Adam Smith International

And just like that, the whole team is finally back in the UAE! Too many thank yous for one post, but this is just the first wave of gratitude. Being the first three-person team in history to conquer The Arctic Challenge was no ordinary feat. It was brutal, relentless, and unforgiving. Endless waves of physical and mental battles pushed us beyond what we thought was possible. It took years of preparation, months of training, and every single day in the Arctic tested our limits. Success isn’t a straight line. While the first half of the expedition went to plan, everything changed at Bear Island. And through the worst conditions imaginable, we endured. But Stage 1 is just the beginning. The real journey is only just starting. With our Inspire 1 Million Programme, we’re taking the lessons we learned from this extreme test of endurance and pushing forward to inspire the next generation. Through The Plastic Pledge and the soon to be launched The Ocean Guardians we will be educating students of all ages, in the UAE and beyond, about our oceans, the damage of plastic pollution, and urgent need to protect our fragile environment. Message either page now! to get invovled or if you want to help. To our sponsors, your unwavering belief and support transformed a dream into reality. You’ve not only become our partners but also our friends. Together, we’ve shared this journey of triumph and hardship, and because of you, we completed our mission. Without your faith, none of this would have been possible. To our families, your patience and support were our anchor. And to everyone who followed our progress, you gave us strength when we needed it most. This was more than just a challenge — it was a battle for the future. And we’re not stopping here. Thank you! XDubai Al Masaood AD Ports Group Hapag-Lloyd AG Adam Smith International Xclusive Yachts Orascom Development Under Armour Range Global Services GoPro KEMPRA VIKING Life-Saving Equipment WKC EY Ricardo plc BEEAH Group UD Trucks Waypoint - Finest Marine Clothing & Chandlery GAC Group Guinness World Records Drytech AS GIG Gulf Elcome International LLC Jack Morton Worldwide MCN | Middle East Communications Network Hertz UAE Garmin UAE & KSA Fuelre4m Dynamic Advanced Training Varuste.net SEE Institute Innovation Norway Toby Gregory - The Arctic Challenge / Andy Savill, CMM / Orlagh Dempsey / Lynsey Murning Gregory BSME - British Schools in the Middle East / COBIS - Council of British International Schools / FOBISIA #Arctic #Enviroment #Sustainability #BeatPlasticPollution #ArcticChallenge #GenderEquality #COP28 #COP29 #Ocean #Education #1millionstudents #MentalHealth

Join us for "Feminist Foreign Policy: Rethinking International Development" part of the ASI Thought Leaders Series! 📅 Date: October 10, 2024 🕓 Time: 10 AM UK time 📍 Location: Online   What is Feminist Foreign Policy? How does it differ from gender sensitivity (or "from what we already do")? How do we move from policy to practice? What are the opportunities and obstacles? How do we implement change while respecting local norms?   We’re delighted to bring together expert panelists, including Alice Ridge, Senior Research, Policy and Advocacy Advisor at International Women's Development Agency (IWDA), leads research and advocacy on feminist foreign policy, amongst other issues. Alice has been centrally involved in IWDA's work with international partners and women from the Majority World to advance global discussions on principles and accountability mechanisms of feminist foreign policy. She contributed to IWDA's research, 'From Seeds to Roots: Trajectories to Feminist Foreign Policy' (2021), and has been centrally involved in updating the research to incorporate new developments in the FFP landscape, for release in the second half of 2024. IWDA also convenes the Australian Feminist Foreign Policy Coalition, and created the podcast 'F! It!' exploring feminist and First Nations approaches to foreign policy.   Register here: https://lnkd.in/ggNDBj42 #FeministForeignPolicy #FeminismInAction #GenderEquality #InternationalDevelopment #ASIThoughtLeadersForum

Join us for "Feminist Foreign Policy: Rethinking International Development" part of the ASI Thought Leaders Series! 📅 Date: October 10, 2024 🕓 Time: 10 AM UK time 📍 Location: Online As part of the ASI Thought Leaders Series, we are delighted to invite you to our upcoming event, where we’ll explore the intersection of Feminist Foreign Policy (FFP) and international development.    This session brings together expert panelists, including Alice Ridge from the International Women's Development Agency (IWDA); Hawo Idris Hassan, ASI’s Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Adviser in ASI’s SSNSA project in Somalia; and Fatimah Afzal, ASI’s Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Adviser on ASI’s SEED Pakistan project. Stay tuned for more details on our panellists and agenda. We look forward to your participation in this important conversation! Register here: https://lnkd.in/ggNDBj42 #FeministForeignPolicy #FeminismInAction #GenderEquality #InternationalDevelopment #ASIThoughtLeadersForum

📢 A heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended the ASI Thought Leaders Forum on “Fuelling Conflict: Inside the Illicit Economies of War” on September 16th, 2024!   Whether you joined us in person in London or participated remotely, your engagement made the event truly special.   We were honoured to hear from our esteemed speakers: ➡️ Dr. Orly Stern, who highlighted the often-invisible roles of women in war economies. ➡️ Prof. Jonathan Goodhand, sharing insights from his research on drug economies in Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Colombia. ➡️ Michael Jones, discussing how violent extremist organisations like Al-Shabaab exploit conflict economies. ➡️ And a big thank you to Kathleen Valentini guiding our conversations!   Your contributions helped spark meaningful discussions on the hidden networks that drive today's conflicts. Dr. Orly remarked: “In the context of Somalia's war economy, if a man walked into a shop asking to buy a large quantity of food, it would raise suspicion. Instead, women—who are less scrutinised and often shop for big families—are sent to procure goods for armed groups. War economies show just how strategically these groups use women to bypass laws, avoid surveillance, and overcome barriers set by security forces.” We look forward to continuing these important conversations in the future!   Stay tuned for our next events and thank you once again for your participation! 💬✨   #ASIThoughtLeaders #ConflictEconomies #ThankYou

