Center for Stabilization & Economic Reconstruction
The Center for Stabilization and Economic Reconstruction (CSER) of the Institute for Defense and Business (IDB) in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was created to house the IDB's various initiatives in the field of stability operations. CSER builds upon the IDB’s many years of experience in conducting applied research and in designing and delivering unique educational offerings for the U.S. government. The core organizing principle of CSER's programs is to bring together the public and the private sectors in an academic environment to foster collaboration, learning and innovation.
CSER houses a range of ongoing and new programs that center on addressing the challenges of economic recovery of post-conflict and post-disaster states. One of the primary lessons learned from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan was that the U.S. military and the nation’s other governmental agencies must fundamentally reexamine their roles, functions, organization, staffing, budgeting and education to meet these new challenges.
We have designed CSER and its programs as outlined in this website to assist the U.S. Government and military to accomplish these goals in collaboration with the private sector, as well as with non-governmental and international organizations, now and in the future.
Program Description
The Center for Stabilization and Economic Reconstruction (CSER) of the Institute for Defense and Business (IDB) in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, offers unique educational programs that center on addressing the challenges of implementing stability operations in post-crisis states, including humanitarian relief, security, governance, and economic recovery, to areas affected by manmade or natural disasters, or conflict. CSER’s stability and economic reconstruction programs can be customized in content and length, including geographical and functional focus, depending upon the objectives of the participants.
Program Objectives
- To bring together all stability operations actors who work in post-conflict or post-disaster scenarios, including, but not limited to, U.S. and international government agencies, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and the military.
- To conduct programs in a “neutral” academic environment where a broad array of stability operations actors have the rare opportunity to listen to, debate, and learn from each other, in order to develop innovative and collaborative ways to realize their goals and missions.
- To break down barriers and build trust among the military, the private sector, and civilian agencies by developing a single sense of purpose and cooperation.
Program Types
- Pre-deployment Roundtables
- Executive Seminars
- Symposia