On December 9, 2025, the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies, in partnership with the Inter-American Defense College (IADC), celebrated the graduation of the International Relations and the Inter-American System (IRIS) course as part of the IADC’s Master of Science and Diploma in Inter-American Defense and Security programs. Sixty-six participants and ten seminar leaders from 18 countries engaged in an intensive academic and practitioner focused examination of the history, institutions, and contemporary challenges shaping the Western Hemisphere.
Coordinated by Perry Center Professor Dr. Arturo Sotomayor, IRIS explored six major themes: theoretical foundations and foreign policy traditions; the Hemisphere’s historical evolution; conflict, peace, and arms control; multilateralism and the inter-American system; regional trade, development, and economic integration; as well as the role of the United States in regional security and defense strategies. Through lectures, practitioner-led discussions, and peer-to-peer exchanges, participants analyzed historical legacies and today’s pressing regional challenges using frameworks from international relations theory.
Senior Vice President of the National Defense University Ambassador Roxanne Cabral delivered the keynote address, emphasizing the importance of strategic leadership, regional cooperation, and institutional resilience in navigating the hemisphere’s evolving security ecosystem. She noted that the region draws its strength not just from individual nations, but from the relationships they build with one another.
Perry Center Director Dr. Paul J. Angelo and IADC Director and Commandant Major General Richard J. Heitkamp echoed this message during their opening remarks. Dr. Angelo noted, “What you carry forward from this course is more than theory – it’s a commitment to defend our Hemisphere with clarity, discipline, and purpose. Strategic thinking is a weapon, and you are now better equipped to use it.” Major General Heitkamp reinforced the central role of professional networks, highlighting the collective value of sustained collaboration among regional defense and security professionals.
Together, their messages underscored a shared theme: that the relationships built in the IRIS course are as essential to hemispheric security as the analytical tools gained in the classroom.
The Perry Center extends its sincere appreciation to the outstanding guest speakers and collaborators who elevated this program with their expertise and generosity: Ambassador Ronald Sanders of Antigua and Barbuda, Perry Center Professors Dr. Luis Bitencourt and Jeffrey Zinsmeister, Brigadier General (ret.) Juan Carlos Gómez, Dr. Antonio Ortiz Mena, Dr. Eric Gettig, Mr. Giovanni Snidle, Mr. José Mercado, Mr. Luis Alejo Bonani, and Mr. Andrew Sanders. Their collective wisdom and experience enriched the academic discussions and added essential context to the study of our Hemisphere’s recent history.
