The philosophy behind this series was to help participants understand the

challenges surrounding energy resilience within an international context in two

distinct ways. The first concerned the idea of energy independence or, at least,

diversification. The topic was particularly timely given how much emphasis

was placed on the issue during the 2012 US Presidential election by both

candidates, and because of recent unrest across parts of North Africa and the

Levant. The second issue concerned the growing threat from terrorism, cyberattacks

including both espionage and sabotage. It was felt this was particularly

relevant given the ever-increasing interconnectedness of regional and national

energy grids in the European Union.