By Marc Johnson, Alumni Relations Specialist
College of International and Security Studies
George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (April 29, 2021) — The Marshall Center Alumni Programs Department collaborated with the German and U.S. embassies in Baku, Azerbaijan, to conduct their annual Azerbaijan alumni meeting April 28.  Seventeen Azerbaijan alumni participated in the virtual event examining the topic of "COVID-19 and Governance." Normally hosted on location in Baku, this was the first time the Marshall Center and Azerbaijan alumni held a networking event in a virtual format.

Ambassador Wolfgang Manig, German Embassy in Baku and Deputy Chief of Mission Michael Dickerson, U.S. Embassy in Baku, opened the conference with remarks on how the German and U.S. governments are actively assisting the government of Azerbaijan with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Marshall Center Professor of Security Studies Dr. Sebastian von Münchow spoke on the varying approaches by different governments in managing the pandemic, specifically how there is a need for the balance of public health, sustainment of the economy, and individual freedoms.

He also shared insights on what international security scholars call "vaccine wars." This means some regimes offer vaccines to gain influence on states to cure their population. Manig explained the EU-backed COVAX approach to help less developed countries.

Manig and Dickerson provided closing remarks, and Alumni Relations Specialist Marc Johnson concluded the event by providing information on opportunities for Azerbaijan alumni to remain engaged with Marshall Center programs.

Alumni can get the latest news and information from the Marshall Center by emailing their current contact info to: mcalumni [at] marshallcenter.org.  Alumni can also follow the latest developments and gain access to networking and research resources through our GlobalNet online alumni portal https://globalnetplatform.org/gcmc/.