Overview

Critical minerals—including lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper, graphite, and rare earth elements—are rapidly becoming the strategic foundation of modern economies, defense systems, and the global energy transition. Control over mineral supply chains increasingly shapes geopolitical competition, economic and energy security, industrial policy, and national security strategies.

The global race for critical minerals is transforming international relations, investment patterns, and resource governance. Governments must navigate complex challenges including supply chain concentration, environmental constraints, investment risks, and geopolitical competition.

This program equips senior policymakers and industry leaders with the knowledge and analytical tools needed to design national strategies, manage mineral diplomacy, and secure resilient supply chains.

Through lectures, policy discussions, case studies, and guided simulations, participants will examine how countries are positioning themselves in the evolving global mineral landscape.

A more detailed overview of the program is provided here: 2026 Critical Minerals, Energy Security, and National Strategy.

Certification 

Upon successful completion of the seminar, each participant will be awarded a Certificate of Completion. Successful completion requires that a participant diligently attend all seminar sessions promptly and on time throughout the seminar, read all assignments, and participate in all group discussions and exercises. If a number of sessions are missed without proper reason, the ILI reserves the right to withhold certification.

Format

This seminar is currently offered in-person. Special requests to attend online must be submitted by email as early as possible. Requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the overall experience of each participant and the larger group. In-person seminars, even when being joined online, run from 9:30 am – 4:00 pm Washington, D.C., time.

Course Outline

• Critical Minerals, Energy Security, and Supply Chains
  • Critical minerals and energy security
  • Global production and processing
  • Strategic mineral applications
• Regional Strategies and Global Competition
  • United States critical minerals strategy
  • European Union and strategic autonomy
  • Middle East and emerging producers
• Regulation, ESG, and Market Dynamics
  • Mining law and regulatory frameworks
  • Environmental governance and ESG
  • Mineral markets and pricing
• Critical Minerals Diplomacy
  • Geopolitics of mineral supply chains
  • Mineral diplomacy and international partnerships
  • Energy transition versus mineral security

Course Advisor

Dr. Sara Vakhshouri is the founder and president of SVB Energy International, a leading strategic consulting firm, and the founder of SVB Green Access, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing affordable and inclusive energy access programs in regions facing energy and water poverty.

She is faculty member and teaches courses on Energy Security, Energy Diplomacy, and Critical Minerals and National Security at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service in the Science, Technology, and International Affairs (STIA) program. Dr. Vakhshouri also teaches and serves as Chair of the Center for Energy Security and Energy Diplomacy at the Institute of World Politics, and is also a faculty member at the KAPSARC School of Public Policy (KSPP) in Riyadh.

In addition, she is a Senior Fellow at both the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies and the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, and a recipient of the 2024 Institute of World Politics General Raymond Odierno Leadership Award. Dr. Vakhshouri also serves as the and the Vice President of National Capital Area Chapter of the United States Association for Energy Economics (USAEE), and on the advisory board of Romanian American Institute for Smart Energy (RAISE)

With over two decades of experience in the global energy industry, Dr. Vakhshouri has advised numerous governments, international institutions, and organizations—including the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, the International Energy Agency (IEA), the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the International Energy Forum (IEF), and the Organisation Méditerranéenne de l’Énergie et du Climat (OMEC). She is a leading voice and a thought leader on global energy markets, energy transition and energy security.