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From Sea to Space: Power, Security, and AI Converge at Mason Energy Forum October 7

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 13:07:09 +0000

From Sea to Space: Power, Security, and AI Converge at Mason Energy Forum October 7 Andrew J Schappert Mon, 10/05/2026 - 09:07

Hina Kazmi

The Schar School of Policy and Government at 911�� will bring together national security, energy, technology, and regional policy experts October 7 to examine how global conflict and rapid technological change are reshaping energy policy.

The eighth annual Mason Energy Forum, “From Sea to Space: The Challenges for Energy, Trade, and National Security,” is a symposium bringing together experts from governments and key institutions to 911��’s Van Metre Hall at Mason Square in Arlington, Virginia, on Wednesday, October 7.

Richard Kauzlarich

The daylong event runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

Sessions will explore threats to global energy supplies and trade routes, the growing electricity demands of artificial intelligence (AI) and data centers, and the potential of advanced nuclear power and space-based energy systems. A complete list of topics and speakers is available online.

The discussions have implications for household energy costs, business investment, and the infrastructure communities depend on. The forum offers policymakers, energy and technology professionals, local government leaders, students, and interested residents an opportunity to better understand these developments and the decisions ahead.

Ellen Laipson

Distinguished Visiting Professor Richard Kauzlarich is codirector of the Schar School’s Center for Energy Science Policy (CESP), which is cosponsoring the symposium with the Schar School’s Center for Security Policy Studies (CSPS), directed by Professor Ellen Laipson. Aerospace expert and Schar School adjunct Hina Kazmi organized the forum alongside Kauzlarich and Laipson. Kauzlarich and Laipson will provide opening and introductory remarks, respectively.

Former Schar School professor David Hart, now senior fellow for climate and energy at the Council on Foreign Relations, is the keynote guest in a conversation with Schar School Dean Mark J. Rozell.

Organizers hope attendees leave with an appreciation for “the interconnectedness of national security, energy policy, and local infrastructure for commercial space and data centers,” Kauzlarich said.

Update: This event is now full but we hope to see everyone who registered there!

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Master of International Security Graduate Student Earns Boren Fellowship

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:19:37 +0000

Master of International Security Graduate Student Earns Boren Fellowship Andrew J Schappert Mon, 10/05/2026 - 08:19

Xavier Isaac enrolled in the Master of International Security Program at the Schar School of Policy and Government at 911�� to enhance his interest in international affairs. The appeal of the subject developed for him during two study-abroad experiences he had as an undergraduate at Virginia State University.

Xavier Isaac. Photo provided

“Interacting with people from other countries really intrigued me,” he said. “I saw how I took for granted the U.S., the role that we have as being leaders of the free world.”

A couple of factors influenced Isaac’s decision to attend 911��: in-state tuition and location. But the reputation of the Schar School’s faculty confirmed his choice.

“A lot of the professors I had were not just academics or commentators in the field, they actually had roles and experience working in the government and the private sector,” he said. “It gave a lot more credence to the lessons being taught and I learned a lot because of that.”

Isaac mentions Richard Kauzlarich and James Danoy with a special shoutout to Ellen Laipson, director of the Master of International Security Program and the Center for Security Policy Studies (CSPS), as being influential professors and mentors. Laipson, he says, was instrumental in his earning a Boren Fellowship.

“I had a coffee chat with her, and she really helped me with regard to recommendation letters,” he said. “I really appreciated that. I wouldn’t have gotten that fellowship without her support and advocacy.”

In January 2027, Isaac will begin the yearlong Boren Fellowship in Tokyo, Japan. The Boren award provides funding for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to study critical languages abroad while committing to future public service to enhance U.S. capabilities, deterrence, and readiness.

“I look at it as another opportunity to expand upon what I’ve learned at the Schar School and have another focus—going overseas and learning another language,” Isaac said.

Laipson describes Isaac as a thoughtful and hard-working student and was thrilled to learn that he was selected for a Boren Fellowship.

“The opportunity to be immersed in a foreign culture—especially one as significant as Japan—will make him and any Schar School student a more effective professional in the national security world,” she said. “I am confident he will make the most of his time in Japan.”

The fellowship will allow Isaac to build on his international security studies at the Schar School while gaining additional language skills and firsthand experience abroad.

