Our next Biodefense Policy Seminar is this Thursday! The Biodefense Policy Seminar is  the D.C. area’s premiere speaker series focused on biodefense and biosecurity issues. The monthly seminars – free and open to the public – feature leading figures within the academic, security, industry, and policy fields of biodefense.

This Thursday’s seminar, “Health Threats in a Security World”, features Dr. Alexander Garza,  Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs and Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Homeland Security. Join us at 7:20 PM in the Meese Conference Room in Mason Hall, Thursday April 18th!

Monday, April 15th

North Korea and Policy Priorities for the United States
Brookings Institute
10:00AM – 11:30AM

On April 15, Foreign Policy at Brookings will host a discussion on the policy priorities for the United States in dealing with North Korea during and after the current crisis. Brookings experts will debate the threat to the United States and its allies and analyze steps that the United States can take to mitigate the danger, including sanctions, engaging allies and neighbors in the region, nonproliferation efforts and, if necessary, responding to aggressive actions by North Korea.

The Future of the U.S. Nuclear Deterrent: A Conversation with Amb. Linton Brooks
American Security Project
12:30PM – 1:30PM

The future form of today’s U.S. deterrent could change. Many call for reducing the number of nuclear weapons in the U.S. arsenal while plans for the future triad are in flux. 2013 could be a critical year for many of these issues. Join us for a conversation with Linton Brooks, Ambassador and former Administrator for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). Linton F. Brooks is an independent consultant on national security issues, a senior adviser at CSIS, a distinguished research fellow at the National Defense University, and an advisor to four of the U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories.

Tuesday, April 16th

The Syrian Conflict: Challenges & Opportunities for WMD Counterproliferation
Georgetown Law
12:00PM – 1:00PM

Public symposium and panel lecture on Syrian weapons of mass destruction.

Foreign Policy Panel Series: “Are North Korea’s Threats of War Real?”
World Affairs Council
6:30PM – 8:00PM

The recent threats of war by North Korea’s Kim Jong-un have caused serious alarm in the international community and tensions to rise on the Korean peninsula. This is not the first time such threats have been made. Should they be taken seriously, or are they part of a pattern of diplomatic strategy? How real is the threat of war from North Korea?

Wednesday, April 17th

‘Avoiding Armageddon: America, India, Pakistan, to the Brink and Back’
Hudson Institute
12:00PM – 2:00PM

Long-term stability in South Asia is critical to American national security. In the last 20 years, successive U.S. administrations have diplomatically intervened to keep tensions between the nuclear-armed nations of India and Pakistan from escalating into full-scale war. Moving forward, the health of the relationship between New Delhi and Islamabad will determine whether the region has a future of general stability and peace or chronic conflict. In light of this, Hudson Institute is pleased to invite you to a discussion between Senior Fellow and former Ambassador of Pakistan to the U.S. Husain Haqqani and Bruce Riedel, a Brookings Institution scholar and author of Avoiding Armageddon: America, India, and Pakistan to the Brink and Back. Lunch will be served.

Strategic Options for Iran: Balancing Pressure with Diplomacy
Woodrow Wilson Center
12:15 – 2:00PM

Former senior national security officials, military officers and experts with decades of Middle East experience have joined to present a balanced report on the strategic options for dealing with Iran. Moving the debate past politics and unexamined assumptions they argue that the time has come for Washington to strengthen the diplomatic track in the two track policy of pressure and diplomacy that has characterized current U.S. policy.

Public Presentation with Nils Daulaire, Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Americas Society/Council of the Americas
3:15PM – 4:30PM

Please join the Council of the Americas for a public, on-the-record presentation by Dr. Nils Daulaire, assistant secretary for global affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. With vast experience in public health in the world’s poorest communities, Daulaire will outline the United States’ health priorities in the hemisphere and highlight several key initiatives that are improving health in the region. Prior to his appointment at HHS in 2010, Daulaire served for more than a decade as president and CEO of the Global Health Council and as deputy assistant administrator for policy and senior international health advisor at USAID.

Thursday, April 18th

National Security & Foreign Policy Priorities in the FY 2014 International Affairs Budget
U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations (Senate Dirksen 562)
9:30 AM

Witnesses: The Honorable John F. Kerry, Secretary of State, U.S. Department of State

Disaster Risk Reduction and Conflict Prevention
US Institute of Peace
1:00PM – 3:00PM

As the United Nations debates a new set of development priorities for the post-2015 revision of its Millennium Development Goals, USIP’s Center of Innovation for Science, Technology & Peacebuilding and the National Academy of Engineering jointly invite you to a discussion of the new challenges for peacebuilders presented by the interplay of these “natural” and political risks.

Health Threats in a Security World
Meese Conference Room, Mason Hall, George Mason University
7:20PM – 8:30PM

As the second speaker in the Biodefense Policy Seminar series, Dr. Alexander Garza will discuss emerging health threats in his capacity as the assistant secretary for health affairs and chief medical officer of the Department of Homeland Security. His bio includes managing the Department’s medical and health security matters, oversees the health aspects of contingency planning for all chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear hazards, and leads a coordinated effort to ensure that the Department is prepared to respond to biological and chemical weapons of mass destruction. Prior to joining the Department in August 2009, Dr. Garza spent 13 years as a practicing physician and medical educator.

