Georgetown Workshop Launches New Focus on Regional Security Research

A recent public workshop at Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) launched a new research initiative and book series that brought together leading scholars working in the areas of intelligence and security research focused on Africa and the Middle East.

The launch of the Cambridge University Press Book Series on Intelligence and National Security in Africa and the Middle East was the result of a collaboration between GU-Q professors Rory Miller and Harry Verhoeven and Professor Clive Jones of Durham University in the U.K.

“As the editors of this research initiative and book series, we believe that the area of security studies with an African or Middle East focus is currently underserved,” explained co-editor Rory Miller. “This workshop kicked off our efforts to recruit authors of high quality scholarship, and to make a major contribution to the body of knowledge on Intelligence and National Security in two key regions in the process.”

The workshop included two presentation panels titled “National Security and Regime Security: The Regional Perspective,” and “National Security and State Consolidation: Contemporary Challenges,” featuring experts from GU-Q, Qatar University, Durham University in the UK, the University of Pretoria, South Africa, King’s College London, National Defense Academy, Austria, and Sciences Po, Paris, France.

Workshop participants reflected on a range of broad themes within an intelligence and security research framework, including topics in international relations, history, sociology, anthropology, politics, ethics, philosophy, communication studies, as well as comparative studies across and between various disciplines.

“The book series highlights the growing importance of Georgetown as a key center for the production of knowledge and world-class research into issues that are at the forefront of global and regional politics,” explained co-editor Harry Verhoeven. “The speaking attendees are some of the most knowledgeable, experienced and innovative scholars in the field of intelligence and security studies and they brought a range of theoretical, empirical and historical perspectives to the series and to the event.”