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»Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ Global Engagement Fellow James Kraska, chairman and Howard S. Levie Professor in the Stockton Center for the Study of International Law at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, is returning to his alma mater to share findings from his recently published book, "The Free Sea: The American Fight for Freedom of the Sea."

Taking place Monday [Oct. 15] in Room 3320 at Old Main Academic Center, Kraska's 3:30 p.m. presentation examines the history of the U.S. efforts to build and protect the Free Sea against challenges by competitors and adversaries around the world. Faculty, staff, students and community members are encouraged to attend.

Since its founding, the U.S. has struggled to ensure freedom of the seas. Separated from the centers of power in Europe and Asia by the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the U.S. and its allies and partner states have engaged in diplomacy, competition and even fought wars to preserve the principles of freedom of the seas.

Through a series of conflicts beginning with the Quasi-War with France in the late 18th century to today's naval operations in the South China Sea, freedom of navigation and overflight of the oceans has been the foundation of maritime power and a bedrock principle of international law and global order.

"The principles of the Free Sea are reflected in the United Nations Charter and are essential for a liberal international order, but they do not persist on the basis of their own logic and are an essential element of national security," Kraska said.

Kraska is a 1987 »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ political science graduate who also attended Starkville High School. In addition to his appointment at the U.S. Naval War College, he is a Distinguished Fellow at the Law of the Sea Institute at University of California Berkeley School of Law and Senior Fellow at the Center for Oceans Law and Policy at the University of Virginia School of Law, and a Life Member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

For more information on Kraska's visit, contact Bryan Farrell at 662-325-5001 or bfarrell@international.msstate.edu.