In the 4th episode of Machiavelli in the Ivory Tower, hosts Sarah and Hanna are joined by Jeffrey Lewis, Professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies and Director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS). Jeffrey is also the founder of Arms Control Wonk, the leading blog and podcast on arms control, disarmament, and nonproliferation.
Today’s discussion topics include:
the implications of Russia’s war against Ukraine and China’s growing nuclear arsenal on the concept of nuclear deterrence;
the ways forward in dealing with Iran’s nuclear program;
the challenges to arms control posed by disinformation;
The Middlebury Institute Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism is hosting the Monterey Threat Financing Forum this March. The event will take place on the Monterey campus and feature experts from government, FinTech, and the finance industry. The event is geared towards professionals in the threat finance, sanctions, and anti-money laundering fields with 3-5 years of relevant work experience. Current graduate and undergraduate students are welcome to attend.
The Middlebury Institute’s Center on Terrorism, Extremism and Counterterrorism (CTEC) and its Financial Crime Management program are hosting the first Monterey Threat Financing Forum
(MTFF), an ambitious international conference featuring government and
private sector speakers in the field of counter-terrorism financing,
counter-proliferation financing, threat financing investigations, and
sanctions compliance. The conference will be held on the Institute’s
Monterey campus on March 20-22.
“We’re excited to be hosting this inaugural event,” says Professor Moyara Ruehsen,
director of the Financial Crime Management Certificate. “No other
educational institution can match the Middlebury Institute’s curricular
focus and expertise when it comes to threat financing. And thanks to our
sponsors, we’re also excited to be able to provide this learning and
networking opportunity to professionals in the field at minimal cost.”
“One of CTEC’s three core focus areas is threat finance and sanctions,” adds CTEC Director Jason Blazakis.
“The discussion led by top notch experts in the area of sanctions and
threat finance at the MTFF fits squarely within the CTEC mission.” Participants can earn 12 Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) credits by attending this conference.
Organizers announced this week that the keynote speaker
will be Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) at the
U.S. Department of the Treasury Andrea Gacki. OFAC is the federal agency
charged with implementing and enforcing economic sanctions on behalf of
the U.S. government. Before joining OFAC 10 years ago, Gacki spent
eight years at the Department of Justice’s Civil Division in the Federal
Programs Branch. She holds a B.A. from the University of Michigan and a
J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School.
Participants can earn 12 Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist
(CAMS) credits by attending this conference. Sessions will cover the
latest sanctions evasion typologies, and how blockchain forensics can
trace cryptocurrency transactions, supplemented by break-out workshops
that offer the chance to analyze a fictitious terrorism financing case,
trace the transnational workings of a real North Korean
proliferation-financing operation, and learn how network analysis tools
can aid investigators.
Creating a culture of appreciation was the culminating session at a recent UC Berkeley ‘Greater Good Science Center‘ event on gratitude and well-being at work.
Click image to explore the conference website
An exploration of both the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ of gratitude practices, the sessions took an increasingly practical focus as the day progressed:
What is gratitude, and why practice it at work? (theoretical frameworks & research)
How to get started: Debunking myths, overcoming barriers (existing programs, in context)
Putting gratitude into practice (small-scale, practical activities)
Building cultures of gratitude and appreciation (momentum & long-term organizational change)
Participation in this event was made possible by the Monterey Mindfulness at MIIS Working Group, and we will be sharing the experience through a face-to-face campus event in Monterey and via the Mindfulness at Middlebury site.
Got questions? Want to dive in?
Contact sarah.springer@middlebury.edu to receive a one-time update when resources for learning about and putting these ideas into practice are available.
