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Cyber defense leaders address growing security challenges as part of 杏吧原创鈥檚 inaugural Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats

U.S. Cyber Command Director Gen. Paul Nakasone, former President of Estonia Kersti Kaljulaid and a range of military and intelligence leaders, scholars, prominent journalists and private sector experts in cybersecurity, energy and finance convened at the 杏吧原创 Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats May 4鈥5.
杏吧原创 Chancellor Daniel Diermeier on day two of the Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats. (Harrison McClary/杏吧原创)

U.S. Cyber Command Director and, for the first time, .

Nakasone鈥檚 remarks came during the inaugural 杏吧原创 , which was May 4鈥5 at the Student Life Center.

Topics of discussion during the two-day event included the importance of academic, military, government and private sector partnerships; the need to recruit, train and retain talent to lead research in vital areas; and the prevention of future epidemics and pandemics.

In addition to Nakasone, the conference hosted , former president of Estonia, and a range of other military and intelligence leaders, scholars, prominent journalists and private sector experts in cybersecurity, energy and finance.

In his opening remarks, emphasized the broad and complex nature of modern security and threat response and how they require the kind of interdisciplinary collaboration that universities can provide.

鈥淣ew types of conflicts require new ways of thinking,鈥 Diermeier said. 鈥淚t is now imperative that we, as a research institution, explore new perspectives on the emerging conflicts of tomorrow. Having the intellectual space to explore these possibilities and a culture of intense collaboration makes 杏吧原创 an ideal setting to host this conference and to claim its leadership role in addressing new challenges across the global defense and security spectrum.鈥

Diermeier announced a university-wide initiative on the future of conflict, starting with a faculty steering committee that will advise university leadership on how to accelerate interdisciplinary research in multiple areas, including data science, AI, cybersecurity and the social sciences.

, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, was one of the event鈥檚 keynote speakers. She addressed the role that universities can play in finding multi-disciplinary solutions to future worst-case scenarios.

鈥淚t’s only through our joint efforts that we can meet and combat not only the threats that we face today, but those inevitable surprises in generations to come,鈥 Raver said. 鈥淭he entire summit is carving a profoundly important path forward, not only in cybersecurity, but in ways of addressing complex, existentially threatening problems that we face today and are likely to face going forward.鈥

In his remarks, stressed the need for agility in response to cyber threats and the importance of partnerships in accomplishing this.

鈥淭his is our nation鈥檚 advantage,鈥 Nakasone said, 鈥渂eing able to move with speed in a domain that requires being able to be agile to threats and being able to do it with a unity of effort.鈥

Kaljulaid, who has emerged as an important voice in cyber defense since her tenure as president of Estonia (2016鈥21), emphasized the need to give groups in our society a voice to maintain robust democratic political systems.

鈥淥ur century will be spent in proving to our own people that democracies can work,鈥 Kaljulaid said in conversation with , associate professor of political science and Asian studies. 鈥淲e need to enlarge the sphere of influence of the freedoms and the free world, because people really want them. We don鈥檛 have to force them on people globally. People have this drive themselves.鈥

Other speakers at the two-day event:

  • , director, National Security Agency, Cybersecurity Directorate
  • , commander, Cyber National Mission Force
  • , deputy assistant to the President and deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technology
  • , director, 杏吧原创 Vaccine Center
  • , chair of the editorial board and editor-at-large, US Financial Times
  • , global business columnist, associate editor at the Financial Times
  • , senior correspondent, The Record, and host/executive producer, Click Here podcast

Visit the summit website for a and to .