Under the leadership of Dr. Sara Vakhshouri, IWP has established a new Center for Energy Security and Diplomacy.
This new Center will leverage IWP’s established strengths and regional expertise to meet the pressing academic demand for critical analysis and objective risk assessment in the strategically significant and often misunderstood field of energy security and energy diplomacy.
By capitalizing on IWP’s distinctive grasp of global realities and dedication to scholarship informed by real-world experience, the Center aims to enrich the current academic curriculum. Its primary focus will be to identify and interpret observable risks and threats, providing both theoretical comprehension and practical scenarios and solutions.
The Center will undertake cutting-edge research on energy security and diplomacy, focusing on areas such as energy geopolitics, energy transition, renewable energy security, energy infrastructure resilience, and energy governance.
It will also offer specialized courses, workshops, executive and academic training programs on energy security and energy diplomacy, aimed at enriching students’ knowledge and expertise in energy and statecraft.
Meanwhile, the Center will actively engage with policymakers, industry stakeholders, and international organizations through policy dialogues, conferences, and expert consultations. The center will establish partnerships with leading academic institutions, research centers, and think tanks worldwide, fostering international collaboration on energy security and energy diplomacy.
Finally, the Center will organize public lectures, seminars, and awareness campaigns to disseminate knowledge and raise public awareness about energy security and its implications for diplomacy.
The Director of the Center, Dr. Sara Vakhshouri, founder and president of SVB Energy International, a strategic energy consulting firm with offices in Washington DC and Dubai. Dr. Vakhshouri has about two decades of experience working in the energy industry with extensive experience in global energy market studies, energy security, and geopolitical risk, and she has consulted numerous public and private sector energy and policy leaders. At IWP, she currently teaches Energy Security and the New Geopolitics of Energy (IWP 688).