Conference

CSi Conference 2024: Intelligence & National Security in a Changing World

 

The annual CSi Conference, “Intelligence and National Security in a Changing World”, addresses the most pressing security challenges facing governments, private industry, and even private citizens in a globalized and interconnected world. Attendees can expect to hear about Great Power challenges to global order, such as those offered by Russia and China. The ever-present issues of global instability, terrorism, and regional conflict will be considered alongside the impacts of cutting-edge technological innovation, nuclear proliferation and cyber operations. With panels and distinguished keynote speakers moderated by ISI teaching faculty, the conference offers a chance for attendees to hear first-hand insights (under the Chatham House rule) from former senior officials, intelligence and security practitioners and from academic experts.

Confirmed speakers include:

John Foreman CBE, Former Defence Attaché Moscow and Kyiv.
Dr. Maxine David, Lecturer in European Studies at Leiden University.
Professor Tracey German, Professor of Conflict and Security in the Defence Studies Department and a Senior Associate Fellow at RUSI.
Angus Knowles-Cutler, Vice Chairman of Deloitte and Managing Partner of its London office.
Irina Borogan, Russian investigative journalist and Russian security services expert.
Andrei Soldatov, Russian investigative journalist and Russian security services expert.
Marc Ozawa, Senior Researcher of Russian affairs at NATO Defense College.
Sophie Hackford, a futurist, synthesising explosive and interconnected technology and science breakthroughs from around the world.
Carl Miller, author, speaker and researcher at Demos, a think tank based in London, where he co-founded the Centre for the Analysis of Social Media.

 

The 2024 CSi Conference will be held at Cripps Court at Magdalene College, Cambridge from 11:30 on Thursday 25th July, and finish at 17:00 on Friday 26th July 2024. 

The programme brochure is available here.

NOTE: There will be NO ONSIGHT PARKING.

Thursday 25 July

11:30 – 12:30 Registration and Welcome Buffet at Cripps Court
12:30 – 13:00 Welcome: Sir David Omand
13:00 – 13:45

Keynote: Why Hard Power Still Matters

Speaker: Lt Gen (ret) Doug Chalmers

Chair: Professor Michael Goodman
13:45 – 14:45

Panel: The Year of Voting: Election Interference and Artificial Intelligence

Speakers: Carl Miller and Alex Molnar

Chair: Dr Tom Maguire
14:45 – 15:00 Break
15:00 – 16:15

Panel: The Future of Science and Technology is here, and it is Terrifying

Speakers: Jeremy Mason and Sophie Hackford

Chair: Professor David V. Gioe
16:15 – 16:45 Refreshments
16:45 – 17:45

Panel: Russia’s War against Ukraine: Over Two Years in, What Comes Next?

Speakers: Professor Tracey German, Captain John Foreman and Dr Patrick Bury

Chair: Dr Marina Miron
19:00 Drinks and Conference Dinner at Emmanuel College (invitation only)

 

 Friday 26 July

9:00 – 9:30 Refreshments and Welcome
9:30 – 10:45

Panel: Russia: Prospects for Leadership, Civil Society and Foreign Relations

Speakers: Irina Borogan, Andrei Soldatov, Dr Maxine David and Dr Marc Ozawa

Chair: Dr Daniela Richterova
10:45 – 11:15 Refreshments
11:15 – 12:30

Panel: Israel/Gaza, Regional Reverberations, and Afghanistan: Toward Resolution or Escalation?

Speakers: Dr Dina Rezk, Ahmad Zia Suraj and Gala Riani

Chair: Professor Michael Goodman
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch
13:30 – 14:45
Keynote: Fireside Chat
Chair: Sir David Omand
14:45 – 15:15
Break
15:15 – 16:45

Panel: China: Is Conflict Inevitable?

Speakers: Dr Nicole Leveringhaus, Angus Knowles-Cutler and Mark Logan

Chair: Dr David Oakley
16:45 – 17:00
Closing remarks by Professor Michael Goodman and Professor David V. Gioe

CSi Conference 2023: Intelligence & National Security in a Changing World

Click here to download the 2023 CSi Conference brochure. 

 

CSi Conference 2022: Intelligence & National Security in a Changing World

Panels included:

  • Challenges to Democracy: Hostile foreign influence & disinformation
  • China is Building a ‘World-class Navy’—what are the implications?
  • Russia: Beginning of a New Era?
  • Whose Failure? The role of intelligence and military strategy in Russia’s war against Ukraine

Keynote Sessions included:

  • Will Hurd, former CIA officer and Republican Congressman
  • Xi Jinping’s ambitions for China and its impact on Chinese foreign relations
  • The Great Powers Today

Speakers included:

  • Belén Carrasco Rodriguez
  • Carl Miller
  • Professor Tracey German
  • Dr. Maxine David
  • Charles Parton
  • Sir David Omand
  • Professor Brendan Simms
  • CAPT Bill Hamblet, US Navy (Ret.)
  • CAPT Jim Fanel, US Navy (Ret.)
  • LCDR Joseph M. Hatfield

For further details on 2022 Conference panels, keynote sessions and speakers, please refer to the brochure opposite.

