The Institute of World Politics

Title: Gender Systems and National Security

This lecture is a part of the The Institute of World Politics' 2019 Student Symposium that was held on May 16th.

About the Lecture: The lecture will examine how various cultures’ practices relating to courtship, marriage, and reproduction play out in the extended order as national security issues.

About the Speaker: Helen Lamm is an M.A. candidate in Statecraft and International Affairs at the Institute of World Politics with a concentration in American Foreign Policy, and she is graduating this May. Helen is a Mt. Vernon Fellow at the Center for American Greatness and a Publius Fellow at the Claremont Institute. She publishes a weekly column at American Greatness on topics related to culture and politics.

General John W. Nicholson, Jr., USA (Ret.), "Mick," former Commander of U.S. Forces - Afghanistan and NATO Resolute Support Mission, gave the keynote address at IWP Commencement on May 18. 2019 at the Fairmont Hotel.

The Institute of World Politics awarded him with a Doctorate of Laws, Honoris Causa.

Founder and President of The Institute of World Politics, John Lenczowski, delivered remarks at IWP's Commencement ceremony on May 18, 2019, at the Fairmont Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Video by Adam Savit, Center for Security Policy

The invocation at The Institute of World Politics Commencement on May 18, 2019, was given by Captain Christopher D. Glass, Sr., USN (Ret.), Senior Vice President for Professional Affiliations at IWP and also an IWP parent.

Video by Adam Savit, Center for Security Policy

Title: Returning Foreign Terrorist Fighters in Germany: An Assessment of the Threat and Policy Options

This lecture is a part of the The Institute of World Politics' 2019 Student Symposium that was held on May 16th.

About the Lecture: In the wake of the Arab Spring, nearly one thousand German citizens traveled to Syria and Iraq to join Islamist terrorist groups. About a third of these are now back in the Federal Republic. Returning Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTFs) present a tremendous challenge for the German authorities as many of them are combat experienced, can radicalize others, and recruit them to conduct attacks. Officials have mainly aimed at speedy incarceration proceedings in order to avoid public pressure and contain the immediate security risk. This only postpones the threat because prison sentences are typically short and, therefore, do not represent a long-term solution. To prevent returning FTFs from conducting attacks in Germany and undermining the social fabric, the country should tailor its approach for each case and reassert the legitimacy and relevance of the state using the legal system. Germany must further strengthen its intelligence and surveillance capabilities, improve border controls, and enhance its deradicalization and reintegration programs. Finally, to avoid falling into a “counterterrorism fatigue,” Germany must develop a National Strategy for Counterterrorism to address all dimensions of the challenge of Islamist terrorism.

About the Speaker: Tobias Brandt is originally from Hamburg, Germany, and he is an M.A. candidate in Statecraft and International Affairs at the Institute of World Politics graduating in May. His key research interests are U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, terrorism, and the transatlantic relationship. In his final semester at IWP, Tobias wrote an honors thesis on “Pushing Back Terrorist Propaganda and Countering Ideological Support for Militant Islamism.” He has been published in The National Interest, and the paper on which his lecture is based will be featured in the spring issue of the Institute’s Journal Active Measures.

Title: Challenges of the Millennial Generation Towards the Future of U.S. National Security

This lecture is a part of the The Institute of World Politics' 2019 Student Symposium that was held on May 16th.

About the Lecture: The lecture will examine behaviors and attitudes of the Millennial Generation and how these may present challenges to the U.S. national security apparatus. Ms. Zug will assess four major themes of this generational cohort: their changing relationship with information, the pervasiveness of echo chambers, the rise of the global citizen, and wavering trust in U.S. government institutions. The talk will analyze how aspects of these four areas may undermine U.S. efforts to protect its national security in the future.

About the Speaker: Kelly Zug is an M.A. candidate in Statecraft and National Security Affairs at The Institute of World Politics graduating this May. Before studying at IWP, Kelly worked in international development in Eastern Europe and taught English with the Fulbright Program in Bulgaria. Her studies at IWP have focused on Russian influence operations in the information space and the reemergence of Russian active measures in Europe.

Title: The Geopolitics of Quadrilateral Security Dialogue: Maritime Theory or Practice?

This lecture is a part of the The Institute of World Politics' 2019 Student Symposium that was held on May 16th.

About the Lecture: The lecture will examine the history of this informal partnership and assess the geopolitical motivations of the member states as well as the conflicting policies that have hindered the full-fledged integration. Though the presentation will briefly survey Washington’s and Tokyo’s roles in upholding and advancing this security dialogue, the emphasis will be put on India and Australia as the two weakest links of the partnership. Finally, the talk will examine the future challenges and opportunities of Quad and provide policy recommendations for the United States.

About the Speaker: Erik Khzmalyan is an M.A. candidate in Statecraft and National Security Affairs at the Institute of World Politics graduating this May. Erik is a Senior Fellow at the Eurasian Research and Analysis Institute, and his research primarily focuses on U.S. national security and foreign policy.

