Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General Ben Hodges to give lecture on contemporary security challenges in Europe

On Thursday, 7 March, retired Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, former Commander of the U.S. Army in Europe, will give a lecture „The Contemporary Security Challenges Facing Europe” in the main building of University of Tartu.

Retired Lieutenant General Hodges will give the lecture as a part of the course "Power in International Politics" of the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies. Eoin Micheál McNamara, the lecturer in charge of the course, believes that Hodges, who only recently retired from active military service, offers valuable input for further strengthening the Estonian defence system and for making cooperation with NATO allies even stronger. “Hodges has been one of the main policy makers in NATO – he was the Commander of the U.S. Army in Europe from 2014 to 2017,” said McNamara.

Security issues concerning both Estonia and Europe will be addressed in the lecture and Hodges will elaborate on the current European security environment. He will focus on the ways NATO has adapted to the changed situation, for example whether and how NATO training or military cooperation and NATO presence in member states should be rethought or improved. The Baltic States and Eastern Europe will be in special spotlight.

Hodges is the former Commander of the U.S. Army in Europe and a strategic expert at The Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA). He recently joined the International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS) as a Non-Resident Research Fellow. At ICDS, Hodges focuses on analysing the possibilities for strengthening military activities in NATO's eastern flank. In addition to holding several positions in Europe, Hodges has served in Iraq, Afghanistan and Korea. In 2015, Hodges was awarded the 2nd class Order of the Cross of the Eagle by the President of the Republic of Estonia.

UT will host the General Lieutenant in cooperation with the Baltic Defence College. The lecture will be held at 10:00–12:00 in room 140 of the main building of University of Tartu (Ülikooli 18).

Further information: Olga Bogdanova, UT Programme Director of the European Union and Russia Studies MA curriculum, 737 6375, olga.bogdanova@ut.ee