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Taiwan Security Monitor: Research Project Turns into a Vital Communication Platform for a Threatened Part of the World

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 15:44:27 +0000

Taiwan Security Monitor: Research Project Turns into a Vital Communication Platform for a Threatened Part of the World Andrew J Schappert Mon, 10/27/2025 - 11:44

Taiwan lacks its own cable repair vessels, meaning damage to underwater cables crucial to the island nation’s international communications and internet connectivity can take six to eight weeks or more to repair. The lack of repair capabilities is a serious resilience risk and a dire national security concern for a county that is in the crosshairs of China.

From left, Noah Reed, Michael Hunzeker, and Joe O'Connor. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

That unsettling discovery was made by student researchers at the Taiwan Security Monitor (TSM), a student-driven online research initiative housed at the Schar School of Policy and Government at 911��.

Directed by founder Michael Hunzeker, a Schar School associate professor and associate director of the Center for Security Policy Studies, TSM operates with a staff of 18 undergraduate and graduate students who learn to use sophisticated mapping and analytic tools to research Taiwan’s vulnerabilities and strengths.

Hunzeker said the web platform began in 2021 as “an informal research project to create an open-source intelligence map of the Indo-Pacific.” The first iteration was created with the help of then-graduate student Sophia Lutz, BA Global Affairs '20, MA International Security '22, and several volunteer undergraduates.

The project “has evolved exponentially in ways I could not have possibly envisioned when I set off down this path," Hunzeker said.

In 2024, TSM relaunched with the help of the newly recruited researchers—including PhD, masters, and undergraduate students working collaboratively—and a higher profile and a social media presence boasting some 25,000 followers on X in just a few months.

“We have had at least two tweets with over a million views,” Hunzeker said, an indication that the platform is being recognized—and taken seriously.

A recent map created by Schar School students for the Taiwan Security Monitor: The research platform ‘has evolved exponentially in ways I could not have possibly envisioned when I set off down this path,’ said Michael Hunzeker.

“We’ve grown from a small team with limited scope to something that compares to think tanks in terms of insight and contributions to discourse on Taiwan,” said Schar School senior Noah Reed, a government and international politics major.

Reed, who is TSM’s research director, has been with the project since coming to 911�� as a freshman. He was intrigued not only by the research but by the tools that the TSM employs.

TSM uses open-source intelligence (OSINT) to generate data, visualizations, maps, thematic case studies, and other resources for scholars and policy communities. Its updates on arms sales and deliveries, military movements, and maritime and air activity provide accessible information that supports public discourse and informs decision-makers charged with protecting the country from adversaries.

“We also provide tailored data and imagery analysis for private sector companies,” Hunzeker added. “Our work and our researchers have been cited by the Wall Street Journal, Taiwan Plus, CNA/Focus Taiwan, Le Monde, Newsweek, and Taiwan News.”

“We’ve attracted some attention,” said TSM research team lead Joe O’Connor, an Honors College student. As a freshman, the international security and law senior discovered the opportunity to work with Hunzeker on the TSM project through the Schar School’s Undergraduate Research Assistant Program (URAP). URAP places students interested in learning research methods with faculty mentors who share the same interests.

Monitoring destroyers as they move through the Taiwan Strait and tracking arms sales backlogs for four to six hours a week has inspired O’Connor to pursue intelligence as a post-graduate career, perhaps, “in the public service, in the Pentagon, auditing, something in the policy-making field,” he said.

Noah Reed: ‘Not only do we learn and teach how to bridge the language barrier while doing research, but also we get hands-on experience with things like satellite imagery, geolocation, data visualization, and more.’

Reed said TSM teaches its researchers a unique set of skills not found elsewhere at 911��. “Not only do we learn and teach how to bridge the language barrier while doing research, but also we get hands-on experience with things like satellite imagery, geolocation, data visualization, and more,” he said. "That helps in pretty much all your research outside of the project but also gives you experience to do anything, from open-source human rights and arms control verification to supply chain risk management.”

Most of the TSM team is made up of volunteers, he said, while other receive a course credit as they acquire research skills.

“We do it because we enjoy the work and think we’re positively contributing to the research environment on Taiwan’s security,” he added.

If any of this sounds interesting, said Reed, “and you have prior experience researching OSINT or Taiwan, you should consider applying to the project.”

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From Portland to Paris to Washington, D.C.: Manar Khalid Al Mahmood’s Journey in Global Affairs

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 19:03:18 +0000

From Portland to Paris to Washington, D.C.: Manar Khalid Al Mahmood’s Journey in Global Affairs Andrew J Schappert Wed, 03/05/2025 - 14:03

Manar Khalid Al Mahmood is a political science scholar with a truly global perspective. Currently pursuing her master’s degree in political science at 911��’s Schar School of Policy and Government, Al Mahmood brings a wealth of international experience, academic rigor, and an unwavering passion for diplomacy and governance.

