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Tag: Intelligence & Interview

Svitlana Andrushchenko | Discovering the Geopolitics of Energy | Intelligence & Interview N.29 | Roman Kolodii

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Traditional energy resources like oil and gas have long played an essential role in international politics. Nowadays, however, there is a global trend which motivates countries to gradually replace their traditional energy production and consumption with renewables. This raises a question: how would geopolitical ambitions of states affect the harnessing of renewable energy and vice versa? To discuss this topic, I have invited Dr Svitlana Andruschenko, an expert in energy and geopolitics based in Ukraine. She is an associate professor at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and an invited lecturer on geopolitics and geostrategy at Chu Hai College of Higher Education (Hong Kong). Ukraine has been closely associated abroad with the recent Russian aggression since 2014, but its history can say a lot about the challenges of energy security as well. It was in Ukraine’s Chernobyl where the largest nuclear disaster in history occurred in 1986. Ukraine had also owned the world’s third nuclear stockpile before renouncing it in the mid-1990s. Finally, Ukraine has had a long history of conflicts with Russia over gas transit through Ukraine to Europe. This all makes the Ukrainian case study particularly relevant. In this interview with Dr Svitlana Andrushchenko, we will discuss Russia’s energy exports, the Chernobyl heritage in Ukraine’s energy policies, security implications of renewable energy, as well as energy diplomacy as such. On behalf of Scuola Filosofica Team, our readers, and myself, Roman Kolodii, Svitlana: thank you!

Alessandro Giorgi | Intelligence Operations Beyond the Iron Curtain & Military History | Intelligence & Interview N.26 | Dr Giangiuseppe Pili

Alessandro Giorgi - Approved by the Author
Alessandro Giorgi – Approved by the Author

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I’m very happy to host Alessandro Giorgi’s interview on the intelligence operations beyond the Iron Curtain as the first one of 2021! Indeed, I had the pleasure to meet Alessandro several times, when he presented his amazing research on several topics. First, we meet in Milan (ah, I start to get old and feel a certain nostalgia!). He was presenting his (back then) last book on the Vietnam War, which is a passion of mine. I knew about the event because it was sponsored by the Italian Society of Military History, of which Alessandro and I are both members. It was presented in the “sanctuary” of Milanese military history, the Libreria di Storia Militare (a place that I love and I encourage anybody to discover). I was struck by Alessandro’s knowledge, rigor, and… passion. He is one of the best speakers I ever encountered. The second time we met was still in Milan when I first heard his research on intelligence operations beyond the Iron Curtain. And again, I was ruptured by his storytelling. Along with me, there was a young friend of mine. He is a young fighter. Alessandro’s speech so struck him that he felt the need to read more about the Cold War. Then I realized that Giorgi’s really able to reach the heart of anybody who has the pleasure to hear him speak. From that moment on, I was only confirmed about my opinion. And then, I was pleased he readily accepted being part of Intelligence & Interview. Without further ados, it is then with my distinct pleasure to publish the interview on Scuola Filosofica – for those who don’t know it yet; it is one of the leading cultural blogs in Italy. In the name of Scuola Filosofica Team, our readers, and myself, Giangiuseppe Pili, Alessandro: thank you!


1. Alessandro Giorgi, let’s start with the basics. How would you like to present yourself to the national and international readers and Philosophical School (Scuola Filosofica)?

Kira Vrist Rønn | Epistemology & Intelligence Ethics | Intelligence & Interview N.20 | Dr Giangiuseppe Pili

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I’m tremendously excited to publish this wonderful interview with Kira Vrist Rønn, senior lecturer at University College Copenhagen. Professor Vrist Rønn published extensively about the philosophy of intelligence. Specifically, she worked on the epistemology of intelligence and intelligence ethics. These two topics are indeed the core of “Intelligence & Interview N.20”. Though practically oriented, the intelligence studies include an important and – I would add – fundamental theoretical component. Intelligence theory is indeed crucial to understand the practical aspects of the intelligence profession. Is objectivity possible in intelligence analysis? What is intelligence? Is intelligence ethics possible, or is it an unbearable oxymoron? Is intelligence an art or a science? To reply to all these questions, we need to bring philosophical concepts to clarify what intelligence is. Professor Vrist Rønn was a pioneer in this research, and she authored and edited several works (see below). Given my long-lasting research interest in both epistemology and ethics of intelligence, I can only be thrilled by publishing this thought-provoking interview. Recently, Intelligence & Interview N.19 already touched on the epistemology of intelligence. But that was a starter, also considering the different main topics of that issue. This interview goes deeper on the epistemology and ethics of intelligence. Then, it is with my distinct pleasure to publish the interview on Scuola Filosofica – for those who don’t know it yet, it is one of the leading cultural blogs in Italy. In the name of Scuola Filosofica Team, our readers, and myself, Giangiuseppe Pili, Kira: thank you!