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CSi Conference 2021: National Security Policy in a Changing World

CSi’s 2021 Virtual Conference explored current themes relating to Intelligence and National Security Policy in a Changing World. The Conference, which all ISI participants attend, brought together speakers and delegates from governments, security agencies, academia and business to explore a wide range of security-related issues.

The conference speakers included;

Sir Tony Brenton, Dr. Tracey German, Charlie Parton OBE, Dr. Nicola Leveringhaus, Sir David Omand, Sir Richard Dearlove and Alexander Downer AC.

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2019 Conference

Panels included:

  • ‘The interface between Government and the Security Services’
  • ‘Conflict and Security Sectors in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia’
  • ‘Ordered or Ordering? Britain’s Post- Brexit role in Europe in Historical Perspective’
  • ‘A security overview of the Asia/Pacific Region.’

Keynote Sessions included:

  • ‘The future is Now: Cyber Operations and Artificial Intelligence’
  • ‘Iran in the Gulf. Signalling, skirmishing or war’
  • ‘Countering Terrorism- the perspective of the former Head of JTAC’, ‘Russia, Bear or Porcupine?’
  • ‘Cooperation against terrorism in Europe.’

Speakers included:

  • Affiliated lecturer at the Forum on Geopolitics at Cambridge University, Suzanne Raine.
  • The former French Prime Minister, Bernard Cazeneuve.
  • Distinguished Diplomat, Sir Tony Brenton
  • Di Cooke, a doctoral candidate at King’s College London in the Department of War Studies.

For further details on 2019 Conference panels, keynote sessions and speakers, please refer to the brochure opposite.

 

 

2019 Conference Report

 

Written by ISI 2019 Alumni, Irena Ilic and published in the Journal for Intelligence, Propaganda and Security Studies, this article details the events of the Conference, its structure and the Social Programme.

 

 

 

Overall, ISI Conference is a quite unique, interdisciplinary event which perfectly combines with the ISI four-week academic programme…The effort to engage academically and rather openly with difficult intelligence and security issues makes the ISI Conference stand out as the forerunner in this enigmatic, yet highly relevant field.

 

 

 

Download PDF: JIPSS Vol.13. NR.1/2019, pp. 131-137

2019 Conference Gallery

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2018 Conference

Panels included:

  • ‘2018 and Beyond: What on Earth is Happening?’
  • ‘Resource Security and Resilience’
  • ‘How the 4th Industrial Revolution is impacting traditional defence and Intelligence roles’
  • ‘Iraq, Iran, Yemen and Syria: Civil Wars and Proxy Wars; Prospects for Regional Stability’
  • ‘Legal Perspectives on international Security Issues’
  • ‘A Regional Security Overview of the Asia/ Pacific Region, focusing on China and North Korea.’

Keynote Sessions included:

  • ‘The Interface between Government and the Security Services’
  • ‘Fearsome Bear or Paper Tiger? Russia’s Search for 21st Century Relevance’
  •  ‘A presentation by John Rizzo, formerly Acting General Counsel of the CIA.’

Speakers included:

  • Senior Adviser to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Nigel Inkster, CMG.
  • Academy Fellow at the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House, Dr Renad Mansour
  • Dorothea Gioe, an independent consultant specialising in political risk, security and social network analysis.

For further details on 2018 Conference panels, keynote sessions and speakers, please refer to the brochure opposite.

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2017 Conference

Panels included:

‘Security Implications of Brexit, the Trump Administration and Beyond’, ‘The Robots are coming: Technology, automation and jobs- implications for society and international relations in the coming decade’, ‘ISIS and Perspectives on Iraq’, Russia, the future of NATO and redefining the role of the US emerging Conflict Zones.’

Keynote Sessions included:

‘The issue of National Security Policy in a fluid and changing world’, ‘The Strategic Importance of Intelligence Agility’ and ‘Threats to European Security: The French Response.’

Speakers included:

Professor Lord Peter Hennessy, Dr Dina Rezk, Lecturer in Middle Eastern History. Frederic Ischebeck-Baum, Teaching Fellow and Assistant Director in the Centre for Defence Studies at King’s College, London.

For further details on 2017 Conference panels, keynote sessions and speakers, please refer to the brochure opposite.

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