On Thursday, 7 March, the latest session of the RSC Expert School featured a special presentation and discussion of “Regional Security Trends,” with a focus on the military/security situation in the broader South Caucasus in general, and on Nagorno Karabagh, in particular. The attached presentation concentrated on five main topics: (1) an overview of “Regional Insecurity in the South Caucasus; (2) Deeper Trends & Deadlier Risks; (3) The Broader Significance of Mounting Tension and Insecurity; (4) an analysis of the “Shifting Balance of Power” in the region; and (5) a set of Six Recommendations to de-escalate tension and contain threats.

On 26 February 2013, the Regional Studies Center (RSC) held a special presentation and discussion assessing the current post-election crisis in Armenia. Most significantly, the presentation was followed by an interactive role-play and scenario-based exercise, with participants dividing into smaller groups representing the opposition and the government, in order to formulate and present possible tactics and strategy for both sides. The presentation from the event is attached.

The Regional Studies Center (RSC) held a special briefing on 23 January, offering a special assessment of the upcoming Armenian presidential election. The briefing presentation focused on five specific aspects of the Armenian pre-election situation: (1) general pre-election observations; (2) an analysis of the election campaign; (3) an identification of five specific election challenges; (4) implications from the election; and (5) election surprises.

Are you interested in a challenge? Does learning and developing new skills interest you? Then join us for an interesting and innovative new opportunity:

The Regional Studies Center (RSC) is offering a structured, certificate-based series of professional training courses for students and young professionals. The certified training seminars and courses are offered weekly, based on an academic semester schedule, running from February-May 2013.

We are holding an opening orientation session on Tuesday, 29 January 2013, from 19:00-21:00. The session will be held at the fourth floor conference room in the Caucasus Institute building, located at 39 Koghbatsi Street in central Yerevan (for more details see attached).

Based on an academic semester, the “RSC Expert School” is now offering three new courses: (1) Regional Developments & Trends, (2) Military Strategy, Security Analysis & National Security, and (3) Democratization, Political Reform and Economic Development.

On November 13, the RSC “Expert School” opened its second course of the Fall semester with a presentation entitled, “Public Policy: Process, Politics & Power,” focusing on the theory and application of the process of public policy, followed by a discussion of public policy in the Armenian context.  The attached is the PowerPoint presentation from that session.