On October 20, the Center welcomed 54 participants from 17 countries throughout the Western Hemisphere to the first day of the Strategy and Defense Policy Course (SDP) in-person phase. The students had already been participating in an online distance-learning phase for several weeks that included substantial reading and discussion, and they now begin a two-week intensive phase at the Perry Center that will include plenary lectures, small group discussions, and a final group exercise. Professor Guillermo Pacheco is the course director, supported by facilitators Professors Walter Earle, Boris Saavedra, Scott Tollefson, and Pedro de la Fuente.