1. CAKE Exposes CISA Scholars to Whole of Government
Forty-one scholars from the College of International Security Affairs recently completed
phase one of the Capital Area Knowledge Exchange (CAKE). As a required, two-credit
elective for students enrolled in the South and Central Asia Program (SCAP), CAKE
offers an in-depth examination of how different federal agencies, departments and
organizations work through global security and regional issues.
In September, CISA scholars visited federal government agencies, financial and
academic institutions, and publicly and privately-funded think tanks. This helped
students understand interagency efforts and their role in shaping counterterrorism and
international development initiatives affecting South and Central Asia.
“CAKE resonates with our students, because of its focus on specific regional issues,”
said Navy Commander Kyle Taylor, deputy program director for SCAP. “The exposure
to institutions and intricacies of the complex security challenges brings a deeper
context of problem solving.”
During the second phase of CAKE, which takes place later in the academic year,
students travel to New York and meet with national security professionals, law
enforcement agencies, and privately funded national and international institutions.
“There’s additional meaning to the word ‘Exchange’ in the acronym CAKE,” said Taylor.
“The program allows CISA scholars to build professional networks and connect with
resources that benefit their missions in South and Central Asia long after they
graduate. Our graduates are better able to leverage whole of government capabilities
and the different instruments of national power.”
This fall, the CAKE program included meetings at the Embassy of Pakistan, the World
Bank Group, the New America Foundation, the U.S. Institute of Peace, Voice of
America, the Woodrow Wilson Center, United States Agency for International
Development (USAID), Congressional Research Services, and the Department of State.
(Story by Mike Calia, CISA intern)