CNAS Live Events

Explore previous live virtual events

Against All Odds: Supporting Civil Society and Human Rights in Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan

Fireside Chat with GEN James E. Rainey and The Hon. Douglas R. Bush

Assessing How the Kremlin’s War in Ukraine Is Affecting Putin’s Hold on Power

Deepening Defense Integration with Allies and Partners

Four Battlegrounds: Power in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Marking One Year Since Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

Mission Brief | A New Approach for the U.S. Air Force in the Middle East with Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich

Mission Brief | The Role of Allies and Partners in the National Defense Strategy with Dr. Celeste Wallander

Virtual Event | The Rt Hon James Heappey MP, Minister of State for the Armed Forces of the UK

Virtual Event | Governance and Security in Syria: A Conversation with Elham Ahmed

Virtual Event | Precision and Posture: Investing in Strategic Readiness

Safe@Home | A Conversation on Countering Domestic Violent Extremism

Recruitment, Retention, and Quality of Life in the Force with the Hon. Christine Wormuth

Spyware and Security with Congressman Jim Himes

Special Event | A Conversation with Under Secretary of Commerce Alan F. Estevez

Virtual Event | Developing a Transatlantic Technology Strategy

Virtual Event | Renewing American Industrial Policy

Virtual Event | Climate Security

Virtual Event | One Year After Withdrawal: Update on Afghanistan

Virtual Event | Russia in the Arctic

Virtual Event | Taiwan, Cross-Strait Relations, and an Evolving World

Virtual Event | U.S.-ROK Strategy for Enhancing Cooperation on Combating Cyber-enabled Financial Crime

Watch:

Virtual Report Launch | Operationalizing the Quad

Watch:

Fireside Chat with General CQ Brown, Jr. Chief of Staff of the Air Force

Watch:

Cybersecurity Threats and Information Sharing with Anne Neuberger

Watch:

Virtual Event | Securing America's Supply Chains

Watch:

Virtual Event | Military Food Insecurity and Financial Stability

Watch:

Virtual Event | Conversation with Michael Brown, Director of the Defense Innovation Unit

Watch:

Day Three Part Two | 2022 CNAS National Security Conference: Security in the Balance

Watch:

Day Three Part One | 2022 CNAS National Security Conference: Security in the Balance

Watch:

Day Two | 2022 CNAS National Security Conference: Security in the Balance

Watch:

Day One | 2022 CNAS National Security Conference: Security in the Balance

Watch:

Virtual Report Launch | Revitalizing the U.S.-Philippines Alliance

On Thursday, June 2, CNAS hosted the launch of a new landmark report, “Revitalizing the U.S.-Philippines Alliance to Address Strategic Competition in the Indo-Pacific,” by the CNAS U.S.-Philippines Alliance Task Force.

Watch:

The Pitch 2022: A Competition of New Ideas

CNAS hosted its annual premier event to elevate emerging and diverse voices in national security: The Pitch: A Competition of New Ideas. Selected applicants will make their pitch for innovative policy ideas to meet new challenges in U.S. national security policy in front of a distinguished panel of judges and a live virtual audience. There was interactive polling, and the audience will be able to vote for the "People's Choice Award." Finalists from each round and the winner of the "People's Choice Award" will move on to compete at the grand finale during the 2022 CNAS National Security Conference: Security in the Balance.

Watch:

Virtual Event | Following the Crypto

On Wednesday, April 20 CNAS hosted a virtual discussion about these issues and the release of the new report, “Following the Crypto: Using Blockchain Analysis to Assess the Strengths and Vulnerabilities of North Korean Hackers.”

Watch:

Safe@Home | A Conversation with FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell

When major disaster strikes, Americans look to FEMA to support their local and state authorities to respond. On Friday, March 25 CNAS hosted FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell in a conversation about preparedness for climate related disasters, pandemic response, and how FEMA's new strategic plan tackles these issues and more. Robert M. Gates Senior Fellow Carrie Cordero moderated the conversation.

Watch:

Virtual Event | The War in Ukraine: Implications for the Indo-Pacific

On Wednesday, March 9, from 3:00PM–4:00PM EST CNAS hosted an expert panel that discussed how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will impact the geopolitical and economic landscape of the Indo-Pacific. Looking forward, how should the United States work with allies to confront aggression in Europe while still deepening Washington’s engagement in the Indo-Pacific and competing effectively with China? And how will the war in Ukraine reshape relations among the region’s major powers, including the United States, China, Russia, India, and Japan?

