The People's Liberation Army (PLA): An Executive Education Course for Analysts and Practitioners
November 3-5, 2021
China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is an increasingly global actor that is reshaping the geopolitical landscape, shifting the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific region, and stressing America’s global security commitments and relationships with allies and partners. In light of this growing role, the National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR) offered a three-day executive education course exploring the history, strategic culture, and impact of the PLA on November 3–5, 2021.
This graduate-level course in Washington, D.C., comprised a series of interactive seminar-style classes, discussion sessions focused on research methods, and simulation exercises, as well as remarks from current and former senior defense officials. Drawing on NBR’s longstanding role as the facilitator of the annual Carlisle PLA Conference, the seminar convened world-class PLA specialists to shape the curriculum and lead each session. Topics covered ranged from technological modernization and recruitment to strategic doctrine, operational concepts, and land- and sea-based contingency scenarios.
The course’s varied curriculum, interactive format, and condensed schedule were tailored to meet the needs of military and civilian practitioners, industry leaders, and research professionals working on China-related security issues, allowing participants to develop a unique skillset to apply to everyday work in government and industry alike.
| Strategic Culture, History, and Geography | David Finkelstein, CNA Corporation |
| Civil-Military Relations: The Role of the PLA in the Chinese Party-State | Andrew Scobell, United States Institute of Peace |
| Strategy, Doctrine, and Operational Concepts | Alison Kaufman, CNA Corporation |
| Organization and Reform | Joel Wuthnow, Georgetown University |
| Services 1.0: Roles & Missions | Caitlin Campbell, Congressional Research Service |
| Services 2.0: Roles & Missions | Joe McReynolds, SOS International |
| Recruitment, Training, and Education | Dennis Blasko, U.S. Army (Ret.) |
| The U.S. Factor in PLA Strategy | Kristen Gunness, RAND Corporation |
| Modernization, Technology, and Military-Civil Fusion | Elsa Kania, Center for a New American Security |
| Maritime Strategy & Contingencies | Oriana Skylar Mastro, Stanford University |
| Land-Based Strategy & Contingencies | Cortez A. Cooper III, RAND Corporation |