Modern Border Security — BIG Summer Institutes

Border security today goes far beyond physical infrastructure. It requires coordination across agencies, jurisdictions, and countries to address threats ranging from organized crime and smuggling to cybersecurity and climate-related disruption. Professionals in this field need both strategic understanding and practical skills.

This course is designed for those who need to understand the full complexity of modern border security. You will develop practical skills through interactive exercises, including drafting intelligence assessments and mapping transnational threat networks.

• The foundations of border security: key concepts, threat assessment, and mitigation strategies
• How democratic institutions manage the balance between security and civil liberties at borders
• How intelligence is gathered, shared, and used in border security across jurisdictions
• How transnational organized crime networks operate across borders and how agencies work to disrupt them
• The intersection of trade security and human mobility at the border, including supply chain vulnerabilities
• How to draft an intelligence assessment on a security concern in your region
• How to map transnational criminal networks and identify points of vulnerability in supply chains
• How public-private partnerships strengthen border security operations

BIG_Lab is an international policy and research network based at the University of Victoria, Canada, dedicated to advancing border governance worldwide. Now in its 6th year, the BIG Summer Institutes have brought together 50+ expert speakers and 500+ participants from 30+ countries. Learn more at www.biglobalization.ca

"The BIG Summer Institutes program delivered an exceptionally practical learning experience led by engaging, well-chosen lecturers who are true professionals from industry — a rare and valuable combination. The diverse, global perspectives of fellow participants enriched discussions and created a dynamic, case-driven learning environment."

— Yuriy Kosmyna, Migration and Border Governance Senior Programme Specialist, IOM Mission in Ukraine

"The ability to learn from others in different regions is invaluable. We all have different strategies and challenges. This program helps bridge those gaps."

— Summer Institutes Participant, Tunisia

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Host or Publisher University of Victoria, Faculty of Social Sciences