Watch:

Fireside Chat | General Thierry Burkhard, French Chief of Defence

On March 8, the Center for a New American Security hosted a virtual conversation with General Thierry Burkhard, French Chief of Defence, moderated by Dr. Stacie Pettyjohn, Senior Fellow and Director of the CNAS Defense Program. They discussed the current and future strategy of the French Armed Forces and the challenges of maintaining a global posture in a time of shifting geopolitics, particularly in regard to the war in Ukraine and counter-terrorism operations in western Africa.

Watch:

Rapid Response | War in Ukraine: The World Weighs In

One week after Russia launched its invasion into Ukraine—an invasion that President Biden condemned as "premeditated and unprovoked" in his State of the Union address—Europe has become engulfed in its biggest war in decades. While Russia has expanded its assault on several key Ukrainian cities, a firm resistance from Ukrainian forces and civilians continues and the list of countries vowing immediate military aid to Ukraine continues to grow. On Friday, March 4, CNAS hosted a virtual panel of regional and defense experts for the latest examination of the unfolding war.

Watch:

Rapid Response | Sanctions and Export Controls Explained: What's going on with Russia

On Wednesday, March 2 CNAS hosted a panel to discuss what these new sanctions and export controls mean, how they will impact the Russian and global economies, and what to expect next in the economic domain from the United States and allies. We also examined how sanctions and export controls will be enforced and whether China can act as a spoiler to the strong, coordinated effort from the allies.

Watch:

Rapid Response | War in Ukraine: What Next?

The swift and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by Russia has been met with intense condemnations from global leaders. As Russian soldiers engage in a full air and land operation with an unprecedented amount of troops, how might their military campaign unfold? And what are the geopolitical implications for the surrounding countries and NATO allies? The Center for a New American Security hosted a panel on Friday, February 25 with regional and defense experts who will examine the unfolding crisis and the broader implications for European security.

Mission Brief | The Future of the Army National Guard with Lieutenant General Jon A. Jensen Director, Army National Guard

On Tuesday, February 22, the Center for a New American Security hosted LTG Jon A. Jensen, Director of the Army National Guard, to discuss how the Army National Guard is modernizing and preparing for future operations and bolstering readiness to meet forecasted challenges.

Watch:

Special Event | Virtual Fireside Chat with Ms. Eva-Maria Liimets Foreign Minister of Estonia

On Wednesday, February 16, the Center for a New American Security hosted a virtual fireside chat with Ms. Eva-Maria Liimets, Foreign Minister of Estonia, to discuss the current conflict in conversation with Andrea Kendall-Taylor. As the U.S. and NATO work together to de-escalate, this discussion will provide fresh insight into the conflict from the Estonian perspective.

Watch:

Mission Brief | Meeting the Challenges of Today and Tomorrow with the Honorable Shawn Skelly

On Tuesday, February 15, the Center for a New American Security hosted the Honorable Shawn Skelly, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness, to discuss how the Department plans to build, maintain, and balance warfighting capabilities and competitive advantages to achieve strategic objectives both today and tomorrow.

Watch:

Virtual Event | Raising the Economic Costs For Russia’s Continued Aggression Towards Ukraine

On Monday, February 14, CNAS hosted an event that drew on regional and functional experts to discuss how the U.S., EU, and UK have sought to use sanctions and other economic measures to deter further Russian aggression towards Ukraine.

Watch:

Special Event | Rethinking Human Capital: Before and After Service

On Wednesday, February 9, CNAS for a discussion with Bishop Garrison and Jimmy Anderson, key advisors to the Secretary of Defense and Secretary of the VA on issues of human capital and diversity, equity, and inclusion. The discussion was moderated by Katherine Kuzminski, Senior Fellow and Director of the Military, Veterans, and Society program at CNAS. The discussion was followed by an expert panel including Dr. Miriam Matthews, Senior Behavioral and Social Scientist at RAND and Dr. Marek Posard, Military Sociologist at RAND.

Watch:

Virtual Fireside Chat | Honorable Christine Wormuth, Secretary of the Army

On Tuesday, February 8 CNAS hosted a virtual conversation between the Honorable Christine Wormuth, Secretary of the Army, and Dr. Stacie Pettyjohn, Senior Fellow and Director of the CNAS Defense Program, to discuss Army priorities for 2022 and beyond.

Watch:

Special Event | The World in 2022 with Michèle Flournoy, Jeh Johnson, James Murdoch and Richard Fontaine

How might 2022 unfold from here, and what courses should U.S. foreign policy and national security take? On Friday, February 4, CNAS hosted a special virtual event featuring three members of its Board of Directors, Michèle Flournoy, Jeh Johnson, and James Murdoch—each a leading expert—for a forward-looking survey of the global landscape and America’s role in it.