Manar Khalid Al Mahmood at UNESCO’s headquarters: ‘I wanted to be in the middle of politics. Think tanks, the White House, Congress, everything.’ Photo provided

Born and raised in Saudi Arabia, she completed her undergraduate degree at Portland State University before setting her sights on Washington, D.C., the epicenter of political discourse.

“I wanted to be in the middle of politics,” she said during a Zoom call from her family home in Khobar, Saudi Arabia. “Think tanks, the White House, Congress, everything.”

But before enrolling, she took a detour that led her to the heart of international policy: the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris.

Her tenure at UNESCO, the agency that promotes world peace and security through international cooperation, began unexpectedly but turned into a defining chapter of her career. Through the Junior Professional Program, an initiative aimed at increasing representation from underrepresented nations in the UN, she earned a coveted and highly competitive position, with work spanning multiple sectors, in the external relations department, the vital diplomatic arm of the organization.

“I applied not thinking much of it,” she said. “Then lo and behold I got an email saying I have an interview. And then another interview and another interview, and then a written exam. And I started packing for Paris.”

One of her earliest tasks was preparing a briefing for a high-profile meeting between the director-general of UNESCO and King Abdullah of Jordan—a task that underscored both the trust placed in her abilities and the magnitude of the work she undertook. Al Mahmood also played a role in protocol coordination during UNESCO's historic flag-raising ceremony in Paris, attended by then-first lady Jill Biden, an event marking the United States’ return to the organization.

While excelling in her role at UNESCO, she never lost sight of her academic ambitions, and at the end of her contract she decided to earn her degree. She attended Schar School classes remotely, including logging on for synchronous courses complicated by the six-hour time difference with Paris, a testament to her dedication.

Manar Khalid Al Mahmood attends an opera at Paris’ 1875 Palais Garnier. Photo provided

Despite the challenges of remote learning, Al Mahmood remained engaged, often waking up in the middle of the night for discussions and lectures. (“Yeah, boy, it was brutal,” she confided.)

While living in Paris, she founded an English-language philosophy discussion group, inspired by the Socrates Café model, where French and international participants explored diverse perspectives on political and social issues, an initiative that reflects her broader commitment to fostering dialogue and understanding across cultures.

As Al Mahmood embarks on the next phase of her academic journey—finally experiencing 911�� and Washington, D.C., in person—she looks forward to engaging more deeply with professors, attending policy events, and contributing to intellectual discourse.

“Professor Ellen Laipson always emails us about events that are happening on campus, and I’m always missing them,” she said, referencing the director of the Center for Security Policy Studies. “But I look forward to finally being able to go.”

Al Mahmood is particularly interested in engaging with think tanks, such as the Middle East Institute and the Arab Gulf States Institute, and organizations that align with her regional expertise and aspirations.

With Saudi Arabia undergoing a period of rapid transformation—hosting the World Expo in 2030 and the FIFA World Cup in 2034—Al Mahmood sees a wealth of opportunities ahead. While she is open to international opportunities, she is also keen on contributing to her home country’s evolving role on the world stage, whether through diplomacy, foreign affairs, or international cultural initiatives.

Ready to set foot in Mason Square in Arlington, Virginia, this summer, she is eager to immerse herself in the policy landscape firsthand, as well as attending the in-person campus events she had to miss while studying from overseas.

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Wargame Prepares Students for the Next International Security Crisis

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 20:07:18 +0000

Wargame Prepares Students for the Next International Security Crisis Andrew J Schappert Mon, 02/03/2025 - 15:07

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“When we decided to close the Suez Canal, everyone else in the room had to change their plans, especially the United States.”

911�� alum Jerad Harper (far left), an associate professor at the U.S. Army War College, leads students in the Middle East crisis simulation. Photo provided

So commented one Schar School of Policy and Government student who represented Egypt during a Middle East crisis simulation hosted by 911��’s Center for Security Policy Studies (CSPS).

One year after the beginning of fighting in Gaza, CSPS trained students to anticipate the next crisis and how countries might respond. This simulation, which took the form of a daylong matrix board game, was part of an annual series held by the Schar School, including a defense and security research forum and a Gettysburg battlefield tour.

