The second annual Security Cooperation (SC) Conference, co-hosted by the Defense Security Cooperation University (DSCU) and The George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs, examined the practice of SC to inform U.S. policymakers, planners, and implementers responsible for advancing the National Defense Strategy through global partnerships and international cooperation.

The annual gathering of scholars and practitioners from across the Security Cooperation enterprise helped to foster dialogue, analysis, and critical inquiry. This flagship event intended to increase collaboration across the Security Cooperation enterprise and provide participants with (a) an understanding of the key issues that concern practitioners and scholars, (b) an exchange of knowledge that exist to inform approaches to mitigating these issues, and (c) the space for bridging communities of practice and interest to arrive at the generation and application of actionable knowledge. 

The 2022 SC Conference focused on the implications of a changing global security environment on the practice of Security Cooperation. The 2023 SC Conference built on that event with a focus on the practice itself across policymaking, planning, and implementation of Security Cooperation programs and activities, and how that practice can inform the future of Security Cooperation. Conference results form the basis for continued collaboration across the community of interest on how to apply knowledge, improve practice, and ultimately deliver on the promise of Security Cooperation. 

The conference was organized by DSCU’s then-Research, Analysis, and Lessons Learned Institute in partnership with The George Washington University Elliott School’s Institute for Security and Conflict Studies.