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Past Events
10/29 - 10/30/2009 
Title: Drug Trafficking, Violence and Instability in Mexico, Colombia, and the Caribbean: Implications for US National SecurityWhere: Holiday Inn (Oakland) – Schenley Room When: 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. The Matthew B. Ridgway Center (GSPIA & UCIS) and The Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College will hold a two day conference focusing on a national security challenge which has hitherto been contained but is taking dramatically new and dangerous forms. The emergence of "new criminal groups" in Colombia, increased violence in Mexico and the possible spread to Cuba and other Caribbean islands create new instabilities which could result in one or more strategic shocks, in an area which is both the backyard and soft underbelly of the United States. Even if this does not occur, Mexico and the Caribbean will clearly demand greater attention in the future. Hitherto, Mexico has been seen as simply a border problem. As the trafficking organizations continue to defy authorities, undermine governance, and escalate the violence, however, Mexico has become much more of a national security challenge. Several Caribbean states could fall into the same category. This conference will offer an important opportunity to assess these threats, and to consider what can be done to counter them. A list of presenters will be available soon. This event is free and open to all students, faculty, and interested community members. » Click here for the Agenda ___________________________________________________________________
9/29/2009 Title: International Week Event: Lecture-Today's Interdependent World Order Where: Alcoa Room, Barco Law Building When: 4:00 p.m. Current debates on the G-7/8, G-20, UN Security Council membership, League of Democracies and the like are important but only half of the conversation defining today's interdependent world order. If power is to be successfully shared with other major powers, including the rising countries known as the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India, and China), then the principles of order which major powers agree can extend global peace and prosperity need to be more carefully defined. Alexander Lennon proposes six principles. Alexander Lennon, editor-in-chief of the Washington Quarterly, focuses on global strategic trends and their public policy implications. He is also a senior fellow in the CSIS International Security Program, where he focuses on the grand strategy and foreign and security policies of the contemporary major powers-the United States, China, Europe, India, Japan, and Russia- as well as nuclear proliferation prevention strategy. Audience: Open to the public Cost: Free Sponsored by: Ridgway Center for International Security Studies, Global Studies Program, International Week For more information, contact Veronica Dristas at 412-624-2918 dristas@pitt.edu or Beverly Brizzi at 412-624-7884 brizzi@gspia.pitt.edu ___________________________________________________________________
9/21/2009 Title: Development of failed states, their impact on national security and the millennium development goals Where: 4127 Sennott Square (above Panera's on Forbes Avenue- Oakland) When: 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. GSPIA's Matthew B. Ridgway Center for International Security Studies and the National Security Network are pleased to host a three person panel featuring General Paul Eaton, newly appointed NSN Senior Advisor, Reuben Brigety from the Center for American Progress, and Anita Sharma from the Millennium Campaign. Dr. Brigety will speak about development in failed states, General Eaton about their impact on national security overall and Ms. Sharma will discuss the millennium development goals. This event is free and open to all students, faculty and interested community members. ___________________________________________________________________
9/11/2009 Title: Cyber Threats: Challenges and Responses Where: AM: William Pitt Union – Ballroom, PM: 4130 Posvar Hall When: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. GSPIA’s Matthew B. Ridgway Center and the John P. Murtha Institute for Homeland Security will hold an all day conference on Friday, September 11th at 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. in the William Pitt Union’s Ballroom. Several presenters will speak during the a.m. session with a roundtable discussion planned for the p.m. session in Room 4130 Posvar Hall. Confirmed list of presenters: Dan Larkin, Chief, FBI - Cyber Initiative & Resource Fusion Unit; Tim Shimeall, senior member of the technical staff at the Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, serving with the CERT Network Situational Awareness Group; and Casey Dunlevy, Technical Director, Strategic Cyber Security Programs Global Analysis, BAE Systems. This event is free and open to all students, faculty, and interested community members. » Click here to register for this event ___________________________________________________________________
9/10/2009 Title: Where the wild things are--analyzing attack and defense in our modern global cyberspace Speaker: Thomas Longstaff Where: Frick Fine Arts Auditorium When: 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Sponsored by GSPIA’s Matthew B. Ridgway Center for International Security Studies and Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s John P. Murtha Institute for Homeland Security. Dr. Thomas Longstaff of Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab (formerly with CERT/SEI and CMU) will address the current threats and challenges, explore possible responses, and serve to guide the discussion for the following day's conference (see event posting for 9/11/09). This event is free and open to all students, faculty, and interested community members. ___________________________________________________________________
April 17, 2009
Capstone Presentation: Hostage Crisis at the Dubrovka Theater
Location: 3431 Posvar Hall Time: 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. On October 23, 2002, fifty armed Chechen militants, both men and women, entered Dubrovka Theater in Moscow and took 850 persons hostage. Their self-proclaimed motivation was Chechen nationalism, and they were purportedly prepared to kill themselves and the hostages unless Russia withdrew its troops from Chechnya. Russian authorities prolonged the ordeal with arguably shoddy negotiation attempts. And after 56 hours, Russian Special Forces pumped an incapacitating chemical weapon through the ventilation system and then invaded the theater. All of the Chechen militants were killed, along with 129 hostages. Click here for more information » ___________________________________________________________________
April 07, 2009
The EU and NATO in the 21st Century: Security Collaborators or Competitors?
