On Monday, Oct 9, 2017 the Perry Center began the resident phase of its Strategy and Defense Policy (SDP) Course by welcoming 68 military and civilian students from 12 different countries from across the Western Hemisphere. SDP, led by course director Dr. David Spencer, and facilitators Dr. William Godnick, Dr. Alejandra Bolaños, Professor Alejandro Alemán, Dr. María Teresa Belandria, Dr. Román Ortiz, and Dr. Carlos Ojeda Bennett, seeks to build competencies in policy formulation, strategic planning, and resource management.

Prior to arriving in Washington, DC, students completed a four-week distance learning phase during which they learned about the roles of different actors in the security and defense sectors and the convergence of criminal and political threats. Over the next two weeks, students will engage one another and subject matter experts about the challenges faced by the region.