Friday, April 19th

Nukes, Missiles, and Feints: The Real Deal on Iran and North Korea
Center for National Policy
9:30AM – 10:45AM

The rhetoric from North Korea has become increasingly hostile. Last Friday, April 12th, the country warned that “nuclear war is unavoidable” and declared that Tokyo would be its first target in the event of a war on the Korean Peninsula. This statement is just the latest in an escalating war of words and rising tensions between North Korean officials and the U.S. Join Truman Project President, just back from Japan, Rachel Kleinfeld and an expert panel as they discuss the current situation in North Korea, how the situation differs from that of Iran, and how we can better understand Asian hard security and the nuclear challenge.

Roundup of the week’s most interesting (and free) international security, science & technology, and health events.

Tuesday, April 2nd

Middle East Turmoil and American Decline: Views from Singapore and Asia
Middle East Institute
12:00PM – 1:00PM

The relationships between the Middle East and maritime Asia are becoming ever more extensive. Against the backdrop of this deepening cross-regional interdependence with Asian economies and middle classes expanding rapidly, the Arab Middle East is grappling with profound political changes and challenges, and the United States is engaged in strategic “rebalancing.” Dr. Michael Hudson will discuss how the political upheaval in the Middle East and US involvement in the Arab world are viewed in Singapore and, more broadly, in maritime Asia.

Wednesday, April 3rd

NATO’s European Allies: Military Capability and Political Will
SAIS
10:00 – 11:30AM

At a time when Europe really has to lead in its own region, is it able to do? This is the first in-depth analysis of this key question for the transatlantic relationship. Janne Haaland Matlary, professor in the Department of Political Science at University of Oslo in Norway and co-editor of NATO’s European Allies: Military Capability and Political Will, will discuss this topic.

Russian Security and Defense Policy: Why Russia Is Not Stuck in the Cold War and Why That Is a Problem
SIAS
12:30 – 1:45PM

Celeste Wallander, associate professor and director of the International Politics Program at American University’s School of International Service and former U.S. deputy assistant secretary of Defense for Russia/Ukraine/Eurasia in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, will discuss this topic.Note: Attendees are welcome to bring their lunch to the event.

Thursday, April 4th

Mitigating the National Security Impact of Cost Cutting: How to Ensure Innovation & Development in Lean Times
Ronald Reagan Building (hosted by Government Executive)
7:30AM – 9:30AM

Ever increasing global threats coupled with the financial constraints our nation is addressing make it imperative that agencies and private sector stakeholders have the resources and path forward for a critical component to ensuring National Security. Join Nextgov and INSA on April 4th and hear from key leadership at IARPA, DIA, and the Applied Research Laboratory, Penn State University who will address these issues and more

U.S. Foreign Policy: The Next Four Years
George Washington University
6:00PM – 7:15PM

Panel discussion

Friday, April 5th

U.S. Policy Priorities for Global Health Diplomacy and Multilateral Engagement in the Second Obama Term
Center for Strategic and International Studies
10:30AM – 12:00PM

During the first Obama term, global health diplomacy took on elevated importance as a U.S. foreign policy objective. Both the Department of State and the Department of Health and Human Services appear poised to continue to raise the diplomatic profile of global health during the second Obama term. Over the next year, U.S. diplomats will be challenged to help ensure: smooth, sufficient replenishments of the GAVI Alliance, the World Bank International Development Association, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; the articulation of a robust set of goals to advance the post-2015 Millennium Development agenda; and mutually beneficial relationships with emerging powers, many of which are active global health actors. This session will feature a lively discussion with high-level officials and experts from inside and outside the U.S. government.

Don’t forget the Biodefense Policy Series inaugural lecture  is this Wednesday at 7:20PM! The seminar will feature Dr. Charles Bailey, Executive Director of the National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases. Click here for more details – we hope to see you there! 

Tuesday, March 19th

‘Setting Priorities for American Leadership: A New National Security Strategy for the U.S.’
12:30 – 2:00PM
Johns Hopkins University SAIS

Jim Goldgeier, co-chair of the Project for a United and Strong America and dean of American University’s School of International Studies; Kurt Volker, co-chair of the Project for a United and Strong America, executive director of Arizona State University’s McCain Institute for International Leadership and senior fellow at the SAIS Center for Transatlantic Relations (CTR); and Hans Binnendijk (moderator), CTR senior fellow and visiting scholar, will discuss this topic.

Wednesday, March 20th

Awareness and Impressions of Synthetic Biology: Results of the 2013 Poll
12:00 – 2:00PM
Woodrow Wilson Center

In our latest survey, conducted in January 2013, three-fourths of respondents say they have heard little or nothing about synthetic biology, a level consistent with that measured in 2010. While initial impressions about the science are largely undefined, these feelings do not necessarily become more positive as respondents learn more. The public has mixed reactions to specific synthetic biology applications, and almost one-third of respondents favor a ban on synthetic biology research until we better understand its implications and risks…Please join us Wednesday, March 20, 2013, at noon to discuss the complete results from the latest poll. A light lunch will be served beginning at 11:30 am.

