Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies (NPTS)

Combating Terrorism in sub-Saharan Africa with the UN [Adeline du Crest NPTS ’23]

This multitude of flags represents dedication to multilateralism and cooperation.

Greetings from Vienna, Austria! My name is Adeline, I am currently a graduate student in the Non-proliferation and Terrorism Studies degree at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, and for the past three months I have interned at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), located in the Vienna International Center. In addition…

At United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), I have been working in the Terrorism Prevention Branch (TPB), focusing specifically on sub-Saharan Africa. Thanks to my French language skills, I work primarily on Western and Central Africa, covering different topics related to criminal justice aspects of terrorism prevention. The main role of TPB is to deliver technical and legislative assistance to Member States to help them in preventing and countering terrorism. As such, most of my work here involves planning and following up on activities held in countries like Mali and Nigeria, on various topics like expanding skills around collecting battlefield evidence, or improving inter-agency cooperation related to the prosecution, rehabilitation, and reintegration of people associated with terrorist groups. Participating in the implementation of these workshops from start to finish definitely helped me develop program management skills, and I got an insider look at how a UN office operates on a daily basis. I’m happy to say that this experience has confirmed my interest in working for an international organization like UNODC after I graduate from MIIS, and internal sessions with HR learning about the UN selection process, as well as UN core values and competencies, will surely help me in future applications.

Participating in the implementation of these workshops from start to finish definitely helped me develop program management skills, and I got an insider look at how a UN office operates on a daily basis.

Beyond my work at TPB, I really appreciated being at the Vienna International Center because it allowed me to connect with peers and colleagues from all the agencies hosted here. I also had the pleasure of meeting several experts who had either studied at MIIS or had been affiliated with the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. I enjoyed the opportunity to engage with this community and learn more about the practical aspects of the non-proliferation and disarmament fields.

I also had the pleasure of meeting several experts who had either studied at MIIS or had been affiliated with the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies.

It’s been a pleasure to share a bit more about my three-month internship in the Terrorism Prevention Branch of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. I am also very grateful to have received the Experiential Professional Learning award in the context of this internship, which has contributed to supporting my professional development. This internship has been a critical step for me to apply the knowledge and skills learned at MIIS in a hands-on setting, and to engage with challenging and significant topics of international peace and security. This will surely help me return to a UN agency or other international organization once I graduate.

Triumphing Over Setbacks When Developing Policy for Monterey Affordable Housing [Tyler Clark NPTS ’21]

Tyler completing some of his internship work at home.

Tyler completed an internship with Monterey City Council member Tyller Williamson. His work predominately focused on assisting with the development of affordable housing policies. He summarizes his internship and describes his own personal experiences including the setbacks and accomplishments.

I spent the summer researching housing policies and writing policy recommendations based on my research. I was a part of a team of interns working under City Council-member Tyller Williamson, who I grew to respect greatly over the course of the summer. Most of my research started with a white paper written by the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership which outlines several housing policies that could help create more affordable housing in the City of Monterey. From there, I read the research of experts in urban development, pored over Monterey’s general and specific plans, and asked countless questions of people who know a lot more than I do.

I think the important thing for me to remember is to keep working and not give up.

One of the biggest things I learned over the course of the summer was to be patient. The timeline I originally planned for in terms of research and deliverables kept getting pushed back because of other larger issues the City Council had to deal with (COVID outbreak, protests, etc.). The progressive and enthusiastic side of me wanted to see immediate results. I wanted to witness the fruits of my hard work. But when it comes to systemic problems like the shortage of affordable housing in Monterey, results might not come so fast. I think the important thing for me to remember is to keep working and not give up. In spite of all the setbacks, I have hope that these big socio-economic problems that this city faces have real, practical solutions. These solutions just require some elbow grease and tenacity.

Applying Critical MIIS Skills to the Local Criminal Justice System [Courtney Connor NPTS ’18]

This summer I participated in an internship at the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office in Salinas, California. I was assigned to the position of Classification Intern at the Monterey County Jail. In this position, I was tasked with helping the Criminal Intelligence Specialist with various tasks and cases. My internship at the Sheriff’s Office allowed me the opportunity to gain experience in a field highly relevant to the Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies degree that I am working towards earning at MIIS. I was able to use many of the skills and knowledge that I have obtained at MIIS in this position.

Throughout the summer, my tasks at the Sheriff’s Office were many and varied. This position required a great deal of research and analysis. I was tasked with open-source intelligence gathering and analysis, tracking crime trends and patterns, and a plethora of other tasks. Each task presented allowed me the opportunity to apply my research skills to solving real-life problems, all whilst gaining a deeper understanding of law enforcement practices.

I have a much clearer grasp on the procedures and processes involved in law enforcement intelligence analysis, along with legal issues pertaining to the investigation of cases.

Working in this position allowed me to learn various investigative and intelligence gathering techniques, whilst providing me with exposure to the field of law enforcement. From this experience, I have a much clearer grasp on the procedures and processes involved in law enforcement intelligence analysis, along with legal issues pertaining to the investigation of cases. I believe that this exposure allows me a greater understanding of what goes into investigations and analysis in general.

During my internship search, I found myself looking for a position where I could use my language skills (Spanish, French, Chinese, or some combination of the three). I chose the Sheriff’s Office because it seemed to be a promising opportunity for me to use these skills – and it did not disappoint. Apart from skills directly pertaining to analysis, I was also able to use my Spanish language skills frequently. Due to the fact that the jail is located in Salinas, a region with a large Spanish-speaking population, my language skills proved to be highly useful in case analysis. As such, this internship provided me with my first opportunity to merge my skills learned from my language degree earned at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and the skills that I am learning here at MIIS.

It allowed me to take the knowledge I have learned in my courses at MIIS, and apply it to real-life issues in the criminal intelligence analysis field.

Throughout the course of the internship, I was introduced to a plethora of open source methods used to gather, interpret, and compile data for analytic purposes. These tools will be useful both in my future career, and in my time spent conducting research for my classes at MIIS. After this internship, I feel much better equipped to think about and approach the issues presented in my classes from a view based on experience.

Overall, this internship was an extremely valuable experience. It allowed me to take the knowledge I have learned in my courses at MIIS, and apply it to real-life issues in the criminal intelligence analysis field. I am very lucky to be able to continue this internship after the summer, and hope to share the knowledge that I have gained from this experience with my fellow classmates at MIIS.