The Cambridge Security Initiative
& The Department of War Studies, King’s College London

The International Security and
Intelligence Professional (ISI-Pro) Programme

Sunday 30th March - Saturday 12th April 2025, Emmanuel College, Cambridge

King's Bridge at Night

About ISI-Pro

The Cambridge Security Initiative (CSi) is proud to announce the launch of ISI-Pro, a new advanced programme inspired by the established and highly acclaimed ISI programme

Specifically designed for mid- to senior-level professionals from across government, business, the military, the intelligence and law enforcement communities, international organisations and academia, ISI-Pro offers an opportunity to acquire a deeper understanding of international security and intelligence dynamics, to hone strategic thinking skills and, not least, to meet with others keen to develop their understanding of the global security environment.

The ISI-Pro programme also offers an excellent opportunity for ISI alumni to take their understanding of the international security environment to the next level while working with career professionals and renewing their connections with Cambridge.

ISI-Pro virtual ‘Open Day’ on 15 January at 2000hrs GMT / 1500 hrs EST

Are you interested in applying to the International Security and Intelligence Professional Programme at Emmanuel College, Cambridge? Join us for a virtual open day on 15 January 2025 at 2000 hrs GMT / 1500 hrs EST, to learn more about the course and have your questions answered. Register your interest here to receive a link to join the session. We look forward to seeing you there!

Course Description

Building on CSi’s strong connections with leading practitioners and academic researchers in the fields of security and intelligence, this advanced course brings together experts and professionals to examine critical global security challenges and their impact on governments, citizens, and businesses.

With a special focus on the role of intelligence in shaping international relations, security and defence policies, ISI-Pro offers invaluable insights into how navigate today’s complex security landscape.

  • Thematically organised into masterclasses, presentations and break-out sessions, the programme delves into the most urgent security crises around the world as well as enduring challenges to world order and the fundamental security dilemmas they pose.
  • These sessions will include examination of, but not be limited to intelligence success and failure, information and cyber warfare, counterterrorism strategies, regional crises, security architectures and the geopolitical implications of emerging technologies, in particular AI and quantum computing.
  • The role of intelligence in statecraft and the ‘missing dimension’ of intelligence in international affairs will also be explored. Regional actors, including Russia and China, in the context of great power competition, will be examined, as will the crises in the Middle East and Ukraine. Presentations on ethics, leadership, strategy, the role of private sector business intelligence, as well as perennial security threats such as terrorism, sabotage, counterintelligence, and insider threats will also be explored.
  • Former intelligence officials, policymakers, and leading academics will bring real-world insights and cutting-edge research to the classroom.

Course convener, Professor David Gioe, is a British Academy global professor in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London and formerly associate professor at the US Military Academy at West Point. He is the director of studies for the Cambridge Security Initiative and is co-convener of its international security and intelligence program. He is a former CIA analyst and operations officer and a US Navy veteran. Professor Gioe will be joined by fellow leading academics from the intelligence and international security communities and former senior practitioners. Many of these have taught regularly on the 4-week ISI programme (see the faculty page) and/or are frequent presenters at CSi’s annual conference, ‘Intelligence and National Security in Changing World’.

Confirmed speakers for ISI-Pro 2025 include the following:

Lieutenant General (ret) Doug Chalmers CB, DSO, OBE, Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, Chair of the U.K. Government Committee on Standards in Public Life and Chair of  the Management Committee at the Centre for Geopolitics, University of Cambridge, will be speaking to the ISI-Pro this spring. General Chalmers was Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Military Strategy and Operations) from 2018 to 2021 and his talk is titled ‘The continuing importance of hard power’. 

Captain (ret) John Foreman CBE was formerly Britain’s defence attaché in Moscow. Before that, he was Britain’s defence attaché in Kyiv. His talk is titled ‘The Russian War on Ukraine: Prospects for Peace or Prolonged Conflict?’.

Dr Daniela Richterova will be speaking to ISI-Pro this spring. In addition to being core faculty on the ISI programme, Dr Richterova is a Senior Lecturer at King’s College London Department of War Studies and Deputy Director of the King’s Centre for the Study of Intelligence (KCSI). Her talk is titled ‘The Long Soviet Shadow of Contemporary Russian Sabotage Operations’ and you can read more about this topic in an open-access paper that she recently co-authored for the RUSI Journal.

Dr Thomas Maguire will be speaking on ISI-Pro. Dr Maguire’s talk is titled ‘Disclosure: How and Why Governments Communicate Intelligence for Influence’. In addition to being core ISI faculty, Dr Maguire is an assistant professor at Leiden University ISGA Leiden University and affiliated with the King’s Centre for the Study of Intelligence (KCSI). Here you can read more about his research on the intersection of secret intelligence and public diplomacy published in Survival.

Andrew Borene, Executive Director at Flashpoint, whose talk is entitled ‘Preparing Business and Technology Leaders for a New Cold War’ and will focus on:
1) a dramatic rise in the scale and complexity of threats to businesses in the cyber domain, due to advances in AI/ML, supercomputing, and cloud technologies,
2) a changing web of alliances and adversaries in the new Cold War (as distinct from Cold War 1.0),
3) unifying threat intel — using “common floorboards and platforms” across disciplines.

