Connecting Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and Beyond

From 9–12 July 2023, the NESA Center hosted the 10th annual Strategic Studies Network (SSN) Central Asia Working Group meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan. The NESA Center partnered with the Caspian Policy Center (CPC) and the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy (ADA) to manage the workshop that gathered experts from Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, India, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Read More >

2023 Eastern Mediterranean Security Roundtable

The Near East South Asia (NESA) Center for Strategic Studies, in partnership with the Turkish Asian Center for Strategic Studies (TASAM), a leading Turkish think tank, held a roundtable discussion in Istanbul, Türkiye, from 17–19 July 2023. Scholars from Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye participated in the discussion. The agenda Read More >

February–March 2023 NESA Center Update Report

View the NESA Center February–March 2023 Update focused on cyber Near East South Asia Region trends. The update also highlights February through March 2023 NESA Center programs and events, faculty and staff engagements, alumni contributions, and a calendar with upcoming events. February – March 2023 Cyber Trends: Pakistan continues to be in the eye of Read More >

2023 Dynamics of Countering Human Trafficking in South Asia and the Gulf Seminar

From 22–25 May 2023, the NESA Center conducted a seminar titled “Dynamics of Countering Human Trafficking in South Asia and the Gulf.” The four-day workshop was held in Muscat, Oman. It was designed to help participants assess, analyze, and identify opportunities to effectively counter human trafficking in South Asia and the Gulf and improve regional Read More >

NESA Center and Armenian National Defense Research University Strategic Dialogue

  From 27–31 March 2023, Near East South Asia (NESA) Center’s Academic Dean, Dr. Roger Kangas led a team consisting of Professor Dr. Gawdat Bahgat, Associate Dean Charles Marks, and Professor Richard Wiersema to Yerevan, Armenia, in order to conduct a strategic dialogue with leadership, faculty, and analysts from the Armenian National Defense Research University Read More >

Türkiye’s Role in the USCENTCOM AOR

CSAG STRATEGY PAPER By: LTC Jussi Puustinen, FIN Army, CSAG CCJ5 06 March  2023   Overview: Türkiye has quite a unique position in many perspectives e.g., geographically, geopolitically and geoeconomically. It lies at the intersection of Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia (and Africa) with ties to all of them; it has a land Read More >

NESA Roundtable “The Pros and Cons of Ankara’s Balancing Act with the Ukraine-Russia War” with Nigar Göksel from Crisis Group Türkiye

Two people at the front of a table.

  In acknowledgment of the one year since Russia began its full-scale invasion in Ukraine, Near East South Asia (NESA) Center for Strategic Studies Executive Officer Sam Marrero moderated a roundtable with Nigar Göksel from Crisis Group Türkiye on Friday, 3 March 2023, on the ‘Pros and Cons of Ankara’s balancing act with the Ukraine-Russia Read More >

The Earthquake: Catalyst for Dynamic Change in Syria

CSAG INFORMATION PAPER By: Richard Pecinka, LTC, CZE AF (CSAG/CCJ5), Rene Berendsen, LTC, NLD Army (CSAG/CCJ5), Hubert Mroz, CDR, POL Navy (CSAG/CCJ5) 16 February 2023 Subject: The Earthquake: Catalyst for dynamic change in Syria. Purpose: This paper presents CSAG’s summary analysis of the geopolitical and military evolution of the main actors in Syria following the Read More >

Threat Potential of ISIS in the CENTCOM AOR

CSAG INFORMATION PAPER By: Kashif Ehtisham, Lt Col, Pakistan Army (CSAG/CCJ5) 03 February 2023 Subject: Analysis of the threat potential of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in the CENTCOM AOR. Purpose: The aim of this paper is to present the CSAG’s analysis of the ‘threat from ISIS’ within CENTCOM AOR to formulate Read More >

Executive Seminar: Strategic Power Competition in a Multipolar World

From 5–16 December 2022, the Near East South Asia (NESA) Center for Strategic Studies hosted an Executive Seminar (ES) titled “Strategic Power Competition in a Multipolar World.” The virtual seminar’s focus on strategic power competition helped define what “global power” and “competition” mean. It also identified challenges the United States faces in this new era Read More >