The Kozmetsky Center at St. Edward's University provides a forum for global dialogue and exchange of diverse perspectives among the academic, policy and private-sector communities-

Examining Global Security

The Kozmetsky Center promotes comprehensive multi-disciplinary approaches to subjects that impact global security. Learn about how our conferences tackle critical issues, such as the religion-security nexus.

Events

Security and Economic Priorities for Africa: Assessments and Recommendations for Developing United States-Africa Policy

On Tuesday, February 26, the Kozmetsky Center will host an evening lecture event in the Jones Global Event Center at 7:00 PM-8:30 PM with Dr. Monde Muyangwa, Director of the Africa Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars based in Washington, D.C.  Dr. Muyangwa, among the leading experts on the diverse continent of Africa, has visited more than 30 African countries and leveraged her experience to address the continent’s most critical issues, as well as U.S.-Africa relations. Previously the longtime Academic Dean at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies at the National Defense University, she has been a professor, a nonprofit leader, a development consultant and a Rhodes Scholar. Dr. Muyangwa holds a Ph.D. in International Relations and a B.A. in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from the University of Oxford, as well as a B.A. in Public Administration and Economics from the University of Zambia. She is a widely cited authority on governance, security, and development issues who challenges dominant narratives about the continent. Dr. Muyangwa’s lecture is entitled “Security and Economic Priorities for Africa: Assessments and Recommendations for Developing United States-Africa Policy.” The presentation will focus on providing a broad ranging assessment of security and economic priorities for the continent of Africa and offer her recommendations for the U.S. policy community in crafting policy that might contribute to building productive U.S.-Africa relationships in the future. We have also asked Dr. Muyangwa to offer perspective on potential contributions that governments, the private sector, and civic and religious institutions can make to foster sustainable development, elevate living standards, and promote peace and security on the continent.  Our session with Dr. Monde Muyangwa of the Wilson Center will be held in partnership with the World Affairs Council, Austin. 

Geopolitics of the Energy Transition

On Tuesday, March 12, the Kozmetsky Center will host a daytime lecture event with Sarang Shidore, former Senior Global Analyst at Stratfor and Visiting Scholar at the Lyndon B. Johnson School at the University of Texas at Austin. Mr. Shidore’s lecture is entitled “Geopolitics of the Energy Transition.” Sarang Shidore conducts policy research in renewable energy and climate policy.  Sarang has also been an analyst and forecaster in geopolitics and international relations at think tanks and risk firms, including consulting with the Development, Concepts, and Doctrine Center (DCDC) of the UK Ministry of Defense. He holds graduate degrees in Mechanical and Aerospace engineering from Texas A&M University and the University of Texas at Austin, respectively, and a Master of Arts in International Studies and Diplomacy from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Mr. Shidore will address how energy resources have been directly linked to major geopolitical developments over the last two centuries. Coal fueled the rise of the British Empire, while Middle Eastern oil had a major role in conflicts of the 20th century. Renewable energy will account for perhaps a third of all commercial energy use in a couple of decades. We look forward to the St. Edward’s community joining us for an expert discussion on the potential geopolitical consequences of the coming age of renewable energy including discussion of implications for addressing global climate challenges. The event is scheduled for 12:00-1:30 PM in Carter Auditorium in the John Brooks Williams Natural Sciences Center.  

