The Institute of World Politics

This lecture is part of the Student Speaker Series About the Lecture: China's advancements in space technology and orbital operations are second only to the U.S. Historically assisted by the Soviet Union, China's space program has set an impressive timeline of space launch milestones, meeting every spacefaring goal for the past 30 years. Under the guise of scientific research, PLA documentation and dual-use technology has demonstrated that even commercial space activities serve military interests. As investment in launch capabilities increases and China's presence in cislunar space becomes more of a concern, what are the intentions, plans, and capabilities behind China's interest and activities in space? With tensions rising in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, will China start utilizing space operations to support terrestrial military activity? Does China's capacity to operate in space match its strategic interests? How does China's advancing capabilities create more risk for U.S. space interests? This lecture will discuss a brief history of China's accomplishments in space and highlight PLA ambitions and operations in three areas: counterspace weapons in orbit, a permanent lunar presence, and interest in the future space economy. The lecture will also discuss the risk these three areas pose to U.S. interests and the proposed strategies for deterrence in what the DoD, NATO, and the PLA define as a new "warfighting domain." About the Speaker: Carlos Alatorre is an M.A. candidate for Statecraft and National Security Affairs at IWP with a specialization in Defense. Prior to joining IWP, he was a middle school teacher who spent five years teaching English in South Korea and China before deciding to make a transition to the national security and intelligence field. He brings his experience of Chinese political culture and East Asian geography (as well as his Mandarin skills) to complement his studies in Chinese military and geopolitical affairs in the Indo-Pacific. His research focuses on China's usage of emerging technologies, specifically the PLA's research in and implementation of AI, space/cislunar operations, and hypersonic missiles. Originally from Southern California, he earned his B.A. in Philosophy from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

***This lecture is sponsored by the IAFIE Washington DC Chapter and the IWP IAFIE Alpha Student Chapter*** About the Lecture: For a long time, the Australian Signals intelligence (or Sigint) story has been kept secret. Until now… Why does Australia have a national signals intelligence agency? What does it do and why is it controversial? And how significant are its ties with key partners, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand, to this arrangement? Revealing Secrets is a compelling account of Australian Signals intelligence, its efforts at revealing the secrets of other nations, and keeping ours safe. It brings to light those clever Australians whose efforts were for so long entirely unknown or overlooked. Blaxland and Birgin traverse the royal commissions and reviews that shaped Australia’s intelligence community in the 20th century and consider the advent and the impact of cyber. In unearthing this integral, if hidden and little understood, part of Australian statecraft, this book increases our understanding of the past, present and what lies ahead. About the Speakers: John Blaxland is Professor of International Security and Intelligence Studies in the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre (SDSC), Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs at the Australian National University (ANU). He is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Fellow of the Royal Society of New South Wales. He was also formerly a military intelligence officer, Head of SDSC and Director of the ANU Southeast Asia Institute. He is the author and editor of several publications on military history, intelligence and international security affairs. Clare Birgin’s career in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) spanned 30 years, with a focus on national security and intelligence. She had postings in Warsaw, Moscow, Geneva, and Washington DC as the Liaison Officer of the Office of National Assessments, followed by postings as Ambassador in Hungary, Serbia, Kosovo, Romania, North Macedonia and Montenegro. Subsequently she was a Visiting Fellow at the ANU before joining John Blaxland’s history writing team. She has been awarded the Polish Government’s Knight’s Cross Medal and the Bene Merito Medal by the former Polish Foreign Minister.

About the Lecture: **This lecture is part of the Asia Initiative Lecture Series** For 25 years after the end of the Cold War, most of the national security community assumed that nuclear weapon use was unlikely to be part of any future war. But over the last few years, North Korea has made regular threats of nuclear weapon use and Russia also threatened nuclear weapon use associated with its invasion of Ukraine. Moreover, the Chinese nuclear weapon force is rapidly expanding. These developments appear to make future nuclear weapon use more possible, especially limited nuclear weapon use. The escalatory implications of limited nuclear weapon use have not been well researched. This situation forces us to reevaluate more broadly the national security risks in many regions, and especially in Korea. This briefing addresses four major security developments on the Korean peninsula that contribute jeopardy to the national security of South Korea, the United States, and other U.S. allies. Nuclear weapon use is of course a major issue, but so is North Korean instability. Another issue is the dramatic decline in the size of the ROK Army, the result of demographic challenges and political choices, especially when coupled with the ROK decision to only partially fund its plan to offset its manpower reductions with technology versus manpower tradeoffs. And the potential for third party intervention, and especially Chinese intervention, further complicates Korean security. These four issues are developed, and suggestions made for how South Korea and the United States can at least partially mitigate these challenges.” About the Speaker: Bruce W. Bennett is a Senior International/Defense Researcher at The RAND Corporation. He is an expert in Northeast Asian security issues, having visited the region over 125 times and written much about Korean security. His research addresses issues such as the North Korean military threats, countering the North Korean nuclear threat and provocations, future ROK military force requirements, Korean unification, the Korean military balance, and potential Chinese military intervention in North Korea. Dr. Bennett specializes in “asymmetric threats” such as weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and how to counter those threats with new strategies, operational concepts, and technologies. He has recently completed reports on the current North Korean nuclear, chemical, biological, and cyber threats, and teaches a class at the Pardee RAND Graduate School on “Understanding Nuclear Forces.” He has worked with the Pentagon and with US commanders in Northeast Asia and the Persian Gulf on these subjects. He has facilitated a large number of seminar/war games to address these issues. Dr. Bennett received a Ph.D. in policy analysis from the Pardee RAND Graduate School (1979 dissertation on “Uncertainty in ICBM survivability”) and a B.S. in economics from the California Institute of Technology.

About the Lecture: The Wagner Group has operated as a manifestation of Russian influence, supporting critical Russian interests in key domains across the globe. The organization, originally founded in 2014 by oligarch businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin as a private mercenary force, has become one of the more prolific instruments of power projection in the Russian geopolitical arsenal. About the Speaker: Dr. John R. McCarthy is currently the Senior Program Advisor with the US Navy’s only explosives, weapons, and foreign materiel Technical Exploitation command. In 2006, John was recruited from the private sector by Naval Surface Warfare Center, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division and subsequently mobilized as a naval reserve officer to initiate programmatic, infrastructure, and organizational development for the newly established Technical Support Detachment (TSD), which was to specialize in investigating, exploiting, and attacking the improvised explosive device (IED) manufacturing network on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. The command, renamed Expeditionary Exploitation Unit ONE (EXU-1), now spans the globe working with Combatant Commanders, Special Operations Command and forces, and the Intelligence Community supporting technical exploitation, technical intelligence collection, counterterrorism, and irregular warfare activities. Prior to his return to active-duty military and current federal service, John held a senior leadership position supporting business and financial operations at a non-profit healthcare organization and was a technical business development executive for a global specialty chemical manufacturer serving the industrial sector, for over 16 years. In addition, he has served as an adjunct professor and part time faculty of leadership & management and other business and intelligence disciplines for a number of universities, since 2004. Educationally, Dr. McCarthy holds a Graduate Certificate of Intelligence Studies (Strategic Intelligence in Special Operations concentration), a Master of Science of Strategic Intelligence (MSSI) degree, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Organization and Management with a specialization in Leadership studies. Always seeking to enhance and broaden his knowledge base, Dr. McCarthy remains engaged in continuous learning opportunities and is a currently enrolled in IWP’s Certificate of Graduate Study program focusing on Statecraft and National Security.

About the Lecture: The current state of politics is divisive, and navigating this is no easy task. As we enter an election year, with over 15 years of non-profit, trade association, multi-client, corporate lobbying experience, and a current advisor to dozens of politicians, political candidates, and past presidential campaigns, Brian Johnson is a captivating speaker who will share with us his insights on lobbying and the current state of the political landscape. About the Speaker: Brian Johnson is an experienced government and public affairs executive with over 15 years of non-profit, advocacy, trade association, multi-client representation, political campaign/fundraising, and management experience. Throughout his career, Brian has developed and executed numerous strategic government and public affairs campaigns, drafted and had countless pieces of legislation introduced, secured tens of millions of dollars in targeted Appropriations, worked intimately on, and helped pass, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), and was named to “The Hill’s Top Lobbyist 2020” list. Currently, Brian serves as the Vice President of Government & Public Affairs for Veterans Guardian, the largest veteran-owned and operated disability claims consulting company in the world, helping tens of thousands of veterans every year secure benefits they are legally, ethically, morally and medically entitled. In this capacity Brian manages all lobbying, public affairs campaigns, and political giving as head of the company's Washington, DC operations. Politically, Brian advises on dozens of political campaigns, serves on several elected officials’ Steering Committees, and is heavily involved in local politics. As a policy expert he has testified before Congress and his expert commentary has been featured on BBC, CNN, C-SPAN, Fox News, Fox Business News, PBS, Real Clear Politics, and many more.

