Institute of National Security
Supporting research, collaborative programming and education across disciplines to address the most pressing challenges to national security.
The Vanderbilt Institute of National Security is an academic proving ground for future national security leaders and a hub for innovation and pragmatic solutions—advancing national security and making the nation safer today. We offer the national security community access to top student talent and fresh thinking from a university rooted in open debate, radical collaboration, and real-world impact The Institute also provides a trusted space to convene leaders, experts, and students for conversations about the pressing challenges facing our nation and the world.
Led by Proven National Security Leaders
The Vanderbilt Institute of National Security is led by General Paul M. Nakasone (Ret.), former Director of the National Security Agency and Commander of U.S. Cyber Command, and Douglas Adams, Vanderbilt’s Daniel F. Flowers Professor of Engineering and a national expert in systems resilience.
Together, they bring unparalleled experience in defense, cyber, and engineering to guide students through service-driven, real-world training for careers in national security. Learn more about the full leadership and advisory council shaping the Institute’s future.
Spotlight: The GoLaxy Documents
As part of its Wicked Problems Lab, the Vanderbilt Institute of National Security has released The GoLaxy Documents—an archive in Mandarin revealing how a Chinese firm uses artificial intelligence, mass data collection, and bot networks to shape global political narratives.
Featured in The New York Times, this research shows how GoLaxy profiled more than 2,000 American political figures and thought leaders, as well as 117 members of Congress, and supported influence operations in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
The security landscape is evolving at an unprecedented pace and in unknown directions. To meet these challenges, it is imperative that we approach them in a highly interdisciplinary way.
The Institute's Work
To achieve our objectives, the Vanderbilt Institute of National Security will focus on four primary initiatives.