The origins, realities and impacts of the most pressing threats facing the world today are the focus of the inaugural Vanderbilt Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats. The May 4-5 summit will feature a keynote address by Gen. Paul M. Nakasone, United States Army, Commander, United States Cyber Command, Director, and National Security Agency/Chief, Central Security Service.
“Modern conflict has created a generational global challenge that is moving at the speed of innovation and technology, demonstrating the need for an interdisciplinary approach to strengthening cyber defense and infrastructure,” Vanderbilt University Chancellor Daniel Diermeier said. “The recent invasion of Ukraine by the Russian military supported by cyber-attacks dramatically emphasized the urgency of confronting these challenges.”
“We are bringing together leaders in the military and intelligence community with top faculty scholars and innovators at this pivotal time to build understanding, deepen connections and identify those areas that can benefit most from collaboration across sectors,” Diermeier said. “We’re thrilled that General Nakasone is joining us and look forward to his insights.”
Throughout the conference, internationally recognized leaders and experts in the military and intelligence community will examine the subjects of cyber conflict, artificial intelligence, peer competition and emerging threats and will explore complex topics such as threats from state actors and violent extremist organizations. The interdisciplinary gathering, designed to be an exploration of the differences behind planning and strategizing for kinetic vs. non-kinetic scenarios, will convene experts in computer science, infrastructure engineering, political science, law, policy and human behavior with the goal of creating an approach that furthers understanding of and response to some of the most pressing issues the nation faces today.
General Paul M. Nakasone assumed his present duties as commander of U.S. Cyber Command, director of the National Security Agency and chief of the Central Security Service in May 2018. He previously commanded U.S. Army Cyber Command from October 2016 to April 2018. A native of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, Nakasone is a graduate of Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, where he received his commission through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.
Nakasone has held command and staff positions across all levels of the Army with assignments in the United States, the Republic of Korea, Iraq and Afghanistan. He commanded the Cyber National Mission Force at U.S. Cyber Command. He has also commanded a company, battalion and brigade, and served as the senior intelligence officer at the battalion, division and corps levels. Nakasone has served in Joint and Army assignments in the United States, the Republic of Korea, Iraq and Afghanistan. His most recent overseas posting was as the director of intelligence, J2, International Security Assistance Force Joint Command in Kabul, Afghanistan. He has also served on two occasions as a staff officer on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The invitation-only in-person event will also be livestreamed. More information on the Summit can be found on the summit website.