About the Lecture: In 1991, Ukraine’s independence set the tombstone for the USSR, and the U.S. regained its global primacy. Where are we today? How is it possible that In 2004, a top American expert argued, “stop criticizing Putin and start helping him”? Or that In 2021, Ukraine was not even mentioned in the new administration’s Interim Global Security Guidelines? And what do our dealings with Moscow from the end of WWI through 1991 tell us? About the Speaker: Mr. Victor Rud practiced law for forty years and served as special counsel to a member of the U.S. Delegation to the Madrid Review Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. Before the fall of the Soviet Union, he represented, in the West, Soviet dissidents persecuted by the KGB. Mr. Rud has spoken, domestically and internationally, before various audiences on issues bearing on U.S./Russian relations, including specifically Ukraine. Among them are the State Department, West Point, American University Kyiv, and the UN. His analysis and commentary have been carried by The Hill, Center for European Policy Analysis, The Messenger, Kyiv Post, and Forbes, among others. Mr. Rud is past Chairman of the Ukrainian American Bar Association, and Senior Advisor to the Centre for Eastern European Democracy in Canada, and to Open Court, an NGO in Ukraine. He received his undergraduate degree from Harvard College and law degree from Duke University.

About the Speaker: Jim Carter is a Senior Fellow with the America First Policy Institute’s Center for American Prosperity. Previously, as Director, he oversaw the Center’s operations, including research and policy development impacting economic growth, tax and budget policy, regulation, trade, and labor productivity. For nearly a decade, Jim was Vice President of Government Affairs at Emerson, a diversified global manufacturing and technology company based in St. Louis, Missouri. In addition to managing Emerson’s global, federal, and state government affairs, Mr. Carter’s lobbying portfolio included tax policy, international trade, and management of the company’s political action committee. Before joining Emerson, Mr. Carter served in the Bush and Clinton Administrations, as a senior staff member on the Senate Budget Committee, and as a policy advisor to former Senators John Ashcroft, Sam Brownback, and Connie Mack. Jim has served as a Deputy Undersecretary at the Department of Labor, a Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Department of Treasury, and Associate Director of the National Economic Council at the White House. While at the Treasury Department, he received the Secretary of the Treasury’s “Exceptional Service Award” and a separate award for his work on behalf of the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003. Mr. Carter has been published more than 200 times on fiscal policy, economics, and other public policy matters for leading publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Investor's Business Daily, Politico, The Hill, The Daily Caller, and USA Today. He is a frequent speaker, including as an adjunct professor at The George Washington University and as a lecturer in the Public Management program at Johns Hopkins University. Jim is a 2014 recipient of Johns Hopkins University’s “Excellence in Teaching” award. He also appeared in season three of House of Cards, playing a U.S. senator. Jim recently served on the board of directors for both the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and the National Capital Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. He is a former president of the Business-Government Relations Council, a non-profit organization that seeks to increase governmental awareness of the role of business in national affairs. He holds degrees from George Mason University and Truman State University.

About the Book: What starts as a minute-by-minute account of a disaster in a war zone quickly turns into an uplifting story of survival and triumph in FINDING WAYPOINTS: A Warrior’s Journey Towards Peace and Purpose by Terese Schlachter and Col. Gregory D. Gadson, (Ret.). Emmy Award winning television producer Schlachter was working at the Pentagon Channel when she attended a press event at Walter Reed Army Medical Center’s Military Advanced Training Center (MATC) in 2007 after a decade covering national news for NBC and MSNBC in Washington. There, the co-authors met for the first time. Their resulting book is the result of their extraordinary relationship, a hybrid of biography and autobiography, that tells the story of a man who survived the worst and has used his experience to enrich the lives of others. ***Copies of the book will be made available for purchase at the conclusion of the event and can be signed by the author.*** Purchase the book here. About the Authors: Terese Schlachter is a Washington, D.C., based writer and producer of videos and documentaries (NBC News, Dept of Defense) who first met Colonel Gadson when covering the new veterans facility at the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center in 2007. She became his fast friend and confidante during his painful recovery and rehabilitation. Terese is a three-time Emmy Award-winning television producer and founder and Chief Storyteller of Ridgeback Communications. Her short film "Picture Perfect" was nominated for "Best Short" at the 2017 DC Indie Film festival as well as a National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Emmy. She lives in Shady Side, Maryland, with her husband Jon, and Lillian, a Rhodesian Ridgeback dog. Colonel Gregory Gadson, (Ret.) was grievously wounded in an IED attack in Iraq in 2007 while he and his unit were returning from a service for two fallen soldiers. He subsequently lost both legs and severely injured his right arm, and, in the course of his rehabilitation and recovery, he became a source of inspiration and motivation for other war-wounded at the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Due to his longtime connection with West Point as a football player there, and his friendship with the coach of the then-struggling NY Giants in 2007, Gadson soon became a motivational co-coach and spiritual guide, helping the team go from nearly last place to Superbowl Champions in 2008. Gadson subsequently starred in a major Hollywood movie, Battleship, and has been an admired motivational speaker and coach for numerous organizations, both civilian and military, for several years now. An avid outdoorsman and enthusiast of skiing, cycling, and deep-sea fishing, he has led numerous adventure-travel expeditions for wounded veterans. He is the recipient of the 2010 NCAA Inspiration Award and the 2017 Henry Biscardi Achievement Award. In his honor, in October 2022, the new veterans center at Wayne State University was named the Colonel Gregory Gadson Office of Military and Veterans Academic Excellence. When not traveling around the country as a motivational speaker, Gadson enjoys time at home in Alexandria, VA, with his wife, children, and grandchildren, and continues to pursue his acting career and his love of photography.

About the Lecture In the struggle to adopt the US Constitution, the philosopher Montesquieu’s book, Spirit of the Laws, was frequently cited by both proponents and opponents of ratification. Highly regarded at the time of America’s founding, this 1748 masterpiece has fallen into unjust neglect which Professor Allen’s fresh translation and commentary should do much to rectify. Professor Allen will discuss Montesquieu’s thought on matters of special importance for IWP students, including national security, economics, political and constitutional order, and their moral, cultural, and religious implications. Professor Allen will highlight Montesquieu’s account of the conflict between freedom and slavery, a conflict which intersects with the greatest questions of our own age. About the Speaker W. B. Allen, Emeritus Professor of Political Philosophy and Dean of James Madison College at Michigan State University, served previously as Chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. He is General Editor of The State of Black of America (2022) and resident scholar and former Chief Operating Officer of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education in Washington, D.C. His latest publication is the newly released Montesquieu's The Spirit of the Laws: A Critical Edition, Parallel Text and Commentary (Anthem Press). Recognized for excellence in liberal education on the 1997 Templeton Honor Roll and as a 2014 Salvatori Prize laureate, he has published extensively, including George Washington: A Collection (Liberty Fund, Inc.), Rethinking Uncle Tom: The Political Philosophy of H. B. Stowe (Lexington Books), George Washington: America’s First Progressive (Peter Lang, Inc.) and scores of essays.

About the Lecture: This discussion will focus on how and why the world is shifting into a multipolar world. The speaker will cover how the United States will need to maneuver to not only keep its current place as the main pole, but also survive the ever coming change. About the Speaker: Mr. Robert T. Roseberry holds a Bachelor of Science in Strategic Intelligence and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Psychology, as well as a Master of Strategic Intelligence Studies from IWP. He has followed world events over the past year and how the globe is changing. Through his research he believes he can give insight on how the United States can travers these unknown waters. Robert currently lives in South Carolina and enjoys traveling and a good Irish whiskey. He is looking to join the United States Airforce this year.

About the Lecture: Dr. Bulcsu Hoppal would like to highlight some philosophical aspects of the nature of the European Union. He will argue that philosophical personalism (personalistic understanding of the human being) played a decisive role in the formation of the EU. He will address theoretical issues and discuss how Europe is a philosophical phenomenon. About the Speaker: Dr. Bulcsu Hoppál is an associate professor at the Corvinus University of Budapest at the department of Political Science, visiting DC for this month only.

About the Lecture If America’s center, its citizenry, is not strong, our nation cannot lead internationally: If the United States falters, despotic regimes, led by the People’s Republic of China, will fill the void created, heralding ruin. America can only succeed in this quest if it works most diligently with established as well as new allies. This requires that a new global alliance for freedom be built, which links together established and nascent alliance structures that venerate liberty and the primacy of the individual. To act boldly, America must marshal an integrated strategy that spans the entirety of hard, sharp, and soft power in order to protect freedom, security, and prosperity in the face of unprecedented threats, which may be recognized, emergent, or liminal in nature. The building blocks for this renaissance in global leadership already exist but are only partially assembled. To erect this structure, timeless values must be fused with emerging technologies and geopolitical realities, to induce needed change. Book Synopsis America’s future will be unlimited if we return to wholesomeness, gratitude, and vision, for we must rise as one people, or we shall fall as many. Pillars for Freedom charts a brave path forward to imbue America with strength, economic security, and virtue. The American Experiment is unique in history in its conception of liberty, which is freedom from oppressive government and its yoke. We are a nation that rests on the rule of law and not the imperfections present in all humankind. Today, the bureaucratic state, which controls our government, relies on diversion, untrue narratives, and misdirection to cover incompetence and gross misdeeds. This cannot be our country’s standard. The maintenance of liberty rests upon our faith, our Founding, our families, and our commitments to uncorrupted education and science. Pillars for Freedom describes in consummate detail the powers America must reconstitute and wield in order to reclaim our destiny. Through marshaling our priceless heritage, we can rebuild our military, secure economic strength, and reassert energy dominance, as we erect our civil society. The book describes the actions America must take in all these spheres. Purchase the book here About the Speaker Richard B. Levine served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Technology Transfer and Security Assistance. He directed the Department of the Navy’s organization in these matters during the Reagan administration. Richard previously served on the National Security Council staff, in the White House, as Director, International Economic Affairs, and as Director, Policy Development. Richard holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy, with honors, from the Johns Hopkins University. Richard is the recipient of two presidential letters of commendation and the Department of the Navy’s highest honor given to a civilian employee, the Distinguished Civilian Service Award. Richard serves as a senior advisor to former government officials, including Michael R. Pompeo, on matters involving national security, strategy, and international economics. He is the author of the new book, Pillars for Freedom. He is the coauthor, with Vice Admiral John M. Poindexter and Robert C. McFarlane, of America’s #1 Adversary. Richard lives in North Carolina with his wife, Terry.

