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The U.S. Institute for Security Governance (ISG) made its inaugural visit to Sri Lanka in February 2020, just before the onset of the global pandemic. During this visit, ISG (part of Defense Security Cooperation University) identified the potential for an Institutional Capacity Building (ICB) project in collaboration with the newly established Sri Lankan National Defense College. This project, which ISG was able to support virtually during the COVID-19 period, provided ISG and Sri Lankan counterparts with an opportunity to build trust and rapport, despite pandemic limitations on in-person interaction. ISG also gained a greater appreciation for Sri Lankan defense priorities and strategic decision-making culture – organizational insights that would position ISG to be a more thoughtful and effective partner when travel restrictions were lifted in late 2021.

Recently, at the Pacific Air Chiefs Symposium at Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam, Hawaii, ISG Regional Advising Principal for the Indo-Pacific, James Ross, met with the National Air Operations Commander from the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), Lt. Gen. Datuk Mohd Shahada bin Ismail, to informally discuss the collaborative work that’s taken place between ISG and the RMAF and to explore opportunities for future engagements. The continued participation in these discussions builds upon Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III and Malaysian Minister of Defense Mohamad Hasan’s June 2023 pledge to strengthen the long-standing bilateral defense relationship.

The ISG Team is comprised of over 110 civilian government faculty and staff, and a robust contract support team. Drawing from their experience at ISG and their backgrounds in military, government, industry, academia, and non-governmental organizations, ISG personnel consistently bring to bear their subject matter expertise in both formal ISG mission work as well as in external intellectual presentations and publications.

In FY23, ISG experts engaged in +20 speaking and media activities, and published half a dozen articles and thought pieces, in venues aimed at academic, government, military, industry, and general public audiences.

Congratulations to the latest cohort of participants to attend the ISG Resident Course, SECURING THE STATE: BUILDING INSTITUTIONS FOR NATIONAL SECURITY!

This four-week resident course equips participants with the skills needed to utilize capabilities-based assessments to identify capability gaps in security and defense arenas. The course uses a mix of lecture, interactive small-group sessions, simulation exercises, and discussions with subject matter experts to explore how to prepare national security institutions to address national security threats. The course offers approaches to establish healthy civil-military relations and interagency coordination to ensure effective, whole-of-government responses to national security challenges.

U.S. and Romania Initiate a Five-Year Effort to Build Capacity for Crisis Management and NATO Collective Defense: The Institute of Security Governance (ISG), in cooperation with the United States European Command EUCOM, and Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs conducted a five-day workshop dedicated to building resilience and capacities for crisis management and NATO collective defense. The workshop focused on Institutional Capacity Building planning and implementation in support of bilateral Security Cooperation efforts.

The Institute for Security Governance (ISG) Panama Team recently conducted its third quarterly workshop with the Ministry of Public Security (MINSEG)-led partner force working group.

The workshop focused on building MINSEG’s institutional capacity for long-term strategic and force planning. At Minister Pino’s request, the cross-service strategy working group is developing MINSEG strategic guidance in the form of a Joint Operating Concept (JOC) and completed its initial JOC assessment of the future security environment, priority security tasks, and a central challenge and premise for the partner force’s future design and operations.