Notre Dame International Security Center

An Interview with Professor Thanos P. Dokos by Joseph Simone Summary: In this episode of ‘Students Talk Security’, we will discuss security issues involving countries in the Mediterranean and Easter European region and learn how they impact the world as a whole. Biography: Professor Thanos P. Dokos received his Ph.D. in International Relations from Cambridge University and has held research positions at the Peace Research Institute of Frankfurt and the Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University. Dokos has previously served as the Director for Research in the Strategic Studies Division for the Hellenic Ministry of National Defense and as an Advisor on NATO issues to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1999 he moved to the Hellenic Foundation for European & Foreign Policy as Director of Research, and in 2006 he became Director-General of the think tank. Dokos has also taught at the Universities of Athens and Piraeus, the Hellenic National Defense College, the Diplomatic Academy,

An interview with Dr. James McAdams by Zoe Desch Summary: This podcast will be about the destabilizing effect lies (or the lack of truth) from politicians and public figures can have on a country. A well educated citizenry is important to the democratic process and with the advent of social media information and misinformation are quickly and easily disseminated to the public. This information divides and confuses the electorate such that the truth becomes difficult to find. Dr. McAdams' class on Truth and Politics addresses the danger of losing sight of the truth and the dangers presented by misinformation to liberal democracies. Biography: Dr. McAdams is a faculty member in the Department of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame, where he holds the William M. Scholl Endowed Chair in International Affairs. His primary fields of research and teaching are in comparative politics, international relations, and political history. Between 2002 and 2018, he was Director of the Nanovic Institute fo

Title: America's First Failed War on Terror: Understanding the Failure of Reconstruction Speaker: Dan Byman Host: Eugene Gholz Recorded: September 22, 2020

An Interview with Major Mike Murrell by Matthew Carranza **Any opinions that Maj. Murrell expresses are completely his own and do not reflect those of the US Army.** Summary: In this episode of ‘Students Talk Security’, Matthew Carranza focuses on the military aspect of international relations given Major Murrell’s background. Matthew is interested in his past experiences, his thoughts on how overall missions work on the ground level, and what he has seen while deployed in foreign nations. Matthew believes Major Murrell’s perspective on US military relations with other nations will be particularly insightful, and will give us a closer look to what actually happens as a result of our national defense policies. Biography: Major Mike Murrell enlisted in the Army in 2003. After 4 years of service, he attended Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning where he was commissioned as a Military Intelligence Officer in 2008. He has served in several leadership roles including Battalion S2 for the 95th Military Po

An Interview with Dr. Ernesto Verdeja by Lauren Pizzella Summary: In this episode of ‘Students Talk Security’, Associate Professor of Political Science and Peace Studies at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, Ernesto Verdeja, will provide a brief summary of what mass atrocities are, what are their causes, and what we can do to prevent them. It will discuss current international events that pertain to mass atrocities and human rights including the Myanmar ethnic cleansing, the rise of the far-right in the US, US sanctions on ICC officials, and COVID-19. Lastly, it will allow Professor Verdeja about his experiences working with governments and some of the challenges he has faced during peacebuilding. Biography: Professor Verdeja is an associate Professor of Political Science and Peace Studies at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame. Professor Verdeja’s research has focused on large-scale political violence (genocide, war crimes, crimes agai

Title: The Theoretical Case for Taking American Exceptionalism Seriously Speaker: Hilde Restad Host: Eugene Gholz Recorded: September 1, 2020

Recorded: April 21, 2020 Hosted by: Dan Lindley Chaplain (Colonel) Larry Dabeck is the 2019-2020 US Army War College Fellow, studying and writing for the Army on developing senior strategic leadership. He has three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and was awarded the Bronze Star for, “selfless and dignified service in caring for the spiritual needs of wounded and deceased enemy soldiers….” He served for three years as the graduate instructor for ethics at the US Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC), helping to found the GEN Hugh Shelton Chair in Ethics. He presented his research on Virtuous Combatants at the 2012 CGSC Annual Army Ethics Symposium. He most recently served as a senior religious affairs advisor for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Joint Staff, and Combatant Commands. Chaplain Dabeck serves as a US Army Chief of Chaplains senior leader and a senior ethicist for the Army Chaplain Corps.

Title: Small Arms: Children and Terrorism Speaker: Mia Bloom Host: Dan Lindley Recorded: April 30, 2019

Title: The North Korean Nuclear Crisis Speaker: Vipin Narang Host: Dan Lindley Recorded: April 16, 2019

Title: Power: A Temporal View Speaker: Daniel Drezner Host: Dan Lindley Recorded: April 2, 2019

Title: Dispelling the Terrorist Safe Haven Myth: Why Americans are Safer than They Think Speaker: Risa Brooks Host: Dan Lindley Recorded: February 26, 2019

An interview with Assistant Professor Joseph Parent by Andrew Jarocki Summary: Can America retrench? In this edition of Students Talk Security, student Andrew Jarocki sits down with international relations expert Joseph Parent to discuss if recent headline news from various hotspots around the world should cause a change in American grand strategy. From Saudi Arabia to Venezuela, Professor Parent and Andrew discuss (and sometimes argue) over where and when America should still be involved. Biography: Joseph Parent is a well-regarded writer and lecturer on international affairs, Parent received his Ph.D. from Columbia University. Professor Parent, who came to Notre Dame after teaching at Miami, is currently Associate Professor of Political Science and Associate Director of the Notre Dame International Security Center. He teaches international relations theory, security studies, grand strategy, and foreign policy. Some Parent Trivia: A Notre Dame fan since way back when, he attended the football game agains