Counterterrorism Policies and Priorities: Addressing the Evolving Threat
2:15PM
U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations (Senate Dirksen 419)

Witnesses include: Jane Harman (President, CEO Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars), Michael E. Leiter (Senior Counselor to the CEO, Palantir; former Director of the National Counterterrorism Center), Kenneth L. Wainstein (Partner, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP; Former Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism)

Biodefense Policy Series
7:20 PM
George Mason University (Johnson Center Meeting Room B)

Dr. Charles Bailey is the Executive Director of the National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases. He manages a Biosafety Level -3 containment laboratory and conducts translational research aimed at developing diagnostics, antiviral drugs, therapeutics and vaccines against biological threat pathogens or newly emerging infectious diseases. Prior to joining George Mason, Dr. Bailey served in the US Army for 25 years where he conducted research on arthropod borne viral diseases in the US, Southeast Asia and Africa. Dr. Bailey also served as a senior analyst with the Defense Intelligence Agency and as an analyst for the Battelle Memorial Institute.

Thursday, March 21st

Why this defense drawdown must be different for the Pentagon
9:00 AM
American Enterprise Institute

America’s military drawdown is well underway. For years, the Pentagon has been cutting capability and capacity, scaling back war plans, absorbing ever more efficiencies, canceling weapons systems, and reducing readiness in response to roughly $1 trillion in defense budget cuts before sequestration. The onset of sequestration means that this approach is no longer feasible…At this event, AEI’s Marilyn Ware Center for Security Studies will host a panel of defense experts to discuss the right and wrong ways to further cut the defense budget.

Friday, March 22nd

Phantom Menace or Looming Danger?: A New Framework for Assessing Bioweapons Threats
12:00PM – 1:30PM
Woodrow Wilson Center

This book discussion event with author Kathleen Vogel is part of an ongoing series that provides a forum for policy specialists from Congress and the Executive, business, academia, and journalism to exchange information and share perspectives on current nonproliferation issues.

The George Mason Biodefense Policy Series inaugural lecture is 7:20 PM March 20th, 2013. The event will feature Dr. Charles Bailey, Executive Director of the National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases who also manages a Biosafety Level -3 containment laboratory. For more information see here. We hope to see you there!

 Tuesday, March 12th, 2013

1. Talking to Terrorists
   12:15 – 1:45PM
   New America Foundation
   Dr. Anne Speckhard, Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Georgetown University Medical School, spent over a decade conducting research in the field and engaging terrorists in dialogue. She traveled through the West Bank and Gaza, into the prisons in Iraq, down the alleyways of the Casa Blanca slums, inside Chechnya, and into the radicalized neighborhoods of Belgium, the UK, France and the Netherlands. Please join the New America Foundation’s National Security Studies Program for a conversation with Dr. Speckhard about her experiences and the conclusions she draws in her new book, Talking to Terrorists: Understanding the Psycho-Social Motivations of Militant Jihadi Terrorists, Mass Hostage Takers, Suicide Bombers and Martyrs.
2. How Post 9/11 Antiterror Laws are Being [Used] Globally to Crush Press Freedom panel
   6:30PM
   National Press Club
   According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, a record-high 231 journalists were in prison in 2012. Of that number, at least 132 journalists were imprisoned on anti-state charges such as terrorism, treason and subversion. Notable standouts in this category include Turkey, which at present is calculated to have incarcerated at least 42 journalists and four media workers…The panel will be moderated by NPC Press Freedom Committee Vice Chair Rachel Oswald and will be followed by a question and answer session.

Wednesday, March 13th, 2013

1. Uranium is not just a Rock: The Case of Arctic Yellowcake
   9:00-10:30AM
   CSIS
   The Kvanefjeld project in Greenland is potentially the world’s fifth largest reserve of uranium. For the past 25 years, extracting uranium in Greenland has been prohibited by a ‘zero tolerance’ policy on mining radioactive elements in both Greenland and Denmark. In 2009, however, the Greenland Self-Government acquired full authority over its natural resources, a major step for the island’s development and economic independence. Today, the public debate centers not only on whether to lift the ban and allow uranium extraction as a by-product of Kvanefjeld’s massive reserves of rare earth elements, but also how to ensure a nationally-appropriate and robust regulatory body is built from scratch. CSIS and the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS) are pleased to invite you to a discussion with Cindy Vestergaard, a visiting fellow in the CSIS Proliferation Prevention Program, as we explore the challenges facing Denmark and Greenland as they consider how Greenland might become one of the world’s top five suppliers of uranium
2. Security Challenges During a Time of Transition: The 21st Century Defense Initiative’s Fourth Annual Military and Federal Fellow Research Symposium
   10:00AM – 4:00PM
   Brookings Institution
   On March 13, the 21st Century Defense Initiative at Brookings will host its fourth annual Military and Federal Fellow Research Symposium, featuring the independent research produced by the members of each military service and the federal agencies who have spent the last year serving at think tanks and universities across the nation. Organized by the fellows themselves, the symposium provides a platform for building greater awareness of the cutting-edge work that America’s military and governmental leaders are producing on key policy issues.
3. Behind the Firewall at DHS: One-on-One with Richard Spires
   11:00AM – 2:15PM
   Center for National Policy
   As a result of the recent expansion of the government’s cyber security program, CNP Fellow for Cybersecurity Jessica Herrera-Flanigan and DHS Chief Information Officer Richard Spires discuss the potential threats posed by sequestration on the DHS cyber mission, the growing importance of the cyber security field to national security and what it means for the Department of Homeland Security.

