IWP Student Symposium 2019

Security Dialogue: Maritime Theory or Practice?with Erik Khzmalyan
About the Lecture: This 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.

Gender Systems and National Securitywith Helen Lamm
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.

Challenges of the Millennial Generation Towards the Future of U.S. National Securitywith Kelly Zug
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.

Returning Foreign Terrorist Fighters in Germany: An Assessment of the Threat and Policy Optionswith Tobias Brandt
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.