About the Speakers: Maria Schwaz, a certified social worker, spent 5 years working in psychiatric facilities. While on maternity leave to care for her six children, she received training in Christian pedagogy and has since been teaching at schools and parishes. The European migration crisis of 2015 spurred her on to study the core tenets of Islam. In 2018, she assumed the role of managing director at the International Center for the Study of Political Islam in Austria. In this position, she began extensive lecturing activities on both national and international levels, working with governmental and non-governmental organizations. Johann Turnau was born in Austria in 1954. He graduated with a Doctor of Law from the University of Innsbruck in 1979. He spent the next few years working for the Federal Chamber of Commerce and the Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs. From 1985 to 1988, he was the First Secretary at the Austrian Embassy in Lagos/Nigeria, and he was the Counsellor at the Austrian Embassy here in Washington, D.C., from 1988-1992. From 1998 to 2001, he served as the Austrian Ambassador to Algeria. From 2001 to 2006, he was the Austrian Ambassador to Indonesia, also accredited to Singapore and Timor Leste. From 2006-2012, he worked in the Federal Ministries of Foreign Affairs and European and International Affairs. From 2012-2016, he served as the Ambassador to Japan. He then served as the Ambassador to Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, Vanuatu, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Marshall Islands, Kiribati and Nauru and was the Austrian Ambassador designate to the Federated States of Micronesia, Samoa, Tuval from 2016-2019. As of 2020, he is a Senior Consultant and member of the Austrian Senior Experts Pool (ASEP), President of the Rotary Club Gastein, and Chairman of the Inter Country Committee Austria – Ukraine. He is also certified by the OSCE and registered with the EU for election monitoring and observation.

About the Lecture Former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Alphonso Jackson will discuss the interconnection between the American Civil Rights movement and international human rights yesterday and today. Jackson grew up in segregated Dallas, Texas. In 1965, he marched for Civil Rights on Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama. The relationship between foreign affairs and the American Civil Rights story was highlighted in an address by Secretary of State Dean Rusk in 1963 and remains true today. “As the matters stand, however, racial discrimination here at home has important effects on our foreign relations. This is not because such discrimination is unique to the United States. Discrimination on account of race, color, religion, national or tribal origin may be found in many countries. But the United States is widely regarded as the home of democracy and the leader of the struggle for freedom, for human rights and human dignity.” -Secretary of State Dean Rusk before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee, 1963 (The Department of State Bulletin, Volume 49: “Fulfilling Our Basic Commitments as a Nation, Statement by Secretary Rusk”) About the Speaker Secretary Alphonso Jackson, former Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, has decades of experience in housing and community development. His expertise includes the development of affordable and market-rate housing, handling complex urban development issues, and housing finance. Jackson was appointed by President George W. Bush as the 13th Secretary of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate in March 2004. Before being appointed Secretary, Jackson served as the Deputy Secretary of HUD, managing the daily operations of the $36 billion agency. After his government service, Jackson served as Vice Chairman of Mortgage Services with JP Morgan Chase, followed by Senior Advisor to the CEO at First Data Corporation(now Fiserv Corporation). Early in his professional career, he was president and COO of American Electric Power-Texas, a $13 billion utility company and subsidiary of American Electric Power. From 1988-1996, he was president and CEO of the Housing Authority of the City of Dallas, ranked among the best-managed large-city housing agencies during his tenure. As a college student, Jackson volunteered as a student protester in Alabama on Bloody Sunday in March 1965, a civil rights protest from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. Jackson serves on the United States Institute for Peace International Advisory Board and Ford’s Theater Society Board of Trustees. He also recently served on the United States Department of State Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board(Chair). He is a member of The Alfalfa Club and Horatio Alger Association(Board of Directors). He has been awarded numerous civic awards and eleven honorary degrees from colleges and universities, including his alma mater, Washington University in St. Louis, MO. Jackson holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Master’s in Education Administration from Truman State University. He also has a Juris Doctor from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, MO.

About the Lecture: From the Black Sea to the Eastern Mediterranean, war and counterterrorism operations define this century. The stakes in this vast, interconnected region are high and growing, and the U.S. needs a better policy and set of statecraft strategies. Russia, joined by help from Iran, wages war against Ukraine. Russian troops occupy part of Georgia. They now have naval, air, and ground bases in Syria. Iran has mounted attacks against U.S. and coalition troops in Iraq since at least 2005 and against U.S. and coalition personnel in Syria since at least 2015. Tehran has amped up funding, equipping, and training Hizballah, Hamas, and Houthi militants since the Arab Spring. Turkey, responsible for protecting NATO’s southeastern flank, now deeply mistrusts the U.S. alliance with the YPG and Peshmerga, blames the U.S. for shielding Fethullah Gülen in Pennsylvania, and rejects U.S./NATO sanctions against its decision to buy Russian S-400s and Russian and Iranian energy. This highly volitile region is on fire. What actions and relationships will calm the waters? Or are we careening towards WWIII? Or…given the sophistry over our definitions of modern warfare and counterterrorism operations, are we already in WWIII? If so, how do we organize ourselves to win? Come share your ideas and hear ways we might realign U.S. policy architectures and statecraft practices. About the Speaker: Paula Doyle has over 30 years of national security and foreign policy experience with the Central Intelligence Agency, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the U.S. Department of State. Her areas of deep subject matter expertise include Turkey, Iran, Russia, Foreign Cyber Programs and Capabilities, Counterintelligence, Nuclear Weapons and Proliferation Programs, the Middle East, and NATO. Ms. Doyle teaches a 700-level course on Turkey, Russia, and Iran at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, Center for Security Studies Program. She serves on the Board of Directors for the OSS Society, on the Board of Directors for the Central Intelligence Retirees Association, and as a Fellow at the National Security Institute, housed at George Mason University.

About the Lecture: Mr. Dave Horvath brings his background in business and the military to the lectern at IWP to discuss private investment as it relates to U.S. national security. In this lecture, he will discuss the importance of American private capital to fill gaps left by traditional government efforts and how private investment fills that gap. He will also discuss private investment and finance as a post-government career. About the Speaker: Dave Horvath graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2009. After graduating, Dave served 10 years on active duty, first as a Ranger-qualified Field Artillery Officer and Military Intelligence Officer, and later as a Special Operations Officer, with extensive service overseas. After transitioning from active duty, Dave pursued his MBA at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business and embarked on a career in strategy consulting, private equity, and now late-stage technology investing at Disruptive, an Austin, TX-based growth equity firm. Dave currently leads the Washington, DC, office for Disruptive, in addition to a large portion of the firm’s National Security and Dual-use technology portfolio.

* **This lecture is sponsored by the IWP IAFIE Alpha Student Chapter*** A bout the Lecture: "The Politicization of U.S. Intelligence: Causes and Consequences” is a presentation in association with Dr. Gentry's recent book, Neutering the CIA: Why US Intelligence Versus Trump Has Long-Term Consequences (Armin Lear Press, 2023). Beginning in 2016 and continuing into 2021, current and former U.S. intelligence officers engaged in domestic partisan politics to an unprecedented extent. This discussion will describe and assess what happened at various agencies, the causes of the politicization, consequences for the agencies and national decision-making, and prospects for renewed politicization in 2024. ***Copies of Dr. Gentry's book will be made available for purchase at the conclusion of the event and can be signed by the author.*** Purchase the book here. A bout the Author: Dr. John A. Gentry teaches for the School of Defense and Strategic Studies, Missouri State University. He was for 12 years an intelligence analyst at the Central Intelligence Agency, where he mainly worked on economic issues associated with the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact countries; for two of those years, he was a senior analyst on the staff of the National Intelligence Officer for Warning. He is a retired U.S. Army Reserve officer, with most assignments in special operations and intelligence arenas. He was mobilized in 1996 and spent much of 1996 as a civil affairs officer in Bosnia. Dr. Gentry formerly taught at Georgetown University, Columbia University, and the National Intelligence University. He has an economics background and received a Ph.D. in political science from George Washington University. He writes regularly on intelligence and security issues. His most recently published book is Neutering the CIA: Why US Intelligence versus Trump Has Long-Term Consequences (Armin Lear Press, 2023).

Step into the intriguing world of intelligence and deception as we delve into the psychological tactics of warfare. About Speaker: Dr. Enrico Suardi (IWP Class of 2019, Executive MA in National Security Affairs) is director of psychiatry at Saint Elizabeths Hospital, director of forensic services at the Ross Center in Washington, D.C., and the 2024-25 president-elect of the Washington Psychiatric Society. A diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, and forensic psychiatry, on faculty at Saint Elizabeths Hospital, Georgetown University, and George Washington University, he has served as chief child and family psychiatrist at the U.S. State Department. Dr. Suardi studied political psychology with Jerrold Post, completed his M.D. and a residency in preventive medicine in Milan, Italy, and obtained an MSc in Public Health and Policy from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. About Lecture: This presentation is part of a series of lectures on the behavioral sciences in US national security and public safety. The premise is that the human factor is the basis of crises and the source of solutions. Dr. Suardi will provide an overview of the psychology of HUMINT and intelligence analysis. He will explore the complexity of the spy-agent relationship, recruitment and handling. He will review the psychological literature on counterespionage, starting from Jerrold Post's declassified article on the anatomy of treason. He will conclude discussing the psychology of intelligence analysis and some of the analytic techniques developed to counter human cognitive limitations and biases. ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18

Mr. Fred Rustmann, an IWP Chancellor’s Council Member and Retired Senior CIA Operations Officer, discusses "Wither the CIA?" This video is part of the 2023 Annual Chancellor's Council Meeting sponsored by The Institute of World Politics. ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18

Dr. James S. Robbins, IWP's Dean of Academics, provides introductory remarks for the 2023 Chancellor's Council Meeting. This video is part of the 2023 Annual Chancellor's Council Meeting sponsored by The Institute of World Politics. ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18

James Rice, IWP Alumnus, discusses "Ukraine's Return to Europe and the Death Throes of an Empire." This video is part of the 2023 Annual Chancellor's Council Meeting sponsored by the Institute of World Politics. ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18

The IWP Student Chapter of the Alexander Hamilton Society welcomes Mr. Ilan Berman to speak on the relationship between Russia and Iran. A bout the Lecture: The IWP Student Chapter of the Alexander Hamilton Society welcomes Mr. Ilan Berman to speak on the relationship between Russia and Iran. The lecture will go over the history of the Iranian-Russian strategic relationship, where it is today, what challenges it poses to U.S. national security interests, and what U.S. policy makers can do to address these challenges in the future. A bout the Speaker: Mr. Ilan Berman is Senior Vice President of the American Foreign Policy Council (AFPC) in Washington, D.C., and is an expert on regional security in the Middle East, Central Asia, and Russia. He has consulted in the past for the Central Intelligence Agency and the U.S. Departments of State and Defense. He has assisted various governmental agencies and congressional offices with foreign policy and national security issues. Mr. Berman is also a member of the Associated Faculty at Missouri State University's Department of Defense and Strategic Studies. A frequent writer and commentator, he has written for the Wall Street Journal, Foreign Affairs, the New York Times, Foreign Policy, the Washington Post, and USA Today, among many other publications. ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18

Dr. Enrico Suardi, IWP Class of 2019 and Chief of Psychiatry at St. Elizabeths Hospital, discusses "Foreign Leaders Analysis: A Profile of Narendra Modi of India." This video is part of the 2023 Annual Chancellor's Council Meeting sponsored by the Institute of World Politics. ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18

Dr. John Lenczowski discusses "The Implications of U.S. Policy for Russia’s Strategic Decision Making on Ukraine." This lecture is part of the 16th annual Kościuszko Chair Conference and the 4th Oskar Halecki Symposium. About the Speaker From 1981 to 1983, Dr. Lenczowski served at the State Department in the Bureau of European Affairs and as the Special Advisor to Under Secretary for Political Affairs Lawrence Eagleburger. From 1983 to 1987, he was the Director of European and Soviet Affairs at the National Security Council. In that capacity, he was the principal Soviet affairs adviser to President Reagan. He has been associated with several academic and research institutions in the Washington area, including Georgetown University, the University of Maryland, the American Enterprise Institute, the Ethics and Public Policy Center, the Council for Inter-American Security, and the International Freedom Foundation. He has also served on the staff of Congressman James Courter. Dr. Lenczowski attended the Thacher School, earning his B.A. at the University of California, Berkeley, and received his M.A. and Ph.D. from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. He founded The Institute of World Politics in 1990 and served for President until 2021. He now serves as President Emeritus and Chancellor at the Institute. About the Symposium This virtual joint symposium is organized by The Institute of World Politics, in Washington, D.C., USA, and The Oskar Halecki Institute in Ottawa, ON, Canada to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the passing away of Professor Oskar Halecki. Sponsors The Institute of World Politics, Washington, D.C., United States The Oskar Halecki Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada Co-Sponsors Institute of History of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IH PAN) Institute of Heritage of the Polish National Thought (IDMN) Instytut Historii USKW (Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski University) ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18

Dr. Marek Jan Chodakiewicz discusses "Reflections about Oskar Halecki." This lecture is part of the 16th annual Kościuszko Chair Conference and the 4th Oskar Halecki Symposium, titled "Intermarium and Trimarium - Concepts and New Realities." About the Speaker At IWP, Dr. Chodakiewicz holds the Kosciuszko Chair in Polish Studies and leads IWP’s Center for Intermarium Studies. He teaches courses on Contemporary Politics and Diplomacy, Geography and Strategy, Mass Murder Prevention in Failed and Failing States, and Russian Politics and Foreign Policy. He also leads directed studies. Dr. Chodakiewicz was formerly an assistant professor of history of the Kosciuszko Chair in Polish Studies at the Miller Center of Public Affairs at University of Virginia. He also served as a visiting professor of history at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Dr. Chodakiewicz has authored numerous works in both English and Polish. While at the University of Virginia, he edited the Kosciuszko Chair’s bulletin: Nihil Novi. Dr. Chodakiewicz writes weekly columns for popular Polish press and has published on foreign policy in various venues, including The Journal of World Affairs, American Spectator, and National Review Online. He is the author of numerous scholarly monographs and books, including Intermarium: The Land Between the Black and Baltic Seas, which is a depiction of the Eastern Borderlands of the West on the rim of the former Soviet Union. His interests include the post-Soviet zone, the Second World War and its aftermath, Europe in the 19th and 20th century, Western civilization and its intellectual tradition, extremist movements in history, conspiracy theory and practice, and comparative civilizations. About the Symposium This virtual joint symposium is organized by The Institute of World Politics, in Washington, D.C., USA, and The Oskar Halecki Institute in Ottawa, ON, Canada to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the passing away of Professor Oskar Halecki. Sponsors The Institute of World Politics, Washington, D.C., United States The Oskar Halecki Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada Co-Sponsors Institute of History of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IH PAN) Institute of Heritage of the Polish National Thought (IDMN) Instytut Historii USKW (Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski University) ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18

Professor Marek Kornat discuss "Oskar Halecki in the independent Poland (1918-1939)." This lecture is part of the 16th annual Kościuszko Chair Conference and the 4th Oskar Halecki Symposium. About the Speaker Marek Kornat is a historian. He graduated with his PhD from the Jagiellonian University (UJ) in Kraków in 2000, and subsequently obtained the title of Professor of Humanities in 2015. His scholarly activity focuses on history of Polish diplomacy and international relations in the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as the issues of the Second Polish Republic (1918-1939). He also deals with the history of Polish political thought, the historiography of totalitarian regimes and the origins and significance of the Sovietology. Since 2011, he has been employed in the Institute of History of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN), as Head of the Chair of 20th Century History. Since 2008, he has also been lecturing at the Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University (UKSW) in Warsaw. He has delivered lectures at foreign research centers including Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique in Paris, Harriman Institute at Columbia University in New York and Institut für Wissenschaften vom Menschen in Vienna as well as Europäische Institut in Mainz. He has been granted scholarships by the Foundation for Polish Science, the De Brzezie Lanckoronski Foundation, the Kościuszko Foundation and the British Academy. He is the author of 10 books and over 300 articles concerning the above issues. About the Symposium This virtual joint symposium is organized by The Institute of World Politics, in Washington, D.C., USA, and The Oskar Halecki Institute in Ottawa, ON, Canada to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the passing away of Professor Oskar Halecki. Sponsors The Institute of World Politics, Washington, D.C., United States The Oskar Halecki Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada Co-Sponsors Institute of History of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IH PAN) Institute of Heritage of the Polish National Thought (IDMN) Instytut Historii USKW (Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski University) ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18

Professor Tadeusz Rutkowski discusses "People's Poland towards Oskar Halecki and his works (1945 - 1990)." This lecture is part of the 16th annual Kościuszko Chair Conference and the 4th Oskar Halecki Symposium. About the Speaker Tadeusz Paweł Rutkowski is a historian of modern history, professor at the University of Warsaw. He specializes in the history of Poland and Eastern Europe in the 20th century, including science policy and the history of historiography. Author, among others, „Nauki historyczne w Polsce 1944 – 1970. Zagadnienia politycznej i organizacyjne”, ("Historical sciences in Poland 1944 - 1970. Political and organizational issues"), Warsaw 2007, „Adam Bromberg i „Encyklopedyści”. Kartka z dziejów inteligencji polskiej w PRL”, ("Adam Bromberg and "Encyclopedists". A page from the history of the Polish intelligentsia in the Polish People's Republic"), Warsaw 2010, „Pańska, szlachecka, faszystowska. Polska w sowieckiej propagandzie, kulturze i historiografii 1917 – 1945” („Pańska”, noble's, fascist. Poland in Soviet propaganda, culture and historiography 1917 – 1945”), Warsaw 2020. About the Symposium This virtual joint symposium is organized by The Institute of World Politics, in Washington, D.C., USA, and The Oskar Halecki Institute in Ottawa, ON, Canada to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the passing away of Professor Oskar Halecki. Sponsors The Institute of World Politics, Washington, D.C., United States The Oskar Halecki Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada Co-Sponsors Institute of History of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IH PAN) Institute of Heritage of the Polish National Thought (IDMN) Instytut Historii USKW (Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski University) ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18

This video introduces the 16th annual Kościuszko Chair Conference and the 4th Oskar Halecki Symposium, titled "Intermarium and Trimarium - Concepts and New Realities." This virtual joint symposium is organized by The Institute of World Politics, in Washington, D.C., USA, and The Oskar Halecki Institute in Ottawa, ON, Canada to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the passing away of Professor Oskar Halecki. Sponsors The Institute of World Politics, Washington, D.C., United States The Oskar Halecki Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada Co-Sponsors Institute of History of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IH PAN) Institute of Heritage of the Polish National Thought (IDMN) Instytut Historii USKW (Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski University) ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18

Professor Thaddeus V. Gromada discusses "Oskar Halecki , a Political Activist?" This lecture is part of the 16th annual Kościuszko Chair Conference and the 4th Oskar Halecki Symposium. About the Speaker Dr. Thaddeus Vladimir Gromada, a prominent figure born in Passaic, New Jersey, to Polish immigrant parents with a rich cultural heritage, boasts an extensive career in academia and community leadership. He earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in East Central European History from Fordham University under the mentorship of renowned historian Oskar Halecki. Dr. Gromada served as a full Professor of Modern European History at New Jersey City University and was instrumental in establishing the Multi-Ethnic and Immigration Studies program there. He also held various roles in the Polish Institute of Arts & Sciences of America (PIASA), culminating in his tenure as Executive Director and President, actively fostering academic connections between Polish and American institutions. Dr. Gromada played a pivotal role in expanding PIASA's reach by affiliating it with the American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies, organizing scholarly conferences, and strengthening ties with other ethnic groups. Additionally, he facilitated collaborations with Polish academic and cultural organizations, resulting in the development of professional archives and library resources. Under his leadership, PIASA successfully paid off its mortgage and established cordial relations with the Polish Embassy and Consulate General. Dr. Gromada's contributions were recognized through various awards and honors, including the Commander's Cross of Merit from Poland, solidifying his legacy as a dedicated scholar and cultural ambassador. About the Symposium This virtual joint symposium is organized by The Institute of World Politics, in Washington, D.C., USA, and The Oskar Halecki Institute in Ottawa, ON, Canada to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the passing away of Professor Oskar Halecki. Sponsors The Institute of World Politics, Washington, D.C., United States The Oskar Halecki Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada Co-Sponsors Institute of History of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IH PAN) Institute of Heritage of the Polish National Thought (IDMN) Instytut Historii USKW (Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski University) ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18

Professor Marek Kornat discuss "Oskar Halecki in the independent Poland (1918-1939)." This lecture is part of the 16th annual Kościuszko Chair Conference and the 4th Oskar Halecki Symposium. About the Speaker Marek Kornat is a historian. He graduated with his PhD from the Jagiellonian University (UJ) in Kraków in 2000, and subsequently obtained the title of Professor of Humanities in 2015. His scholarly activity focuses on history of Polish diplomacy and international relations in the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as the issues of the Second Polish Republic (1918-1939). He also deals with the history of Polish political thought, the historiography of totalitarian regimes and the origins and significance of the Sovietology. Since 2011, he has been employed in the Institute of History of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN), as Head of the Chair of 20th Century History. Since 2008, he has also been lecturing at the Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University (UKSW) in Warsaw. He has delivered lectures at foreign research centers including Centre National de la Recherche (research) Scientifique in Paris, Harriman Institute at Columbia University in New York and Institut für Wissenschaften vom Menschen in Vienna as well as Europäische Institut in Mainz. He has been granted scholarships by the Foundation for Polish Science, the De Brzezie Lanckoronski Foundation, the Kościuszko Foundation and the British Academy. He is the author of 10 books and over 300 articles concerning the above issues. About the Symposium This virtual joint symposium is organized by The Institute of World Politics, in Washington, D.C., USA, and The Oskar Halecki Institute in Ottawa, ON, Canada to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the passing away of Professor Oskar Halecki. Sponsors The Institute of World Politics, Washington, D.C., United States The Oskar Halecki Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada Co-Sponsors Institute of History of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IH PAN) Institute of Heritage of the Polish National Thought (IDMN) Instytut Historii USKW (Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski University) ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18

Dr. Alexander M. Jablonski discusses "Professor Oskar Halecki - Polish Scholar In-Exile (1939 - 1973)." This lecture is part of the 16th annual Kościuszko Chair Conference and the 4th Oskar Halecki Symposium. About the Speaker Dr. Alexander Maciej Jabłoński, P.Eng. received his BSc & MS (civil engineering) from the Technical University of Cracow, Poland (1970), MS (mechanics and materials engineering) from the University of Illinois at Chicago (1982) and PhD (structural dynamics) from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada (1989). He has more than 50 years of experience in various fields of engineering, reconnaissance projects, project management and strategy planning, and about 130 publications. He worked as engineer in Poland, Finland, Norway, Germany, the USA, and Canada. Since 1992, he has been working as Research Scientist, Research Engineer, and Manager in Canadian federal laboratories. He is working now at the David Florida Laboratory, Canadian Space Agency. He is also an Adjunct Research Professor at the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Carleton University in Ottawa. He is Fellow of the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute (CASI), Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), Member of Aerospace Division (ASD) of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASD ASCE), and recipient of various engineering and scientific awards. Since his early life in Poland, he has studied Polish and world history for decades. He writes historical essays and presentations, especially on the modern history of Poland, including World War II and the post-war era of the Soviet occupation. Currently, he is the President of the Oskar Halecki Institute in Canada and a member of the Program Council of the Institute of Heritage of the National Thought (IDMN), Warsaw, Poland. About the Symposium This virtual joint symposium is organized by The Institute of World Politics, in Washington, D.C., USA, and The Oskar Halecki Institute in Ottawa, ON, Canada to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the passing away of Professor Oskar Halecki. Sponsors The Institute of World Politics, Washington, D.C., United States The Oskar Halecki Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada Co-Sponsors Institute of History of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IH PAN) Institute of Heritage of the Polish National Thought (IDMN) Instytut Historii USKW (Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski University) ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18

Investigative reporter Douglas Burton will discuss the rise of genocidal terrorist movements in Nigeria. About this event Join IWP and Douglas Burton for a public lecture on Christian Genocide in Nigeria: its Causes and Reasons It Continues, A Report of Initial Findings from Investigative Reporting. About the Speaker: Douglas Burton is an award-winning conflict reporter specializing in Nigerian war news. Doug mentors conflict reporters in North-Central Nigeria as the Managing Editor of TruthNigeria.com. Since 2019, he has authored scores of reports with The Epoch Times, Zenger News, and The Catholic News Agency. His work has been featured in Fox Nation, American Thought Leaders, The Westminster Institute and The Washington Times. Doug was honored by the Catholic Media Association in Jun, 2023 as a First Place Winner for Best Coverage of Religious Liberty Issues. Having served the Washington Times Corporation as an assignment editor for two decades, Doug brought his skills to Baghdad in 2005 to support the U.S. occupation there for two years. From 2015 he began covering the campaign against the Islamic State as an independent reporter until 2017 and switched to reporting the persecution of Christians in Nigeria shortly thereafter. He produced the most complete story about the blasphemy murder of Deborah Emmanuel on May 12, 2022, in Nigeria’s northern city of Sokoto. ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18

Dr. Matthew Jenkins ('23) will discuss what drives states to pursue a space policy and the competitive landscape that is outer space. About the Lecture: The lecture provides a historical overview of space competition, highlighting what drives states to go to space. The lecture concludes with an overview of the new landscape of space power competition in 2023 and highlights the role of non-state actors, commercial space, and dual-use systems including how they all combine to make space less transparent, and more unstable than it has ever been. About the Speaker: Dr. Matthew Jenkins (’23) had spent 16 years serving in the U.S. Air Force and Space Force, where he built and operated satellites to support the military and the Intelligence Community. He was ready to learn additional skills beyond engineering. After falling in love with strategic-level policy during an assignment on Capitol Hill, he decided to pursue IWP’s Doctor of Statecraft of National Security to connect his technical expertise to an in-depth understanding of space policy issues. As a result, he has interfaced with the National Space Council at the Executive Office of the President and briefed the House Homeland Security Committee staff on emerging space challenges. ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18

Robert T. Roseberry ('23) will discuss what the world post-Putin could look like. A bout the Speaker: Mr. Robert T. Roseberry holds a Bachelor of Science in Strategic Intelligence and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Psychology, as well as a Master of Strategic Intelligence Studies from IWP. He has studied Eastern European history and its political workings since he was a teenager. As a native Ukrainian, he has followed the developments of the war between Ukraine and Russia and has formulated who might be the next successor after Vladimir Putin and the Russian power structure. Robert currently lives in South Carolina and enjoys traveling and a good Irish whiskey. ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18

