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

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (June 23, 2021) — The Alumni Programs Department at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, in coordination with the Marshall Center Alumni Associations in Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania and Bulgaria, conducted the sixth annual Black Sea/Eastern Europe Regional Alumni conference. This virtual event focused on “Russian Irregular Warfare in the Region.”

Thirty alumni from multiple ministries in the invited nations, and Marshall Center staff, took part in the conference. In opening remarks, Donna Janca, Alumni Relations Specialist, and Chris Burelli, Director of Alumni Programs, greeted the participants and provided an overview of the importance of alumni in GCMC programs. 

Dr. James Derleth, Professor of Irregular Warfare at the Marshall Center, spoke on the non-military methods that the Russian Federation uses to destabilize and weaken her neighbors in the Black Sea region, in order to increase its influence over these nations. 

Alumni speakers were: Dr. David Darchiashvili, Professor, Ilia State University in Georgia; Mihail Naydenov, National Security and Defense Expert, Atlantic Council of Bulgaria; Colonel Gheorghe Racovita, Head of General Department, Security and Intelligence Service of the Republic of Moldova; Artem Fylypenko, Head of Sector for Southern Region Studies, National Institute for Strategic Studies of Ukraine. All spoke on their nations’ experience of unwanted Russian aggression as demonstrated through irregular means, including use of mass media, corruption, organized crime, provocation of inter-ethnic tensions, and several others.

Alumni Relations Specialist Marc Johnson concluded the event by providing information on opportunities for 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.