Category: Events

On June 27th, Advisory Board Member Matthew Olsen and Visiting Fellow Andy Keiser testified before the House Small Business Committee.  Their testimony focused on the threat ZTE poses to American small businesses.  They also gave recommendations for how to protect small businesses and American citizens from the dangers presented by ZTE and other illicit Chinese backed enterprise.

700 13th St. NW, Suite 1150
Washington, DC
Wednesday, May 23, 2018 | 12pm-1:30pm

NSI and Symantec teamed up to host an expert roundtable discussion on the EU’s new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), its implementation, and its implications for both governments and the private sector.

The event featured a range of experts, including:

• David Bray, Executive Director, People Centered Internet and former FCC CIO
• Ilias Chantzos, Senior Director of Government Affairs for Europe, Middle East & Africa, and Asia-Pacific, Japan, Symantec
• Peter Fatelnig, Minister-Counsellor for the Digital Economy Policy, Delegation of the EU to the United States
• Jamil Jaffer, Founder, National Security Institute

Antonin Scalia Law School
Monday, April 23, 2018 | 12pm – 1pm | Hazel Hall

The National Security Law Journal Career Panel, cohosted by the National Security Institute, brought together a distinguished group of practitioners, featuring:

• Megan Brown – Partner, Privacy & Cybersecurity Practice, Wiley Rein LLP
• Sarah Geffroy – Former Chief Counsel, U.S. House Intelligence Committee
• Andy Keiser – Former Senior Advisor, U.S. House Intelligence Committee
• Amanda Swenty – Associate General Counsel, Central Intelligence Agency

You can view a recording of the full event here.

Thursday, April 19, 2018 | 12:30pm-1:30pm | Hazel Hall Room 332

As part of the National Security Institute’s Distinguished Speaker Series, NSI hosted Rep. Mike Gallagher (WI-8) at the Scalia Law School on Thursday, April 19th. Congressman Gallagher discussed his experience running for Congress and shared his thoughts on issues like Syria, cybersecurity, and even Arctic policy. You can view the full recording of the event here.

Antonin Scalia Law School
Wednesday, April 11, 2018 | 12pm-1pm | Hazel Hall Room 120

On April 11, the National Security Institute welcomed Brigadier General Zvika Haimovich, IDF Commander of Air Defense. General Haimovich shared his perspective on regional instability, growing Iranian involvement, and Israel’s national security strategy. NSI thanks the Scalia Law School Federalist Society, the Scalia Law School Jewish Law Students Association, and Our Soldiers Speak for co-hosting this event.

• Speakers: Brent J. McIntosh, Jamison Sites, and James McDonald
• Moderator: Kiran Raj

1:45pm-2:45pm – Blockchain as a Business Application: How Will This Affect My Business?

• Speakers: Ethan Gilmore, John Dwyer, Pat Wilkison, and Thomas Zakrzewski
• Moderator: Jamil N. Jaffer

2:45pm-3:00pm – Break

3:00pm-4:00pm – Interview: Imagining the Future

• Speaker: Vince Meens
• Moderator: Demetri Kofinas

On the heels of President Trump’s announcement that he would meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the National Security Institute hosted two panels on the role of the United States in an increasingly uncertain international system.  These conversations brought together experts from the federal government, private sector, public policy, and academia to explore the internal and external forces impacting U.S. nuclear policy today.  You can view recordings of both panels here, and you can read our summary of the discussion here.

Panel 1: Prepared or Posturing: Does the Recent Nuclear Posture Review Effectively Address Today’s Threat?

• Christopher Ford, Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Non-Proliferation, Department of State
• Dr. John R. Harvey, Former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Defense Programs
• Jamil N. Jaffer, Founder, National Security Institute
• Lynn Rusten, Senior Advisor, Global Nuclear Policy Program, Nuclear Threat Initiative

Panel 2: Nuclear Storms Back: How are Rogue Powers and Potential Competitors Impacting U.S. Strategy?

• Tom Collina, Director of Policy, Ploughshares Fund
• Dr. Andrea Limbago, Chief Social Scientist, Endgame
• Dr. Evan Montgomery, Senior Fellow, Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment
• Dr. Adam Mount, Senior Fellow and Director of the Defense Posture Project, Federation of American Scientists
• Dr. Megan Reiss, Senior National Security Fellow, R Street Institute

Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University
Tuesday, March 6, 2018 | 12pm-1pm | Hazel Hall Room 120

The National Security Institute invited Nitsana Darshan-Leitner to discuss her new book, Harpoon: Inside the Covert War Against Terrorism’s Money Masters.  Ms. Darshan-Leitner, founder of the Shurat HaDin Israeli Law Center, has focused her career on the judicial battle against terrorism finance.  Following an introduction from Professor Darren Dick, NSI’s Director of Programs, Ms. Darshan-Leitner explored how Israel has tackled this challenge on the ground, how her own organization has addressed it in court, and how the fight will evolve in the future.

Read our full summary of the event here.

Senate Visitor Center
Monday, February 26, 2018 | 12pm-1pm | Room 208

What is the NDAA? And why should you care? This panel, co-hosted by the R Street Institute and the National Security Institute, explored whether the Defense Department has the tools, infrastructure, and workforce to effectively compete with competitors in cyberspace.

“The reality is that today we are in a very real shooting war in cyberspace,” NSI Founder Jamil Jaffer noted during the discussion. “It may not be big bullets, it may not be big bombs or nuclear weapons, but we are in an ongoing offensive campaign brought by our enemies against us.”

You can read the Inside Sources summary of the event here.

Antonin Scalia Law School
Thursday, February 22, 2018 | 12pm-1pm | Room 120

In response to the release of the “Russian oligarchs report” on January 29, 2018, the National Security Institute hosted a panel to discuss the implications of the report for U.S.-Russia relations. Does the report serve as a roadmap for coming sanctions?  What does the United States expect to achieve by targeting Russia’s financial elite? NSI Policy Director John Lipsey explored these questions with an experienced group of panelists:

Daniel Vajdich – Nonresident Senior Fellow, Future Europe Initiative, Atlantic Council

Megan Reiss – Senior National Security Fellow, The R Street Institute; NSI Visiting Fellow

Lester Munson – Former Staff Director, Senate Foreign Relations Committee; NSI Visiting Fellow