The Irregular Warfare Center to Host the Second Annual IWC Colloquium

The Department of Defense’s Irregular Warfare Center (IWC) is pleased to announce our second annual Irregular Warfare Colloquium, scheduled to take place on September 26-27, 2024, at the AMA Conference Center in Arlington, VA. This selective event will gather a cohort of junior scholars from both U.S. and international universities to present and discuss research projects related to irregular warfare (IW) alongside senior scholars and practitioners.

The Colloquium is an integral part of IWC’s mission to further the DoD’s understanding of IW concepts and doctrine. Finalists will attend the event and present their research with nominees from other academic institutions who have related research specializations and complimentary expertise. There will be scheduled presentations with periods of discussion and feedback to advance future research.

Selected participants will engage in research discussions on the Center’s topics of interest: cyber operations, information and influence operations, resistance movements, proxy warfare, great power competition below the threshold of war, and women, peace, and security. Projects highlighted during this year’s Colloquium may be at any stage of the research process, including both completed and in-progress initiatives.

The finalists underwent a rigorous vetting process based on their submissions of 250 words or less. “We received a tremendous number of high-quality submissions, and narrowing down the finalists was no easy task,” said Dr. Joshua Hastey, IWC Deputy Regional Advisor for U.S. Pacific Command and U.S. Forces Korea. “The review process was incredibly thorough, focusing on the originality, relevance, and potential impact of each proposal. The scholars we selected represent the forefront of IW research, and their work promises to advance our understanding of the field in meaningful ways.”

“The Second Annual IWC Colloquium provides a platform to highlight research by emerging and established scholars in the field of IW,” said Lori Leffler, IWC Deputy Director and Chief of Staff. “As we continue to foster academic partnerships, events like these are crucial in shaping the future of IW by bridging the gap between academia and application. The Center remains dedicated to working closely with U.S. and international universities, building a network of scholars and practitioners that will shape the future of our field.”

Dr. Hastey underscored the need for enhanced partnerships, explaining “Bringing junior scholars into the community of established scholars and practitioners grows the IW community and ensures that the latest and future research directly informs the Department of Defense’s strategies and policies in irregular warfare. It’s a reciprocal process that encourages innovative thinking among IW scholars and deepens our practitioners’ understanding of the complex and evolving social environment in which they operate.”

The Center looks forward to welcoming these select participants attend the second annual University Colloquium and present their research:

Ivana Stradner, Advanced International Studies FDD; Asher Peck, Regent University; Anna Given, Institute of World Politics; Jaclyn Giunta, Norwitch University; Ricke Derek, University of Denver; Henry Leverett, Vienna School of International Studies; Kriss Victor, Vienna School of International Studies; Jesse Nuese, New York University; Genna Moellering, Carnegie Melon University; David Kong, Pardee RAND Graduate School; Nicholas Moulios, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki; Lea Korb, Potsdam University Global Public Policy Institute.

The IWC serves as the central mechanism for developing the Department of Defense’s (DoD) irregular warfare knowledge and advancing the Department’s understanding of irregular warfare concepts and doctrine in collaboration with key allies and partners.

The Center’s foundation is built upon three Lines of Effort:

• AMPLIFY and collaborate to build an innovative and adaptable global networked IW community of interest.
• Strategically ILLUMINATE current and future irregular threats, crises, and obstacles.
• ADDRESS current and future irregular threats to the US, allies, and partners by providing optionality to leaders.

Through these LOEs, the Irregular Warfare Center addresses current and emerging security concerns and challenges with world-class research, rigorous analysis, top-tier strategic education and training for U.S. and international partners.