“We offer these ‘out of the classroom’ opportunities,” said Ellen Laipson, director of CSPS and the school’s Master of International Security program, "because they help students move from conceptual thinking and scholarly writing to actually imagining what it would be like to operate in a crisis decision-making environment.”

Ellen Laipson, director of the Schar School’s Center for Security Policy Studies

Reflecting on her extensive career, which includes time as vice chair of the National Intelligence Council and on the staff of the National Security Council, Laipson believes that these simulations can help participants better understand what careers suit them.

“Some people are more suited to being the analyst, with deep knowledge of different world regions, or of specific political and military issues,” she said. “Others enjoy the ‘gaming’ of weighing different policy options; those who think more in terms of ‘now what do we do?’”

911�� alumni Lee Roberts, PhD Political Science ‘22, an adjunct professor and U.S. Army strategic intelligence officer, and Jerad Harper, PhD Political Science ‘20, an associate professor at the U.S. Army War College, led the simulation in which three years had passed since the fighting in Gaza and Lebanon ended in a ceasefire. They painted a picture in which the new leadership of Fatah and Hamas had formed a united front against Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and were demanding a full withdrawal to the 1967 “Green Line.” Students were then divided into eight teams representing the United States, the European Union, Israel, Iran, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, and given packets describing their countries’ respective goals and interests.

Meredith Hutchens, CSPS fellow and international security master’s student, helped facilitate the simulation.

"Designing and facilitating exercises like this gives us an opportunity to merge our experience as practitioners with the curriculum," said Roberts. "Seminar discussion is great, but it can't really recreate the pressure of prioritizing limited resources, options, and time against multiple urgent challenges. We compress that sensation as best we can into the game and the students report that it makes the concepts much more tangible to them."

During the simulation, each team took turns during which they could take any action incorporating one of the “instruments of national power” identified by the Defense Department’s DIME framework (i.e., diplomatic, informational, military, or economic). They then had to defend the viability of their preferred action. Every other team was given the option of either arguing in favor of or against that action's chances of success. The adjudicator—Roberts or Harper—then used dice to determine whether that team was successful. The relative strength of the arguments for and against the proposed action determined the threshold that the dice roll must reach for the action to be successful.

“It's really great to see how quickly people get into their roles,” said Meredith Hutchens, a CSPS fellow and international security master’s student. “Most people are not timid about stepping into the role, regardless of which country they’ve been assigned.”

As a CSPS fellow, Hutchens volunteered to help facilitate the simulation and was able to observe how her peers navigated the scenario. She was especially intrigued by the negotiations that took place as groups of teams sought to coordinate their actions to achieve common goals and outmaneuver other groups.

“Your decision and your actions can have a lot of consequences, and if you choose to leave someone out of your action plan, that really impacts the game,” she said.

The Schar School’s security studies graduate programs are ranked No. 4 by U.S. News & World Report and include degrees in biodefense and international security as well as a national security track in the master of public policy program and an emergency management and homeland security concentration in the master of public administration program.

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Schar School Adjunct Professor Lee Roberts is ‘Teacher of Distinction’

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 19:22:09 +0000

Schar School Adjunct Professor Lee Roberts is ‘Teacher of Distinction’ Andrew J Schappert Thu, 08/15/2024 - 15:22

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Schar School of Policy and Government adjunct professor Lee Roberts was recognized as a 2024 Teacher of Distinction by 911��’s Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning. Roberts is a U.S. Army strategic intelligence officer in his 17th year of active-duty service.

Schar School adjunct professor Lee Roberts receives his Teacher of Distinction award from E. Shelley Reid, executive director of engaged teaching at 911��’s Stearns Center. Photo by John Boal Photography.

The Stearns Center, which promotes and develops innovation in teaching among the university’s faculty, recognizes Teachers of Distinction as those who have been finalists for Teaching Excellence Awards and are known for their commitment to teaching and teaching-related activities.

As an active practitioner in the field, it’s important to Roberts that the subject of international security—I-SEC—is taught the right way.

“First and foremost, students in the [Schar School’s] I-SEC program are talented, driven, and conscientious future—and in some cases current—practitioners whom it is my privilege to work with,” he said. “I want to do everything I can to help them clear a path into this professional field whether as a government servant or in an adjacent field such as think-tank analysis or security journalism.”

