The Institute of World Politics. He is a Senior Fellow of the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI) in Philadelphia, and editor of Orbis, FPRI's quarterly journal. He recently retired as Professor of National Security Affairs at the US Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. At the War College he specialized in the planning of US strategy and forces, especially naval and power projection forces; the political economy of national security; national security organization; strategic geography; and American civil-military relations. From 1990 to 1997, Dr. Owens was Editor-in-Chief of the quarterly defense journal Strategic Review and Adjunct Professor of International Relations at Boston University. Before joining the faculty of the War College, Dr. Owens served as National Security Adviser to Senator Bob Kasten, Republican of Wisconsin, and Director of Legislative Affairs for the Nuclear Weapons Programs of the Department of Energy during the Reagan Administration. Dr. Owens is also a Marine Corps veteran of Vietnam, where as an infantry platoon and company commander in 1968-1969, he was wounded twice and awarded the Silver Star medal. He retired as a Colonel in 1994. Dr. Owens earned his Ph.D. in Politics from the University of Dallas, a Master of Arts in Economics from Oklahoma University, and his BA from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He has taught at the University of Rhode Island, the University of Dallas, Catholic University, Ashland University of Ohio, and the Marine Corps' School of Advanced Warfighting (SAW).

About the lecture: Ambassador Temuri Yakobashvili (former Ambassador of Georgia to the U.S.) will discuss the conditions that led to the conflict between Russia and Georgia. He will outline the steps needed to bring a lasting peace to the region and the role that the United States could play, notably in economic development. He will provide some insight from his experience as Ambassador of Georgia to the United States. About the speaker: Ambassador Temuri Yakobashvili is co-Founder and President of the New International Leadership Institute. He is a career diplomat who has held various positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, including that of a Director of the Department for the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. Previously, he was a Deputy Prime Minister and State Minister for Reintegration in the Government of Georgia, and served as an Ambassador of Georgia to the United States. Amb. Yakobashvili is a graduate of Tbilisi State University and has fulfilled training and fellowships at Oxford University’s Center of Political and Diplomatic Studies, Yale University, and Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

About the lecture: Speaking at IWP in April, Nikolas Gvosdev discussed the balance between Russia-engagers and Russia-skeptics in the Trump Administration. Over the summer, the balance of forces, along with the passage of major new sanctions against Russia by the Congress, has shifted strongly in favor of containment. Why has a candidate Trump who called for improved relations with Vladimir Putin's Russia morphed into President Trump a seeming Russia hawk--and what does this say for how future encounters between Washington and Moscow will go? About the speaker: Nikolas Gvosdev is Professor of National Security Affairs, holding the Captain Jerome E. Levy Chair in Economic Geography and National Security at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. He also serves as a Senior Fellow for the Foreign Policy Research Institute's Eurasia Program and Program on National Security. He was formerly the Editor of The National Interest magazine and a Senior Fellow at The Nixon Center in Washington, D.C. Gvosdev received his doctorate from St Antony's College, Oxford University, where he studied on a Rhodes Scholarship. A frequent commentator on Russian and Eurasian affairs, his work has appeared in such outlets as Foreign Affairs, The Financial Times, The Los Angeles Times, and Orbis, and he has appeared as a commentator on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, National Public Radio, and BBC. He is the co-author of US Foreign Policy and Defense Strategy: The Rise of an Incidental Superpower, and the co-author of Russian Foreign Policy: Vectors, Sectors and Interests.

About the lecture: North Korea’s energy picture offers a striking contrast between abundant resources and chronic energy shortfalls that have created bottlenecks throughout the economy. These obstacles have even affected the all important military sector. Pyongyang has tried short term fixes to deal with energy related difficulties via its neighbors Russia and China but for the most part these efforts have either exacerbated existing problems or created new ones. Cutting across classical standards of analysis, North Korean energy insecurities are not straightforward problems and cannot easily be classified as either economic or political-military. Opaque and impenetrable to outsiders, North Korea’s painful combination of resource deficiency and a lack of geopolitical leverage to command access to deficient resources is especially hard for the United States to understand, given the abundant resources they have readily at hand and the political-military leverage they possess to acquire the resources they lack. As the information revolution expands worldwide, in both civilian and military dimensions, and as industrial facilities become more and more technology intensive, the quality of electric power becomes more important to the DPRK in all aspects of economic and military life. North Korea is beginning to discover that it cannot run on their erratic power supply with which Pyongyang, and its provincial towns are presently afflicted.” Recommended Reading: Energy Security in North Korea: From Defiance to Survival, Foreign Policy Association, https://foreignpolicyblogs.com/2017/06/15/energy-security-north-korea-defiance-survival/ About the speaker: Patricia is an energy analyst based in Washington DC and an Associate Member of New College at Oxford University. She has extensive experience in global energy market studies, energy security and political risk with special focus on Europe, the United States and Russia. Patricia was recently selected as one of the top 40 most influential individuals in the energy sector by Right Relevance Inc, in San Francisco California. Patricia previously worked at Le Figaro Newspaper in Paris and was a parliamentary assistant and attaché at The French National Assembly. While working for a petrochemical company, she wrote her thesis on U.S Foreign Policy towards Terrorism after 9/11 focusing on the War in Iraq and Afghanistan. As a member of Chatham House, she has led several research projects in the areas of energy security and emerging threats in critical energy infrastructure as well as policy and risk assessment of European and Russian oil and gas systems. She has collaborated with various academic institutions, think tanks and embassies on European energy market, the geopolitics of energy and investment patterns. She has published for Pipeline Oil and Gas Magazine in Dubai, The National Interest, Oxford Politics and International Relations Departments as well as the Foreign Policy Association in NY. She is a frequent contributor to international media on energy security and international economic issues. Patricia holds a Master Degree from the Institute of World Politics in Washington D.C. She studied law and international relations in Paris, London,Geneva and completed a course certificate on sustainability and environmental management at Harvard University. Follow her on Twitter: @Patricia_Energy

About the book: This book examines historic examples of US public diplomacy in order to understand how past uses and techniques of foreign public engagement evolved into modern public diplomacy as a tool of American statecraft. The study explores six historic cases where the United States’ government or private American citizens actively engaged with foreign publics, starting with the American Revolution in 1776 through the passage of the Smith-Mundt Bill of 1948. Each case looks specifically at the role foreign public engagement plays in American statecraft, while also identifying trends in American foreign public engagement and making connections between past practice of foreign public engagement and public diplomacy, and analyzing how trends and past practice or experience influenced modern American public diplomacy. About the author: Caitlin E. Schindler obtained a Master of Arts in Strategic Intelligence from The Institute of World Politics in 2010. While studying at IWP, Caitlin worked as a technical writer and executive officer, for a U.S. Defense Contractor supporting various government customers, mainly in counterterrorism policy and operations. In 2015, Caitlin completed her PhD at the University of Leeds in the UK under the supervision of Nicholas Cull (University of Southern California). Dr. Schindler's research focuses on the role of intelligence and national techniques of strategic communication to include propaganda, public diplomacy, and political warfare in national statecraft. Caitlin is currently employed by Leidos and is a Research Professor at The Institute of World Politics.

About the book: MONIKA JABLONSKA’S WIND FROM HEAVEN. JOHN PAUL: The Poet Who Became Pope is the story of the future pope Karol Wojtyła as poet and playwright, as true servant of the Word — a student of Polish literature, dramatist, actor, professor, philosopher, and priest, whose religious conviction added a moral dimension to world politics and changed the course of history. Wind from Heaven offers a new perspective on John Paul II and the pontificate that transformed the Church, its people, and the whole world. Drawing on a wealth of Polish sources, the author throws a fresh and numinous light onto the personal and literary life of John Paul II for English-language readers. She portrays the history of Karol Wojtyła’s native Poland, its literature, and faith-suffused used culture as the crucible out of which emerged a boy, then a man of unbreakable spirit, who answered the call to priesthood, and became a pope who in face of immense worldly evils feared no one but God, giving ringing voice to Love and Hope with such moral clarity that the world rose up with courage in response. The reader of this inspiring book comes away in reverent awe of Karol Wojtyła, this “man from a far country” who played a crucial role in some of the most momentous events of our time, who implemented lasting changes in this world, and who left behind springs of inspiration owing stronger with each passing year. About the author: MONIKA JABLONSKA is an entrepreneur, lawyer, consultant, and business executive. She is currently working on her PhD dissertation, on social business. At the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro in 2012, Monika launched her own social business called Nurture the World to feed hungry children around the world. She runs projects in the USA, Brazil, and Europe. In 2015, she received a Special Recognition Award from the American Institute ofPolish Culture in Miami for her Nurture the World project. Monika was also nominated for Businesswoman of the Year in 2016. Wind from Heaven has previously been published in Poland, Brazil, and Colombia.

About the lecture: This presentation will discuss current relations between the Russian Federation and Latin American and Caribbean states. Apart from addressing Moscow’s relations with “the usual suspects” (e.g. Cuba and Venezuela), we will also explore initiatives with other regional states at the diplomatic, defense and economic level. We will conclude by discussing whether the Russian government currently has an overall strategy towards Latin America and the Caribbean and what new initiatives we can expect in the near future. About the speaker: W. Alejandro Sanchez is an international affairs analyst who focuses on geopolitical and defense issues in the Western Hemisphere. A member of the Forum on the Arms Trade, he is a regular contributor to IHS Jane's Defense Weekly, the Center for International Maritime Security, Living in Peru, among others. His analyses have appeared in journals including Small Wars and Insurgencies, Defence Studies, the Journal of Slavic Military Studies, European Security, Studies in Conflict and Terrorismand Perspectivas. He received his B.A. from Ursinus College, his M.A. from American University, his Certificate on Caribbean Defense and Security from the National Defense University (Washington, DC) and his Certificate on International Politics from the Institute of World Politics. The views expressed in this presentation are the sole responsibility of the presenter and do not necessarily reflect those of any institutions with which the presenter is associated.

About the lecture: The period of continental peace in Europe has been shattered. Whereas many assumed that war would never return to Europe after the Cold War, it would seem that conflict with Russia and Islamic extremism (as well as economic instability) now dominates the once-peaceful European continent. With America's commitment to NATO and the EU in question, this lecture will address the question whether key countries--such as Germany and Poland--should develop nuclear arms to better defend themselves absent of a firm American defense commitment. About the speaker: Brandon J. Weichert is a former congressional staffer and is the founder and CEO of The Weichert Report: A World News Website. He is also a Contributing Editor at American Greatness. Brandon received his B.A. in Political Science from DePaul University and his M.A. in Statecraft and National Security Affairs from The Institute of World Politics.

About the lecture: This lecture will elaborate the ways in which a constitution is not a mere set of rules-of-the-game but is rather the formulation of a “way of life,” and that requires stable aspects of character in the citizens that are the condition for the success of the constitution. About the speaker: William B. Allen, Emeritus Professor of Political Philosophy in the Department of Political Science and Emeritus Dean, James Madison College, at Michigan State University. He served previously on the United States National Council for the Humanities and as Chairman and Member of the United States Commission on Civil Rights. Recently he served as Associate Pastor, First Baptist Church Havre de Grace, Md; and a Veritas Fund Senior Fellow in the Matthew J. Ryan Center for the Study of Free Institutions and the Public Good at Villanova University. He has published extensively. including Re-Thinking Uncle Tom: The Political Philosophy of H. B. Stowe (Lexington Books) and George Washington: America’s First Progressive (Peter Lang, Inc.).

Energy Security: New Market Realities by The Institute of World Politics

About the lecture: This lecture will elaborate the ways in which a constitution is not a mere set of rules-of-the-game but is rather the formulation of a “way of life,” and that requires stable aspects of character in the citizens that are the condition for the success of the constitution. About the speaker: William B. Allen, Emeritus Professor of Political Philosophy in the Department of Political Science and Emeritus Dean, James Madison College, at Michigan State University. He served previously on the United States National Council for the Humanities and as Chairman and Member of the United States Commission on Civil Rights. Recently he served as Associate Pastor, First Baptist Church Havre de Grace, Md; and a Veritas Fund Senior Fellow in the Matthew J. Ryan Center for the Study of Free Institutions and the Public Good at Villanova University. He has published extensively. including Re-Thinking Uncle Tom: The Political Philosophy of H. B. Stowe (Lexington Books) and George Washington: America’s First Progressive (Peter Lang, Inc.).

About the lecture Social engineering (also called "Human Hacking") is an essential tool in every computer hacker's toolkit. Yet its origins extend long before the digital age. This talk explores the evolution of this concept from its origins in public policy to its current application to cybersecurity. Dr. Hatfield's research includes interviews with famous hackers and offers a framework within which social engineering attacks can best be understood. About the speaker Lieutenant Commander Joseph M. Hatfield currently serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Cyber Science at the U.S. Naval Academy, where he teaches courses on the technical fundamentals of cybersecurity, the ethics and policy of cyber operations, and intelligence and national security. He is an active-duty naval intelligence officer with over a decade of overseas operational experience, including combat tours aboard the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower as well as overseas assignments in both England and Sicily. He earned his Ph.D. at Cambridge University and has published scholarly work in journals and book chapters.

This lecture was presented on August 8, 2017 by Brandon Weichert at the Institute of World Politics. This event is sponsored by the Kosciuszko Chair of Polish Studies and the Center for Intermarium Studies. About the lecture Russian foreign policy objectives are poorly understood today. This is because most analysts look at Russia through Western eyes. But, Russia is not only Moscow. Russia is Siberia and the Far East also. This lecture will provide a three-dimensional view of Russia, it will contextualize Russian actions over the past decade beyond the headlines, and it will illustrate why U.S. foreign policy toward Russia is misguided (and how to correct the strategic misperceptions). About the speaker Brandon J. Weichert is a former congressional staffer and is the founder and CEO of The Weichert Report: A World News Website. He is also a Contributing Editor at American Greatness. Brandon received his B.A. in Political Science from DePaul University and his M.A. in Statecraft and National Security Affairs from The Institute of World Politics.

This lecture was presented on August 3, 2017 by Rachel Baumant at the Institute of World Politics. About the lecture: World War II, or the "Great Patriotic War," had physically and psychologically devastating effects on Soviet society and thus remains vital to Russian national identity. However, the particular symbols and narratives used to teach the history of the war and commemorate the victory have become emblematic of the power and desire of the state to shape collective memory and thus influence perceptions of current events in the post-Soviet sphere. About the speaker: Rachel Bauman is a student at The Institute of World Politics, where she is pursuing an MA in Statecraft and International Affairs. After graduating from Messiah College with a BA in English and minor in politics, she taught English at a summer camp in Kostroma Oblast, Russia and later was a Resident Junior Fellow at the Center for the National Interest. She recently returned from a summer program of intensive Russian language study in Vladimir, Russia, and her particular interests are Russian/Soviet history, U.S.-Russia relations, and Russian politics and culture.

This lecture was presented on July 20, 2017 by Jack Thomas Tomarchio at the Institute of World Politics. About the lecture In the past year, the news media has been focused on the Russian hacking of the 2016 Presidential elections. A story that started with the hack of the Democratic National Committee in July 2016 has reached to the pinnacle of US power and politics. But what is the real story behind the great hack of 2016? Now a former senior US intelligence officer addresses the real story behind the story. From his unique optic as an intelligence officer, Jack Thomas Tomarchio will address what happened, how the US intelligence community found the Russian connection, and most importantly WHY the Russians would want to influence a US Presidential election. The reasons might surprise you. He will also examine what the future holds for US-Russian relations and Russia's future relations with NATO, the EU and the world. About the speaker Jack Thomas Tomarchio is a principal with the Agoge Group, LLC, an international strategic advisory firm. He advises companies, law firms, financial services firms, federal government contractors and government organizations on trends and changes in geopolitical markets and issues effecting international security. In 2005, he was appointed to be the first Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Intelligence and Analysis; in 2007, he was promoted to Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis Operations. He began his career as a judge advocate and paratrooper in the United States Army's 82d Airborne Division and retired from the Army in 2010 with the permanent rank of colonel. In 2008, he served as a member of Mitt Romney's national security team, where he developed and co-authored the candidate's position on counter terrorism and homeland security. Prior to joining the Department of Homeland Security, Mr. Tomarchio was a partner at the national law firm of Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, P.C. where he was co-chair of the firm's government relations department and national security law group. He returned to Buchanan in 2013 where he served as co-chair of the firm's Cyber Security Practice Group. Mr. Tomarchio holds a Bachelor of Arts in History cum laude from the Pennsylvania State University, a Juris Doctor from Vermont Law School, a Master's of Governmental Administration from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Master's of Strategic Studies from the USArmy War College.

This lecture was presented on July 17, 2017 by Erik Khzmalyan at the Institute of World Politics. This event is sponsored by the Kosciusko Chair of Polish Studies. About the lecture: Erik Khzmalyan will discuss Russia's interaction with Islam during the Tsarist and Soviet periods, Islam after communism, the radicalization of Muslim populations, and Russia's fear of pan-Islamic movements. About the speaker: Erik Khzmalyan is a Fellow at the Eurasian Research and Analysis Institute. Erik specializes in U.S. Foreign Policy, Eurasia, and Geopolitics. He is currently an M.A. candidate in Statecraft and International Affairs at The Institute of World Politics.

This lecture was presented on July 13, 2017 by Angie Abide at the Institute of World Politics. ABOUT: Angie Abide will provide an overview of Nicaragua, giving a brief background of the country. She will then focus on the history of Nicaraguan-Soviet relations, including the political, economic and military support that the Soviet Union provided the Sandinista government in its rise to power. Finally, she will discuss the reemergence of Nicaragua's relationship with the Kremlin, and how this relationship parallels the one with the Soviet Union. SPEAKER BIO: Angie Abide is currently an M.A. candidate in Statecraft and International Affairs at the Institute of World Politics. She specializes in American Foreign Policy, US-Latin American Relations and Geoeconomics.

This lecture was presented on July 10, 2017 by Thomas J. Wright at the Institute of World Politics. About the book: The two decades after the Cold War saw unprecedented cooperation between the major powers as the world converged on a model of liberal international order. Now, great power competition is back and the liberal order is in jeopardy. Russia and China are increasingly revisionist in their regions. The Middle East appears to be unraveling. And many Americans question why the United States ought to lead. What will great power competition look like in the decades ahead? Will the liberal world order survive? What impact will geopolitics have on globalization? And, what strategy should the United States pursue to succeed in an increasingly competitive world? In this book Thomas Wright explains how major powers will compete fiercely even as they try to avoid war with each other. Wright outlines a new American strategy-Responsible Competition-to navigate these challenges and strengthen the liberal order. About the author: Thomas Wright is the director of the Center on the United States and Europe and a fellow in the Project on International Order and Strategy at the Brookings Institution. He is also a nonresident fellow at the Lowy Institute for International Policy. Previously, he was executive director of studies at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, a lecturer at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago, and senior researcher for the Princeton Project on National Security. Wright has a doctorate from Georgetown University, a Master of Philosophy from Cambridge University, and a bachelor's and master's from University College Dublin. He has also held a pre-doctoral fellowship at Harvard University's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and a post-doctoral fellowship at Princeton University.

This lecture was presented on June 22, 2017 by Brandon Weichert at the Institute of World Politics. Brandon J. Weichert is a former Congressional staffer and the founder of The Weichert Report. His book on national security space policy will be released shortly. Brandon holds a B.A. in Political Science from DePaul University and is an Associate Member of New College at Oxford University (GDBM!). Recently, Brandon obtained his M.A. in Statecraft and National Security Affairs with a Specialization in Defense Policy from the Institute of World Politics in Washington, D.C. On top of being a contributor to the conservative publication, American Greatness, Brandon does speaking engagements, presents papers, and conducts media interviews. He has been featured on BBC World News World Update with Dan Damon, he has been interviewed by The Christian Science Monitor, he has appeared on The Dino Report with Dino Costa, and he has been featured on the Seth & Chris Show offering his expertise as a national security and foreign policy specialist.

This lecture was presented on June 23, 2017 by Peter J. Wallison at the Institute of World Politics. ABOUT THIS SPEAKER Peter J. Wallison holds the Arthur F. Burns Chair in Financial Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute and is co-director of AEI's program on Financial Policy Studies. Prior to joining AEI, he practiced banking, corporate and financial law at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in Washington, D.C., and New York. Mr. Wallison has held a number of government positions. From June 1981 to January 1985, he was General Counsel of the United States Treasury Department, where he had a significant role in the development of the Reagan Administration's proposals for deregulation in the financial services industry. During 1986 and 1987, Mr. Wallison was White House counsel to President Ronald Reagan, and between 1972 and 1976, he served first as Special Assistant to New York's Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller and, subsequently, as counsel to Mr. Rockefeller as vice president of the United States. Mr. Wallison was admitted to practice before the courts of New York and the District of Columbia, and is retired from practice in New York. He continues to be a member of the District of Columbia Bar Association. He received his undergraduate degree from Harvard College in 1963 and law degree from Harvard Law School in 1966. Mr. Wallison is the author of Ronald Reagan: The Power of Conviction and the Success of His Presidency, published in December 2002 by Westview Press. On financial or regulatory matters, he is the author of Back From the Brink, a proposal for a private deposit insurance system, and co-author of Nationalizing Mortgage Risk: The Growth of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; The GAAP Gap: Corporate Disclosure in the Internet Age; and Competitive Equity: A Better Way to Organize Mutual Funds, all of which were published by AEI. He is also the editor of Optional Federal Chartering and Regulation of Insurance Companies, and Serving Two Masters, Yet Out of Control: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, also published by AEI. On campaign finance, he is the author (with Joel Gora) of Better Parties, Better Government, (AEI Press 2009) and Bad History, Worse Policy: How a False Narrative about the Financial Crisis Led to the Dodd-Frank Act (AEI Press 2013) . His most recent book is Hidden In Plain Sight: What Caused the World's Worst Financial Crisis and Why it Could Happen Again (Encounter Books 2015). He is currently working on a book on the administrative state. He testifies frequently before committees of Congress, and is a frequent contributor to the op-ed pages of the Wall Street Journal and other print and online journals. He has also been a speaker at many conferences on financial services, housing, the causes of the financial crisis, the Dodd-Frank Act, accounting, and corporate governance, and was a member of the Shadow Financial Regulatory Committee between 1995 and 2015. He is also a member the Council on Foreign Relations, the SEC Advisory Committee on Improvements to Financial Reporting (2008), co-Chair of the Pew Financial Reform Task Force (2009), and a member of the congressionally- appointed Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission (2009-2011). In May 2011, for his work in financial policy, Mr. Wallison received an honorary doctorate in Humane Letters from the University of Colorado.

This Lecture was presented on June 19, 2017 by Amb. Frank Lavin at the Institute of World Politics. This a discussion of World War II as seen through the story of a combat infantryman. Carl Lavin was a high school senior when Pearl Harbor was attacked. He enlisted at 18, a decision that would take him with the U.S. Army from training across the United States and Britain to combat with the 84th Infantry Division in the Battle of the Bulge. Home Front to Battlefront is the tale of a foot soldier who finds himself thrust into a world where he and his unit grapple with the horrors of combat, the idiocies of bureaucracy and the oddities of life back home - all in the same day. The book is based on Carl's personal letters, official military history, private papers and more. Former U.S. ambassador and White House aide Frank Lavin, the son of Carl Lavin, is author of Home Front to Battlefront, and joins us for a presentation to share insight on World War II and the GI experience. More information at www.hf2bf.com

This event took place on June 20, 2017. It was delivered by Erik Khzmalyan. About the lecture: Erik Khzmalyan will review the geographic boundaries of the Caucasus and countries located in the region and will identify the region's ethnicities and their cultural and linguistic differences. Specifically, he will focus on those ethnicities that are less well known. He will then discuss Russia's conquest of the Caucasus and the security challenges emanating from the Northern Caucasus. About the speaker: Erik Khzmalyan is a Fellow at the Eurasian Research and Analysis Institute. Erik specializes in U.S. Foreign Policy, Eurasia, and Geopolitics. He is currently an M.A. candidate in Statecraft and International Affairs at the Institute of World Politics.

This lecture occurred on June 15, 2017 at IWP and was presented by MAJ Brett Carey. ABOUT THE LECTURE: Seeking the truth on the Iraq WMD program. The US Army Technical Escort Unit’s Chemical-Biological Disablement Team 4 supported the investigation carried out by the Iraq Survey Group in the spring and summer of 2004. During the investigation, they responded to old-regime pre-Gulf War chemical munitions and an insurgent network that was trying to produce WMD. This presentation will cover how they handled these incidents with respect to the sensitivity of the Iraq WMD issue.

This event occurred on June 16th, 2017 at IWP, and was presented by Dr. Charles Edel. About the book: "America goes not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy"-John Quincy Adams's famous words are often quoted to justify noninterference in other nations' affairs. Yet when he spoke them, Adams was not advocating neutrality or passivity but rather outlining a national policy that balanced democratic idealism with a pragmatic understanding of the young republic's capabilities and limitations. America's rise from a confederation of revolutionary colonies to a world power is often treated as inevitable, but Charles N. Edel's provocative biography of Adams argues that he served as the central architect of a grand strategy that shaped America's rise. Adams's particular combination of ideas and policies made him a critical link between the founding generation and the Civil War-era nation of Lincoln. Examining Adams's service as senator, diplomat, secretary of state, president, and congressman, Edel's study of this extraordinary figure reveals a brilliant but stubborn man who was both visionary prophet and hard-nosed politician. Adams's ambitions on behalf of America's interests, combined with a shrewd understanding of how to counter the threats arrayed against them, allowed him to craft a multitiered policy to insulate the nation from European quarrels, expand U.S. territory, harness natural resources, develop domestic infrastructure, education, and commerce, and transform the United States into a model of progress and liberty respected throughout the world. While Adams did not live to see all of his strategy fulfilled, his vision shaped the nation's agenda for decades afterward and continues to resonate as America pursues its place in the twenty-first-century world. About the author: Dr. Charles Edel is an Associate Professor of Strategy and Policy at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, R.I., where he focuses on grand strategy, American political history, and security issues in the Asia-Pacific region. He recently returned to Newport from the Policy Planning Staff of the U.S. Department of State. In that role, he was a strategic advisor to the Secretary of State on North East Asia, the South China Sea, and the Western Pacific region. Charles holds a Ph.D. in History from Yale University, and received a B.A. in Classics from Yale College. He worked at Peking University's Center for International and Strategic Studies as a Henry Luce Scholar and was also awarded the Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellowship. Previously, he served in various roles in the U.S. government as a political and counterterrorism analyst, worked as a research associate at the Council of Foreign Relations, and taught high school history in New York. An intelligence officer in the Naval Reserves, he is the author of Nation Builder: John Quincy Adams and the Grand Strategy of the Republic (Harvard University Press, 2014). Currently, he is working on a project about the role of foreign revolutions in American history.

This event occurred at The Institute of World Politics on June 13th, presented by Rebeccah L. Heinrichs. Rebeccah Heinrichs is a Fellow at the Hudson Institute, where she provides research and commentary on a range of national security issues, and specializes in nuclear deterrence, missile defense, and counter-proliferation. Her work has appeared in major newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Times, and Investor's Business Daily as well as political journals such as Politico and The Hill. Rebeccah served as an adviser on military matters and foreign policy to Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, and helped launch the bi-partisan Missile Defense Caucus. She has testified before Congress and has presented to numerous organizations including the Aerospace Industries Association, the Reserve Officers Association, the National Defense Industrial Association, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and for the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. She holds a Master of Arts degree in national security and strategic policy from the U.S. Naval War College. She also graduated with highest distinction from its College of Naval Command and Staff, receiving the Director's Award for academic excellence. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ashland University in Ohio, and graduated from the Ashbrook Scholar Program.

This event took place on June 6 at The Institute of World Politics with Lauren Mitchell. Lauren Lee Mitchell is the Global Outreach Coordinator for Home School Legal Defense Association and the former Lead Legislative Assistant for HSLDA's Federal Relations team. She is the author of numerous articles and white papers on education issues, managed HSLDA's national anti-Common Core campaign, and is currently planning the 2018 Global Home Education Conference in St. Petersburg and Moscow, Russia. Mitchell is the editor of the Around the Globe e-newsletter, and a contributor to the Court Report Magazine. Her work and research focuses on the start-up of international homeschool grassroots organizations, as well as assisting asylum families escaping persecution for homeschooling in totalitarian and post-totalitarian states. Mitchell is a Patrick Henry College Leadership Scholar, Intercollegiate Studies Institute Honors Scholar, and a Harvard Summer Scholar. In various academic capacities, she has spoken to audiences across the United States, India, Canada, and at the European Union. Her philanthropic efforts include court advocacy for children through CASA, mentoring children with incarcerated parents, and raising awareness for children's health as an ambassador for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.

Andrew Harris gave valedictory remarks at The Institute of World Politics' Commencement Ceremony on May 20, 2017 at the Fairmont Hotel. Video by Adam Savit, Center for Security Policy

Staff Sergeant Andre McRae, USA of the US Army Band "Pershing's Own" sang the National Anthem at The Institute of World Politics' Commencement on May 20, 2017. Video by Adam Savit, Center for Security Policy