Putin and Putnam: The Unethical Rationality of Vladimir Putin Viewed Through a Game Theory Perspective
Speaker: LTC Nathan Colvin (US Army) Date: 11 October 2023 Speaker Series Summary SMA hosted a speaker session with LTC Nathan Colvin (US Army) as part of its SMA “Strategic Deterrence Frameworks” (SDF) Speaker Series. In current discourse, Putin has been described as an irrational actor, choosing to commit armed aggression toward non-NATO countries even when the […]
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Why Trust Matters in AI? How Can We Achieve It?
Speaker: Dr. David Bray (Stimson Center) Date: 5 October 2023 Speaker Session Summary The capabilities and implications of artificial intelligence are frequently discussed throughout all sectors of society. Among the many questions asked is, how can human users trust AI? Dr. Bray emphasized that the first step in understanding whether humans can trust AI, is […]
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Influence and Perception Management Office
Speaker: Mr. James Holly (OUSD (I&S)) Date: 3 October 2023 Speaker Session Summary The Influence and Perception Management Office (IPMO) is a young office within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security (OUSD I&S). However, the need for an organization managing the US Armed Forces’ messaging has been debated for […]
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China’s Three Roads to Controlling Taiwan
Speakers: Dr. Dan Blumenthal (AEI) & Frederick W. Kagan (AEI); Jack Gaines, Moderator (One CA Podcast) Date: 27 September 2023 Speaker Session Summary The increasing political and military tensions between China and Taiwan are frequently discussed in Western media. During these discussions, politicians and pundits point out Taiwan’s strategic importance to the US and China, […]
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Putin and the Psychology of Nuclear Brinkmanship
Speakers: Dr. Rose McDermott (Brown University) and Dr. Paul Slovic (Brown University) Date: 28 September 2023 Speaker Session Summary SMA hosted a speaker session with Dr. Rose McDermott (Brown University) and Dr. Paul Slovic (Brown University) as part of its SMA “Strategic Deterrence Frameworks” (SDF) Speaker Series. The world has not experienced a global military conflict since […]
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Freedom in the World 2023: Marking 50 Years in the Struggle for Democracy
Speaker: Yana Gorokhovskaia (Freedom House) Date: 20 September 2023 Speaker Session Summary For fifty years, Freedom House has published its assessment of the state of democracy around the world. Freedom House categorizes countries and territories in to three groups based off a point system: 1) free, 2) partly free, and 3) not free. Dr. Gorokhovskaia […]
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The Minds and Actions of Devoted Actors and the Will to Fight: A Behavioral and Brain Studies Approach to War and Extreme Group Conflict
Speaker: Dr. Scott Atran (University of Michigan) Date: 12 September 2023 Speaker Session Summary What drives warfighters to make costly sacrifices—including their lives—is a long-standing question that military and civilian leaders have tried to answer. Dr. Atran explained that this question can be studied through two different psychological models: 1) rational choice theory and 2) […]
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Russia’s Role in Global Nuclear Supply Chains
Speaker: Ms. Darya Dolzikova (RUSI) Date: 12 September 2023 Speaker Session Summary Ms. Dolzikova discussed how Russia’s civil nuclear sector has largely evaded the sanctions placed on the rest of the Russian economy since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. During her presentation she outlined the drivers of the global dependency on Russia’s civil […]
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Nuclear Intimidation: A Russian Success Story
Speaker: Professor Keir Giles (Chatham House) Date: 5 September 2023 Speaker Session Summary SMA hosted a speaker session with Prof. Keir Giles (Chathan House) as part of its SMA “Strategic Deterrence Frameworks” (SDF) Speaker Series. Russia’s long-term information operations (IO) and influence campaigns have altered how US and Western decision makers perceive the risk level of Russia […]
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Concepts of Influence Beyond Punishment and Denial: A Combined Effect Analysis of China, Russia, and Iran
Speaker: Brig Gen (Ret) Thomas Drohan (Professor Emeritus of Military and Strategic Studies, U.S. Air Force Academy; Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies) Date: 29 August 2023 Speaker Series Summary SMA hosted a speaker session with Brig Gen (Ret) Thomas Drohan (Professor Emeritus of Military and Strategic Studies, U.S. Air Force Academy; Mitchell Institute for Aerospace […]
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