Thursday, March 14th, 2013

1. Strategy, Not Math: The Emerging Consensus on National Security in an Era of Austerity
   12:00PM
   CATO Institute
   In November 2010 Secretary of Defense Robert Gates complained that the military cuts outlined by the Bowles-Simpson Deficit Reduction Commission were exercises in math, not strategy. Since then, a number of high-profile studies have done the opposite: they have focused on revising the Pentagons roles and missions following the end of the war in Iraq and ongoing troop reductions in Afghanistan, and documented the savings that might result from a change in strategy. The authors of three recent studies will discuss and compare their major recommendations. Although these reports differ on the military’s core missions and the force structure those missions may require, they agree that change is needed. Wise strategists must recognize the new fiscal reality and decide to adapt before hard choices are forced upon them.
2. How Americas War on Terror became a Global War on Tribal Islam
   3:00-5:00PM
   Brookings Institution
   Brookings Nonresident Senior Fellow Akbar Ahmed-the Ibn Khaldun chair of Islamic Studies at American University and former Pakistani high commissioner to the United Kingdom- examines the tribal societies on the borders between nations who are the drones’ primary victims. He provides a fresh and unprecedented paradigm for understanding the war on terror, based in the broken relationship between these tribal societies and their central governments. Following Ahmed’s presentation, Mowahid Shah, a former Pakistani minister, and Sally Quinn, editor-in-chief of the Washington Post’s ‘On Faith,’ will join the conversation. Khalid Aziz, a leading official from Pakistan, formerly in charge of Waziristan, will offer recorded remarks via video.
3. Containing Russias Nuclear Firebirds: Harmony and Change at the International Science and Technology Center
   4:00 – 5:30PM
   Woodrow Wilson Center
   In Containing Russias Nuclear Firebirds, Glenn E. Schweitzer explores the life and legacy of the International Science and Technology Center in Moscow. He makes the case that the centers unique programs can serve as models for promoting responsible science in many countries of the world.

Fridays are pretty slow in DC. Check back next Monday for next week’s events! 

Be sure to check out GMU’s event on Thursday, “The Nexus of Crime and Terrorism”, featuring the Defense Intelligence Agency’s Director of the Defense Combating Terrorism Center.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

1. Syria in Transition: An Insider’s View
   New America Foundation
   12:15-1:30PMWhile fears of chemical weapons and of an impending “failed state” dominate discussions on Syria, a narrative is being largely lost: civil leaders inside Syria who are taking matters into their own hands. Please join the New America Foundation’s Middle East Task Force for a conversation with Mohammed A. Ghanem, senior political advisor at the Syrian American Council, who has just returned from Syria. Ghanem will discuss how Syrian civilians are creating a government of their own and how this movement may impact the country’s future.
   RSVP on the event website.
2. Afghanistan: Endgame or Persisting Challenge with Continuing Stakes?
   Brookings Institution
   2:00 – 3:00PMOn December 11, Foreign Policy at Brookings will host the launch of a new book, Aspiration and Ambivalence: Strategies and Realities of Counterinsurgency and State-Building in Afghanistan (Brookings, 2012), by Brookings Fellow Vanda Felbab-Brown. Aspiration and Ambivalence analyzes the past decade of U.S. and international efforts in Afghanistan and offers detailed recommendations for dealing with the precarious situation leading up to the 2014 transition and after. In her book, Felbab-Brown argues that allied efforts in Afghanistan have put far too little emphasis on good governance, concentrating too much on short-term military goals to the detriment of long-term peace and stability. Felbab-Brown will be joined by Ronald E. Neumann, president of the American Academy of Diplomacy and former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan (2005-07). Vice President Martin S. Indyk, director of Foreign Policy, will provide introductory remarks and moderate the discussion.
   Register here.

Wednesday, December 12

1. Human Resource Development in New Nuclear Energy States
   Brookings Institution
   12:00 – 1:00PM
   On December 12, the Energy Security Initiative at Brookings will host a discussion of its latest research paper, ‘Human Resource Development in New Nuclear Energy States: Case Studies from the Middle East.’ Based on case studies from three countries in the Middle East, the paper offers a series of recommendations on human resource related risks for emerging market nations looking to enter the civil nuclear sector. Following a presentation of the report’s findings and recommendations, Senior Fellow Charles Ebinger, director of the Energy Security Initiative, will moderate a discussion with its authors.After the program, panelists will take audience questions.
   Register here.
2. 6th Annual Terrorism Conference: Implications of the Arab Spring for Insurgencies, the Jihadist Movement and al-Qaeda
   PAY-TO-ATTEND ($115)
   The Jamestown Foundation
   8:30AM – 4:15PM
   
   Panels include “The Periphery and the Core: The Evolution of AQ and Its Affiliates”, “The Syrian Uprising: Militant Magnet and Regional Reactions,” and “AQ Affiliates and Jihadist Strategies: From North Africa to the Sahel,” with concluding remarks by GMU Adjunct Faculty General Michael Hayden.
   Purchase tickets here.

