Institute for Applied Geopolitics

For organizations operating across borders, geopolitical developments increasingly shape strategic and operational decisions. Trade restrictions, sanctions, and regional conflict now create cascading effects across supply chains and market access. The Executive Certificate in Geopolitical Analysis and Supply Chain Resilience equips senior leaders with structured analytical frameworks to assess geopolitical exposure and translate global uncertainty into actionable decisions. Led by Rodger Baker and Steven Smith, PhD. Hosted by the University of Memphis Fogelman College of Business and Economics in partnership with the Institute for Applied Geopolitics. 📍 Memphis | March 11–13 or virtual option available Register today.

This online, self-paced course teaches a structured approach to anticipating geopolitical change through horizon scanning, trend analysis, scenario development, forecasting, and risk assessment. Participants learn to identify emerging risks and weak signals, compare multiple plausible futures, build indicators for monitoring change, evaluate risk-mitigation options, and develop clear strategic recommendations. Participants will complete applied exercises and receive individual instructor feedback. Led by Dr. Nicholas Kenney, the course integrates legal, institutional, and political dynamics into forward-looking analysis for business, policy, intelligence, and risk decisions. Review the curriculum, course requirements, and enrollment information.

This online, self-paced course teaches a systematic method for assessing countries and geopolitical environments across seven strategic dimensions: culture, organization, military, production, alliances, spatial conditions, and sustainability. Participants learn to select and justify indicators, analyze historical patterns and trends, calculate composite country-risk scores, compare risks across countries and regions, and develop scenario-based projections. Developed by Dr. Steven Smith, the framework helps participants produce transparent, replicable geopolitical assessments for strategy, policy, investment, risk, intelligence, and research. Review the methodology, course requirements, and enrollment information.

Enrollment is open for Introduction to Applied Geopolitics. This online, self-paced course provides a practical foundation for understanding how geopolitical forces shape business conditions, strategy, risk, and decision-making. Participants learn to analyze geopolitical actors and environments, evaluate sources, use the Seven Pillars framework, and build scenarios to assess risk, opportunity, and potential change. Applied assignments and individualized instructor feedback are included. Successful completion earns a blockchain-verifiable digital credential that can be shared with employers and professional networks. Review the curriculum, course requirements, and enrollment information.

Enrollment is open for the 5x5 Conflict Analysis Framework™: Early enrollment pricing is available for a limited time. This online, self-paced course provides a systematic method for examining how local grievances, national politics, interstate relations, regional alliances, and global forces interact across the phases of a conflict. Using Ukraine as an intensive case study, participants learn to identify critical turning points, evaluate competing interpretations, develop scenarios, and communicate their conclusions clearly. Applied assignments are graded by the instructors and include direct feedback. The course is taught by Patrik Baab and Steven Smith, combining field-informed geopolitical insight with structured conflict analysis and strategic application. Review the methodology, course requirements, and enrollment information.

Enrollment is open for Geopolitics of Energy and Resources. Oil and natural gas remain central to global affairs, while competition over critical minerals, electricity infrastructure, artificial intelligence, data centers, and energy-transition technologies is reshaping the geopolitical landscape. The course examines how sanctions, trade policy, resource nationalism, regulation, and international relationships affect energy production, markets, investment, infrastructure, and supply chains. Participants apply geopolitical risk assessment and scenario-planning techniques through contemporary case studies and analytical exercises. They also receive individual instructor feedback as they learn to evaluate potential developments and communicate findings that support strategic decisions. Review the curriculum, course requirements, and enrollment information.