Dates: Jan. 26–Feb. 20, 2026 (4 weeks)

Strategic Competition and Russia is a four-week resident course focused on developing practical approaches to understanding and responding to strategic competition, using Russia as a central case study. The course provides participants with frameworks to analyze the contemporary security environment, define strategic problem sets, and translate policy into actionable plans. Learning objectives include applying analytical tools, integrating multinational perspectives, and developing strategies that are both nationally grounded and internationally aligned.

Learning Objectives:

• Week 1: Strategy and policy development
• Weeks 2–3: Strategic competition and the threat posed by Russia, with emphasis on NATO’s eastern flank
• Week 4: Workshops and consultations to develop solutions aligned with participants’ organizational needs

The Marshall Center’s resident courses are designed to build strategic competencies through lectures, seminars, workshops, simulations, and individual consultations. By the end of each course, participants will:

• Understand core concepts of strategy and policy
• Apply those concepts to analyze the strategic environment
• Develop actionable plans using the DOTMLPF-P framework: doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership and education, personnel, facilities, and policy

The ideal candidate for this in-resident course is a midlevel security professional with the following characteristics:

• Eight to 15 years of experience working in security-related fields
• A general understanding of security and defense matters and related processes
• A professional or personal interest in strategy and policy development
• A need to apply strategy and policy skills to strategic competition in the trans-Atlantic region and countering Russia

Have questions? Contact the Marshall Center info [at] marshallcenter.org (i)info [at] marshallcenter.org (nfo)info [at] marshallcenter.org (@marshallcenter.org).

The course is offered in English only. A minimum score of 80 on the English Comprehension Level (ECL) test, or an equivalent score on the ALCPT, NATO STANAG, TOEFL, CEFR, or university-level English courses, is required.