Thursday, December 13

1. Missile Defenses and American Security
   American Foreign Policy Council
   9:00AM – 12:30PMFor three decades, the American Foreign Policy Council (AFPC) has played an important role in the U.S. foreign policy debate. Founded in 1982, AFPC is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing information to those who make or influence the foreign policy of the United States. AFPC is widely recognized as a source of timely, insightful analysis on issues of foreign policy, and works closely with members of Congress, the Executive Branch and the policymaking community. It is staffed by noted specialists in foreign and defense policy, and serves as a valuable resource to officials in the highest levels of government.
   RSVP to  events@afpc.org 

2. The Nexus of Crime and Terrorism: New Security Challenges in the 21st Century
   George Mason University Arlington Campus
   12:00- 2:00PMGeorge Mason University’s Terrorism, Transnational Crime, and Corruption center  will host a talk by David M. Cattler, director of the Defense Combating Terrorism Center (DCTC) at the Defense Intelligence Agency. Please call TraCCC at 703-993-9757 or e-mail traccc@gmu.edu to secure a seat.
3. Toward More Effective Disaster Philanthropy
   Center for Strategic and International Affairs
   5:00-8:00PMFollowing a natural disaster, philanthropy plays a vital role in aiding affected communities and can have an equally critical role in building long term community resilience. As private entities, philanthropists can operate with flexibility across sectors and creativity that generates unique contributions across the lifecycle of disasters—from preparedness to recovery. Please join CSIS and the Irene W. and C.B. Pennington Foundation for an on-the-record panel discussion exploring how to move toward more effective disaster philanthropy.
   RSVP here.
4. Export Controls Reform
   PAY-TO-ATTEND ($35 non-members)
   Washington International Trade Association
   8:30-10:30AM
   Many believe the current U.S. export control system, although crucial, has become a multi-layer unwieldy behemoth that no longer serves the national security of the United States. The cornerstone of the on-going Export Control Reform Initiative is to overhaul the control lists. Our expert panel will focus on the progress of revising the two control lists, the national security benefits of clearer control lists, the proposed structure of the revised United States Munitions List and the Commerce Control List, and the engagement and role of the Congressional oversight committees. The panel will also discuss the Export Control Reform Initiative’s prospects for the ultimate objectives of the ‘four singularities’: single licensing agency, single control list, single IT platform, and single primary export enforcement department.
   Register here (by COB Wednesday, December 12)

Friday, December 14

1. Egypt on the Brink (Again)
   Washington Institute for Near East Policy
   12:00-2:00PM
   Nearly two years after throngs filled downtown Cairo to demand the ouster of Hosni Mubarak, tens of thousands are back demanding the ouster of his elected successor, Muhammad Morsi. For the ruling Islamists, winning the planned December 15 national referendum on a new constitution would be the turning point that ends the current crisis; for their opponents, the hastily scheduled referendum only stokes more fury at a democratic transition gone terribly awry.To discuss the fast-moving events in Egypt and their implications for U.S. policy and regional security, The Washington Institute will host a Policy Forum luncheon with Steven Cook, Shalom Cohen, and Eric Trager.
   Request an invitation, watch the live webcast, or follow on twitter.

Monday, December 17

1. The World in 2013 – Admiral Mike Mullen and Jessica Mathews
   Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
   12:30-2:00PMHow will President Obama use American power in 2013? Will the United States ever restore its fiscal health? And how can Obama ensure the U.S. rebalance toward Asia succeeds?Join us for an in-depth conversation between Admiral Mike Mullen and Carnegie’s Jessica T. Mathews as they discuss the foreign policy landscape confronting the president in 2013.
   Register to attend here.

Tuesday, December 4

1. Security Challenges for Europe: Missile Defense, Nuclear Weapons and Conventional Weapons
   Johns Hopkins SAIS
   8:45AM- 1:00PM

   Policymakers and scholars will discuss this topic during two separate panels. Note: The comments of Brad Roberts, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of Defense, will be not for attribution.
   RSVP here.

2. Countering Online Radicalization in America
   Bipartisan Policy Center
   10:00 – 11:00AM

   From Al Qaeda to white supremacists, the internet plays an increasingly important role in radicalizing homegrown and domestic terrorists. BPC’s Homeland Security Project will release its latest report, Countering Online Radicalization in America, which explains how online radicalization works and what needs to be done to counter it. Based on extensive research and dozens of interviews with experts and policymakers, it sets out a balanced and practical approach, which respects American values while protecting the homeland from terrorism. The co-chairs will outline their conclusions, and a panel discussion will follow.
   Register here.

3. ‘Innovation Economics’ at the Center for Science and Technology Policy
   GMU Center for Science and Technology Policy & Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
   12:00-1:15PM

   Rob Atkinson will be hosting an event on Innovation Economics: The Race for Global Advantage at George Mason University’s Center for Science and Technology Policy (School of Public Policy), as part of the monthly seminar series that explores new ideas and work-in-progress with the Washington-area research community. It’s open and free to all interested researchers with a special invitation extended to graduate students.
   RSVP to David Hart atdhart@gmu.edu 