Watch:

Special Event | The Future of the Digital Order

On Friday, January 28, CNAS hosted an event to discuss a U.S. policy response that addresses challenges at home, engages with democratic and nondemocratic partners, and counters adversaries. It must take a leadership role, recognizing that the future digital order is at stake.

Watch:

Safe@Home | A Conversation with DHS Deputy Secretary John K. Tien

On Friday, January 28, CNAS hosted DHS Deputy Secretary John K. Tien in his first in-depth public conversation since stepping into his role to discuss current homeland security threats, challenges, and priorities. Robert M. Gates Senior Fellow Carrie Cordero moderated the conversation. This conversation is the first in a new CNAS speaker series, Safe@Home, which focuses on challenges to homeland security such as international and domestic terrorism, political violence against government officials, mass shootings and gun violence, pandemic preparedness and response, climate-related emergency management, cybersecurity and response, and related issues.

Watch:

Virtual Event | Dealing with a Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan

On January 25 CNAS hosted an event coinciding with the release of a report by CNAS Senior Fellow and Indo-Pacific Security Program Director Lisa Curtis, “Dealing with a Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan: Supporting the Afghan People without Legitimizing the Regime.” The event featured U.S. congressman Mike Waltz, Richard Fontaine, Ambassador Kelley Currie, Ms. Fawzia Koofi, former deputy speaker of the Afghan parliament and member of Afghanistan’s negotiating team in Doha; Matin Bek, former chief of staff to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and member of Afghanistan’s negotiating team in Doha; and Lisa Curtis.

Watch:

Virtual Event | The Legendary James A. Baker III

On Thursday, January 20, CNAS hosted a special discussion on Baker’s extraordinary life and legacy with the authors of two recent books: Susan Glasser and Peter Baker, co-authors of “The Man Who Ran Washington: The Life and Times of James A. Baker III,” and Diana Villers Negroponte, author of “Master Negotiator: The Role of James A. Baker, III at the End of the Cold War.” They were joined by Robert Zoellick, former Deputy Secretary of State and President of the World Bank, who worked closely with Baker in many of his most consequential activities.

Watch:

Virtual Fireside Chat | The Hon. Frank Kendall III, Secretary of the Air Force

On Wednesday, January 19 CNAS hosted a virtual conversation between the Honorable Frank Kendall III, Secretary of the Air Force, and Dr. Stacie Pettyjohn, Senior Fellow and Director of the CNAS Defense Program. They will discuss the future of the Department of the Air Force as it adapts to having two separate services and how it must modernize to deter potential aggressors.

Watch:

Special Event | The Crisis in Kazakhstan

The unprecedented unrest roiling the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan—which is home to some of the world’s largest oil reserves and borders both Russia and China—is raising concerns about stability and shifting power balances in the region. On Thursday, January 13, CNAS hosted a special event on the situation in Kazakhstan with experts on Central Asia and Russia.

Watch:

Containing Crisis: Strategic Concepts for Coercive Economic Statecraft on China

As the United States and the People’s Republic of China continue to engage in geopolitical competition, both countries have included economic tools of statecraft as part of their broader foreign policy. On Friday, January 7, CNAS hosted Congressman Ami Bera; Emily Kilcrease, senior fellow and director of the Energy, Economics, and Security Program at CNAS; Rachel Ziemba, CNAS adjunct senior fellow; and Emily Jin, CNAS research assistant, for a virtual discussion about building a strategic framework to promote geopolitical stability while defending U.S. economic and security interests.

Watch:

Fireside Chat with General David H. Berger Commandant of the Marine Corps

On Tuesday, December 14 CNAS hosted General David H. Berger, Commandant of the Marine Corps, for a conversation with Dr. Stacie Pettyjohn, Senior Fellow and Director of the CNAS Defense Program. They discussed Force Design 2030, how the concept has evolved, what progress has been made to date, and what remains to be done.

Watch:

Mission Brief | The Next National Defense Strategy with Dr. Mara Karlin

The Department of Defense is crafting a new National Defense Strategy, scheduled for publication in early 2022. It will identify priority threats and missions to deter competitors from aggression and secure U.S. interests around the globe. This guidance will size and shape the Joint Force and provide critical direction to the Department. On Thursday, December 9 the Center for a New American Security hosted Dr. Mara Karlin, who is Performing the Duties of Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, to discuss how the Department views the evolving security environment and its implications for the forthcoming National Defense Strategy.

