The Role of Regional Powers in the Contemporary Complex Geo-Political Environment

CSAG STRATEGY PAPER By: LTC Kashif Ehtisham, Pakistan Army, CSAG CCJ5 24 February 2023   Overview: Since the late 20th century, the term ‘regional power’ in international relations has been used for a sovereign state that exercises significant power within a given geographical region. There is a broad consensus that a necessary condition for regional Read More >

Washington Seminar Discussion January 2023

Two people in suits having a conversation

On Thursday, 26 January 2023, the NESA Center hosted a Washington Seminar Discussion at the Army-Navy Club in downtown Washington, D.C. The seminar presented a conversation between NESA Center Distinguished Professor of International Relations Dr. Hassan Abbas and CNN’s National Security Analyst Peter Bergen covering security challenges in the NESA region, specifically in Afghanistan, after Read More >

How Iran is Benefiting from Strategic Competition

CSAG INFORMATION PAPER By: René Berendsen, LTC, Royal Netherlands Army (CSAG/CCJ5), Hany Mohamed, LTC, Egyptian Army (CSAG/CCJ5), and Ibrahim Elveren, MAJ, Turkish Army (CSAG/CCJ5) 03 February 2023 Subject: How Iran is benefiting from the concept of Strategic Competition. Purpose: To present the results of the CSAG’s analysis of Iran’s position within the U.S. concept of Read More >

International Military Officers’ Forum 2023

From 23–27 January 2023, the NESA Center hosted foreign military officers assigned to U.S. Central Command in Tampa and embassy officials in Washington D.C. for an International Military Officers’ Forum (IMOF) titled “The Biden Administration and Global Security.” NESA Center experts, including Professor Dr. Richard Russell and Deputy Director COL (Ret.) David Lamm, as well Read More >

The Prospect of Cooperation and Integration Among Central Asian States

CSAG STRATEGY PAPER By: LTC Taewon Choi, ROK Army, CSAG CCJ5 13 January 2023   Overview: In recent years, regional cooperation has been promoted in Central Asia, and the trend of regionalization and regionalism is emerging. Regionalization can be described as a spontaneous bottom-up process. In contrast, regionalism is defined as the political will (hence Read More >

Xi Jinping’s Visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

CSAG INFORMATION PAPER By: Ibrahim Elveren, MAJ, Turkish Army (CSAG/CCJ5) and Taewon Choi, LTC, Republic of Korea Army (CSAG/CCJ5) 15 December 2022 Subject:Xi Jinping’s Visit to the KSA (for China-Saudi Summit, China-GCC Summit and China-Arab States Summit) Purpose: This paper aims to present the CSAG’s analysis regarding Chinese Leader Xi Jinping’s visit to the KSA Read More >

Uzbekistan Group Meetings

From 12–16 December 2022, the NESA Center team of Dean Dr. Roger Kangas, Distinguished Professor Dr. Hassan Abbas, and Research Assistant Michelle Hanssen visited Tashkent, Uzbekistan to hold a series of meetings and visits that focused on reconnecting with Uzbek partners after the Covid-19 hiatus. With particular emphasis on the Strategic Studies Network Central Asia Read More >

The 6th Great Power Competition Conference

On 8 December 2022, the University of South Florida (USF), in collaboration with the Near East South Asia (NESA) Center for Strategic Studies, held the 6th Great Power Competition (GPC) Conference titled “Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine: Implications for the Central Region.” This conference belongs to a series of seminars that focus on Great Power Competition Read More >

Washington Embassy Orientation Seminar 2022

From 17–21 October 2022, the Near East South Asia (NESA) Center for Strategic Studies conducted a Washington Embassy Orientation (WEO) Seminar in Washington, D.C. The week-long orientation, titled “Working in Washington,” featured a range of speakers, including diplomats, national security professionals, academics, business leaders, and journalists. As newly arrived foreign government representatives in Washington, participants Read More >

Perceptions of the Indo-Pacific – Views from the NESA Region

In August 2022, the NESA Center distributed a survey to its alumni network with a range of questions formulated around U.S. policy towards the Indo-Pacific and how that impacts the countries of the NESA region. The survey also sought to measure attitudes about Chinese engagement in the Indo-Pacific and NESA regions. The survey contained a Read More >