Philani Dhlamini| Intelligence & Interview #10| Intelligence in Africa – Versione Italiana

Questa è la traduzione dell’intervista “Intelligence & Interview #10“, quando ancora non aveva il titolo ufficiale della serie! Sembrano passati pochi mesi, ma la serie ha avuto un clamoroso successo e ha proseguito la sua storia con ricercatori e professionisti nazionali e internazionali. Philani Dhlamini è un esperto di intelligence, specialmente nel ramo OSINT e Social Media. Tuttavia, egli è anche un ricercatore e una delle sue missioni è quella di portare gli studi sull’intelligence in Africa all’attenzione della comunità internazionale degli studi sull’intelligence. In tal senso, egli mi ha invitato a presentare la mia opinione sulla necessità di allargare il dibattito a livello internazionale sia sull’Africa sia oltre. In questa circostanza (qui il podcast) ho avuto modo di specificare i motivi per cui gli intelligence studies sono ancora così influenzati dal pensiero anglo-americano, circostanza comprensibile ma da superare. Ho parlato lentamente e sembra quasi balbettante. Ma la causa era la difficoltà del tema, che andava ponderato con molta attenzione. Proseguire verso una maggiore integrazione significa lavorare in un contesto internazionale in cui le singole comunità di studi sull’intelligence nazionali portano il loro caso all’attenzione della comunità scientifica. Mi pare di poter dire che questo obiettivo sia ancora molto lontano, come il caso europeo – e italiano – dimostrano. Infatti, le pubblicazioni disponibili in lingua inglese sulle singole esperienze nazionali europee  – e il nostro caso non è affatto un’eccezione in tal senso – sono assai poche e comunque principalmente francesi o tedesche (dove gli UK fanno già parte integrante e costitutiva degli intelligence studies come si può intendere dal recente libro scritto insieme al professor Mario Caligiuri – Intelligence Studies in cui tracciamo proprio il paragone tra il caso italiano e quello internazionale). Per tale ragione, una delle prime dieci interviste è stata proprio con il dott. Dhlamini, per iniziare a congiungere i diversi fili dispersi della storia e cultura dell’intelligence. Senza ulteriori indugi, pur consigliando la versione originale scritta in un inglese denso e ricco, vi lasciamo alla scoperta dell’intelligence nella storia e cultura africana.

Giovanni Nacci | OSINT Theory & Intelli|Sfèra | Intelligence & Interview N.16 | Dr Giangiuseppe Pili

Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) is not new anymore. After all, even in Italy, the first Robert Steele’s work translated is almost twenty-year. A great historian such as Christopher Bayly stated that fifty-years is a good parameter to judge the long-term when human history is concerned. Then, OSINT is already old. Sure, the smart reader would say, OSINT is with us since intelligence started. After all, as Giovanni Nacci states in this interview, information is naturally born open, the great majority of the time. Yes, but even considering the OSINT revolution due to the World Wide Web & the ICTs, OSINT is already something mature. It is an intelligence discipline that is taking new ways from the old ones, testifying the livelihood of its evolution through time, as Efren Torres stated in Intelligence & Interview #8. In addition, today, OSINT seems to be the solution for everything, though it looks difficult to be believed looking to the world around us and its ineffable uncertainty and resistance over human capacity to control it. So, today we have an Italian OSINT expert whose passion for the discipline is apparent by all his activities. He is the founder of Intelli|Sfèra, a project entirely devolved to OSINT theory and techniques. This is a fascinating Italian window to an old/new intelligence discipline. Then, it is with my distinct pleasure to publish the interview on Scuola Filosofica – for those who don’t know it yet, is one of the leading cultural blogs in Italy. In the name of Scuola Filosofica Team, our readers, and myself, Dr Giangiuseppe Pili, Giovanni: thank you!


1. How would you like to present yourself to the Italian readers and Philosophical School (Scuola Filosofica)?

I usually introduce myself as a former Italian Navy Officer and enthusiast professional and advisor (since 1998) in theories, methods, and systems for the strategic treatment of information and specialist in Open Source Intelligence applications. I’m a public administration official with about five “lustrum” of administrative proceedings, data protection, Information, and Communication Technology applications. Furthermore, I’m author and co-author of papers, articles, and books about OSINT and creator of the proposal for a “General Theory” for Open Source Intelligence (a summary is available here) and founder of Intelli|sfèra, a cultural project whose aim is the interdisciplinary innovation in the Open Source Intelligence.

Professor Candyce Kelshall e l’Associazione Canadese per la Sicurezza e gli Studi sull’Intelligence | Versione Italiana

Questa è la traduzione dell’originale Intelligence & Interview #11, scritta dalla professoressa Candyce Kelshall sulla Canadian Association for Secrutiy and Intelligence di cui è la presidente. Siamo lieti di pubblicare oggi la traduzione italiana a cura del dott. Giacomo F. Carrus del Team di Scuola Filosofica e coordinatore regionale della Società Italiana di Intelligence (SOCINT). L’intento di Intelligence & Interviews è quello di esplorare temi fondamentali sulla sicurezza, intelligence, tecnologia e filosofia. Essa ha la duplice valenza di portare esperti nazionali all’attenzione internazionale o, viceversa, di dialogare direttamente con professionisti e ricercatori d’eccellenza in campo internazionale. Il progetto si estenderà con la pubblicazione delle interviste in italiano e in inglese in due volumi distinti così da non perdere questa eccezionale esperienza di dialogo internazionale, multilinguistico e disciplinare. Intelligence & Interview è un progetto di ampio respiro sostenuto dall’associazione culturale Azione Filosofica e Scuola Filosofica, con il supporto della Società Italiana di Intelligence e Intelligence Lab. Ideata e realizzata dal Dr Giangiuseppe Pili insieme al Team di Scuola Filosofica. Con questo vi auguriamo una buona lettura!


1. Professoressa Candyce Kelshall, partiamo dalle basi. Come vorrebbe presentarsi ai lettori italiani e a Scuola Filosofica?

Sono istruttrice professionale e accademica nel campo della polizia, delle forze dell’ordine, dell’esercito, dei servizi segreti e del commercio in oltre 17 paesi. Ho insegnato e preparato programmi accademici negli ultimi 14 anni presso l’Università di Buckingham UK, l’Università del Sussex UK, la Rabdan Academy UAE, la Simon Fraser University Canada e il British Columbia Institute of Technology.