Corporate Council Program

The Prague Security Studies Institute's (PSSI) Corporate Council Program was established in 2003 and, according to their website, "involves constructing mutually reinforcing relationships between large multinational corporations and PSSI. Interested companies would, for example, send executives to conduct informal seminars with our security scholars, assist in supporting the Institute financially and, where appropriate, mentor one or more of our students on certain business and public policy 'case studies.'"

Activities

Club of Prague

Aside from mentoring "one or more" students, the Corporate Council Program has been instrumental in creating the Club of Prague, whose members, according to their website, "are dedicated to empowering individuals and communities by thinking about developing and deploying advanced technology for energy production and use." The website continues to state that this "new advanced technology could ensure global economic prosperity, international security and a healthy global environment."

Lecture Series

• Dale Klein, chairman of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, led a PSSI-hosted roundtable discussion on Nuclear Energy Security in September 2007. His discussion focussed on the continuing need for more nuclear energy power facilities for security and economy related reasons and the need for, and difficulties involved in, attracting investors.

• "Energy and Security" was the lecture given by Abdulaziz F. Al-Khayyal, senior vice president of the world's largest oil corporation, Saudi Aramco, in June 2006. PSSI's Corporate Council Program's website quoted Al-Khayyal as saying, "there is plenty of oil in the world," and that "because oil means energy and energy means economic growth," "it is wrong-headed to characterize oil use as an addiction."

• "International Health Developments & Their Impact on National Security" was the lecture given by James E. Kemler, group president of Stryker Corporation. He argued that "The interaction between health an security can be viewed as one of the competing recourses." In addition, "Kemler talked extensively about the escalating costs of health care and how it detracts from other national priorities such as defense spending."

• Chairman of Elmrock Capital, David Elliman, gave a lecture in February 2006 to individuals in PSSI's Security Scholars Program. According to the Coporate Council Program's website, "Mr. Elliman discussed the importance of capital markets to global security. Elaborating further on the overlapping worlds of business and security, Mr. Elliman explained how robust markets allow for the development of an industrial base and technological expertise necessary to support a national defense infrastructure.""