2023 Undergraduate Fellow Spotlight: Sean Manning
Sean Manning is a rising junior at the University of Georgia double majoring in International Affairs and Economics with a minor in Arabic. He grew up in Hahira, Georgia and his agricultural background inspired him to pursue studies in international development and trade. His current academic interests include energy, trade controls, and U.S. grand strategy. At the University of Georgia, he participates in the Richard B. Russell Security Leadership Program, Model United Nations, and the Student Government Association. His past undergraduate research has focused on energy literacy and nuclear energy in the state of Georgia. This summer, Sean hopes to research export controls and dual-use goods in international markets. In his free time, Sean enjoys camping, hiking, and listening to music.
Research Presentation: Preventing Proliferation Caused by Great Power Competition in Africa: Assessing Historical Examples and Modern Challenge
Africa is a continent on the rise. Increasing production, population, and prosperity make Africa a new venue for great power competition. I plan to research the past pressures on developing nations that cause them to reach for proliferation as a means of self-protection when caught in the middle of great power competition. On the African continent itself, South Africa provides a ripe historical example of how great powers can sow instability and propagate proliferation. Moving on from the unique example of South Africa, I will examine the budding nuclear power plant industry in Africa and how bidding for nuclear contracts has turned into a proxy great power competition. Then, I will analyze potential future risks of proliferation and find mitigation steps for those risks to be taken now. By encouraging regional actors to build proliferation guardrails in Africa while nuclear energy is still nascent, many risks of proliferation in the long term can be prevented.