Watch:

Virtual Event | Lessons of the Syrian Conflict

In conjunction with the release of the report, “Lessons of the Syrian Conflict: Toward a Better Intervention Debate,” the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) hosted a panel discussion on Thursday, December 9 to discuss what U.S. policy makers can learn from the partial intervention in Syria, and what this means for future U.S. policies both in Syria and in other conflict zones. The event featured a panel discussion with the report's author Nicholas Danforth, former U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford, and former Deputy Assistant Administrator in the Middle East Bureau at USAID Mona Yacoubian. The discussion was moderated by CNAS Adjunct Senior Fellow Elisa Ewers.

Watch:

Special Event | Indo-Pacific Empire: China, America and the Contest for the World’s Pivotal Region with Rory Medcalf

CNAS hosted a fireside chat with Rory Medcalf, head of the National Security College at the Australian National University, and CNAS CEO Richard Fontaine. The fireside was followed by an expert panel featuring Lisa Curtis, senior fellow and director of the CNAS Indo-Pacific Security Program; Dr. Michael Green, senior vice president for Asia and Japan Chair at CSIS and director of Asian Studies at Georgetown University; Rory Medcalf; and Dr. Thomas Wright, director of the Center on the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution.

Watch:

Mission Brief | Designing the Air Force America Needs with Lt. Gen. Hinote

How is the Air Force designing a force capable of meeting the future threats outlined in the National Defense Strategy? What are the critical changes in air warfare, and what can the United States do now to meet those challenges? On Tuesday, November 16 the Center for a New American Security hosted a one-on-one discussion with Air Force Lieutenant General Clint Hinote, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategy, Integration and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, on how to prepare for future warfighting challenges and refine near-term requirements to build the Air Force America needs.

Watch:

Towards a Sustainable U.S. Posture in the Middle East

In conjunction with the release of its forthcoming report “When Less is More: Rethinking U.S. Military Strategy and Posture in the Middle East,” the Center for a New American Security hosted a two-part discussion on the future of the U.S. presence in the region. The event featured a one-on-one interview with Derek Chollet, Counselor of the U.S. Department of State, followed by a panel discussion with CNAS Fellow Becca Wasser, CNAS Adjunct Senior Fellow Elisa Ewers, and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East Mick Mulroy. The discussion was moderated by CNAS Senior Fellow and Middle East Program Director Ilan Goldenberg.

Watch:

The Future of U.S. Sanctions Policy with Wally Adeyemo and Jack Lew

On Thursday, October 21 Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo, who led the Treasury Department’s sanctions policy review, joined the Center for a New American Security for a wide-ranging conversation on the findings and what to expect from the Biden administration’s use of sanctions moving forward. He was joined by former Treasury Secretary Jack Lew and Ambassador Paula Dobriansky. The event included audience questions moderated by CNAS Senior Fellow and Director of the Energy, Economic and Security Program Emily Kilcrease.

Watch:

Special Event | Executing a National Technology Strategy

The Center for a New American Security hosts a virtual event on executing a U.S. national technology strategy. Ideas abound for actions the United States should take to better position itself for the unfolding global technology competition. Concerning topics as diverse as raw materials to semiconductors to STEM education, a nonstop cavalcade of presidential directives, congressional bills, industry proposals, think tank reports, and pronouncements by big-name luminaries have been issued as measures to address American economic competitiveness and national security challenges. Speakers include: Sen. Michael Bennet, Michael Brown from the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), Emily Kilcrease, Megan Lamberth, Martijn Rasser, Loren DeJonge Schulman, and John Costello.

Watch:

Special Event | Fireside Chat with General Sir Nicholas Carter, UK Chief of the Defence Staff

The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) hosted General Sir Nicholas Carter, UK Chief of the Defense Staff for a conversation on the United Kingdom's view of the global strategic environment following the Afghanistan withdrawal, recent defense developments such as the AUKUS arrangement, and future defense priorities. Moderated by Stacie Pettyjohn, senior fellow and director of the Defense Program at CNAS.

Watch:

Special Event | What's Next for Afghanistan?

It has been just over a month since the U.S. completed its military withdrawal from Afghanistan, but life has already changed dramatically for Afghans under Taliban rule. The security situation is grim, as vulnerable Afghans hide from the Taliban while others attempt to flee the country. What are the prospects for those Afghans who wish to leave? How is the security situation evolving, and how does U.S. policy need to adapt? CNAS hosted a special discussion to examine these and other issues with Afghanistan's Ambassador to the U.S. Adela Raz, Former Member of the Afghan Parliament Naheed Farid, Task Force Pineapple Deputy Director Lyla Kohistany, CNAS Senior Fellow Lisa Curtis, and moderator Heather Nauert.

