Introduction to
Applied Geopolitics

Think Geopolitically. Operate Strategically.

Master the frameworks that turn global complexity into competitive advantage: for your business, your supply chain, and your strategic planning.

The Introduction to Applied Geopolitics, developed by Rodger Baker, Chairman of S4GEO and former Senior Vice President of Strategic Analysis at Stratfor, addresses this imperative by providing a structured  methodology for understanding geopolitical actors, systems, and environments. Rather than treating geopolitics as abstract commentary or reactive risk management, this program operationalizes geopolitical analysis through a business-integrated framework built on nearly three decades of applied intelligence experience and refined through direct engagement with Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and international organizations worldwide.

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Your strategy is missing context.

Business strategy today is largely devoid of geopolitical context, leaving organizations focused on tactical numbers while the world reshapes the playing field beneath your feet
01
Disruption always catches you unprepared
Supply disruptions, regulatory pivots, market volatility. They seem unpredictable, but they're not. Without the right frameworks, you're always reacting, never anticipating.
02
Mirror imaging blinds your judgment
When leaders look at another country's decisions through a single lens, they call it irrational. Geopolitical thinking reveals why those decisions are entirely logical, and what comes next.
03
Your board lacks a shared vocabulary
Strategic planning meetings end in circles because key actors hold unstated assumptions. Geopolitical frameworks force clarity, surfacing disagreements before they become costly mistakes.
04
Competitors are moving earlier
Early mover advantage doesn't come from better data. It comes from a better lens. Those who integrate geopolitical thinking identify opportunities and risks before they appear in the headlines.

Seven modules. Structured for immediate application.

Structured across seven progressive modules, this self-paced online course moves from foundational thinking to practical business application, giving you tools you can put to work immediately.
1. Introduction
Sets the foundation for everything that follows. You will understand what applied geopolitics is, why it matters now more than ever, and how the course is structured to build your analytical capability from the ground up.
2. Why Geopolitics Matters
All business takes place somewhere. This module establishes why the geographic, political, and historical context of that somewhere is not background noise, but a core driver of strategic risk and opportunity.
3. Core Structures and Concepts
Geopolitics has a logic. This module gives you the structural vocabulary to read that logic clearly, across scales from the local to the global and over timeframes that extend well beyond the next quarter.
4. Perceptive and Objective Geopolitics
Decisions are made by people, not nameless geographies. This module gives you two complementary lenses for understanding why actors behave as they do and what the real-world implications of those decisions are likely to be.
5. The Seven Pillars of Geopolitics
No single discipline gives you the full picture. The 7 Pillars framework ties together the threads that most strategic analysis leaves in silos, giving you a coherent, holistic view of any environment your business operates in.
6. Scenario Building
The future is not a single line. This module teaches you to build structured, plausible alternative futures and use them as a practical tool for strategic planning, risk management, and early opportunity identification.
7. Applied Geopolitics in Practice
Analysis only has value when it informs decisions. This module shows you how to integrate geopolitical thinking into corporate strategy, supply chain planning, market entry, and board-level conversations

Course Structure and Delivery

Access: 16 weeks
Delivery: Online, self-paced learning
Level: Foundation, no prerequisites required
Platform: IAG Learning Management System

WHAT YOU GAIN

Capabilities that transfer immediately

  • Anticipate, not react
Develop the structured foresight to identify geopolitical shifts before they impact your operations, replacing reactive crisis management with proactive positioning.
  • Read any market, anywhere
Apply the 7 Pillars framework to assess new markets, evaluate partnerships, and understand regulatory environments, with depth that goes beyond surface-level country reports.
  • Build resilient scenarios
Run structured scenario planning that uncovers hidden risks and unexpected opportunities, giving your organization a shared language for talking about the future.
  • Integrate into any role
Whether you lead supply chain, strategy, corporate security, or business development, these frameworks embed into your existing workflows without restructuring your organization.
  • Move beyond punditry
Distinguish between noise and signal. Apply objective analysis to real events, separating short-term volatility from genuine structural change.
  • Elevate board-level dialogue
Bring a contextual frame to strategic planning that moves your boardroom beyond tactical numbers, connecting the qualitative shifts of the world system to your business decisions.

What to expect

Who is this course designed for?
Anyone whose work is shaped by the global environment, from board members and C-suite executives to supply chain leaders, strategic planners, business developers, and analysts. No prior background in geopolitics is required.
Is this theoretical or practical?
Both, and that's the point. The course grounds you in rigorous analytical frameworks, then shows you exactly how to apply them to strategic planning, supply chain resilience, market entry analysis, and board-level decision making.
How is the course delivered?
This is a self-paced online course structured across seven progressive modules. You move through it on your own schedule, with lifetime access to return to any module as global conditions evolve.
What if I need corporate or team licensing?
Group and corporate licensing is available for teams and organizations that want to build geopolitical capability across departments. Reach out directly to discuss options tailored to your organization's needs.
Will this help with specific regions or industries?
The frameworks are deliberately universal, designed to be applied to any geography, any sector, any supply chain. The methodology teaches you how to think, not just what to think about particular places or events.
Is there ongoing content as the world changes?
The analytical frameworks are enduring, built to interpret any geopolitical moment, past or future. Your access is lifetime, and the tools you develop remain relevant as the global system continues to evolve.