The Institute of World Politics

This talk will explore the issue of how economic distortions, regulatory barriers, and other government restraints reduce the wealth of nations and push citizens into poverty. Mr. Singham will explain ways in which these "Anti-Competitive Market Distortions" or ACMDs can be reduced, and the impact on the global economy of such reduction. The discussion will also cover how this agenda ensures the preservation of U.S. national security interests, lifts people out of poverty, and creates jobs, opportunity and hope for the world's people.

Shanker A. SinghamCurrently the Managing Director of the Competitiveness and Enterprise Cities Project at Babson Global, the commercial arm of Babson College, Shanker A. Singham has a wealth of experience in trade, competition and regulatory systems. He is one of the most experienced and well known international trade and competition lawyers in the world, having authored the leading text book on the subject of trade, competition and regulatory frameworks. He has led the market access practices of two prominent law firms, most recently a top ten global law firm, Squire Sanders, and he has represented multinational companies and governments. He is a cleared advisor to the United States Trade Representative and Department of Commerce, and is a Non-Government Advisor to the International Competition Network. He has also been a senior trade and economics advisor to a number of political candidates from Governor Lawton Chiles and Governor Buddy McKay in Florida to Governor Mitt Romney's Presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2012.

This talk will explore the issue of how economic distortions, regulatory barriers, and other government restraints reduce the wealth of nations and push citizens into poverty. Mr. Singham will explain ways in which these "Anti-Competitive Market Distortions" or ACMDs can be reduced, and the impact on the global economy of such reduction. The discussion will also cover how this agenda ensures the preservation of U.S. national security interests, lifts people out of poverty, and creates jobs, opportunity and hope for the world's people.

Shanker A. SinghamCurrently the Managing Director of the Competitiveness and Enterprise Cities Project at Babson Global, the commercial arm of Babson College, Shanker A. Singham has a wealth of experience in trade, competition and regulatory systems. He is one of the most experienced and well known international trade and competition lawyers in the world, having authored the leading text book on the subject of trade, competition and regulatory frameworks. He has led the market access practices of two prominent law firms, most recently a top ten global law firm, Squire Sanders, and he has represented multinational companies and governments. He is a cleared advisor to the United States Trade Representative and Department of Commerce, and is a Non-Government Advisor to the International Competition Network. He has also been a senior trade and economics advisor to a number of political candidates from Governor Lawton Chiles and Governor Buddy McKay in Florida to Governor Mitt Romney's Presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2012.

This talk will explore the issue of how economic distortions, regulatory barriers, and other government restraints reduce the wealth of nations and push citizens into poverty. Mr. Singham will explain ways in which these "Anti-Competitive Market Distortions" or ACMDs can be reduced, and the impact on the global economy of such reduction. The discussion will also cover how this agenda ensures the preservation of U.S. national security interests, lifts people out of poverty, and creates jobs, opportunity and hope for the world's people.

Shanker A. SinghamCurrently the Managing Director of the Competitiveness and Enterprise Cities Project at Babson Global, the commercial arm of Babson College, Shanker A. Singham has a wealth of experience in trade, competition and regulatory systems. He is one of the most experienced and well known international trade and competition lawyers in the world, having authored the leading text book on the subject of trade, competition and regulatory frameworks. He has led the market access practices of two prominent law firms, most recently a top ten global law firm, Squire Sanders, and he has represented multinational companies and governments. He is a cleared advisor to the United States Trade Representative and Department of Commerce, and is a Non-Government Advisor to the International Competition Network. He has also been a senior trade and economics advisor to a number of political candidates from Governor Lawton Chiles and Governor Buddy McKay in Florida to Governor Mitt Romney's Presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2012.

After the cyberattacks on Estonia in 2007, the country mobilized its cybersecurity resources and has become a leader in this area. Tanel Sepp will discuss how and why Estonia began developing its digital structures, how its current e-governance is built up, and what its underlying principles are. He will also touch on how Estonia manages cyber risks and issues like privacy and encryption, and well as Estonia's next steps are in the cyber realm.

Tanel SeppTanel Sepp currently serves as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Estonian Embassy in Washington, D.C. He has formerly served as the South-Asia Counselor for the 3rd Political Department at the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Chargé d'Affaires for the Special Mission of Estonia to Afghanistan, and the Second Secretary for Civilian Crisis Management for the Permanent Delegation of Estonia to the EU. He holds a Master of Arts degree in International Relations from the Audentes University (currently Tallinn Technical University) and a B.A. from EuroUniversity, Tallinn.

After the cyberattacks on Estonia in 2007, the country mobilized its cybersecurity resources and has become a leader in this area. Tanel Sepp will discuss how and why Estonia began developing its digital structures, how its current e-governance is built up, and what its underlying principles are. He will also touch on how Estonia manages cyber risks and issues like privacy and encryption, and well as Estonia's next steps are in the cyber realm.

Tanel SeppTanel Sepp currently serves as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Estonian Embassy in Washington, D.C. He has formerly served as the South-Asia Counselor for the 3rd Political Department at the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Chargé d'Affaires for the Special Mission of Estonia to Afghanistan, and the Second Secretary for Civilian Crisis Management for the Permanent Delegation of Estonia to the EU. He holds a Master of Arts degree in International Relations from the Audentes University (currently Tallinn Technical University) and a B.A. from EuroUniversity, Tallinn.

