Happy Holidays!  As we wrap up 2021, I wanted to take a moment to highlight some of NSI’s accomplishments from this past year and share some thoughts and ideas about how we plan to tackle 2022.

 

This year, NSI spent significant time focused on Congress and sought to provide expertise and education on key national security issues, from cybersecurity to counterterrorism and many things in between.  In collaboration with out Advisory Board members and Fellows, we’ve shared feedback on legislation, created new policy ideas and put them out there, hosted events for staffers, and conducted dozens of expert briefings for members and staff, spreading NSI’s name, mission, ideas, and expertise across Capitol Hill on both sides of the aisle.

 

On the academic side, we’ve completed our first full year of educating graduate students in our first-of-its-kind Cyber, Intelligence and National Security Law (CINS) LL.M., all while growing the number of educational and internship opportunities for students in our J.D. and J.M. programs.  We also returned to taking our student opportunities overseas in the summer time, hosting our program with Supreme Court Justice Neil M. Gorsuch in Reykjavik, Iceland, where we were joined by a range of special guests, including the unique opportunity to have Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan educate our students alongside Justice Gorsuch for part of our time abroad.

 

Our team was once again put to the test by the many national security events that took place around the world and passed with flying colors, educating both our internal tribe and as well as the public and key policymakers on these important issues.  Our network of Advisory Board members and Fellows rose to the challenge sharing insights and analysis on breaking news and long-term policy issues through our new blog, The SCIF, on Fault Lines, NSI’s core podcast, as well as on Iron Butterfly, a joint effort between NSI and the Amazing Women of the Intelligence Community, which, in its third season, is rapidly becoming one of NSI’s hottest offerings.  We hosted internal and external events, discussions, and engaged directly with policymakers and the public on issues ranging from the January 6th insurrection and the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan to the 20th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, the continuing increase in cyber threats, and the longer-term challenge posed by nations like China to America’s role in the world.

 

In 2022, we plan to double down on our work in core areas at the intersection of emerging technologies and national security as well as the larger threat posed by key adversaries who engage in repression at home and challenge our influence across the globe.  We will continue to expand our congressional outreach efforts, and will provide further educational and practical opportunities for our network and those that share our our passion for these topics.

 

We hope you continue to engage in these efforts going forward, and if you have not yet taken the opportunity to take part in our many events, papers, and networking opportunities, we hope that you will join us in the new year and help us create the conditions that will lead to a stronger, more unified, and more secure America!

Sincerely,

Jamil N. Jaffer

Founder & Executive Director, National Security Institute