ASI is seeking a Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Advisor to be part of The Technical Assistance Facility for Iraq (TAFFI 2.0) core team. This 3-year program, aims to enhance anti-corruption efforts, combat serious organised crime, improve cybersecurity, and support defence and security reforms in collaboration with the British Embassy and Consulate.   If you have a strong understanding of GESI principles and experience in international programmes and familiarity with the Iraqi context and challenges to gender equality, we invite you to apply.   This position is open to both national and international candidates. However, we strongly encourage applications from Iraqi nationals and consultants from the Middle East, as well as women and members of traditionally marginalised and vulnerable groups.   Ready to make a difference! Apply! 👉 https://lnkd.in/e9XCMTku

⏰ Less than TWO hours to go – have you registered for our ASI Thought Leaders Forum yet? “Fuelling Conflict: Inside the Illicit Economies of War” kicks off soon, and there’s still time to join us either in-person (in London) or online! Don’t miss this chance to hear from experts like Dr. Orly Stern, Prof. Jonathan Goodhand, Michael Jones, and Kathleen Valentini as they explore the hidden networks driving conflict. Register now: https://lnkd.in/g_-twbRQ

🎥 Catch a preview of our upcoming ASI Thought Leaders Forum! Watch this exclusive interview with Dr. Orly Stern on her upcoming book, “Women and War Economies,” where she explores the critical roles women play in conflict-driven economies.   Join us on this coming Monday (Sep 16) in London (or online) for a deep dive into the hidden networks that fuel today’s conflicts, examining the economic drivers behind war and how both men and women shape war economies.   With limited in-person seats available, don't miss your chance to engage directly with our experts: ➡️ Dr. Orly Stern, international lawyer and researcher  ➡️ Prof. Jonathan Goodhand, Senior Research Fellow (FCDO/UKRI) and Professor at SOAS  ➡️ Michael Jones, conflict expert from RUSI,  ➡️ Kathleen Valentini, Senior Manager at ASI, moderating the discussion   Reserve your spot (in-person or online) here: https://lnkd.in/g_-twbRQ

Join Adam Smith International for their next ASI Thought Leaders Forum on "Fuelling Conflict: Inside the Illicit Economies of War," taking place in London on September 16th 2024 at 4pm UK time (hybrid event) Take a deep dive into the hidden networks that fuel today’s conflicts, with a focus on the economic drivers behind war and the roles of men and women in war economies. For more details about this event, take a look at Adam Smith International's post or follow the link below: https://lnkd.in/g_-twbRQ Jalpa Patel Kete Shabani

📢 Not long to go until our next ASI Thought Leaders Forum on “Fuelling Conflict: Inside the Illicit Economies of War”!   📅 Date: September 16th, 2024 📍 Location: London (or online)   Take a deep dive into the hidden networks that fuel today’s conflicts, with a focus on the economic drivers behind war and the roles of men and women in war economies.    Limited in-person seats remain! This is your chance to engage directly with our experts.   Featured Speaker: Michael Jones Michael is a Research Fellow in Royal United Services Institute's Terrorism and Conflict team, focusing on political violence, conflict, and violent extremism across the Horn and Eastern Africa. As of 2023, he has led the research and violence monitoring component of the UK’s REINVENT programme, addressing insecurity in Kenya, and continues to analyse relationships between conflict, organised crime and the wider political economies of Kenya and Nigeria as part of RUSI’s OCTA project. He is a co-author of the 2019 book 'Human Trafficking: An Organised Crime?'(London and Oxford: Hurst/Oxford University Press), and an accredited member of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Commonwealth Development Office’s conflict adviser cadre.    Michael has also worked as a consultant analysing peacekeeping in Somalia (Saferworld) and corruption in Sudan (Transparency International). He holds an MSc in Conflict Studies from the The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), and a BA Joint Honours in History and Politics from the University of Warwick.   🔗 Register now: https://lnkd.in/eu-nRBjD   #ASIThoughtLeaders #WarEconomies #GenderStudies #RegisterNow

📢 5 days left until our next ASI Thought Leaders Forum on “Fuelling Conflict: Inside the Illicit Economies of War”!   📅 Date: September 16th, 2024 📍 Location: London (or online)   Take a deep dive into the hidden networks that fuel today’s conflicts, with a focus on the economic drivers behind war and the roles of men and women in war economies.    Limited in-person seats remain! This is your chance to engage directly with our experts.   Featured Speaker: Jonathan Goodhand We are thrilled to feature Jonathan Goodhand, Professor of Conflict and Development Studies at the SOAS University of London. He is also an Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office/UK Research and Innovation Senior Research Fellow (War and Conflict) and an Honorary Professorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne.   Jonathan has led several large research projects and published extensively on the political economy of armed conflict, focusing on war and illicit economies, conflict and borderlands, stabilisation, and peacebuilding processes, particularly in South and Central Asia. His recent work includes a UKRI/GCRF project titled “Drugs and (dis)order: building sustainable peacetime economies in the aftermath of war”, which studied drug economies and post-war transitions in Afghanistan, Colombia, and Myanmar. His publications include influential works such as “Aiding Peace: the role of NGOs in Armed Conflict” and “War Economies in a Regional Context: Challenges for Transformation.” Jonathan has also advised policymakers and organisations on conflict, security, and peacebuilding issues, contributing to frameworks and evaluations for various international bodies.   🔗 Register now: https://lnkd.in/gHw9cSgm   #ASIThoughtLeaders #WarEconomies #GenderStudies #RegisterNow