Mr. Janusz Bugajski will discuss the state of Russia today and the consequences a failed Russian state may have on the world. About the Lecture: The Russian Federation is a failed state. It has proved unable to transform itself into a nation-state, a civic state, or a stable imperial state. Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has accelerated the process of state rupture through economic decline, falling revenues, elite conflicts, military incompetence, and regional and ethnic disquiet. Russia confronts an existential paradox. Without economic reform and regional autonomy, the federal structure will become increasingly unmanageable. But even if democratic reforms are undertaken by a weakening central state several regions can exploit the opportunity to secede. The prospects for violent internal conflicts substantially increase if reforms are indefinitely blocked. Growing fractures in the Russian Federation will also have a major impact on all neighboring countries for which Western policymakers are not prepared. A bout the Speaker: Mr. Janusz Bugajski is a Senior Fellow at the Jamestown Foundation in Washington DC and host of television shows broadcast in the Balkans. Bugajski has authored 21 books on Europe, Russia, and trans-Atlantic relations. His recent books include Failed State: A Guide to Russia’s Rupture (2022), Eurasian Disunion: Russia’s Vulnerable Flanks (with Margarita Assenova) (2016); and Conflict Zones: North Caucasus and Western Balkans Compared(2014). His forthcoming book is titled Pivotal Poland: Europe’s Rising Strategic Player. He is a contributor to several media outlets in the US and Europe and has testified before a number of US congressional committees including: the Helsinki Commission, Senate Foreign Relations, Senate Armed Services, House Foreign Affairs, and House Defense Appropriations. ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18

Dr. Gordon W. Rudd will discuss the staff structure of Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) and comparable U.S. agencies focused on the region. ***This lecture is part of the Asia Initiative Lecture Series.*** About Lecture: INDOPACOM is a U.S. regional Combatant Command covering most of Asia and the Pacific. It is based in Hawaii and has an Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine, and Special Forces Component Commands, also located in Hawaii. All of these commands have formations located in Asia and the Pacific. These commands have an integrated staff system – to be covered in this presentation. The Department of State and other USG Agencies have comparable regional offices that only loosely align with INDOPACOM, but are not subordinate to it. Theater engagement, i.e. working with friends and allies in the region, is critical to the success of INDOPACOM. A bout the Speaker: Dr. Gordon W. Rudd has served as Professor of Strategic Studies, U.S. Marine School of Advanced Warfighting (SAW) since January 1998. Prior to working with SAW, he spent two years (1996-1998) as Professor of Strategic Studies with the U.S. Marine Command and Staff College. During the period 2003-2004, he was detached for nine months to serve as field historian in Iraq with Office of Reconstruction & Humanitarian Assistance (ORHA) and the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA). From 1972 to 1995, he served as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army. He has had troop service in infantry, airborne, mech, and Special Forces formations. He has served as a Joint Service Officer (JSO) and Foreign Area Officer (FAO). Overseas assignments include: Panama, Lebanon, Israel, Korea, Iraq, Bosnia, and Turkey. His operational experience includes participation in Lebanon 1984-85 (UNTSO), northern Iraq 1991 (PROVIDE COMFORT), and Bosnia 1994 (UNPROFOR). His military training and education courses include: Infantry Basic and Advanced Courses; Ranger, Special Forces, Scuba, and HALO courses; DLI – French; USA Command & General Staff Course (non-res); USN Command & Staff Course (resident). In addition to his full-time teaching, Dr. Rudd has taught military history courses at the Darden School of Business of the University of Virginia and for the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets. While at SAW, he has taught classes at the Marine the Expeditionary Warfare School, the Marine Command and Staff College, and the Marine Corps War College. Dr. Rudd is the author of two books: - Humanitarian Intervention: Assisting the Iraqi Kurds in Operation Provide Comfort, 1991, published in 2004. - Reconstructing Iraq: Regime Change, Jay Garner, and the ORHA Story, published in 2010. His current research interests include military history, particularly WWII, comparative politics, and regional studies. Dr. Rudd earned his doctorate in history from Duke University in 1993. He earned an undergraduate degree in Political Science from Virginia Polytechnic & State University in 1972. He has earned masters degrees from the Naval War College (1988), Duke University (1990), and St. John’s College (1999). ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18

Rebecca Burgess discussed the impact of the Constitution on spiritedness and the unique role of soldiers and citizens to defend it. This event is sponsored by the Jack Miller Center. About the Lecture: Soldier-Citizens and Citizen-Soldiers: Spiritedness and the Constitution - The Founding generation was famously concerned about the dangers to liberty that a standing army could pose. Less well remembered is how that generation’s general ambivalence about professional soldiers along with the government’s inability to pay them resulted in soldiers besieging Congress in Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, demanding redress. Congress fled to Princeton. But the “Pennsylvania Mutiny” resulted in long-lasting effects for both the nation’s civilians and military: It showcased significant cracks in the Articles of Confederation government, helping set in motion the Constitutional Convention and the inclusion of a constitutional provision for Congress to support federal armies and a navy. Later on, Alexis de Tocqueville would observe that “it is through the soldiers above all that one can pride oneself on having a democratic army pervaded by the love of freedom and respect for rights that one was able to inspire in the people themselves.” This lecture will consider the ties between the US military and the Constitution, and the mutual contributions of soldiers and citizens to defend their Constitution. About the Speaker: Rebecca Burgess is senior editor of American Purpose, acting director of the Classics in Strategy and Diplomacy project, and an SME consultant for the George W. Bush Institute's Veterans and Military Families program. A visiting fellow in national security with the The Independent Women's Forum, she is a 2021 National Security Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. She’s an Advisory Board Member of Combined Arms and of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation/Monticello, and a SME for the NEH Educating for American Democracy: A Roadmap for Excellence in History and Civics Education project. Additionally, she serves on the Reader Review Board of the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps Journal. Rebecca researches the political and social institutions of democratic governance, including civics and national security, civil-military relations and the military life cycle, veterans and politics, and theories of political decay, war, empire and expansion. She has nearly two decades of combined public policy, administrative, and academic experience, holding the position most recently as a research fellow both in Foreign and Defense Policy and Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute. A Ph.D. (ABD) in politics at the University of Dallas, her work has been solicited for congressional testimonies, and been featured in the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Economist, Military Times, Law & Liberty, The American Interest, The Strategy Bridge, and War on the Rocks, among others. ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18

Rebecca Burgess will discuss the impact of the Constitution on spiritedness and the unique role of soldiers and citizens to defend it. This event is sponsored by the Jack Miller Center. About the Lecture: Soldier-Citizens and Citizen-Soldiers: Spiritedness and the Constitution - The Founding generation was famously concerned about the dangers to liberty that a standing army could pose. Less well remembered is how that generation’s general ambivalence about professional soldiers along with the government’s inability to pay them resulted in soldiers besieging Congress in Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, demanding redress. Congress fled to Princeton. But the “Pennsylvania Mutiny” resulted in long-lasting effects for both the nation’s civilians and military: It showcased significant cracks in the Articles of Confederation government, helping set in motion the Constitutional Convention and the inclusion of a constitutional provision for Congress to support federal armies and a navy. Later on, Alexis de Tocqueville would observe that “it is through the soldiers above all that one can pride oneself on having a democratic army pervaded by the love of freedom and respect for rights that one was able to inspire in the people themselves.” This lecture will consider the ties between the US military and the Constitution, and the mutual contributions of soldiers and citizens to defend their Constitution. About the Speaker: Rebecca Burgess is senior editor of American Purpose, acting director of the Classics in Strategy and Diplomacy project, and an SME consultant for the George W. Bush Institute's Veterans and Military Families program. A visiting fellow in national security with the The Independent Women's Forum, she is a 2021 National Security Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. She’s an Advisory Board Member of Combined Arms and of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation/Monticello, and a SME for the NEH Educating for American Democracy: A Roadmap for Excellence in History and Civics Education project. Additionally, she serves on the Reader Review Board of the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps Journal. Rebecca researches the political and social institutions of democratic governance, including civics and national security, civil-military relations and the military life cycle, veterans and politics, and theories of political decay, war, empire and expansion. She has nearly two decades of combined public policy, administrative, and academic experience, holding the position most recently as a research fellow both in Foreign and Defense Policy and Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute. A Ph.D. (ABD) in politics at the University of Dallas, her work has been solicited for congressional testimonies, and been featured in the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Economist, Military Times, Law & Liberty, The American Interest, The Strategy Bridge, and War on the Rocks, among others. ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18

