National-security

The Vanderbilt University Institute of National Security has been awarded a $2.5 million, two-year grant from the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation to support the Institute’s Wicked Problems Lab and its expanding research portfolio, including the development of the Synthetic Information Filtering Testbed (SIFT)—a first-of-its-kind research initiative designed… Read More

The Vanderbilt Institute of National Security, in partnership with Dialogue Vanderbilt, will open its Fall 2025 Lecture Series on Monday, September 29 with a fireside chat featuring two of the nation’s most respected military leaders: General Stanley McChrystal (Ret.) and General Paul M. Nakasone (Ret.). Read More

On September 16, the Vanderbilt Institute of National Security welcomed a full house to the Studying National Security Launch, an evening event marking the official debut of Vanderbilt’s new Minor in National Security—and signaling the university’s growing commitment to preparing students for leadership in a… Read More

The Vanderbilt Institute of National Security’s Wicked Problems Lab has released a new policy paper that calls for a bold rethinking of America’s nuclear posture in response to today’s fast-moving technological threats. Titled “Restoring Nuclear Deterrence in the Modern Age,” the paper examines how the long-standing doctrine of Mutually Assured… Read More

U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn praised Vanderbilt University for convening leading voices in military, intelligence, and technology during a fireside chat at the 2025 Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats.  “I am thrilled that Vanderbilt is doing this,” playing a key role in advancing national… Read More

Artificial intelligence is no longer just a tool—it’s a strategic imperative, according to Lakshmi Raman, director of the CIA’s Office of Artificial Intelligence. During her keynote address and fireside chat at Vanderbilt’s fourth annual Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats, Raman described how the CIA is adapting to… Read More

Drawing on his military background and role as chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, U.S. Rep. Mark Green offered a frank assessment of artificial intelligence and its implications for the future of national security during the 2025 Vanderbilt Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats. … Read More

Over two days of expert panels at the 2025 Vanderbilt Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats, one theme emerged as the clearest unifying thread: As AI systems become more powerful and more autonomous, the role of human judgment has never been more crucial.   Across discussions on… Read More

The race to control advanced semiconductor technology will shape the future of national security, economic competitiveness and geopolitical influence, according to historian and policy expert Chris Miller, who delivered a keynote address at Vanderbilt University during the fourth annual Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats.  Miller,… Read More

Chancellor Daniel Diermeier opened the fourth annual Vanderbilt Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats with a call for bold, collaborative leadership to meet the unprecedented challenges posed by artificial intelligence.  “We are living through a moment of extraordinary promise—and extraordinary peril,” Diermeier said. “That… Read More