On Monday and Tuesday the University of New Mexico’s Global and National Security Policy Institute and National Security Studies Program will host the ninth Annual National Security Symposium.
The event, titled “Global, National and Human Security: Reflections on the Next Decade,” will include a number of speakers from security and government agencies, as well as faculty and student presenters from UNM.
The event will open on Monday at 9:30 a.m. with a welcome from Provost Chaouki Abdallah — panels and speakers are scheduled throughout the day until 4 p.m. Tuesday’s schedule begins at 9:30 a.m. and concludes at 3:30 p.m.
“What we’re trying to do is bring three categories of speakers — nationally known speakers, UNM faculty and more students. It serves a number of purposes, to discuss international major issues whether it’s foreign policy, terrorism, Korea, Russia, the Middle East, climate change — to discuss these issues academically,” said Emile Nakhleh, Ph.D., director of GNSPI and one of two organizers of the symposium.
Some of the events on Monday include a keynote address about technology and national security and a panel of UNM students who recently attended an international Model United Nations competition.
Tuesday will feature a panel of six GNSPI and NSSP students who will present on a variety of topics, including “Nuclear Capable Brazil” and “Resilient and Sustainable Cities.”
For students interested in pursuing a career in national security, a panel of security agencies, such as the CIA and FBI, will present Tuesday.
Nakhleh said the visiting agencies will be informing students about job opportunities to work in the national security field after graduation.
“These are high-level jobs to serve the national interests and security of this country through the government,” he said.
Nakhleh said a big part of the symposium will cover the trends in world governance with a talk from Stewart Patrick of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Frank Gilfeather, Ph.D., director of the NSSP and coordinator of the symposium, explained some of what will be covered in Patrick’s presentation.
“When humans become insecure, they care less about what kind of government they have, and they’re looking more for a stable government,” Gilfeather said. “And then you get an authoritarian leader who comes in, promises security and we see it every four years in our election process — everybody’s trying to out-promise the other in terms of (the) security they can provide the people.”
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He also stressed why he thinks it is important for students to attend the symposium.
“No matter what they do in life, they’re going to have to be knowledgeable of the relationship between human security, national security and global security because the world’s changing rapidly,” Gilfeather said.
The GNSPI and NSSP offers certificates to UNM graduate and undergraduate students in areas of study related to national and global security. These certificates are available to students in all degree programs.
Nakhleh said one of the goals of the GNSPI, NSSP and the symposium is to inform students about the opportunities available to them in national, global and human security through UNM.
“We are very much interested in growing a new generation of leaders in national security,” Nakhleh said.
Tom Hanlon is a news reporter at the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @TomHanlonNM.
