2024 Women’s History Month and the NESA Center WPS E-Book

March marks the U.S. Congress’s designation of Women’s History Month to recognize and celebrate the many contributions of women throughout history and today. Just recently, on March 8th, International Women’s Day was celebrated. Both events recognize the contribution of women and carried with them calls for action. Against this backdrop is the 24th Anniversary of Read More >

2023 NESA Center Impact Report

Read the 2023 Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies Impact Report, which showcases the NESA Center alumni network, academic programming, and engagements spanning from fiscal year 2023 to the first quarter of fiscal year 2024. It particularly highlights the following areas of focus: Transnational and Asymmetric Threats Territorial and Maritime Security Defense Sector Read More >

January–February 2024 NESA Center Update Report

View the NESA Center January–February 2024 Update focused on regional cyber trends. The update also highlights January through February NESA Center programs and events, faculty and staff engagements, alumni contributions, and a calendar with upcoming events.   Regional Trends – Cyber U.S. Strategy in the Middle East: Cyber as a Non-traditional Threat: The cybersecurity landscape Read More >

DSCU Security Cooperation Organization NESA Center Orientation and Regional Briefing

On Tuesday, February 27, 2024, the Near East South Asia (NESA) Center for Strategic Studies welcomed 18 students from the Defense Security Cooperation University’s (DSCU) seven-week Security Cooperation Organization (SCO) Operations Course. Academic Dean Roger Kangas, supported by Assistant Professor Jeffrey Payne, Dr. Michael Sharnoff, Professor Richard Wiersema, and Associate Dean Charles Marks, briefed the Read More >

Shining a Light on Iran’s Shadow War

J5 ACADEMIC PAPERS Author: Lt Col, Michael Redding, USAF, USA 18 February 2024   Iran’s Gray Zone Strategy Iran is running the world’s most effective gray zone campaign and hardly anyone has noticed. By combining a punishment strategy covered in plausible deniability with an influence strategy under the threshold of conflict, Iran is quietly reclaiming its Read More >

Yemen After the KSA-Iran Agreement: From Dreams to Harsh Reality and How This Fed Houthi Behavior in the Current Crisis

CSAG STRATEGY PAPER By: MAJ Felix Badut, ROMANIAN ARMY (CSAG/CCJ5) 20 February 2024   Overview: In 2014, Houthi rebels overtook Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, in a push for increased military and political power, starting Yemen’s long-lasting civil war. The chaos created by the Houthi insurgents jeopardized the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) ambition for Read More >

Iran’s Elections, Wind of Change?

CSAG STRATEGY PAPER By: LTC René Berendsen, NLD Army (CSAG/CCJ5) 02 February 2024   Overview: Shaped by the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the Iranian political landscape uniquely blends democratic and theocratic elements. The 12th parliamentary elections, the 6th Assembly of Experts elections on March 1, 2024, and the presidential elections in 2025 are playing pivotal roles Read More >

Washington Seminar – February 2024

On 14 February 2024, the NESA Center for Strategic Studies held a Washington Seminar Discussion at the Army-Navy Club in Washington, D.C. Dr. Michael Sharnoff moderated a conversation between Hanin Ghaddar and David Makovsky, both policy scholars at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. The afternoon ended with a question-and-answer session with 32 participants Read More >

SANDU Military Strategy Course

From 28 January–2 February 2024, Near East South Asia (NESA) Center for Strategic Studies Professors Mark Bibbey and David Des Roches, supported by Matthew Holbert, NESA Program Manager, and Thomas Wagstaff, Academic Advisor, delivered the one-week Saudi War Course Strategy Module, to support the Saudi Armed Forces Command and Staff College in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Read More >

Countering Violent Extremism and the Role of Community Policing: Best Practices 2024 Program

From 28 January – 1 February 2024, the Near East South Asia (NESA) Center for Strategic Studies hosted a program in Kathmandu, Nepal, titled “Countering Violent Extremism and the Role of Community Policing: Best Practices.” The seminar was designed to help participants evaluate and analyze the nature and dynamics of significant community policing challenges, especially in the realm of violent extremism, and deliberate Read More >