On Tuesday 18 February, the Minerva Global Security Programme hosted sixty Officer Cadets from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and students from the Potential Officer Development Programme for a seminar on global security challenges.

The event explored Minerva’s approach to understanding the networked nature of illicit flows globally, and the impact of these flows on global security, featuring interactive visualisations and discussion of real-world cases.

Participants also engaged in a scenario-based exercise focused on Syria and the Captagon trade in the aftermath of the fall of the Assad regime. As future decision-makers, they explored different strategies for addressing the illicit trade, assessed potential unintended consequences, and analysed possible future trajectories of the Captagon market.

Dr Annette Idler, Director of the Minerva Global Security Programme, says:

Hosting this seminar was a fantastic opportunity to engage future military leaders in tackling global security challenges. Through interactive discussions and scenario-based exercises, participants gained valuable insights into the complexities of illicit flows and their impact. We are pleased with the event’s success and look forward to further collaborations.