From June 15 to 26, 2026, the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies partnered with Brazil’s National War College (Escola Superior de Guerra – ESG) to deliver the sixth edition of the Policies and Strategies in Response to Complex Threats course, a signature defense education initiative developed with ESG. Bringing together 63 participants, the course examined the complex and evolving security challenges confronting the Western Hemisphere, including transnational threats, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, institutional resilience, and defense governance. Conducted at ESG, the program combined collaborative instruction with strategic dialogue to strengthen regional defense cooperation and professional military education.
Led by Perry Center professors Dr. Luis Bitencourt and Jeffrey Zinsmeister, the course reflects a unique model of international defense education built on a solid institutional partnership wherein the curriculum is jointly designed, taught, and evaluated by the Perry Center and ESG, reinforcing shared ownership, professional collaboration, and long-term institutional engagement between the US Department of War and Brazil’s Ministry of Defense.
Since its establishment, the WJPC-ESG partnership has expanded beyond classroom instruction to include faculty exchanges and additional opportunities for engagement in Perry Center academic programs. Over the past eight years, the collaboration has become one of the Perry Center’s most successful examples of sustained defense education cooperation, strengthening civilian-led defense governance and strategic dialogue throughout the region.
The continued success of the program demonstrates the Perry Center’s commitment to advancing strategic alignment with partner nations through collaborative education, institutional capacity building, and enduring professional relationships. As the partnership continues to evolve, it serves as a model for future defense education initiatives that promote regional security cooperation and support shared approaches to addressing complex security challenges across the Americas.
