From September 23 to September 27, the Perry Center welcomed its inaugural Emerging Leaders Summit (ELS) cohort, consisting of 24 rising security and defense professionals from 13 Latin American countries. The participants were welcomed by Perry Center Director Dr. Paul J. Angelo and Dean of Academic Affairs Dr. William Godnick.

ELS was a five-day seminar designed to provide a platform for dialogue and peer-to-peer exchanges between countries in support of the mission to advance sustainable institutional capacity, strengthen the rule of law and democracy, and promote a greater understanding of security and defense policy.

During their week in Washington, DC, the participants engaged in seven presentations, two panels, two exercises, three breakout group sessions, and one excursion to the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). At USIP, participants heard from Keith Mines, Lucila Del Aguila, Mark Feierstein, and Harriet Kirk Randolph.

As a result of this seminar, participants gained exposure to the Perry Center’s focus areas, enhanced regional networks, and strengthened critical thinking on global security challenges. This seminar built a foundation for rising individuals within the security sector to foster personal and professional development while creating collaborative transnational networks.

The President of the Inter-American Defense Board Brigadier General Marco Antonio Alvarez Reyes offered the closing remarks for the summit and took questions from the audience. Dr. Angelo thanked the faculty lead, Dr. Patrick Paterson, and course co-coordinators Chase Boone and Sydney Knapp for spearheading this inaugural effort.