From 9–16 April 2025, Professor Anne Moisan from the Near East South Asia (NESA) Center for Strategic Studies, in partnership with U.S. Africa Command, led the annual Tunisian National Defense Institute (TNDI) National Security Seminar for 52 Ministry of Defense senior government officials from 13 Tunisian agencies, as well as the President’s Office. This is the 14th year in the NESA-AFRICOM partnership with the Tunisian National Defense Institute. Joining the program from the Embassy of the Republic of Tunisian here in Washington, D.C. were Ms. Elkansa Arfaoui Harbaoui (TNDI 22), Counselor, and the Defense Attaché S. Col Taoufik Elghali (TNDI 22).

Led by its Director, Brig Gen Tarek Akermi, the TNDI is a year-long Ministry of Defense program that is now in its 42^st year. It brings a diverse group of interagency representatives together twice each week for an academic year to advance whole-of-government approaches to critical national security and political challenges. Each Minister of Defense class is assigned a unique research theme by the Minister. This year’s assignment was entitled “National Strategy: AI as It Serves the Economy, Society and Security.” The objective of the program is to better inform Tunisia policymakers going forward as they address the security, economic and social ramifications felt in Tunisia resulting from technology and more specifically artificial intelligence, and how best to develop new policy options as the country moves forward.

The seminar for Class 42 was held in Washington, D.C. Led by Course Director, Professor Anne Moisan, the seminar was centered on assisting the participants in their assigned research and to better equip them as Tunisia continues its democratic transition as the country addresses the short- and long-term challenges of adjusting to the realities of AI throughout the military and society. Sessions focused on long-term global technological advancements and trends, ongoing opportunities and challenges associated with Tunisia-U.S. bilateral relations, the future direction of U.S. Government engagements in Africa, as well as on information pertinent to the class’s assigned theme on developing practical AI policy recommendations. To that end, participants received presentations from ten speakers and spent a session in a tabletop exercise in three smaller breakout groups strategizing and refining their policy proposals for their final White Paper. The breakout groups allowed them to deep dive into the ramifications of AI on security, on the economy and on society and develop executable and realistic recommendations. Presentations began with an overview of AI provided by Dr. Christopher Burns from the Center for Digital Development, “AI as A Tool of the Economy, Society and Security”; Her Excellency Ambassador Hanene Tajouri, Ambassador of the Republic of Tunisia to the U.S. on “Tunisia-US Bilateral Relations”; Mr. John Daniels, the Tunisia and Algeria Desk office, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, U.S. State Dept. and LTC Spencer Propst (USA), Regional Director for North Africa, Office of the Under Secretary for Defense for Policy on “The U.S. Government’s Evolving Role in Africa”; and Col. Kevin Davidson, Director, AFRICOM Liaison Office, US AFRICOM and CMSGT Joshua Moore (USAF), Command  Chief Master Sergeant of the National Guard on “U.S. Defense/ AFRICOM and WYNG: Security Partners in Africa.”

The seminar also took a deeper dive into the assigned AI theme with analyses and policy development processes/models by the Honorable/Major General Paul Friedrichs (ret), MD,FACS, Senior Advisor, Global Health Policy Center, Center for Strategic Studies (CSIS) on “AI in Health”; Dr. Chinasa Okolo, Senior Fellow, Center for Technology Innovation (CTI), Governance Studies, The Brookings Institution on “AI and Social Services and Education”; Dr. James Giordano, Director of the Center for Disruptive Technologies and Future Warfare of the Institute for National Strategic Studies, National Defense University; and Professor Emeritus in the Departments of Neurology and Biochemistry, and Senior Scholar Emeritus of the Pellegrino Center for Clinical Bioethics, Georgetown University Medical Center on “AI and Issues of Public Safety and National Security”; and Dr. Andrew Cheatham, Attorney on Legal and Ethical Concerns of Disruptive Technologies on “Ethical Considerations and Countering the Weaponization of AI.”

The program included a brainstorming breakout group session dedicated to developing specific policy recommendations, required actions, and resourcing options available. Auditeurs were assigned to one of three groups looking at the specific of AI as a tool impacts for security, the economy and society. The tabletop exercise used a version of a “Future Wheel.” Results from the exercise will be used in the refinement of the Strategy White Paper the class will deliver to the MOD and President’s’ office in June 2025 upon their graduation.             

As part of the NESA Center partnership with the Tunisian Embassy in Washington, Ambassador Hanene Tajouri, Ambassador of the Republic of Tunisia to the U.S. welcomed the group, presented an extended session on U.S.-Tunisian Bilateral Relations, and held a private Welcome Reception in honor of the TNDI participants at the Tunisian Embassy. Ambassador Tajouri, Deputy Chief of Mission Anis HAJEI, Counselor Ms. Elkansa Arfaoui Harbaoui, and the Defense Attaché S. Col Taoufik Elghali, Assistant Defense Attaché, Senior Colonel Thabet Mezni, and Lt Besma Khelifi. joined the informal Farewell Lunch at the Chart House in historic Old Town Alexandria.

This program has evolved over the fourteen years to be a successful shared-cost partnership with NESA-AFRICOM and the Tunisian NDI consisting of 52 senior MOD government officials and faculty from 13 Tunisian ministries and two from the President’s Office.