The GCSP continues to inspire me – Voices of NISC (Morocco, 2016)

This year, our New Issues in Security Course, known as the NISC, celebrates its 25th anniversary! For a quarter of a century, we’ve been providing security policy professionals with the tools to tackle new and re-emerging security challenges arising from a rapidly changing global environment. As we celebrate this milestone, we collected stories from our NISC alumni who reflected on how the course has made an impact on them – personally, professionally, and globally.

How did the NISC shape your perspective on peace and security?

Soufiane El Hamdi: Participating in the NISC was a pivotal moment in my professional and personal development. It offered a rare opportunity to step back from operational pressures and reflect on the broader, interconnected challenges shaping our world. The course fostered a multidimensional understanding of peace and security, combining strategic foresight, ethical reflection, and real-world application. Above all, it grounded security in human dignity and cooperation, which continues to guide my work to this day.

What makes the GCSP truly unique is its enduring impact and community. Since completing the course, I have maintained a strong relationship with the GCSP and its experts, particularly in the counterterrorism field. Throughout my career, I have repeatedly called on the GCSP’s expertise in shaping strategic initiatives, confident in its global perspective and principled approach.

Is there a particular moment, project, or initiative you're proud of that connects back to what you learned during the course?

Soufiane El Hamdi: One initiative I am especially proud of was organizing a high-level meeting that brought together Arab and African public prosecutors to enhance cooperation in addressing complex and alarming forms of criminality. This event, held under the high auspices of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, marked a significant step in bridging regional legal communities. I was deeply honoured to welcome Dr Christina Schori Liang, GCSP’s Head of Counterterrorism and PVE, to this occasion. Her sharp, insightful intervention before hundreds of practitioners and high-level officials helped shape the roadmap that ultimately led to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the African and Arab associations of public prosecutors. GCSP’s contribution at this event reinforced its role as a reference institution for those working on sensitive and strategic global challenges.

Another proud milestone was being invited by the GCSP to contribute as an expert to its course on Preventing Violent Extremism. That experience was not just an acknowledgment of my professional journey—it was a moment of transformation. From a learner, to an alumnus, to a collaborator, and finally a contributor, my relationship with the GCSP has evolved into a lasting and enriching partnership.

As the NISC celebrates its 25th anniversary, I remain grateful for the solid foundation it provided, and for the solid community it welcomed me into. To this day, the GCSP remains involved in supporting the efforts of public prosecutions across regions, working on policy, reform, and systemic changes that continue to shape our present and future. The GCSP continues to inspire me, and I look forward to many more collaborations. For me, and for many others, it remains a trusted and visionary platform in the ever-evolving field of peace and security.