After the cyberattacks on Estonia in 2007, the country mobilized its cybersecurity resources and has become a leader in this area. Tanel Sepp will discuss how and why Estonia began developing its digital structures, how its current e-governance is built up, and what its underlying principles are. He will also touch on how Estonia manages cyber risks and issues like privacy and encryption, and well as Estonia's next steps are in the cyber realm.

Tanel SeppTanel Sepp currently serves as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Estonian Embassy in Washington, D.C. He has formerly served as the South-Asia Counselor for the 3rd Political Department at the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Chargé d'Affaires for the Special Mission of Estonia to Afghanistan, and the Second Secretary for Civilian Crisis Management for the Permanent Delegation of Estonia to the EU. He holds a Master of Arts degree in International Relations from the Audentes University (currently Tallinn Technical University) and a B.A. from EuroUniversity, Tallinn.

The first IWP Student Symposium on the topic of "The Greater Syrian-Mesopotamian Crisis" was held on May 14, 2015. This video depicts the following speakers and topics:

Across Borders: A Jaziran State

Tyler Black

The Human Factor: A Society Changed By Environment and Economic Devastation

Austin Rettig

Iraqi Youth Fight for Iran's Empire

Nathan Fiala

Assyrians of Iraq: Cultural Identity and Conflict

Alexander Cunningham

The event was hosted by The Institute of World Politics, IWP Student Ambassadors, and the IWP Journal of Intelligence and Strategic Studies. A lecture on Iranian Air Defense by David Maxwell was off the record and is therefore not depicted in this video.

The first IWP Student Symposium on the topic of "The Greater Syrian-Mesopotamian Crisis" was held on May 14, 2015. This video depicts the following speakers and topics:

Across Borders: A Jaziran State

Tyler Black

The Human Factor: A Society Changed By Environment and Economic Devastation

Austin Rettig

Iraqi Youth Fight for Iran's Empire

Nathan Fiala

Assyrians of Iraq: Cultural Identity and Conflict

Alexander Cunningham

The event was hosted by The Institute of World Politics, IWP Student Ambassadors, and the IWP Journal of Intelligence and Strategic Studies. A lecture on Iranian Air Defense by David Maxwell was off the record and is therefore not depicted in this video.

The first IWP Student Symposium on the topic of "The Greater Syrian-Mesopotamian Crisis" was held on May 14, 2015. This video depicts the following speakers and topics:

Across Borders: A Jaziran State

Tyler Black

The Human Factor: A Society Changed By Environment and Economic Devastation

Austin Rettig

Iraqi Youth Fight for Iran's Empire

Nathan Fiala

Assyrians of Iraq: Cultural Identity and Conflict

Alexander Cunningham

The event was hosted by The Institute of World Politics, IWP Student Ambassadors, and the IWP Journal of Intelligence and Strategic Studies. A lecture on Iranian Air Defense by David Maxwell was off the record and is therefore not depicted in this video.

On June 10, The Institute of World Politics welcomed Andres Kütt, Head Software Architect, and Liina Areng, Head of International Relations, both of the Estonian Information System Authority to speak on the state of cyber security globally, as well as their country’s pioneering transition to electronic governance. Mr. Kütt and Ms. Areng generously offered their time and expertise to inform the IWP community about the importance of a rapidly changing cyber landscape.

Mr. Kütt told the audience how there is a constant war being waged between the governments, corporations, and organizations that secure private data and the rogue criminal hackers who seek to steal it from their databases. In reality, he said, there is not a guaranteed method of securing online data in this modern era. Rather, there are differing levels of coding sophistication and mathematical formulas by which cryptographers and cyber attackers engage in their web-based warfare.

Mr. Kütt explained how, essentially, this worldwide data conflict is driven by secure codes and encryptions that protect data and the efforts by rogue states or actors to disrupt them. Time, he says, is the worst enemy of cryptographers, as their electronic battlements are constantly under siege. The most effective way to mitigate the risk of cyber attack, he noted, is to hire the most talented pool of cyber defenders.

Mr. Kütt and Ms. Areng informed the audience that governments are at the forefront of the cyber challenges that face the 21st century. The Republic of Estonia in particular has been a global leader in so-called “E-governance,” transforming their Baltic nation of 1.3 million into a cyber powerhouse. Estonia, they report, has been highly successful in its endeavor to render the services and obligations of government into electronic models. For example, Estonia is the only one of its kind in the world to have institutionalized E-voting in national elections. This kind of groundbreaking civic engagement, the speakers emphasized, is dependent on a high degree of trust in its accuracy and incorruptibility.

Mr. Kütt and Ms. Areng explained how the Estonian government relies on its advanced corps of citizen-cryptographers. The Cyber Defense League was established in 2010 as a response to the unprecedented cyber attacks on the country years earlier. This organization of volunteer cryptographers serves the national cyber defense by donating their talents in service to Estonia.

Mr. Kütt and Ms. Areng went on to explain the interconnectedness of the digital ecosystems that populate the Internet. What affects one facet of the web is sure to translate into tangible consequences for the other. Further, the immense difficulty in identifying the origins of a cyber attack means that a coherent, reliable encryption is increasingly the only viable avenue of defense.