Wednesday, December 5

1. The Next Phase of Hiring Reform at DoD: Innovative Strategies for Finding Top Talent
   National Press Club
   7:30-10:00AMHiring reform officially took flight in 2010 and strides have been made by defense and civilian agencies alike in reducing time to hire. Job announcements have become more concise and the federal government is becoming more applicant friendly. The next phase of hiring reform will have to go beyond these advancements to focus on candidates themselves – how to attract the best and brightest and how to select them from huge candidate pools.
   RSVP here.
2. 2012 Defense Forum Washington: The Fiscal Cliff
   ($15 USNI Member/Government/Non-Profit, $25 Attendee)
   United States Navy Memorial & Naval Heritage CenterThe Fiscal Cliff: what does this mean for defense and national security?
   Register here.
3. The Price of Freedom Denied: Religious Conflict in the 21st Century
   Johns Hopkins SAIS
   12:00 – 2:00PMBrian Grim, senior researcher and director of cross-national data at the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life, will discuss this topic.
   RSVP to slee255@jhu.edu.
4. The Last Refuge: Yemen, Al-Qaeda, and America’s War in Arabia
   New America Foundation
   12:15-1:45 PMOver the past few years, U.S. counterterrorism officials have frequently highlighted the blows America has dealt to al-Qaeda, especially those to its central command in Pakistan and Afghanistan. But officials also continue to warn about the persistent threat posed by al-Qaeda affiliates and sympathizers that have flourished in places such as Yemen and North Africa. Gregory Johnsen, a Ph.D. candidate at Princeton and one of the preeminent scholars of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, examines the organization’s last strongholds in his new book The Last Refuge: Yemen, Al-Qaeda, and America’s War in Arabia. In a recent piece for the New York Review of Books, Robert Worth called Johnsen’s book, “an authoritative and deftly written account of al-Qaeda’s Yemeni incarnation.” Please join the New America Foundation’s National Security Studies Program for a conversation with Gregory Johnsen about The Last Refuge and the future of U.S. efforts to counter the violent ideology espoused by al-Qaeda supporters in Yemen.
   RSVP on at the website.
5. National Security in an Era of Global Upheaval
   American Security Project
   12:30 – 1:30PM
   A conversation with National Journal Senior Correspondent James Kitfield to discuss politics, defense, and national security. Topics of discussion will include the following questions: What does a period of reset and retrenchment looks like for a superpower feeling overextended?What should America focus on, and what are the major challenges to our national security?
   RSVP to events@americansecurityproject.org.
6. What Can Data Tell Us About Trends in Terrorism?
   New America Foundation
   3:00 – 4:ooPMThe first-ever Global Terrorism Index (GTI) provides a metric for policymakers to track terrorism and its related factors in order to inform a practical debate about the future of terrorism. It presents a new methodology to assess the countries which have been most impacted by terrorism and highlights the countries that have seen the largest growth and reduction in terrorism activity over the last 10 years.
   Register here.
7. An Evening with the Palestinian Ambassador
   George Mason University – Arlington Campus
   7:30PM – 9:00PMPlease join the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution as we welcome Palestinian Ambassador Areikat to come and speak to the S-CAR and Mason Community at the Arlington Campus. CRDC’s Co-Executive Director, Aziz Abu Sarah, will introduce the Ambassador, and Dr. Jamil Shami, President for the Middle East in Higher Education, Inc., will moderate the event.
   RSVP to  crdc@gmu.edu.

Thursday, December 6

1. Transatlantic Risk Governance: New Security Risks
   Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
   9:00AM – 4:00PMBringing together an interdisciplinary group of scholars and experts from Germany and the United States, this workshop examines several new security risks in the transatlantic context. The workshop is part of a project on “New Systemic Risks: Challenges and Opportunities for Transatlantic Cooperation,” which examines the chances and impediments for transatlantic risk management. After analyzing economic and resource risks at workshops over the summer, this workshop focuses on new emerging challenges, such as geoengineering, space and cyber security, as well as unknown risks.
   Register here.

Friday, December 7

1. Whither U.S. and EU Farm Policy?
   Johns Hopkins SAIS
   12:00 – 3:00PMTassos Haniotis, director of economic analysis, perspectives and evaluations, and director-general of agriculture and rural development at the European Commission, and Joe Glauber, chief economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will discuss this topic.
   RSVP to saisag@jhu.edu.

Homeland Security turns 10, lots of think tanks celebrate. Also featured are our nuclear policy and food security plans.

Tuesday, November 27

1. The Price of Greatness: The Next Four Years
   Foreign Policy Initiative Forum
   8:00 – 4:30 PM
   The Foreign Policy Initiative (FPI) invites you to its 2012 Forum to be held on Tuesday, November 27th, at the Newseum’s Knight Conference Center, where Members of Congress, foreign dissidents, and leading policy experts will discuss “The Price of Greatness: The Next Four Years of U.S. Foreign Policy.”No registration fee. RSVP here.
2. Less Is Better: Nuclear Restraint at Low Numbers
   Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
   3:30 -6:00 PM
   In his recent paper Less Is Better: Nuclear Restraint at Low Numbers, funded by the Nuclear Threat Initiative, Malcolm Chalmers explores the steps that other nuclear-armed states would need to take to enable progress to low numbers. Please join the Carnegie Nuclear Policy Program and the Nuclear Threat Initiative for a discussion of the paper’s key findings with a reception to follow. Joan Rohlfing will deliver opening remarks. James Acton will moderate.
   Register here.