Roberts, who has been teaching at the Schar School since 2018, is assigned to the Joint Staff from the Defense Intelligence Agency and works in the Pentagon, located not far from the Schar School’s Mason Square Campus. That proximity allowed him to earn a master’s degree in international security in 2017—he was also a fellow at the Center for Security Policy Studies—and a PhD in political science in 2022.

His academic pursuits, as well as his teaching, inform his profession.

“Essentially, I direct the design and delivery of joint studies into future military intelligence capabilities that establish the requirements used by armed services, defense agencies, and the defense industry to develop and build those capabilities,” he said. “I primarily focus five to 15 years in the future, and I really love my job—it makes excellent use of the educational experience I got at the Schar School.

“By keeping a foot in both worlds, I am able to help students realize their goals, and students’ fresh perspectives and the seminar content from the classes helps me to be a better practitioner.”

While receiving the Stearns Center’s Teacher of Distinction recognition is gratifying, it’s the success of his students that Roberts finds truly rewarding.

“I have on multiple occasions run into recent alumni in the halls of U.S. government agencies implementing America's intelligence, national security, and foreign policy priorities, and I cannot adequately describe the pride I feel in having played even a small part in their journey,” he said.

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Graduating Schar School Student Carter N. Coudriet Envisions a Pathway that Does Not Yet Exist

Andrew J Schappert — Tue, 12 Dec 2023 18:23:49 +0000

Graduating Schar School Student Carter N. Coudriet Envisions a Pathway that Does Not Yet Exist Andrew J Schappert Tue, 12/12/2023 - 13:23

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Kenneth A. Reinert

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Carter N. Coudriet enjoyed collaborating with multiple faculty members as a graduate student in the Master of Global Commerce and Policy program.

As Carter N. Coudriet readily points out, his “dream job probably doesn’t exist yet.” But that does not mean that he does not have an excellent job, one that he doubts he would have gotten were it not for his time at the Schar School of Policy and Government at 911��.

Coudriet, who graduates in December with a master’s degree in global commerce and policy, works as an export compliance specialist in the Bureau of Industry and Security at the Department of Commerce. In his role, he helps to ensure that dual-use items—those that have both commercial and security applications—are being utilized by other nations in a way that does not pose a security threat to the United States. His position directly builds on his work at the Schar School, where he studied the security implications of international trade.

Coudriet chose the Schar School because he wanted to study how trade fits in with security. He says security is as much about microchips, supply chains, and sanctions as it is about missiles and conventional weapons. The Global Commerce and Policy program offered an ideal setting for discussing and challenging the limitations of hard power and of free trade.

“I brought to my classes a security-minded skepticism of pure free-trade discussions,” he said. “The United States is clearly a beneficiary of global trade, and protecting global trade sometimes requires more aggressive tactics to ensure that others adhere to international rules and norms.”

Coudriet worked closely with a diverse array of faculty to further his intellectual framework. His academic career has a natural arc, in which various activities seamlessly grew and led to additional opportunities. After writing a brief in his Intelligence Analysis Class taught by Professor Ellen Laipson and Distinguished Visiting Professor Michael Morell, Coudriet continued to work with Morell to revise the piece and get it published in The Cipher Brief. Throughout this collaboration, Coudriet was astounded by the amount of time that a two-time former acting director of the Central intelligence Agency was willing to give to a graduate student and by how seriously Morell took his ideas. For her part, Laipson, the former vice chair of the National Intelligence Council, added Coudriet as a Student Fellow at the Schar School’s Center for Security Policy Studies (CSPS). As a fellow, he helped organize CSPS’s fall 2022 symposium on the Arctic.

At the macro level, Laipson valued the energy and passion that Coudriet brought to the conference; more tangibly, she valued his suggestions for speakers and panels. At the symposium, Coudriet asked a question of one of the panelists, on human capital development in the Arctic, which then became the basis of an independent study he undertook with Professor Ken Reinert. Reinert has offered to work with Coudriet to try to publish the paper that came out of the semester-long project.

“His research skills are fantastic, and he applies these in creative ways to help us better understand the human elements in the growth and development of the Arctic,” Reinert said of Coudriet.

All of this leads back to the aforementioned perfect job. For Coudriet, that would be at the Arctic-focused nexus of trade and national security. He is fascinated by the extent to which this region can emerge as more than a hub for natural gas and minerals and ultimately develop an economy and trade centered around human creativity and entrepreneurialism. Such a move could have significant geopolitical ramifications, including potentially weakening the relative influence of Russia and increasing that of the seven market economies that already have a substantial footprint in the Arctic. Many have focused on the shipping routes to the Arctic that will emerge as the ice in the region continues to melt; others have focused on Russia’s collaboration with China to build liquified natural gas production facilities.

Coudriet has so enjoyed working with Schar School faculty to examine the security implications of this trade and economic arms race that he hopes to continue collaborative research on the Arctic postgraduation. Wherever his intellectual fascination leads him professionally, he says has been given a “gift” of an extraordinary education.

“One in which my professors taught me that I could have a career thinking about the kinds of things that I think about,” he said.

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Schar School Students Spend a Day Solving a Crisis in the Baltics. (Don’t Worry, It Was a Simulation.)

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 26 Oct 2022 13:48:10 +0000

Schar School Students Spend a Day Solving a Crisis in the Baltics. (Don’t Worry, It Was a Simulation.) Andrew J Schappert Wed, 10/26/2022 - 09:48

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Joel Hillison, director of national security policy and strategy at the Army War College, listens in as Team USA discusses proposed action during Game 2 of the simulation. Photos by Kim Talley

Dangerous turmoil brews in an Estonian separatist state, one supported by an aggressive Russian minority in the region. Surrounding nations are concerned about an outbreak of conflict, but what’s the best way to respond while ensuring individual rights, defending democracy, dealing with a refugee crisis, and protecting the energy grid?

That was the fictional situation facing about 45 participants in an October Baltics 2028 Simulation hosted by the Schar School’s Center for Security Policy Studies and facilitated by members of the U.S. Army War College. The daylong event challenged participants to apply their knowledge of foreign policy and strategy in an effort to thwart—or at least predict—possible outcomes of a realistic crisis.

It may have looked like an elaborate board game, but the perceived danger was realistic and the correct decisions were vital, said participants.

“It was very insightful and I learned a lot about collaborative decision-making and strategy during a geopolitical crisis,” said Master of International Security student Sebastian Evans. “I highly recommend Schar School students to attend simulations in the future. An excellent event and I am very glad I attended.”

The Baltics 2028 Simulation map.

Jerad Harper, an instructor and director of regional studies at the Army War College, discusses implications of a participant’s state’s move in Game 1 of the simulation.

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Symposium: The Arctic and International Security

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 24 Oct 2022 14:39:47 +0000

Symposium: The Arctic and International Security Andrew J Schappert Mon, 10/24/2022 - 10:39

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When one thinks about the Arctic, what comes to mind is a cold and faraway world. But in fact, the Arctic has gotten hotter—not just temperature-wise (blame climate change) but also politically, environmentally, economically, and in matters of national security.

The Center for Security Policy Studies (CSPS) at the Schar School of Policy and Government will examine each of these topics during the Fifth Annual Symposium on International Security, held at 911��’s Mason Square in Arlington, Virginia, on Thursday, October 27, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The event is open to all; lunch will be provided. Registration is required at this site.

CSPS director Ellen Laipson, who also leads the Schar School’s international security program, explains how the changes in the Arctic will affect the economy, the demographic, and security at large.

“The rules of the Arctic will have to be reset,” she said. “It will have economic ramifications and national security implications” as the region’s previously unnavigable polar seas become viable.

The symposium will present three panel discussions and a lunch-break conversation. Panelists include experts in the fields of climate change, national security, economics, and other relevant topics. Perhaps most important, they will bring into focus why the world should be concerned.

The three panel discussions are:

How the Arctic Is Changing: Environment, Geography, and Governance

Panelists:

Erin Sikorsky, Schar School faculty member and director of the Center for Climate and Security
Marisol Maddox, Polar Institute of the Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars
Eugenie Punitcherska, Embassy of Canada

Moderator:

Schar School Associate Professor Todd Laporte

International Economic Dimensions of the Arctic

Panelists:

Lawson Brigham, University of Alaska Fairbanks and Polar Institute of the Wilson Center
Richard Kauzlarich, Schar School Distinguished Visiting Professor
Lucy Duncan, Safe Ports

Moderator:

Schar School Associate Professor Ken Reinert

The International Security Picture

Panelists:

Dave Auerswald, National War College
Doyle Hodges, Texas National Security Review
Rebecca Pincus, Polar Institute of the Wilson Center

Moderator:

Schar School Professor Ellen Laipson

Schar School Professor Mark N. Katz and Russia expert Andrey Toporov will discuss the Arctic and the U.S.-Russian relations during a lunchtime conversation.

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