Border Security and Geopolitics

The issues of borders and border security stand at the center of both United States and global policy relevance.  The Kozmetsky Center is delighted to hold two full days of discussion on the topic of the geopolitics of border security in April 2019 featuring participation of distinguished expert speakers and subject area academics representing a broad range of international perspectives and approaches to the study of borders and border security.  On Monday April 8, the Kozmetsky Center will co-host an evening forum entitled, “Challenges in Transatlantic Security: Borders and Geopolitics in Europe and Eurasia” to be held in the Jones Global Events Center on the St. Edward’s University campus, 7:00-9:30 PM. This event will be the fifth in our annual collaborative multi-year conference series in transatlantic security held in cooperation with the Center for Europe and Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies at the University of Texas, Austin funded with support of a grant by the United States Department of Education Title VI National Resource Program. On Tuesday April 9, the Kozmetsky Center will host the interim session of the International Political Science Association (IPSA) Third International Workshop on Geopolitics devoted to the topic “Borders and Geopolitics of the 21st Century” also to be convened on our campus in the Jones Global Events Center at 9:30 AM-3:30 PM.  The IPSA session will feature paper presentations by academics traveling to Austin from nations throughout the world community offering research methods, case studies and international perspectives on topics of geopolitics and border security.  Given the proximity of Austin Texas to the US-Mexico border, the IPSA Workshop will also invite contributions from academic experts and students affiliated with both St. Edward’s University and the University of Texas, Austin working on issues of border security and geopolitics in the Western Hemisphere and beyond providing additional comparative context for the session.   We very much hope to engage our faculty and students throughout the campus to participate in these sessions raising questions and offering perspectives and contributions to the discussions that promise to be quite fascinating and useful for broadening knowledge and understanding on issues of critical concern to all our nations.

Visiting Scholar Dr. Teodor Moga

Dr. Teodor [Teo] Moga, Lecturer at the Centre for European Studies, Faculty of Law, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi (Romania) and Post-Doctoral Fellow at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Center for Governance and Culture at the University of St. Gallen, Kozmetsky Center Visiting International Scholar, St. Edward’s University, April 2019

The Kozmetsky Center at St. Edward’s University is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Teodor “Teo” Moga of the University of Iasi in Romania as Visiting International Scholar for April 8-12, 2019 at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas.

Dr. Moga earned his PhD in Economics and International Relations at the University of Iasi and a MA in Political Science at the University of Manchester (United Kingdom) where he was a Chevening Scholar. In 2014-2015, Dr. Moga received the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship to pursue a post-doctoral program at the University St. Gallen in Switzerland. Professor Moga previously worked for the European Commission, British Embassy (Bucharest, Romania) and held appointments at the European Union Institute for Security Studies (Paris, France), the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies (Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany) and the Romanian Academy of Science. His research interests include EU foreign affairs, NATO, EU-Russia relations, European Neighborhood Policy, and Eastern Partnership- Ukraine. His most recent publications include “The Role of Bounded Rationality in Explaining the European Neighbourhood Policy: The Eastern Dimension” (Theorizing the ENP, Gstöhl, S., Schunz, S. (Eds.), Routledge, 2017) and “The Ukrainian-Russian Linguistic Dyad and its Impact on National Identity in Ukraine” (Europe-Asia Studies, forthcoming January 2019, 71 (1), https://doi.org/10.1080/09668136.2018.1549653). He is also the principle organizer of the “EURINT conference series” among the leading events in Central and Eastern Europe dedicated to analysis of European Union foreign policy strategy in the Eastern neighborhood.

During his visit to Austin, Professor Moga will speak at Kozmetsky Center events to be held on the St. Edward’s University campus including a forum on April 8 entitled “Challenges in Transatlantic Security: Borders and Geopolitics in Europe and Eurasia” co-sponsored with the Center for European Studies and Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies at the University of Texas, Austin and at the April 9 International Political Science Association, Research Committee on Geopolitics session on “Borders and Geopolitics of the 21st Century.”

Dr. Moga will be available for class visits and individual meetings with students and faculty. Please contact Mr. Joseph Sadek, Executive Assistant to the Director of the Kozmetsky Center [jsadek [at] stedwards.edu] for additional information.'

Director's Upcoming Speaking Activities​

• Please click here to see past Director's Activities

Council on Foreign Relations Conference Call Series

Please click here to see the Spring 2019 Council of Foreign Relations Conference Call Series.

These conference calls are open to all students; please RSVP to Joseph Sadek [jsadek [at] stedwards.edu] if you would like to attend.