Wednesday, November 28

1. Evaluating Current U.S. Global Food Security Efforts and Determining Future U.S. Leadership Opportunities
   U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
   10:00 AM
   Witnesses from USAID, Oxfam America, Catholic Relief Services, and Global Agricultural Development Initiative – the Chicago Council on Global Affairs
2. Homeland Security: A Look Back and Ahead
   Center for Strategic & International Studies
   10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
   Please join HSPI and CSIS for a discussion featuring Senator Joseph Lieberman, Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Senator Lieberman will look back and ahead, addressing key past events as well as homeland security challenges for the future.
   RSVP here.
3. Department of Homeland Security at 10: Past, Present, and Future
   Open Society Foundation
   12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
   On November 25, 2002, then President George W. Bush signed the Homeland Security Act, which established the Department of Homeland Security and called for the largest federal government reorganization since the creation of the Department of Defense in 1947. On Wednesday, November 28, join the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy and the Open Society Foundations for a panel discussion covering a decade of DHS accomplishments, successes, failures, and controversies, as well as suggested national security policies looking forward.
   RSVP here.

Thursday, November 29

1. Nuclear Statecraft: History and Strategy in America’s Atomic Age
   Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
   3:30PM – 5:00PM
   We are at a critical juncture in world politics. Nuclear strategy and policy have risen to the top of the global policy agenda, and issues ranging from a nuclear Iran to the global zero movement are generating sharp debate. The historical origins of our contemporary nuclear world are deeply consequential for contemporary policy, but it is crucial that decisions are made on the basis of fact rather than myth and misapprehension. In Nuclear Statecraft, Francis J. Gavin challenges key elements of the widely accepted narrative about the history of the atomic age and the consequences of the nuclear revolution.
   RSVP here.

Friday, November 30

1. Inside Syria
   New America Foundation
   12:15-1:45PM
   Please join the New America Foundation’s National Security Studies Program for a discussion with award-winning war reporter Janine Di Giovanni about her experiences inside Syria. Di Giovanni, whose on-the-ground reporting on the war was recently featured in The New York Times, Granta and Newsweek, is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair, has won five major journalistic awards, was one of the only reporters to witness the fall of Grozny, Chechnya, and has written five books, the last of which recently won Memoir of the Year in Britain.
   RSVP here.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Contract Spending and the Supporting Industrial Base
8:00AM – 9:30AM
CSIS

The Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group is releasing a report on contracting by the Department of Homeland Security and on the industrial base that supports it. The report covers the years 2004 to 2011 and analyzes top-line DHS contract spending on products, services, and research and development as well as spending across six key components: the US Coast Guard, the Transportation Security Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Office of Procurement Operations. In addition, the brief analyzes trends in the types of contracts awarded, the funding mechanisms used, the level of competition, the top 20 contractors and the shares that small, medium, and large companies have accounted for in the homeland security market.

This session is on the record and will be webcast. Copies of the report will be made available at the event and will be posted online. A light breakfast will be served.

RSVP here.

Conditions for Progress: Strengthening America’s Health Care Ecosystem
Newseum
8:00AM – 10:30 AM

Health care represents nearly 18 percent of the nation’s GDP, and produces significant macroeconomic drivers such as innovation, R&D, and millions of jobs over the long term. Such a significant part of our economy, not to mention our individual and collective health, must be understood in the context of an interconnected system facing significant challenges that are not limited to any one sector. Changes in policy in the coming years that impact one area in the health care ecosystem can have effects across the spectrum of care delivery, patient outcomes, and medical progress. Join National Journal for a discussion on the state of the health care ecosystem, the connections between the numerous issues that lie ahead, the consequences of policy and business decisions, and the innovative solutions that can help strengthen the ecosystem for the

RSVP here.

Yemen and the Fight Against a Resurgent al Qaeda
Brookings Institution
10:00 – 11:30 AM

Rife with political turmoil, Yemen has proven fertile ground for al Qaeda-linked groups in the post 9/11 era. Until the beginning of 2012, the United States cooperated with the regime of Ali Abdullah Saleh, but his departure—orchestrated with U.S. support—raises questions for future counterterrorism cooperation. How much ground has al Qaeda gained in Yemen despite setbacks in Pakistan? Can the United States effectively manage events in Yemen without becoming entangled in another costly ground war?

RSVP here.

Wednesday, November 14

Impact of Sequestration to Federal R&D
American Association for the Advancement of Science
12:00-1:30PM

This Capitol Hill luncheon briefing, hosted by the AAAS Office of Government Relations in conjunction with the House Research & Development Caucus, reviews the potential budgetary impacts of sequestration on federal science agencies, and identify what these cuts might mean for researchers at the cutting edge.

Comprehensive Conflict Management in Euro-Atlantic Security
American Institute for Contemporary German Studies
12:00-1:30PM

The need for the so-called ‘Comprehensive Approach’ has been acknowledged by international actors such as the US and the EU. This approach aims at bridging institutional and policy gaps in international conflict management and at improving conflict management coherence.

RSVP here.

Cybersecurity Priorities: Looking Forward to the Upcoming Administration
Homeland Security Policy Institute
3:30-5:00PM

Join The George Washington University Cybersecurity Initiative on Wednesday, November 14th for an inaugural event featuring former Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Mike Rogers, and Chairman of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations and Management Michael McCaul. Through this event we aim to continue the dialogue on how best to address our nation’s cyber vulnerabilities and help to frame the cyber priorities for the next administration.

Register here.