Dr. Peter J. Boettke, Professor of Economics and Philosophy at George Mason University, discussed his book, "The Road to Socialism and Back: An Economic History of Poland, 1939–2019." About the Author Peter J. Boettke, Senior Fellow at the Fraser Institute, is a Professor of Economics and Philosophy at George Mason University, the director of the F.A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, and BB&T Professor for the Study of Capitalism at the Mercatus Center. He received his Ph.D. from George Mason University. Prof. Boettke has developed a robust research program that expands an understanding of how individuals acting through the extended market order can promote freedom and prosperity for society, and how the institutional arrangements shape, reinforce, or inhibit the individual choices that lead to sustained economic development. His most recently published books include F. A. Hayek: Economics, Political Economy and Social Philosophy; and The Four Pillars of Economic Understanding. Prof. Boettke is the editor of numerous academic journals, including the Review of Austrian Economics and the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, and of the book series, Cambridge Studies in Economics, Choice, and Society. He has served as President of the Southern Economic Association, the Mont Pelerin Society, the Association of Private Enterprise Education, and the Society for the Development of Austrian Economics. About the Book The Road to Socialism and Back: An Economic History of Poland, 1939–2019 For four decades during the latter half of the 20th century, Poland and its people were the subjects of a grand socio-economic experiment. Under the watchful eye of its Soviet masters, the Polish United Workers’ Party transformed the mixed economy of this nation of 35 million into a centrally planned, socialist state (albeit one with an irrepressible black market). Then, in the closing decade of the 20th century, under the leadership of Polish minister of finance Leszek Balcerowicz, the nation was transformed back into a mixed economy. In this book, we document the results of this experiment. We show that there was a wide chasm between the lofty goals of socialist ideology and the realities of socialism as the Polish people experienced them. We also show that while the transition back from a socialist to a mixed economy was not without its own pain, it did unleash the extraordinary productive power of the Polish people, allowing their standard of living to rise at more than twice the rate of growth that prevailed during the socialist era. The experiences of the Poles, like those of so many behind the Iron Curtain, demonstrate the value of economic freedom, the immiserating consequences of its denial, and the often painful process of regaining lost freedoms. Read more: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/the-road-to-socialism-and-back-an-economic-history-of-poland-1939-2019 Download the book for free:https://www.fraserinstitute.org/sites/default/files/road-to-socialism-and-back-an-economic-history-of-poland-1939-2019.pdf This event is sponsored by the Center for Intermarium Studies and the Kosciuszko Chair of Polish Studies at IWP. ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18

Thomas Cromwell, author of "Why Ukraine Must Win," gave a discussion about his book at The Institute of World Politics on September 5, 2023. Thank you to our sponsors who made this event possible: Jennifer London Malcolm McNaughton Kirk Vazal John Czop About the speaker: Mr. Thomas Cromwell is a native of England who spent 25 years in the Middle East before settling near Washington, DC. As publisher and editor of the Middle East Times for 18 years, he spent long periods in Egypt, Jordan, Cyprus, Greece and Turkey. He has traveled to Communist countries for first-hand experience of life under totalitarianism, and visited 130 countries altogether. He worked in Ukraine before the Maidan Revolution. He is the author of several books that examine patterns of human behavior in history based on the interplay of religion, politics and ideology. ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18

Featuring: Dr. Christopher C. Harmon, IWP Professor and Brute Krulak Center for Innovation and Future Warfare Distinguished Fellow at Marine Corps University. About the Lecture: Terrorist groups have used a fantastic variety of means to seize attention, explain themselves, and seek recruits and support: song and speech, “guerrilla theater,” leaflets, radio, cable TV, newspapers, print ads, books, videos, web sites, e-zines… Social media is only their latest endeavor. This training will cover the modern terrorist propaganda techniques being used today so you can recognize them in your work. This training is developed from the recent book: The Terrorist Argument. The Terrorist Argument: Modern Advocacy and Propaganda, a recent book for the Brookings Institution, is a highly original merging of media studies & terrorism studies. Christopher C. Harmon and Randall G. Bowdish paired a medium of strategic communication with a named terrorist group. Examined in successive chapters are propaganda works of nationalists such as the Algerians and Irish; Maoists; secular Iranian dissidents; eco-terrorists, and other groups such as the potent Islamist organizations Hezbollah, Al Qaeda, and ISIS. Highlights from this multi-year study will be offered in an illustrated lecture and Q&A session by the lead author, Dr. Harmon of the Institute of World Politics. About the Speaker: Dr. Christopher C. Harmon ran counterterrorism studies programs for the U. S. government in two of our Defense Department’s regional academic centers (Garmisch Germany & Honolulu Hawaii). His work on “how terrorist groups end” was explored in a lecture series in the Washington, D.C. area from 2004 onward, with overseas dates including INTERPOL headquarters in Lyon, France (2010). Dr. Harmon is the lead author or editor of seven books about revolutionary warfare, insurgency, terrorism, or counterterrorism. The latest is just now out from Marine Corps University Press, entitled Warfare in Peacetime. ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18

Mr. Mohammed Motiwala will discuss the importance of multilateral cooperation on AI and the U.S. government's efforts in this year. About Lecture: Are you curious about the latest developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and how they are shaping the world? As AI rapidly advances, it is increasingly clear that cooperation among nations is essential for maximizing the benefits and minimizing the risks of this powerful technology. Join us for a lecture on the importance of multilateral diplomacy in AI cooperation, presented by Mohammed Motiwala, a Foreign Service Officer with extensive experience in international relations. In this talk, you will learn: The current state of AI technology and its potential applications in various fields. The challenges and risks associated with AI, such as biases, privacy concerns, and cyber attacks. The importance of international cooperation in promoting trustworthy AI. Examples of successful multilateral initiatives in AI cooperation and their impact on global governance This lecture is open to anyone interested in the intersection of technology and diplomacy, whether you are a student, a researcher, a policymaker, or a curious citizen. Join us and discover how multilateral diplomacy can help us navigate the future of technology and build a better world. About the Speaker: Mohammed Motiwala is a career member of the U.S. Foreign Service. He is currently in the Cyberspace and Digital Policy Bureau covering the OECD and the Global Partnership on AI. Mohammed's most recent assignment was a graduate program at the National Intelligence University where he focused on Eurasia. Prior to that, he was an Analyst focusing on Russia in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research, the State Department’s component of the Intelligence Community. His last overseas assignment was as an Assistant Cultural Affairs officer in Kyiv, Ukraine. His other overseas assignments were in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Lebanon. Prior to joining the Department of State, Mr. Motiwala worked as a hedge fund analyst at MTB Capital in New York City. Mr. Motiwala has a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an M.S. in Strategic Intelligence from the National Intelligence University. ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18

Dr. Enrico Suardi ('19) will discuss state and non-state actors' attempts at developing tools of psychological coercion and manipulation. About the Lecture: This presentation is part of a series of lectures on the behavioral sciences in US national security and public safety. The premise is that the human factor is the basis of crises and the source of solutions. Is the human mind the new, sixth domain of operations, or has it been the main domain of operations since Sun-Tzu advised winning without fighting? Nation-states and non-state actors have attempted to develop tools for brainwashing. These efforts have yielded no truth serum, no recruitment pill. Group pressure and psychological manipulations under conditions of deprivation break down most of us over time. However, false confessions are elicited and the coerced individuals are psychologically maimed. Dr. Suardi will start off by providing a historical overview of coercive persuasion, and will then discuss the psychology and neuroscience of coercion and ethical persuasion. He will conclude with highlights of the ongoing 21st-century cognitive warfare. About the Speaker: Dr. Enrico Suardi (IWP Class of 2019, Executive MA in National Security Affairs) is director of psychiatry at Saint Elizabeths Hospital, director of forensic services at the Ross Center in Washington, D.C., and the 2024-25 president-elect of the Washington Psychiatric Society A diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, and forensic psychiatry, on faculty at Saint Elizabeths Hospital, Georgetown University, and George Washington University, he has served as chief child and family psychiatrist at the U.S. State Department. Dr. Suardi studied political psychology with Jerrold Post, completed his M.D. and a residency in preventive medicine in Milan, Italy, and obtained an MSc in Public Health and Policy from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18

M r. Henry Sokolski and Mr. Ezra Cohen will discuss ongoing efforts and recommendations for reforming security classification policy. About the Speakers: M r. Henry D. Sokolski is the Executive Director of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center, a Washington-based nonprofit organization founded in 1994 to promote a better understanding of strategic weapons proliferation issues among policymakers, scholars, and the media. He teaches graduate-level classes on nuclear policy in Washington, D.C. He is also a Senior Fellow for Nuclear Security Studies at the University of California at San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy. From 1989 to 1993, Sokolski served as the Deputy for Nonproliferation Policy in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, for which he received the Secretary of Defense’s Medal for Outstanding Public Service. Prior to this, he worked in the Secretary of Defense’s Office of Net Assessment on strategic weapons proliferation issues. In addition to his Executive Branch service, Mr. Sokolski worked on the Hill from 1984 through 1988 as senior military legislative aide to Senate Armed Services Committee member Dan Quayle and from 1982 through 1983 as special assistant on nuclear energy matters to TVA Subcommittee Chairman Senator Gordon J. Humphrey. He also worked as a consultant on nuclear weapons proliferation issues to the Intelligence Community’s National Intelligence Council; received a Congressional appointment to the Deutch Proliferation Commission, which completed its report in July 1999; served as a member of the Central Intelligence Agency’s Senior Advisory Panel from 1995 to 1996; and was a member of the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism, which operated until 2010. Mr. Sokolski has been a resident fellow at the National Institute for Public Policy, the Heritage Foundation, and the Hoover Institution. He also has taught political science courses at the University of Chicago, Rosary College, Georgetown, and Loyola University. On January 11, 2021, President Donald J. Trump appointed Mr. Ezra Cohen to a three-year term on the PIDB and designated him to serve as Chair for a two-year term that ended on January 10, 2023. Prior to his appointment to the PIDB, Mr. Cohen served in senior leadership positions at the Department of Defense (DoD) and Intelligence Community, most recently as the Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security and Director for Defense Intelligence, Office of the Director of National Intelligence from November 2020 to January 2021. In this role, he exercised authority, direction, and control over the Defense Intelligence Enterprise and Combat Support Agencies. Additionally, he served as the principal civilian intelligence advisor to the Secretary of Defense on all military intelligence related matters, including signals intelligence, human intelligence, sensitive activities, geospatial intelligence, sensitive reconnaissance, counterintelligence, law enforcement, and security. His previous government positions include Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict (SO/LIC); Principal Deputy Assistance Secretary of Defense for SO/LIC; Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Counter-Narcotics and Global Threats; Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Intelligence Programs on the National Security Council; Deputy Defense Intelligence Officer for South Asia at the Defense Intelligence Agency; and as a DoD Operations Officer. Mr. Cohen began his government service as an intern researching 1820’s tariff legislation in the Center for Legislative Archives, a part of the National Archives and Record Administration. Mr. Cohen has also worked in the private sector for Oracle Corporation. Mr. Cohen received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Will H. Flanagan will discuss proposed nuclear safeguards for mass-produced nuclear energy and the risks involved in doing so. About the Lecture: In the nuclear era, a single weapon snuck through a border is able to significantly shift geopolitical balances. In 2007, Congress mandated the use of radiation detectors on all inbound containers but there is currently no way effectively meet this goal. Nuclear safeguards exist at all major ports of entry, though they are not always able to scan every item of cargo. Cerium Laboratories is addressing one aspect of this problem by producing a semiconductor-based “neutron intercepting system on a chip” (NISoC). Such detectors are made a modern semiconductor fabrication facilities in batches of 10,000 with a cost of a few dollars per device. This has the potential to shift nuclear safeguards in a direction where a detector can be placed on every inbound container ship. The current status of this effort will be discussed as well as future prospects. About the Speaker: Dr. Will Flanagan received his undergraduate education at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Lured from astronomy research by the fascinating connection between cosmology and particle physics, he began doing Large Hadron Collider (LHC) phenomenology at Texas A&M through a summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) internship. Dr Flanagan later returned to Texas A&M for his PhD, searching for dark matter at the CMS experiment along the LHC beam line. His hitchhike through the field of particle physics has included various neutrino experiments as well as development of novel particle detectors. Dr Flanagan’s current focus is developing a solid-state neutron detector with Austin-based Cerium Labs. The team recently completed a short journal publication and is actively developing future prototypes with applications from nuclear nonproliferation to hydrogen exploration. Before joining Cerium, Dr. Flanagan was an assistant professor at University of Dallas and remains an affiliate professor there with an active lab. Dr. Flanagan is also a member of the Texas Army National Guard as is currently activated to teach physics at the United States Military Academy at West Point. ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18

Amb. Kristjan Prikk will discuss Estonia's views on the War in Ukraine and how the conflict is about much more than just Ukraine. About Lecture: - The tragedy unrolling in Ukraine right now is not a result of a temporary misunderstanding but rather of a long-term Russian strategic gamble - The immediate impact of the war is mostly felt in Ukraine and in her neighboring countries but the consequences are considerably wider - This is a European war. However, U.S. global vital interests are clearly in play more than in any recent conflict. - The strategic objective and how to reach it. A bout the Speaker: Amb. Kristjan Prikk has served as Estonia´s Ambassador to the United States since May 2021. This is his third diplomatic posting to Washington, DC. Before assuming his current duties, Prikk served for nearly three years as the Permanent Secretary of the Estonian Ministry of Defense. In this role he was responsible for the management of the Ministry and for the coordination of activities of the agencies under the Ministry, including the Estonian Defense Forces, the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service, and the Centre for Defense Investments. Prior to becoming the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Prikk worked as Undersecretary for Defense Policy in the Ministry of Defense from July 2017 to August 2018. From 2015 to 2017 Mr. Prikk was the Director of National Security and the Defense Coordination Unit of the Estonian Government Office, coordinating the development and implementation of the whole-of-government interagency approach to national defense in Estonia and advising the Prime Minister on these issues. He also served as Deputy Director of the same office for two years prior to becoming the Director in 2015. His previous Ministry of Defense assignments include serving as Defense Counsellor at the Estonian Embassy in Washington, D.C. (2010-2013) and as Director of International Cooperation Department in Tallinn (2007-2010). Prior to joining the Ministry of Defense, Mr. Prikk worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on NATO issues mainly pertaining to its enlargement and its partnership with Russia, Ukraine, and Georgia in the Security Policy and Arms Control Bureau (2006-2007). Additionally, he has held assignments as a diplomat covering trade and economic issues at the Estonian Embassy in Washington (2002-2006) and as a foreign trade and World Trade Organization specialist at the Foreign Ministry’s headquarters in Tallinn (1999-2002). Mr. Prikk holds a Master’s degree from the Strategic Studies Program of the United States Army War College (2013) and a Bachelor’s degree in political science and economics from the University of Tartu, Estonia (2000). In 2000-2001, Mr. Prikk performed his required military service in the Estonian Defense Forces, where he remains a reserve officer, and is also a member of Estonia’s voluntary defense organization Kaitseliit (Estonian Defense League). He has been decorated with the Order of the White Star (4th Class) by the President of the Republic of Estonia, the Cross of Merit (1st Class) of the Ministry of Defense of Estonia, as well as other decorations from the Estonian Defense Forces, the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service, and the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board, among others. Mr. Prikk is married to Liis, with whom he has two daughters and a son. ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18

Dr. Christopher C. Harmon discusses "Maoist Revolutionary War Outside China," a topic on which he is offering a class at IWP (IWP 706, https://www.iwp.edu/courses/maoist-revolutionary-wars-outside-china/). ***This event is part of IWP's China Series, organized by the China/Asia Program.*** A bout the Lecture: The ideas of Mao tse Tung had a powerful impact—whatever one may think of their morals or their intellectual value. Maoism created the modern People's Republic of China and was then sent on outward marches to influence others around the world. The “export” of Maoist revolutionary warfare began by 1950, was refreshed with the 1965 pamphlet of Defense Minister Lin Biao “Long Live the Victory of People’s War,” and has recently been re-examined by scholar Julia Lovell’s 2019 volume Maoism: A Global History. Dr. Harmon is lecturing on Wednesday, May 17th about this phenomenon, bringing forward examples of Maoist revolutions in Vietnam, Malaysia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Peru. The lecture draws upon the substance of his new syllabus at the Institute of World Politics, a course on the theory and practice of Maoism, to commence this summer (2nd term; July-August). About the Speaker: Christopher C. Harmon directed “Comprehensive Security Responses to Terrorism” at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies, a program detailed in Jane’s Intelligence Review (“Regional Teamwork,” September, 2018). Dr. Harmon lectured on Maoist revolutionary warfare for many years at the staff college for Majors at Marine Corps University in Quantico, Virginia, where he later held three academic chairs. He has published on the Peruvian Maoists of “Shining Path” in the journal Small Wars and Insurgencies. Harmon’s eighth book--Warfare in Peacetime, is forthcoming this spring. ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18

Dr. William Inboden discusses President Reagan's strategy and approach to defeating the Soviet Union towards the end of the Cold War. About the Lecture: With decades of hindsight, the peaceful end of the Cold War seems a foregone conclusion. But in the early 1980s, most experts believed the Soviet Union was strong, stable, and would last into the next century. Ronald Reagan entered the White House with a different view. Rather than seeing the Soviet Union as a rival superpower to be contained, Reagan viewed Soviet Communism as a vile idea to be defeated. Accordingly, he developed a comprehensive strategy designed to deter Soviet strengths, exploit Soviet weaknesses, and bring Soviet communism to a negotiated surrender. About the Speakers: Dr. William Inboden is Executive Director and William Powers, Jr. Chair at the Clements Center for National Security at the University of Texas-Austin. He also serves as Associate Professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs and Editor-in-Chief of the Texas National Security Review. Inboden’s other roles include Associate with the National Intelligence Council, Member of the CIA Director’s Historical Advisory Panel, and member of the State Department’s Historical Advisory Council. Previously he served as Senior Director for Strategic Planning on the National Security Council at the White House, at the Department of State as a Member of the Policy Planning Staff, as a staff member for Representative Tom DeLay and Senator Sam Nunn, and as a Civitas Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. He is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and his commentary has appeared in numerous outlets including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, National Review, NPR, CNN, and BBC. Inboden is the author or co-editor of four books. His most recent book is The Peacemaker: Ronald Reagan, the Cold War, and the World on the Brink (Dutton, a Penguin Random House imprint 2023). Inboden received his Ph.D. and M.A. degrees in history from Yale University and his A.B. in history from Stanford University. ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18

After being formally inducted as the third President of The Institute of World Politics, Ambassador Aldona Woś gave remarks to the Class of 2023, highlighting IWP’s mission and the graduates’ critical role in making the world better, safer, and more harmonious. Ambassador Woś also called the graduates to stand together to defend the values of freedom and democracy. This event took place on May 13, 2023 at the Fairmont. ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18

Chen Guangcheng, Chinese human rights activist and Distinguished Fellow at the Catholic University of America, gave the keynote address at IWP's Presidential Investiture and Commencement for the Class of 2023. Mr. Chen was honored by IWP for his moral courage in the face of totalitarian coercion and received a Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa, from the Institute. In his remarks, Mr. Chen discussed how he resisted the Chinese Communist Party and encouraged our graduates to stand firm in their values even when those in power attempted to suppress them. This event took place on May 13, 2023 at the Fairmont. ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18