Title: China's Belt and Road Initiative: A Story of Assessment and Strategic Adaptation

This lecture is a part of The Institute of World Politics' China in the World: 21st Century Challenges series.

This event is co-sponsored by The Institute of World Politics, the National Bureau of Asian Research, and the Movement for the Renaissance of Vietnam.

About the Lecture: About the Lecture: Almost six years after its launch, the Belt and Road Initiative, labelled by Xi Jinping as the "Project of the Century," seems to have reached its culminating point of success. A mounting wave of resistance against the BRI can be felt both within and outside of China. Are these signs that the BRI is grinding to a halt? How is the Chinese leadership reacting to the gathering headwinds facing BRI? What does BRI tell us about the Chinese leadership's capacity to assess, adjust, and adapt?

About the Speaker: About the Speaker: Nadège Rolland is Senior Fellow for Political and Security Affairs, at the National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR), based in Seattle and Washington, D.C. Her research focuses mainly on China's foreign and defense policy and the changes in regional dynamics across Eurasia resulting from the rise of China. Drawing on her 20 years of experience as a French government official, she also examines the prospects for Transatlantic cooperation in research and policy related to Asia. She is the author of China's Eurasian Century? Political and Strategic Implications of the Belt and Road Initiative, published in 2017.

Title: Heaven on Earth: The Rise, Fall, and Afterlife of Socialism

About the Book: Socialism was man's most ambitious attempt to supplant religion with a doctrine claiming to ground itself in “science.” Each failure to create societies of abundance or give birth to “the New Man” inspired more searching for the path to the promised land: revolution, communes, social democracy, communism, fascism, Arab socialism, African socialism. None worked, and some exacted a staggering human toll. Then, after two centuries of wishful thinking and bitter disappointment, socialism imploded in a fin de siècle drama of falling walls and collapsing regimes. It was an astonishing denouement but what followed was no less astonishing. After the hiatus of a couple of decades, new voices were raised, as if innocent of all that had come before, proposing to try it all over again.

About the Author: Dr. Joshua Muravchik is a Distinguished Fellow at the World Affairs Institute. His most recent book is Heaven on Earth: The Rise, Fall, and Afterlife of Socialism (2019). He is the author of ten previous books and more than 400 articles on politics and international affairs, contributing to, among others, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, Foreign Affairs,Foreign Policy, the New York Times Magazine, and Commentary. Muravchik, who received his Ph.D. in International Relations from Georgetown University, is an Adjunct Professor at the Institute for World Politics. He serves on the editorial boards of World Affairs, Journal of Democracy, and the Journal of International Security Affairs. He formerly served as a member of the State Department’s Advisory Committee on Democracy Promotion; the Commission on Broadcasting to the People’s Republic of China; and the Maryland Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

Title: New Dynamics of Energy Security; US sanctions on Iran & Venezuela, Shale boom & OPEC

About the Lecture: In this lecture Dr. Vakhshouri will discuss the new trends and development in the energy industry and their impacts on global energy security. The key issues that will be discussed are:

- US Sanctions on Iran and Venezuela

- Shale oil and gas productions and changes in the energy trade flow

- OPEC, Saudi Arabia and Russia

About the Speaker: Dr. Sara Vakhshouri is Founder and President of SVB Energy International, a strategic energy consulting firm with offices in Washington DC and Dubai. Dr. Vakhshouri has two decades of experience of working in the energy industry with an extensive experience in global energy market studies, energy security and geopolitical risk, and has consulted numerous public and private sector energy and policy leaders. Dr. Vakhshouri has been based in Washington DC since 2009 where she has advised US and European governments, investment banks, financial institutions, law firms and international corporations on energy markets, trading and pricing, the geopolitics of energy, and investment patterns. She has published articles in numerous journals including The Economist, Middle East Economic Survey, and Oil and Gas Journal. Dr. Vakhshouri has been keynote speakers at many energy conferences including Chatham House, Platts Oil and Middle East conferences, LNG Global Congress and other international oil, gas and energy conferences. She is frequently quoted and has appeared on Bloomberg, the BBC, The Financial Times, Reuters, Platts, The Financial Post, The Wall Street Journal, Energy Intelligence, and Voice of America. She is the author of The Marketing and Sale of Iranian Export Crude Oil since the Islamic Revolution and has contributed chapters in different books and energy reports including World Energy Outlook 2018, published by the International Energy Agency. She also regularly does briefings for various energy think tanks and agencies including the International Energy Administration (IEA). Dr. Vakhshouri has a PhD in energy security and Middle Eastern studies. She has an MA in business management (international marketing), and another MA in international relations. Dr. Vakhshouri was also Senior Energy Fellow at the Atlantic Council, and at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. Dr. Vakhshouri has also experience of working in both public and private sectors of the Iranian energy industry.