Foreign Affairs Symposium
Institute of World Politics
4:00PM – 5:30PM

Topics include: the American Worldview; Geopolitics of the Moment; Russia, Central Europe, and the Intermarium; China and the U.S.

RSVP to kbridges@iwp.edu.

Thursday, November 15

The Role of Sport in Natural Disaster Recovery: The Case of Christchurch, New Zealand
Georgetown School of Foreign Service
12:00 – 1:30PM

Dr Thorpe will present findings from one of the first in-depth studies examining the role of sport and physical activity in the resilience and recovery of individuals and communities affected by a natural disaster. Drawing upon interviews conducted with ‘lifestyle sport’ participants living in Christchurch before, during and after the devastating February 2011 earthquake, and engaging Henri Lefebvre’s theory of rhythmanalysis, she describes the earthquake as an arrhythmic experience that prompted many to rethink the importance of sport and physical activity in their everyday lives, and for their connections to space, place, family and community.

RSVP here.

Ending the Communicable-Non Communicable Diseases Divide: Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon Leveraging HIV Platforms to Address Women’s Cancers
O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law
1:20-3:20PM

Dr. Oluwole, MD, MRCP, FRCP (Pediatrics), is the founding Executive Director of Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon Initiative at the George W. Bush Institute. Prior to assuming this role, she was the Director of the Center for Health Policy and Capacity Development at FHI360 and the Project Director for the Africa’s Health in 2010 project for six years. In that position, she managed a multi-million dollar project and empowered African institutions/governments to plan, manage and evaluate effective and tailored health programs, including maternal, newborn and child health, family planning, nutrition, infectious diseases, health systems strengthening and gender/gender-based violence.

Report Launch: A New US Defense Strategy for a New Era
National Press Club
2:00-4:00PM

Facing the fiscal crisis of the US and recognizing the changing international environment, The Peter G. Peterson Foundation & the Stimson Center convened 15 senior defense practitioners and observers in a Defense Advisory Committee. The committee reached a consensus on the defense strategy the US should pursue in the coming years. The committee also found that the strategy could be implemented even within current budget constraints. The strategy rests on the comparative strengths and weaknesses of the US military. The committee captured the basis of this strategy in 10 operating principles.

RSVP here.

Ramifications of cyber attacks for space and nuclear deterrence
Stimson Center
2:00-3:30Pm

Deterrence of unwanted actions in space is linked to deterrence in the nuclear and cyber domains. Of the three, mechanisms for deterrence against nuclear attack are most highly developed. Space deterrence mechanisms are a work in progress. Of the three domains, restraints on cyber deterrence are weak. What are the ramifications of cyber attacks for space and nuclear deterrence?

RSVP here.

Friday, November 16

Debt and Defense
Center for Strategic and International Studies
9:00-11:00AM

The International Security Program invites you to an event on the defense implications of sequestration, the fiscal cliff, and a possible deficit-reduction compromise. What will this national debate mean for defense planning, force posture, civil-military relations, and inter-Service cooperation in the years ahead?

RSVP here.

The best of the free security and health events in DC this week – don’t forget the Biodefense Social is this Saturday (see below for more details)!

Monday, November 5
Research and Development for Global Health
10:00 – 11:00 AM (Video Archive)
Center for Strategic and International Studies

Over the past decade, China and India have emerged as hotbeds of innovation for new biomedical products that have benefitted millions of people throughout the developing world. At this session expert panelists will discuss each nation’s contributions in this area; describe the policy priorities that have set the stage for recent R&D activities; identify barriers to continued R&D expansion; and discuss the optimal mix of incentives and regulations that can stimulate further growth in this sector.
Watch the video here.

 

 

Tuesday, November 6
Vote!

Wednesday, November 7
Innovation for a Secure Future
11:30 AM – 2:00 PM
Elliot School of International Affairs

The Center for International Science and Technology Policy presents a Science and Technology Policy Seminar Series Lecture. Dr. Ray O Johnson will discuss the relationships between universities and industry and the importance of both for a secure future.
RSVP to  cistp@gwu.edu

Thursday, November 8
The Law of Cyber warfare: Can The Current Legal Regime Hack It?
10:30 AM – 2:30 PM
AU Washington College of Law

The symposium will examine whether cross-border cyberattacks qualify as acts of war under international law, whether the difficulties of distinguishing civilian and military targets require a special legal regime to govern cyber warfare, and how legislation that has been passed or is currently being considered by the U.S. Congress will affect the international context of such attacks.
RSVP here.

Friday, November 9
Cyber as a Form of National Power
5:00-6:30 PM
Institute of World Politics
RSVP to kbridges@iwp.edu.

Saturday, November 10
George Mason Biodefense Mixer!
8:00PM to 10:00PM
Brion’s Grille
10621 Braddock Road,
University Mall Shopping Center,
Fairfax, VA

Pay-to-Attend Events

Friday, November 9
2012 Symposium on Preventing Catastrophic Threats and FAS Awards
Federation of American Scientists
Cost: $250 (individual ticket)
On November 9, 2012, just three days after the national election, FAS will host a day-long symposium that features distinguished speakers who will recommend to the new administration how to respond to catastrophic threats to national security. Policy and technological issues include conventional, nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons; biotechnology; nuclear safety; electricity generation, distribution, and storage; and cyber security.
Register here.