David Kilby OBE of Strider Technologies will give a presentation to the International Security & IntelligenceProfessional course (ISI-Pro) asking ‘Is the private sector ahead of government agencies in the race for high-impact intelligence?’ This is an urgent question of innovation and technology facing the public and private sectors.

Professor Sir David Omand of King’s College London Department of War Studies will talk about ‘How to Survive a Crisis’ to bring together anticipation of crisis, slowly burning crises and the intelligence literature on strategic warning. Sir David is former Director of GCHQ and the first UK Security and Intelligence Coordinator.

Professor Christopher Andrew, Emeritus Professor at the University of Cambridge, will be speaking on the International Security & Intelligence Professional Program (ISI-Pro) in April 2025. His presentation is titled ‘Working with Oleg Gordievsky at the end of the Cold War after his escape from Russia and the KGB’. Professor Andrew will reveal what it was like to write ahistory of the KGB with one of the most consequential Soviet defectors of the Cold War, including never before published personal photos of his time with Gordievsky.

Heather Panton of Labrys, whose talk ‘Securing Tomorrow: The State’s Role in Regulating Technological Innovation and National Security’ will be a key presentation for anyone in the natsec start up or commercial space as well as those inside of government who need to simultaneously unleash western innovation while regulating it.

Application and Fees

A professional CV or resume should be submitted with a short statement of purpose (not to exceed 500 words) detailing how ISI-Pro fits into career goals and what perspectives or expertise the applicant might bring to ISI-Pro.

  • A non-refundable application fee of £150 is due at the time of application.
  • Applications will be assessed within two weeks of submission.
  • To secure a place, the programme fee must be paid in full within 2 weeks of notification of acceptance.
  • The Programme Fee which includes the academic programme and a single occupancy bedroom with en-suite facilities as well as a daily continental breakfast, lunch on weekdays and several ‘formal halls’ –  £3,500.00

Once an applicant is admitted the applicant will receive a registration form. Receipt of the completed registration form and the programme fee secures a place on the ISI-Pro Programme 2025.

Cancellation Fees

Applicants who cancel and withdraw from the programme fee are charged a percentage of the programme fee as follows:

65 days+ 5% cancellation fee
65 to 30 days 50% cancellation fee
30 to 0 days 100% cancellation fee

 

Apply for ISI-Pro 2025.

 

Visa and Insurance Information

Insurance Information:

All participants must ensure that they have adequate insurance prior to travelling to Cambridge. Insurance should cover:

  • all international medical and emergency expenses;
  • loss or damage to your personal belongings while you are travelling to/from and during your stay in the UK;
  • personal liability. [Personal liability insurance protects you from financial losses if you are held responsible for bodily injury or property damage to a third party. It covers the legal costs and damages you may be required to pay as compensation.]

Visa Information:

If you require a visa, you can visit the UK as a Standard Visitor for tourism, business, study (courses up to 6 months) and other permitted activities. It is your responsibility to check if you require a visa to enter the UK, so please factor in the time it will take to apply for one.

You will also need to check if you require an ‘Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)’ – most Europeans and north Americans will need one of these.  Details can be found here.

You must apply for a Standard Visitor visa online before you travel to the UK.

A Standard Visitor visa costs £115 for up to 6 months. The earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel.

If you visit the UK regularly, you can choose to apply for a long-term Standard Visitor visa instead.

Please check you meet the eligibility requirements on the UK Government Website.

Additional Information about UK Visas can be found here.

Please note: the Cambridge Security Initiative and the Department of War Studies, King’s College, London are responsible to the UK Border Force for monitoring attendance at the programme to ensure that students comply with the terms of their visa.

We strongly advise you to make copies of your passport, visa letter and insurance policies prior to travelling and keep these separate from the originals.

If you arrive in Cambridge without the correct immigration clearance for short-term study, we will not permit you to start the programme. It is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct visa clearance to participate in ISI-Pro.

Living in a Cambridge College

Nestled behind 16th-century sandstone walls in the heart of Cambridge, Emmanuel College offers professional delegates a rare chance to experience life within one of the world’s most prestigious academic institutions. Delegates can enjoy serene courtyards, picturesque gardens, the Christopher Wren chapel, and the charming Emma duck pond, alongside access to the grand formal hall and historic library. Accommodation (single ensuite) and dining facilities provide an authentic taste of Cambridge student life, enhanced by the college’s rich heritage and the vibrant city atmosphere.

With shops, restaurants, and cultural venues just steps away, Emmanuel—affectionately known as Emma—combines academic excellence with a welcoming community and an inspiring glimpse into Cambridge’s collegiate traditions.

The Cambridge Security Initiative | www.thecsi.org.uk | e:isi@thecsi.org.uk | The Cambridge Security Initiative is a registered charity, registration number 1175201