The Great Game: Intelligence in Modern Statecraft and Business

Live Online delivery

When: March 10 – April 7, 2025 / every Monday, 18:00-21:00 (Greece time)
Language of Instruction: English
Audience: By registration only
Registration Deadline: March 9, 2025

Overview

The program’s mission is to offer professionals and students a dynamic, five-week deep dive into intelligence and geopolitics, exploring critical topics such as open-source intelligence, covert operations, error theory, and the evolving security landscape in Europe and the MENA region. By combining foundational principles with practical, real-world applications, the seminar will equip participants with the analytical tools, strategic insights, and decision-making skills needed to navigate the complexities of modern statecraft and business.

Who is this for?

This program is designed for mid-career professionals, graduate students, and individuals from both public and private sectors seeking to deepen their knowledge and practical skills in intelligence, diplomacy, and strategic affairs.

Why attend?

Participants will gain practical, hands-on skills in intelligence and strategic thinking through interactive learning methods, which include case studies and real-world applications. The program provides a unique networking opportunity to collaborate with experts and peers and offers region-specific insights into Europe and the MENA region’s role in global security, making it highly relevant for today’s professionals.

Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the seminar will leave with a strong command of intelligence principles and their applications in both business and statecraft. They will develop enhanced critical analysis, strategic thinking, and decision-making skills tailored to complex global challenges. By understanding the interplay between intelligence and business, participants will be better equipped for roles requiring sophisticated strategic insight in a globalized environment.

Dates & Times

5 days (15 hours in total)
Live Online, via Zoom

Mondays, 18:00-21:00 (Greece time)
March 10, 2025
March 17, 2025
March 24, 2025
March 31, 2025
April 7, 2025

Course Outline

1st Session, March 10

Intelligence Fundamentals: 2LT Benopoulos will offer an introduction to the study and practice of intelligence, outlining its role within the apparatus of government and business. The session will cover the distinction between intelligence in the private and public sectors, the producer-consumer relationship, the elements of the intelligence cycle, and intelligence analysis and writing principles. Participants will study the 1938 SIS Intelligence Report. The goal of the first session is to provide a grounding in the fundamentals of intelligence, ensuring participants grasp key concepts, terms, and tools.

2nd Session, March 17

Analysis, Decision-Making, Error Theory: Ambassador Bikas will explore the evolving landscape of intelligence in the 21st century, focusing on the impact of AI and geopolitical shifts. The seminar will cover historical case studies, methods of analysis, the relationship between analysts and decision-makers, and decision-making models. Concluding with an exploration of error theory, the session will aim to provide comprehensive insights into modern intelligence challenges and learning from past mistakes.

3rd Session, March 24

Intelligence Beyond Secrets: Professor Gioe will explore the importance and availability of unclassified research (OSINT) in providing intelligence insights to consumers. Prof. Gioe will use the case study of the Russian war on Ukraine to illustrate the prevalence of reliable and freely available information, showing that the knowledge delta between intelligence “insiders” and outside researchers has never been narrower, and exploring the implications for intelligence in our 21st century.

4th Session, March 31

New Insights on Intelligence Theory and Practice: Brigadier General Brun will reflect on key lessons from the October 7th surprise attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza and Lebanon. Drawing from his recent experience as the interim head of the Israeli Defense Intelligence Analysis Division during the conflict, Brigadier General Brun will provide fresh perspectives on intelligence failures, strategic and operational insights, and the evolving challenges faced by intelligence professionals in times of crisis.

5th Session, April 7

Covert Action, Sabotage: Dr Richterova will examine the historical and contemporary use of sabotage as a strategic tool in statecraft. The session will analyse how sabotage, both physical and cyber, has resurged in prominence, particularly since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. It will explore the Soviet Bloc’s Cold War sabotage strategies and assess whether current tactics represent a continuation of this doctrine or a new approach. By providing historical context, the session will aim to enhance participants’ understanding of sabotage as a covert action and offer strategies for mitigating its threats to national security.

