Announcing the latest ISG Heron – a quarterly newsletter that shines a spotlight on our work in Security Cooperation and Institutional Capacity Building, and showcases the dedicated individuals behind these important initiatives.

In this issue, ISG:

• Marks the Institute's 30th Anniversary with an in-depth article looking back on its unique history 

• Welcomes brilliant new colleagues including a Deputy Director, a Maritime Senior Lecturer, four Regional Program Leads, and three Travel Specialists

• Profiles a combined DSCU Advising engagement in support of Bulgaria's F-16 program 

• Offers a Standing Ovation to Europe Regional Program Lead, Ms. Jessica Kehl 

• Spotlights Mr. Ian Wexler's inaugural year as ISG Director 

Students enrolled in the Defense Security Cooperation University’s (DSCU’s) Gender Considerations in Building Partner Capacity (BPC) course recently completed five months of online faculty-led instruction and a two-day capstone in the National Capital Region (NCR).

The Defense Security Cooperation University’s Institute for Security Governance (ISG) recently concluded the Principles of Defense Procurement and Contracting resident course in Monterey, California. This International Defense Acquisition Resource Management (IDARM) course provides a theoretical and practical examination of fundamental concepts and challenges associated with national and global defense contracting.

In October 2024, the Defense Security Cooperation University’s Institute for Security Governance (ISG) celebrated its 30th anniversary. Over the past three decades, the Institute, its predecessor organizations, and its team of dedicated experts, have shaped and advanced the mission of Security Cooperation through determination, innovation, and dedication.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency’s Defense Security Cooperation University (DSCU) is pleased to announce the next stage of the phased launch of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Security Cooperation Workforce (SCW) Certification 2.0 Program.

The Defense Security Cooperation University (DSCU) Ministry of Defense Advisor team in Tbilisi, Georgia, has been awarded the

A team from the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) recently traveled to the Philippines. The engagement continued ongoing security cooperation work with supporting maritime agencies of the Philippines National Maritime Center.

The Institute for Security Governance recently concluded a series of workshops with the Ecuadorian Ministry of Defense, focusing on enhancing their strategic planning capabilities.

Thirty-eight international participants representing twenty-three countries recently graduated the Legal Aspects of Defense Support of Civil Authorities (LADSCA) course presented by the Defense Security Cooperation University’s Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS).

Congratulations to the latest cohort of graduates from the Institute for Security Governance's "Women, Peace, and Security in Peacekeeping Operations" course.

The Institute for Security Governance recently concluded its course: Building Institutional Capacity in the Maritime Sector.

The Institute for Security Governance (ISG) recently concluded its inaugural "Climate and Environmental Security" Regional Course in Quito, Ecuador.

COL Elizabeth "Liz" Allen, Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) Director, and other DIILS colleagues were pleased to meet up with many former DIILS Resident Course alumni at the African Military Law Forum in Zambia last month. African Military Law Forum.

Twenty-six Locally Employed Staff (LES) members recently completed the Defense Security Cooperation University's (DSCU) week-long Intermediate LES Course, held for the first time at DSCU facilities in the National Capital Region.

The Defense Security Cooperation University's Institute for Security Governance (ISG) recently concluded a weeklong workshop on “Women’s Integration in the Armed Forces” in Yerevan, Armenia. Led by ISG Security Governance faculty member, Cary O’Connell, the event was hosted by the Armenian Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Embassy’s Office of Defense Cooperation.

The intended outcome of the weeklong workshop was to develop policies to recruit and employ more women in the Armenian Armed Forces. Integrating women fully and equally can be valuable to a country’s national security sector.

The Defense Security Cooperation University’s Institute for Security Governance (ISG) recently led a peacekeeping operations workshop in Garmisch, Germany, with nine personnel from the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Serbia and the Serbian Armed Forces.

The Institute for Security Governance (ISG) recently delivered three Mobile Education Trainings (METs) in Bogota, Colombia. The METs included two courses in support of Women, Peace and Security, titled “Women’s Integration into the Armed Forces,” and “Women, Leadership and National Defense”—the latter with an emphasis on the important role that Gender Advisors can play in support of military planning and operations.

Congratulations to the latest cohort of the Institute for Security Governance's International Defense Acquisition Resource Management (IDARM) "Principles of Defense Acquisition Management" course graduates. This course provides a theoretical and practical examination of the underlying concepts, fundamentals, and philosophies of the international defense acquisition management process.

The Defense Security Cooperation University (DSCU) will host the 2024 Annual Security Cooperation Conference, October 27–30, 2024, in Washington, DC. The conference theme is “Building Lasting Partnerships: What Have We Learned?”

The 2024 Security Cooperation Conference will focus on the nature and scope of working more effectively and sustainably with allies and partners. Also, the conference will bring together practitioners, policymakers, and researchers to discuss these issues under the Chatham House Rule. The 2024 SC Conference will have no virtual option.

Last month, a DIILS team traveled to Ghana to conduct a three day human rights and law of armed conflict executive seminar with members of the Ghanaian military and other government agencies.