Great Powers, Failed States, and New Frontiers: National Security Challenges in the 21st Century

  • November 19-21, 2015
  • 17:00:00
  • AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center
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From November 19-21, 2015, the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law and the Clements Center for National Security convened the second annual National Security Forum at the University of Texas at Austin. This year’s event, “Great Powers, Failed States, and New Frontiers: National Security Challenges in the 21st Century,” explored the security challenges the U.S. currently faces and how our national security institutions are positioned to respond. The event gathered leading figures from the executive branch, Congress, intelligence community, and academia for high-level discussions on critical strategic questions including cybersecurity, China, Russia, the Middle East, terrorism, and stability operations.

This event was co-sponsored by UT’s Robert Strauss Center; Clements Center; Alexander Hamilton Society; Center for East Asian Studies; Center for Politics and Governance; Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies; Department of Government; Intelligence Studies Project; International Affairs Society; International Relations and Global Studies Program; LBJ School of Public Affairs; and Student Veterans Association.

Media coverage of this year’s National Security Forum includes:

Photos from this event can be accessed here.

AGENDA

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19
(AT&T Conference Center on UT campus, Amphitheater 204)

5:00 – 5:15 pm Opening remarks

5:15 – 6:45 pm Session 1: Russia

  • Paula Dobriansky; former Under Secretary of State
  • Leon Aron; American Enterprise Institute
  • Brigadier General Kevin Ryan, USA, Ret.; Harvard University
  • General Montgomery Meigs, USA, Ret.; former Commander, US Army Europe

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20
(AT&T Conference Center on UT campus, Amphitheater 204)

8:00 – 8:30 am Coffee

8:30 – 10:00 am Session 2: Stability Operations

  • Kathleen Hicks; former Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense
  • Michael Vickers; former Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence
  • Paul Miller; Clements Center for National Security
  • Colonel Peter Mansoor, USA, Ret.; Ohio State University

10:00 – 10:15 am BREAK

10:15 – 11:45 am Session 3: Middle East

  • Lieutenant General Mick Bednarek, USA, Ret.; former Chief, Security Cooperation-Iraq
  • Philip Mudd; former Deputy Director of CIA Counterterrorism Center
  • Michael Singh; former Senior Director, National Security Council
  • Tamara Wittes; former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State

(AT&T Conference Center, 2nd floor, Ballroom C)

12:00 -1:30 pm Lunch and Plenary Address

  • Admiral William McRaven, USN, Ret.; Chancellor of The University of Texas System

(Blanton Museum Auditorium, Edgar A. Smith Building)

2:00 – 3:45 pm Session 4: China

  • Admiral Samuel Locklear, USN, Ret.; former Commander, Pacific Command
  • Dennis Wilder; Central Intelligence Agency
  • Ashley Tellis; former Senior Director, National Security Council
  • Randall Schriver; former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State

3:45 – 4:00 pm BREAK

4:00 – 5:00 pm Plenary Address

  • Congressman Michael McCaul; Chairman, Homeland Security Committee

5:00 – 6:00 pm Plenary Address

  • U.S. Senator Ben Sasse

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21
(Blanton Museum Auditorium, Edgar A. Smith Building)

8:30 – 9:00 pm Coffee

9:00 – 10:30 am Session 5: Terrorism

  • Daniel Benjamin; former State Department Coordinator for Counterterrorism
  • Bruce Hoffman; Georgetown University
  • Lt Gen Frank Kisner, USAF, Ret.; former NATO Special Operations Commander
  • John McLaughlin; former Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
  • Michael Vickers; former Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence

10:30 – 10:45 am BREAK

10:45 – 11:45 am Closing Plenary Address

  • U.S. Senator John Cornyn

12:00 pm Conference Adjourns

Join the conversation online at #NSF and follow us at @clementscenter, @strausscenter, and @UTIntel.

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