Location: Pittsburgh Athletic Association | 4215 Fifth Avenue Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Time: 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. This one-day conference will bring together academics and practitioners to explore how the EU and NATO are coping with the evolving defense and security environment in Europe and beyond, and its impact on the crucial transatlantic relationship with the U.S. The conference will also examine the impact of the following on the EU, NATO and their interrelationship: the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP), the European security strategy adopted in 2003, NATO's "Strategic Concept" adopted at the 1999 summit, the demands of its numerous partnerships with non-NATO states, and its efforts to modernize itself at the 2002 and 2004 summits. Both the EU and NATO face military challenges today, but more often than not these are in an "out of area" context and/or involve asymmetrical conflicts including insurgencies and terrorism. One or more presentations may also address what form, functions and strategies European security institutions, and their relationship with the U.S., may need to adopt in the face of these and future security challenges. The conference is sponsored by the European Union Center of Excellence and European Studies Center, University Center for International Studies, the Matthew B. Ridgway Center for International Security Studies, and the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA). The conference is a European Commission sponsored project. Click here for more information » ___________________________________________________________________
April 03, 2009
Korean Conference: Ridgway and the Korean War
Location: 121 David Lawrence Hall Time: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. This symposium will open up a discussion on General Matthew B. Ridgway, both as a man and as a leading military leader of the US during a defining moment in America’s relationship to the world. This symposium will explore Matthew B. Ridgway’s role in a crucial tipping point of the Cold War. The legacy of Ridgway and the Korea War and their effects on Koreans and US relations with the world remain with us today and this important symposium will provide valuable insights and understanding of the man, the war, and the world they helped to create. The event is free and open to the public. Registration is requested, though not required. To register please contact Dianne Dakis at dakis@pitt.edu or 412-648-7367. For additional information visit http://www.ucis.pitt.edu/asc/ridgway/ ___________________________________________________________________
April 02, 2009
Lessons in Leadership from JFK and LBJ for America's New Commander-in-Chief with Gordon Goldstein 
Location: Frick Fine Arts Auditorium (Room 125) Time: 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. How important is it for us to understand why and how American presidents take our country to war? What lessons can we learn from the past? In his recently published book Lessons in Disaster: McGeorge Bundy and the Path to War in Vietnam, Gordon Goldstein gives remarkable insight into the presidential mindset during one of the most critical foreign policy decisions in U.S. history. This lecture is co-sponsored by GSPIA’s Matthew B. Ridgway Center for International Security Studies and the National Security Network. For more information click here » ___________________________________________________________________
April 01, 2009
Security and Migration in the Middle East & North Africa – Dr. Mark Miller
Location: 4127 Sennott Square (above Panera) Time: 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. The Ridgway Middle East Research Group is proud to present Dr. Mark Miller as the first guest lecturer in our series: Issues of Security in the Middle East. The topic of Dr. Miller’s lecture will be focused on Security and Migration in the Middle East & North Africa and the effects large-scale movements of populations have on international security. This event is open to all GSPIA students and faculty. For more information click here » ___________________________________________________________________
March 26, 2009
The International Katrina Project: Developing EU/US Policy for Disaster Risk Reduction
This lecture is open to all students, staff and the general publicLocation: Wesley W. Posvar Hall, Room 3431Time: 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. The University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Disaster Management and Matthew B. Ridgway Center for International Security Studies will present a lecture by Eelco H. Dykstra, MD, visiting professor at George Washington University and the Institute for Crisis, Disaster and Risk Management (ICDRM). An emergency management professional with over twenty years of international experience, Dykstra will review the lessons of Hurricane Katrina and explore what could happen if a super-storm were to strike the European continent. The Center for Disaster Management and the Mathew B. Ridgway Center are part of the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. more » For more information contact Tom Haase at 412-648-2291 or thhst6@pitt.edu. ___________________________________________________________________
March 20, 2009
Africa Conference: Conflict, Human Security and Energy: African reactions to the New US Africa Command
 When: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Where: William Pitt Union – Assembly Room The new African Command, according to the U.S. government, is intended to provide a unified focus for U.S. security concerns and defense activities in Africa and the goal of the AFRICOM leadership is to develop an inter-agency pattern of security cooperation on the continent by emphasizing diplomatic and development efforts to foster human security (the so-called “Three Ds of Development, Diplomacy and Defense). Conceptually, this “whole of government” arrangement is intended to be mutually beneficial—to the US and African countries. However, for this initiative to be effective, it requires a better understanding, a strengthened partnership and a more significant input from African leaders. ___________________________________________________________________
March 19, 2009
Dr. Lawrence Korb, “The Overextended American Military – Prospects for our Future”
 Dr. Korb, former GSPIA Dean, will address the US military – its state of readiness, its overextension, what this means for national security and the future of America and the world – and how the next President should deal with these critical issues.
