Strauss Center partners with African organization

AUSTIN, Texas — The Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law at The University of Texas at Austin has formed a partnership with the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), Africa’s leading applied policy research institute, it was announced today.

The Institute for Security Studies has a reputation as the premier think tank on security issues in Africa. The partnership brings a new collaborator into the Strauss Center’s program on Climate Change and African Political Stability (CCAPS), a $7.6 million initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Defense.

"Developing international relationships is increasingly important given the interdependence of countries on climate change and security," said Dr. Francis J. Gavin , director of the Strauss Center. "This partnership with such an esteemed African organization will only further CCAPS’ goals of analyzing the challenges of climate change and security and developing effective policy strategies to meet them."

With the goal of producing policy-relevant research, the Strauss Center and ISS will implement CCAPS program activities in Africa. They will share research and information to further analysis on the links between climate change, governance and security in Africa.

The organizations will co-sponsor the CCAPS annual Call for Papers, designed to create opportunities for African scholars and practitioners to discuss themes in climate and security research. In addition, Dr. Jakkie Cilliers, founder and executive director of ISS, will serve on the CCAPS Advisory Board.

Dr. Cilliers said, "The ISS is excited about its partnership with CCAPS that will complement our increased focus on the future of the African continent within which the impact of climate change is a key consideration."

Members of the CCAPS research team visited South Africa in June and shared their initial findings with ISS staff while learning more about ISS policy initiatives and research. Dr. Josh Busby , one of the lead researchers on the CCAPS program, discussed his study mapping variations in vulnerability to climate change across Africa.

"The partnership with ISS broadens the reach and impact of our research," Dr. Busby said. "It will enable us to share our findings with key stakeholders in African policy circles and, of equal importance, learn from them."

The Institute for Security Studies is an applied policy research institute headquartered in Pretoria, South Africa with offices in Cape Town, South Africa, Nairobi, Kenya and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It seeks to mainstream human security perspectives into public policy processes and to influence decision makers within Africa and beyond. For more information, visit www.issafrica.org.

The Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law is a nonpartisan research center at The University of Texas at Austin dedicated to promoting policy-relevant scholarship on the problems and opportunities created by our increasingly globalized and interconnected world. For more information on the Strauss Center, visit www.strausscenter.org.