China in Sri Lanka and the Political Economic Crisis

July 2022 No Comments

Speaker(s): Abeyagoonasekera, A. (The Millennium Project) Date: 2 August 2022 Speaker Session Summary SMA hosted a speaker session with Mr. Asanga Abeyagoonasekera (The Millennium Project) as part of its SMA INDPOPACOM Speaker Series. Mr. Abeyagoonasekera began the presentation by stating that China’s loans and investments in Sri Lanka are ultimately creating a debt trap. China is taking advantage of Sri Lanka’s […]

Continue Reading

Living Through the End of the World

July 2022 No Comments

Speaker: Peter Zeihan (Zeihan on Geopolitics) Date: 12 July 2022 Speaker Session Recording SMA hosted a speaker session with Mr. Peter Zeihan (Zeihan on Geopolitics) as part of its SMA “Anticipating the Future Operational Environment” (AFOE) Speaker Series. Briefing Materials Biography: Peter Zeihan is a geopolitical strategist, which is a fancy way of saying he […]

Continue Reading

Identifying and Exploiting Fleeting Opportunities in Complex Systems

June 2022 No Comments

Speaker(s): Bicknell, J. (More Cowbell Unlimited) Date: 7 July 2022 Speaker Session Summary SMA hosted a speaker session with Mr. John Bicknell (CEO & Founder, More Cowbell Unlimited) as part of its SMA General Speaker Series. Modern strategic competition is forcing decision-making to occur more quickly in an increasingly cluttered information environment. The competition to attain more information […]

Continue Reading

The Real Way to Succeed in a Rivalry: The Societal Foundations of National Competitiveness

June 2022 No Comments

Speaker(s): Mazarr, M. (RAND) Date: 6 July 2022 Speaker Session Summary SMA hosted a speaker session with Dr. Michael Mazarr (Senior Political Scientist, RAND) as part of its SMA General Speaker Series. A country’s societal dynamism is directly linked to its international competitiveness, according to Dr. Mazarr. There are seven societal characteristics related to a country’s international competitiveness: national […]

Continue Reading

The CCP’s Ambitions to Control and Manipulate Information Spaces: Theory and Practice

June 2022 No Comments

Speaker: Dr. Mareike Ohlberg, (Senior Fellow and Leader of the Stockholm China Forum, Asia Program, The German Marshall Fund [GMF] of the United States) Date: 22 June 2022 Speaker Session Summary SMA hosted a speaker session with Dr. Mareike Ohlberg (Senior Fellow, Asia Program, The German Marshall Fund of the United States) as part of its SMA Anticipating the Future […]

Continue Reading

Weaponizing Critical Resources on a Changing Planet

June 2022 No Comments

Speaker: Dr. Lillian Alessa (President’s Professor and Director, Center for Resilient Communities, University of Idaho; Chief Scientist (ST), United States Special Operations Command) Date: 14 June 2022 Speaker Session Summary SMA hosted a speaker session with Dr. Lillian Alessa (President’s Professor, University of Idaho; Affiliate Faculty, Texas A&M University & George Mason University; Chief Scientist, […]

Continue Reading

The Perfect Imbalance of the Sino-Russian Relationship

May 2022 No Comments

Speaker(s): Bērziņa-Čerenkova, U. (Head of the Political Science Doctoral Programme & Director of the China Studies Centre, Riga Stradins University, Latvia) Date: 7 June 2022 Speaker Session Summary SMA hosted a speaker session with Dr. Una Aleksandra Bērziņa-Čerenkova (Head of the Political Science Doctoral Programme & Director of the China Studies Centre, Riga Stradins University, Latvia) as […]

Continue Reading

Competition in the Gray Zone: Countering China’s Coercion Against US Allies and Partners in the Indo-Pacific

May 2022 No Comments

Speaker(s): Garafola, C. (RAND) Date: 24 May 2022 Speaker Session Summary SMA hosted a speaker session with Ms. Cristina Garafola (Associate Policy Researcher, RAND) as part of its SMA INDOPACOM Series. *Below is a summary provided by Ms. Garafola which reflects information from her presentation and her team’s findings.   Few studies have systematically tracked how China is using […]

Continue Reading

The Myanmar Army’s Assault on Democracy and China’s Strategic Interests in Southeast Asia

May 2022 No Comments

Speaker(s): Tower, J. (United States Institute of Peace [USIP]) Date: 19 May 2022 Speaker Session Summary SMA hosted a speaker session with Mr. Jason Tower (United States Institute of Peace [USIP]) as part of its SMA INDOPACOM Series. The ongoing conflict between Myanmar’s military and the People’s Defense Forces (PDF) is creating political disruption throughout the […]

Continue Reading

How America Can Seize Its Great-Power Opportunity

April 2022 No Comments

Speaker(s): Wyne, A. (Eurasia Group) Date: 4 May 2022 Speaker Session Summary SMA hosted a speaker session with Mr. Ali Wyne (Senior Analyst, Eurasia Group) as part of its SMA General Speaker Series. Past US foreign security policies primarily focused on adversaries’ capabilities and objectives rather than its own ability to project its desired messages and worldview. This […]

Continue Reading