Mercyhurst’s Fred Hoffman to lecture at Defense Intelligence Agency
Mercyhurst University Assistant Professor of Intelligence Studies Fred Hoffman has been invited to share his expertise on “Europe and Russia” at this year’s Strategic Intelligence Leadership Course conducted by the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). The three-week-long, intermediate-level program for mid-grade international military and civilian intelligence professionals is slated for April 17 to May 10 in Washington, D.C.
The program is intended to deepen participants’ understanding of strategic intelligence issues and hone their leadership skills. The course encourages aspiring intelligence leaders to critically examine global intelligence priorities and analytic methods, while developing and contributing their own ideas and perspectives.
In addition, the course focuses on the importance of collaboration within the intelligence and security communities.
Twenty international officials are registered to attend the course from the following nations: Algeria, Armenia, Austria, Djibouti, Finland, Ghana, Greece, Republic of Korea, Lithuania, Republic of North Macedonia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, India, Moldova, Malaysia, and Slovenia.
The course uses a variety of approaches to explore pertinent issues, including lectures, exercises, student-led discussions, offsite visits, and guest speakers from both the Intelligence Community and the private sector. As a guest speaker, Hoffman will present on April 24 at the DIA headquarters on Bolling Air Force Base in D.C.
A 30-year veteran of the intelligence community, Hoffman brings both professional and personal experience to the table. He has worked in 28 different countries as a human intelligence officer in the Army, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and other government entities. As an Army Reserve officer, he was branch-qualified in both information operations and psychological operations, working eight years in a unit that performed strategic deception. He lived in Berlin during the Cold War, where he said he experienced Russian disinformation firsthand.