Dr. Korb was Assistant Secretary of Defense under President Reagan from 1981-85, where he administered about 70% of the US Defense budget. He is now Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress and Senior Advisor to the Center for Defense Information. He was previously Senior Fellow and Director of National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, and for 4 years Council Vice President and holder of the Maurice Greenberg chair. Mr. Korb served on active duty as a Naval Flight Officer and received the Defense Department’s Distinguished Public Service medal. He has been Raytheon’s Vice President of Corporate Operations, the University of Pittsburgh’s Dean of the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, and Senior Fellow at Brookings. He authored more than 20 books and 100 articles on national security issues, has appeared more than 1,000 times on major television shows and has written more than 100 op-ed pieces in the Washington Post, New York Times and other leading publications. March 19, 2009 Frick Fine Arts Auditorium (Room 125) 7:15 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. For more information visit www.ridgway.pitt.edu or call 412-624-7884. This lecture is free and open to all students, faculty and the general public. ___________________________________________________________________
February 25, 2009
Army War College Delegation to visit GSPIA
When: 6:00 p.m. Where: Room 4127 Sennott Square 
The University of Pittsburgh Matthew B. Ridgway Center for International Security Studies will host a delegation from the Army War College at 6:00 p.m., Feb. 25. The delegation will address topics ranging from threats to national security to Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons.
The event is open to GSPIA students and faculty. The discussion will include the following speakers and topics:
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January 22, 2009
Ridgway Speaker Series presents:
Speaker: Dr. Charles Ferguson Topic: “The Future of US Nuclear Weapons Policy” When: 1/22/2009 | 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Where: Frick Fine Arts Auditorium 125 FFA GSPIA’s Ridgway Speaker Series will host a presentation by Dr. Charles Ferguson who is the Philip D. Reed senior fellow for science and technology at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). He is also an adjunct professor in the security studies program at Georgetown University, where he teaches a graduate-level course titled “Nuclear Technologies and Security,” and an adjunct lecturer in the national security studies program at the Johns Hopkins University, where he teaches a graduate-level course titled “Weapons of Mass Destruction Technologies.” read more » ___________________________________________________________________
November 11, 2008
Ridgway Speaker Series presents:
Speaker: Dr. Mike Winnerstig, Deputy Director of Research, Swedish Defense Research Agency (FOI) Topic: “Atlantic Divisions and the Resurgent Bear: U.S.-European Security Relations After Bush and Georgia” When: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 | 4:00-5:00 PM Where: Room 3911 WWPH Dr. Mike Winnerstig is currently a deputy director of research at the Swedish Defense Research Agency in Stockholm. He has been a researcher and teacher at the Department of Political Science at Stockholm University, and has received fellowships at the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, Germany, Aberdeen University, UK, and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. His research, which has been published as two monographs and numerous articles, is focused on transatlantic relations, US foreign policy, and NATO issues. This event is free and open to the public. ___________________________________________________________________
November 6, 2008
Ridgway Speaker Series presents:
Speaker: Professor Phil Williams Topic: "Organized Crime in Iraq: The Neglected Dimension of the Conflict" When: Thursday, November 6, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. Where: Room 1500 WWPH We are pleased to invite you to attend a presentation by Professor Phil Williams on November 6th at 7:30 p.m. in Room 1500 WWPH entitled, "Organized Crime in Iraq: The Neglected Dimension of the Conflict." For those of you who are new to GSPIA, Phil Williams is a professor in the IA division and former director of the Ridgway Center with teaching and research areas which include: security studies, foreign policy analysis, transnational organized crime, and terrorism. He will be returning to the University of Pittsburgh next year and this will give you an opportunity to meet him and ask questions about his research and courses. He is presently on leave and conducting research at the Army War College, Carlisle, PA. It is privilege and an honor for GSPIA's Ridgway Center to host this event. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Ridgway Center at brizzi@gspia.pitt.edu or 412-624-7884. ___________________________________________________________________
October 30, 2008
Ridgway Speaker Series presents:
Speaker: William Danvers Topic: "National Security Policy: Challenges for the New Administration and Congress" When: Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. Where: Room 1500, Posvar Hall William Danvers will speak to interested students, faculty, and community members on October 30th, at 7:30 p.m. in Room 1500, Posvar Hall. His work focuses on public policy issues and he has an extensive background in domestic and international economic policy. During the Clinton Administration, Mr. Danvers was Senior Director for Legislative Affairs at the National Security Council and a Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. He will be speaking on "National Security Policy: Challenges for the New Administration and Congress." This event is co-sponsored by the National Security Network and the University Center for International Affairs (UCIS). This event is free and open to the public. ___________________________________________________________________
October 23, 2008
Ridgway Speaker Series presents:
Speaker: Brian Katulis-Center for American Progress Topic: "Transnational Challenges to Security" When: Thursday, October 23, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Where: Room 1500 WWPH Brian Katulis is a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, where his work focuses on U.S. national security policy with an emphasis on the Middle East, Iraq, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and Pakistan. He is co-author (with Ambassador Nancy Soderberg) of The Prosperity Agenda, a book on U.S. national security published by John Wiley & Sons in the summer of 2008. At the Center, he also serves as an advisor to the Middle East Progress project. Katulis has served as a consultant to numerous U.S. government agencies, private corporations, and non-governmental organizations on projects in two dozen countries, including Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen, Egypt, Colombia, Morocco, and Bangladesh. This event is co-sponsored by the National Security Network, the Global Studies Program at the University Center for International Studies, CERIS, and the Pittsburgh Middle East Institute. ___________________________________________________________________
October 9, 2008
Ridgway Speaker Series presents:
Speaker: Richard A. Clarke Topic: "Which Candidate is Better for National Security?" When: Thursday, October 9, 2008, 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Where: Teplitz Moot Courtroom, Law Building, Ground Floor Richard A. Clarke is an internationally-recognized expert on security, including homeland security, national security, cyber security, and counterterrorism. He is currently an on-air consultant for ABC News and teaches at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. Clarke is also the author of the number one bestselling book "Against All Enemies" (Free Press, 2004) and its 2008 sequel "Your Government Failed You" (Ecco). Clarke served the last three Presidents as a senior White House Advisor. Over the course of an unprecedented 11 consecutive years of White House service, he held the titles of:
As a Partner in Good Harbor Consulting, LLC, Clarke advises clients on a range of issues including:
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October 7, 2008
Ridgway Speaker Series presents:
Speaker: Dr. Ray Takeyh-Council on Foreign Relations Topic: "Iran and the New Middle East" When: Tuesday, October 7, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Where: Room 1500 WWPH Ray Takeyh is a senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. His areas of specialization are Iran, the Persian Gulf, and U.S. foreign policy. He is also a contributing editor of the National Interest. This event is co-sponsored by the National Security Network and the Pittsburgh Middle East Institute. ___________________________________________________________________
September 25, 2008
Ridgway Speaker Series presents (as part of "International Week" at UCIS):
Speaker: Rand Beers-Founder and President of the National Security Network Topic: "A Status Report on the Global War on Terror" When: Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. Where: Lower Lounge-William Pitt Union Before founding the National Security Network, Rand Beers served as the National Security Adviser to the Kerry-Edwards 2004 campaign, and was for 35 years a civil servant. After serving as a Marine officer and rifle company commander in Vietnam, he entered the Foreign Service in 1971 and the Civil Service in 1983. From 1988-98, Mr. Beers served on the White House National Security Council Staff as Director for Counter-terrorism and Counter-narcotics, Director for Peacekeeping, and Senior Director for Intelligence Programs. From 1998-2003, he was Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. In 2002-03, he was Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Combating Terrorism at the National Security Council. This event is co-sponsored by the University Center for International Studies and the National Security Network. |
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