SBSR 2016

SBSR 2016

During May 30 – June 4, 2016, the third edition of the training program with international participation “Security in the Black Sea Region. Shared challenges, sustainable future” (SBSR) took place. At the opening of the training program, hosted by the Romanian Presidential Administration at the Cotroceni Palace, attended Romania’s president Mr. Klaus Iohannis, Harvard University Eurasia Security Program director Mr. Eduard Hellvig, European Parliament vice-president Mr. Ioan Mircea Pascu, External Affairs Ministry Secretary of State Mr. Daniel Ionita, and SRI Deputy Director Mr. Major General Ion Grosu, other public central institutions, Bucharest diplomatic missions representatives as well as private sector and various national and international academic entities. The training program included a strategic exercise during which participants were asked to identify major elements determining a new configuration of power regionally, causing radical changes in the near future, as well as the development of a strategic regional vision. The program was attended by approximately 90 people, keynote speakers and participants from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, France, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Great Britain, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, United States of America, Turkey, Russia and Ukraine, as well as European Union and NATO high-ranking officials and experts.

 

Program objectives:
  • Fostering communication and spreading innovative ideas and best practices throughout academia, policy makers and practitioners across the region;
  • Continuing to develop our understanding on interacting regional and global drivers that affect the region, the local actors’ synergic development;
  • Stimulating cooperation in areas of common interest for the nations in the Black Sea Region;
  • Stimulating the promotion of regional history, values, culture and agency;
  • Continuous horizon scanning to identify emerging challenges against the region, as well as opportunities to promote its vital interests;
  • Encouraging growth of ideas, goals and strategic thinking of policy makers in the Black Sea Region.
Learning outcomes:
  • Participants are exposed to a large variety of political, academic, and diplomatic points of view on relevant topics for the Black Sea regional security, and they are, accordingly, encouraged to develop an interdisciplinary perspective on the topics under discussion.
  • Lectures and practical exercises are balanced so as to encourage program attendees debate, perform horizon scanning, develop in-depth analysis, and create a vision for the future.
Structure: A six-day intensive training program
Target audience: Policymakers, security and foreign affairs officials in the Black Sea Region
 
Training format:
  • Panels devoted to public policy, academic innovation, horizon scanning
  • Expert talks, dialogues, presentations delivered by key note speakers
  • Roundtable discussion sessions (reviews of current issues, policy analysis on topics that generate or benefit from extended discussions)
  • Problem solving sessions
  • Alternative scenario creation & tailored exercises