An interview with Professor Felipe Fernandez-Armesto by Joseph Simone Summary: In this episode of ‘Student Talk Security’, Prof. Felipe Fernandez-Armesto will compare U.S. foreign policy of the past and present, discuss security threats today and other times in history, and explain how current U.S. policy is affecting the Hispanic community. Biography: Felipe Fernandez-Armesto is an esteemed member of the University of Notre Dame History Department. Born in London to a Spanish father and an English mother, Prof. Fernandez-Armesto completed his undergraduate and doctoral education at the University of Oxford. He joined the Notre Dame faculty in 2009 after previously holding positions at the University of Oxford and Tufts University. Prof. Fernandez-Armesto has authored over twenty books, contributed numerous times to news sources such as the New York Times and BBC, and has received many awards including the Grand Cross of the Order of Alfonso X the Wise.

Recorded November 10, 2018 Adm. Christopher Grady is a native of Newport, Rhode Island. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and was commissioned an ensign through the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps program. Grady is a distinguished graduate of Georgetown University where he earned a Master of Arts in National Security Studies while concurrently participating as a fellow in Foreign Service at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. He is also a distinguished graduate of the National War College earning a Master of Science in National Security Affairs. He assumed command of U.S. Fleet Forces Command/U.S. Naval Forces Northern Command on May 4, 2018. In his most recent assignment, he was the commander, U.S. 6th Fleet and the commander, Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO, while simultaneously serving as the deputy commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe and U.S. Naval Forces Africa. Additional flag assignments include director of the Maritime Operations Center (N2/3/5/7), Commander,

Title: The Insular Advantage: Geography and the Durability of American Alliances Speaker: Josh Shifrinson Host: Rose Kelanic Recorded: November 6, 2018

America's Longest War: Prospects of Peace in Afghanistan An interview with Ambassador David Robinson by Fabiola Shipley Summary: In this episode of ‘Student Talk Security’, Ambassador David Robinson will discuss recent developments in Afghanistan, the politics of the upcoming peace talks and the potential for lasting peace in the wake of America’s longest war. Biography: Ambassador Robinson was sworn in as the Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations and Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization on January 4, 2016. He is a career member of the Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor. Throughout his Foreign Service career, Ambassador Robinson has worked in conflict zones and unstable environments, specializing in refugee and migration issues. Previously, Ambassador Robinson served as the Principal Deputy High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina where he was responsible for implementing the Dayton Peace Agreement. Prior to that, he was the Assistant Chief

Internet Security in China and US An interview with Professor Michel Hockx by James Luk Summary: This podcast is a timely discussion of Internet Security in China and the US during National Cyber Security Awareness Month. Cybersecurity is of increasing prevalence in today’s world, this podcast will examine the topic of erecting boundaries and borders within cyberspace. Biography: Professor Michel Hockx is a professor of Chinese Literature in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures and the Director of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies in the Keough School of Global Affairs. Hockx has published both in English and Chinese on topics related to modern Chinese poetry and literary culture, especially early 20th-century Chinese magazine literature and print culture and contemporary Internet literature. His latest book, Internet Literature in China, was listed by Choice magazine as one of the “Top 25 Outstanding Academic Titles of 2015.” Prior to Notre Dame, Hockx served as the directo

Title: No Such Thing as a Little War: Beliefs, Intellectual History, and Liberal Military Intervention Speaker: Jacqueline Hazelton Host: Rose Kelanic Recorded: October 30, 2018

Drones: A Revolution in Airpower? An interview with Colonel Raymond O'Mara (ret.) by Patrick O'Mara Summary: This podcast will address how the rise and use of drones has changed air warfare. Biography: Dr. Raymond O’Mara is the founder and owner of Pointblank Strategic Analysis, where he provides multidisciplinary analysis and insight at the operational and strategic levels supporting defense and national security concept development for organizations. Dr. O’Mara has extensive experience in the startup and defense aviation sectors, having served as the Director of Strategic Programs for the Humatics Corporation, where he was responsible for developing strategic relationships with key aerospace partners as well as directing defense-oriented research and development, and also the Director of Air Campaign Strategy at Aurora Flight Sciences, a position that he took following his retirement after 29 years in the United States Air Force. During his Air Force career, he completed several operational and operati

States, Companies, and Terrorists: Global Affairs in the 21st Century An Interview with General Frank Taylor by Griffin Cannon Summary: In this episode we will examine the role of the state, as well as various non-state actors, in relation to the challenges we face moving into the 21st Century. Biography: General Frank Taylor is a distinguished member of the faculty of Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs. Earning his Bachelors and Masters degrees at Notre Dame, General Taylor began his career in the United States Air Force. After 31 years in uniform, he transitioned to positions in government, serving in various roles at the Department of State, including as the ambassador-at-large for counterterrorism directly after the attacks of September 11th, 2001. General Taylor has also served in the Department of Homeland Security as the Undersecretary for Intelligence and Analysis as well as in the private sector as the vice president and chief security officer for General Electric.