Certificate of  Attendance

In order to be awarded the Certificate of Attendance from the Deree – School of Graduate and Professional Education, participants will need to attend at least 12 out of 15 hours.

Course fees

Early Bird fee (extended until February 10, 2025): €400
Regular single participant fee:€600
Members of the ACG Community, Professional Education past participants and Army Officers: €400

Instructors

Vassilis Benopoulos

 Risk Intelligence Analyst, Emergent Risk International (ERI) – Second Lieutenant, Hellenic Army Reserves

2nd Lieutenant Vassilis Benopoulos holds an LLB in Politics, Philosophy, and Law and an MA in Intelligence and International Security from King’s College London. Specializing in regional threat assessments and political risk analysis, particularly in Europe and the Middle East, he currently works in London as a Risk Intelligence Analyst with ERI, providing strategic insights for senior business leaders. A former officer in the Greek Army’s Military Intelligence Corps, Vassilis led reconnaissance missions on the Greek-Turkish border, developed intelligence products, and trained recruits in intelligence and counterintelligence. He has published in the American Intelligence Journal and Greek newspapers and previously led a Global Security Operations Center for a tier-1 asset management firm, supporting executive decision-making with geopolitical analysis.

Ambassador Konstantinos Bikas

Former Head of the National Intelligence Service – International Business Director, Metlen Energy & Metals

Ambassador Konstantinos Bikas is a former head of the Greek National Intelligence Service (EYP) and has had a distinguished career in diplomacy and international relations. He served in various high-ranking positions, including Consul in Vancouver, Ambassador to the UK and Israel, and Director of the Private Office of the President of Greece. Ambassador Bikas holds a law degree from the University of Athens, with graduate studies in Private Shipping Law and International Law from the University of Hamburg. Since 2019, he has been the International Business Director at Metlen Energy & Metals. Ambassador Bikas has received numerous international honours, including the Order of the Phoenix and the Order of Merit from Italy.

Dr. Daniela Richterova

Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Intelligence Studies, Department of War Studies, King’s College London

Dr. Daniela Richterova is a Senior Lecturer in Intelligence Studies at King’s College London, specializing in Cold War intelligence, covert action, counterterrorism, and intelligence analysis. She directs the MA in Intelligence and International Security and is Deputy Director of the King’s Centre for the Study of Intelligence. Dr. Richterova has presented at prestigious institutions like Harvard and Columbia and is a co-investigator on a UKRI-funded counterterrorism research project. She holds a PhD from the University of Warwick and has previously worked as a researcher at NATO and head of programs at GLOBSEC.

Brigadier General (Ret.) Itai Brun

Former head of Israel Defense Intelligence (IDI) Analysis Division

Brigadier General (Ret.) Itai Brun is the former head of the Israeli Defense Intelligence (IDI) Analysis Division (2011-2015), where he provided critical intelligence assessments to Israel’s top military and political leadership, including the Prime Minister and Defense Minister. He also served as head of the Israeli Air Force Intelligence Analysis Department and founded the IDF’s DADO Center for Interdisciplinary Military Studies after the Second Lebanon War. Following his military retirement, he became Deputy Director for Research and Analysis at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) (2018-2021). Recently, Brun was recalled to lead the IDI Analysis Division during the 2023 war in Gaza and Lebanon. A lawyer by training, he holds degrees in Law and Political Science, and teaches intelligence and national security at leading Israeli universities. Brun has authored several books, including Intelligence Analysis: Understanding Reality in Times of Dramatic Changes (2021) and From Air Superiority to a Multidimensional Strike (2021).

Professor David Gioe

British Academy Global Professor and Visiting Professor of Intelligence and International Security, Department of War Studies, King’s College London

Professor David Gioe is a British Academy Global Professor in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London and formerly an Associate Professor of History at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Professor Gioe spent 23 years of active then reserve service working in the U.S. intelligence community, including analytical and operational roles in the FBI, CIA, DIA, and the Office of Naval Intelligence.


For more information, please email [email protected] or call +30 210 600 9800 ext. 1532, 1332.

Classes start: March 10, 2025