Watch:

Virtual Book Discussion | Leadership: The Warrior's Art

On Tuesday, September 28, the Center for a New American Security hosted a special event for the launch of the second edition of Leadership: The Warrior’s Art by CNAS Adjunct Senior Fellow Christopher Kolenda. He was joined by Marine veterans and CNAS Adjunct Senior Fellows Dr. Jeannette Gaudry Haynie and Dr. Kyleanne Hunter to discuss their new chapter, “Developing Operational Leaders … Who Happen to be Women,” on why the full integration of women into the military is crucial for readiness, and practical ways to end sexual assault within the ranks.

Watch:

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal: Reflections 10 Years Later

September 20, 2021 marked the 10-year anniversary of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) repeal implementation, which ended the 17-year military personnel policy enforced by the Department of Defense (DoD) and the military services. Implementation of the policy’s repeal required coordination between Congress, DoD leadership, and service-level leadership, and included the perspectives of service members, veterans, and advocates. On Monday, September 20, 2021, CNAS hosted a virtual panel with key decisionmakers involved in the change management required to fully implement the repeal of DADT.

Watch:

Day 6: CNAS 2021 National Security Conference | Security in the Balance: Gaming the Next Defense Strategy

As part of Day 6 of the CNAS 2021 National Security Conference on June 17, 2021, the CNAS Defense Program and expert guests hosted a live virtual strategy game exploring some of the critical challenges shaping the Department of Defense’s (DoD) next National Defense Strategy (NDS). The game focused on the Indo-Pacific region, forcing players to make tough tradeoffs in a budget constrained environment among capacity, capability, and readiness to achieve their overarching goals.

This game drew from the Defense Program’s wide-ranging expertise on defense strategy and force planning, highlighting the Center’s unique gaming capabilities through the Gaming Lab. For more information about featured contestants or about the conference, visit conference.cnas.org.

Watch:

Day 4: CNAS 2021 National Security Conference | The Pitch: A Competition of New Ideas

As part of Day 4 of the CNAS 2021 National Security Conference on June 15, 2021, CNAS hosted its annual premier event to elevate emerging and diverse voices in national security: The Pitch: A Competition of New Ideas. Selected applicants will make their pitch for innovative policy ideas to meet new challenges in U.S. national security policy in front of a distinguished panel of judges and a live virtual audience. For more information about featured contestants or about the conference, visit conference.cnas.org.

Watch:

Day 3 | CNAS 2021 National Security Conference: A New American Security

Day 3 of the CNAS 2021 National Security Conference on June 10, 2021 featured a series of interactive online sessions on issues such as technology and economic competition, the future of defense, and the challenges to democratic values.

For the full conference schedule and for more information, visit the official conference website: https://conference.cnas.org/.

Watch:

Day 2: CNAS 2021 National Security Conference | Live Podcast: CNAS Brussels Sprouts

As part of Day 2 of the CNAS 2021 National Security Conference on June 9, 2021, the CNAS Transatlantic Security Program hosted a live, interactive recording of the Center’s Brussels Sprouts podcast with co-hosts Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend, featuring Steven Erlanger, Anne Gearan, Susan B. Glasser, and Constanze Stelzenmüller. For the full conference schedule and for more information, visit the official conference website: https://conference.cnas.org/.

Watch:

Day 1: CNAS 2021 National Security Conference | Fireside Chat with Kurt Campbell

On June 8, 2021, the first day of the Center's annual conference, CNAS CEO Richard Fontaine hosted Kurt Campbell, Deputy Assistant to the President and Coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs in the National Security Council, for a conversation about how responses from the United States, Australia, India, and Japan to China’s growing regional assertiveness will prove crucial in shaping the region’s future. For more information about the conference, visit conference.cnas.org.

Watch:

Day 1 | CNAS 2021 National Security Conference: A New American Security

On June 8, 2021, the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), in partnership with Axios, launched the 15th Annual CNAS National Security Conference, A New American Security. The virtual conference will explore the new challenges, ideas, and voices transforming America’s national security landscape. It will feature a series of interactive online sessions on issues such as technology and economic competition, the future of defense, and the challenges to democratic values.

For the full conference schedule and for more information, visit the official conference website: https://conference.cnas.org/.

Watch:

Explore previous live in-person events:

Watch: