Notre Dame International Security Center
by Notre Dame International Security Center
The Notre Dame International Security Center was established in 2008 to provide a forum where leading scholars in national security studies from Notre Dame and elsewhere could come together to explore some of the most pressing issues in national security policy.
Episodes
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Totalitarianism and the Value of Republic with Dr. Orlando Gutierrez-Boronat | Students Talk Security
In this episode of "Students Talk Security," host Andre Rainville '27 discusses politics, freedom, and totalitarianism with the distinguished Dr. Orlando Gutierrez-Boronat. Born in Havana in 1965, Gutierrez-Boronat is a renowned author, spokesperson for the Cuban Democratic Directorate, and a...
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The Theoretical and Psychological Foundations of the Grand Strategy Debate | William Wohlforth | NDISC Seminar Series
William C. Wohlforth is the Daniel Webster Professor of Government at Dartmouth. He is the author or editor of ten books and some 70 articles and book chapters on topics ranging from the Cold War and its end to unipolarity, Russian foreign policy, and contemporary U.S. grand strategy. His most...
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Leading with Honor with Major Justin Hanson, USMC
In this episode of the Students Talk Security Podcast, host Colleen Brennan interviews Major Justin Hanson, Notre Dame's 2024-2025 War College Fellow. Major Hanson shares his extensive background in the Marines, which began with his commissioning in 2011 and included roles such as a platoon...
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Reconceptualizing the British Empire | Steve Pincus | NDISC Seminar Series
Steve Pincus is Thomas Donnelly Professor of History at the University of Chicago. He has written widely on the History of Britain, the British Empire, comparative revolutions, and the relationship between institutions and economic growth. His books include "1688: The First Modern Revolution,"…
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Killing Precisely | James Patton Rogers | NDISC Seminar Series
Join us in a seminar at the Notre Dame International Security Center as we welcome James Patton Rogers, a distinguished expert on drone warfare and the executive director of the Cornell Brooks Tech Policy Institute at Cornell University. In today's episode, James delves deep into the…
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Leadership Experiences and Lessons Learned as a Woman in the Army with Colonel Meghan Cumpston | Students Talk Security
In this episode of Students Talk Security, host Peyton Marrone sits down with Colonel Meghan Cumpston, who has dedicated over 21 years of her life to serving in the United States Army. Colonel Cumpston’s journey into military service began by accident, but it evolved into a passion and career…
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Critical Languages and the Nonprofit Defense Space with Eric Connelly | Students Talk Security
In this episode of "Students Talk Security," NDISC Fellow Jack Lennon '25 welcomes Eric Connolly, a foreign language-enabled research analyst and project lead at Riverside Research, a notable nonprofit dedicated to advancing scientific research in areas including machine learning, biomedical...
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Biden's Undefined Victory in Ukraine with Doug Bandow | Outside the Box Podcast
In this episode of "Outside the Box, "hosts Michael Desch and Jim Webb are joined by guest Doug Bandow to discuss the parallels between today’s conflict in Ukraine and the tumultuous year of 1968. The discussion unpacks President Biden's strategies in Ukraine, highlighting a lack of clear victory...
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STS: Navigating the Charade Economy with Rose Kelanic
Join Anne Griffin '26 and Notre Dame political science professor Dr. Rose Kelanic as they explore the nuances of U.S. foreign policy decisions, from balancing power in Asia to the implications of green energy investments on national security. Gain perspective on the clash between academia and...
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Outside the Box | John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt
In this episode of the Outside the Box podcast, host Dr. Michael Desch is joined by guests Dr. John Mearsheimer and Dr. Stephen Walt to discuss the taboo surrounding the Israel lobby. They highlight the historical backdrop of anti-Semitism in the West, conspiracy theories, and the tragic events…
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STS: Cultural Legacy and Global Influence with Carmen Medina
From the experiences and viewpoints of citizens growing up in the global South to the challenges faced by policymakers in understanding the complex dynamics of a globalized world, we explore the interplay between economics, the environment, and social dynamics. Join us as we navigate through the...
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Outside The Box | The Tragedy of Volodymyr Zelensky
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion against Ukraine in February 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been likened to British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. The comparison is apt, but NDISC Director Michael Desch asks us to truly reckon with it. He did so though his…
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Outside The Box Podcast | LtGen Greg Newbold on Military Cultural History and Political Division
Mike and Jim talk with former Lieutenant General Newbold about the recent actions of Senator Tuberville to block the president of the United States' selection of a new Commandant of the Marine Corps. In doing so, they compare the military's cultural history to today's political divide and attempt...
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Out The Box Podcast | "Why Are We in Ukraine?" with Christopher Layne
In this episode of "Outside the Box," co-hosts Dr. Michael Desch and Sen. Jim Webb welcome Christopher Layne to discuss his recent co-authored article "Why Are We in Ukraine?" published in "Harper's Magazine" in June 2023. Christopher Layne is University Distinguished Professor of International...
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Great Expectations: History of US-India Relations with Ambassador Nancy Jo Powell
An Interview with Ambassador Nancy Jo Powell by Pranav Guntupalli Interview Summary : Ambassador Nancy Jo Powell speaks about the history of US relations with South Asia including the death of American ambassador Arnold Raphel in 1988, nuclear tension in the subcontinent, and re-emerging...
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STS: Exploring the uniqueness of the Army Chaplain Corp, with Col. Billy Graham
An Interview with Chaplain Col. Billy Graham of the US Army by Pranav Guntupalli Interview Summary: In this episode of the Students Talk Security podcast, Chaplain Billy Graham speaks about his military experience and the uniqueness of chaplaincy corp. Billy explains the crucial role of a…
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Thoughts on the Bear, the Dragon, and Leadership Under Duress: A Conversation with Sandy Winnefeld
Episode summary – In this episode of Students Talk Security, Notre Dame senior and NDISC Undergraduate Fellow Benjamin Erhardt sits down with retired Navy fighter pilot, admiral, and fellow podcaster James A. “Sandy” Winnefeld, Jr. Their discussion covers topics ranging from the Admiral’s storied...
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STS: Meet Major Greg Scott, US Marine Corp
An Interview with Major Gregory M. Scott of the US Marine Corp by Pranav Guntupalli Interview Summary: In the first episode of the "Meet the NDISC fellows" series, Pranav Guntupalli speaks to the NDISC War College fellow, Major Gregory Scott, about his military service. They discuss his time in...
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Outside the Box | Soldiers and Novels
In this episode of Outside the Box, co-host (and six-time novelist) Jim Webb switches to the interviewee seat to join University of Notre Dame English Professor, Iraq War Army veteran, and novelist Roy Scranton to talk about novels and war. In a wide-ranging discussion, the authors of Fields of...
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Madman Theory: The Causes and Effects of Reputations for Madness in International Politics
Roseanne W. McManus is an Associate Professor in the Political Science Department at the Pennsylvania State University. Her research focuses on signaling and coercion in an international security context. She received her B.A. from the University of Maryland and her M.A. and Ph.D. from the...
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STS| Security and Sanctity: The Interconnection of Int'l Religious Freedom w/ U.S. National Security
In this episode of ‘Students Talk Security’, Dr. Farr, the leading expert in the interconnection between international religious freedom, human rights, and United States National Security will discuss his work on the implications rights internationally have on defense and security domestically.…
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The Progressive Equity in the Restraint Coalition
Matt Duss is a congressional staffer and has worked with Senator Bernie Sanders since 2017. Previously he was the President of the Foundation for Middle East Peace, and a national security and international policy analyst at the Center for American Progress. Recorded: March 29, 2022
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STS | The Future of American Policy
This episode will cover how the Senate can influence foreign policy in the face of new threats and increasing executive power, and what an NSA for a Senator sees as the biggest future threats to American security and power. Interviewer: Christopher Libero Interviewee: Thomas Mancinelli
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Senior Military Leadership and the Future of U.S. National Security
In this episode of Outside the Box, Mike and Jim engage LtGen Gregory Newbold, former Director of Operations (J-3) for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in a hard-hitting and wide-ranging discussion of proposed modernization of the U.S. Marine Corps in the XXIst Century, the role of the U.S. Congress in...
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Lest the Stars Totter: Outer Space in the National Security Context
Major Jeremy Grunert is an officer in the United States Air Force Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps. In this capacity, he has served as a military prosecutor and legal advisor at assignments in Afghanistan, Qatar, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Major Grunert is currently...
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The Global Significance of the Sino-Indian Rivalry
Šumit Ganguly is a Distinguished Professor of Political Science and holds the Tagore Chair in Indian Cultures and Civilizations at Indiana University, Bloomington. He is a specialist on the international and comparative politics of South Asia. His most recent book (edited with M. Chris Mason) is...
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Outside the Box | Who Lost Afghanistan?
In 2014 Lt. Gen. Daniel Bolger published his book Why We Lost: A General’s Inside Account of the Iraq and Afghan Wars. Seven years before the fall of Kabul, he had already foreseen the chaotic end of that campaign in the Global War on Terrorism. Bolger says there is much blame to go around but...
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What Can Systemic Trends In Warfare Tell Us About The Future?
Bear F. Braumoeller is Professor in the Department of Political Science at The Ohio State University and the holder of the Baronov and Timashev Chair in Data Analytics. He conducts research in the areas of international relations, political methodology, and complexity and human behavior. He...
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STS | The Taliban Redux: The Future of Counterterrorism in a Taliban Controlled Afghanistan
The episode considers the future of counterterrorism in the context of a Taliban controlled Afghanistan. Beginning with a discussion of how the Taliban was able to regain control so swiftly, the podcast draws on the counterterrorism knowledge and expertise of the FBI’s Former Assistant Director…
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Light Water Capitalism: Nonproliferation and U.S. Global Power
Jayita Sarkar is an Assistant Professor at Boston University Pardee School of Global Studies, where she teaches diplomatic and political history. Her research has been published in the Journal of Cold War Studies, Cold War History, International History Review, Journal of Strategic Studies,...
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STS | Critical Mineral Supply Chains and Electric Vehicles: Charting the American Course
In this episode of ‘Students Talk Security’, undergraduate fellow, Callie Whelan, speaks with Pamela Fierst-Walsh, the Senior Advisor on Conflict Minerals and U.S. Representative to the Kimberley Process at the U.S. Department of State. Callie and Pamela dig into critical mineral supply chains,...
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STS | Civil Affairs Operations in Great Power Competition
An Interview with U.S. Army Civil Affairs Captain Ben Ordiway by Cullen Geahigan where they discuss the purpose and function of Army Civil Affairs operations as well as the value of Civil Affairs missions as part of the Army's guiding mission. Additionally, we covered the future role Civil…
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The Bomb
Recorded: Aug 31, 2021 Host: Dan Lindley Speaker: Fred Kaplan
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Flash Panel | The Fall of Afghanistan
The Fall of Afghanistan: What Does it Mean for America and the World? A virtual flash panel discussion on the fall of Afghanistan featuring Michael Desch, Mary Ellen O'Connell, Dina Smeltz, and Eugene Gholz. Recorded: August 24, 2021
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After the Apocalypse: A Conversation With Andrew Bacevich
Summary: In this episode, Mike and Jim interview Andrew Bacevich, author After the Apocalypse: America's Role in a World Transformed. In this latest book, Bacevich, a retired U.S. Army officer, former professor at Boston University, and President of the new Quincy Institute for Responsible...
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National Service or Servitude?
Summary: In this episode of Outside the Box, Mike and Jim are joined by Doug Bandow of the CATO Institute to discuss national service. We are once again hearing calls to institute some form of national service; whether in the military through conscription or via some form of mandatory civilian...
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The Problem of Alliance Abandonment in Postwar US Foreign Policy
Recorded: May 4, 2021 Host: Joseph Parent Speaker: Jeffrey Taliaferro
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Students Talk Security | Domestic Politics and the Russia-Ukraine Conflict
An Interview with Associate Professor Karrie J. Koesel by Andrew DelVecchio Summary: In this episode of Students Talk Security, Professor Karrie Koesel discusses the role that Russian domestic politics play in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Professor Koesel uses her experience with...
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Students Talk Security | America's Evolving Role in the Middle East's Cold War
An interview with Former U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly by Liam Karr Summary: In this podcast, I discuss America's role in the regional conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The Trump and Biden Administrations have taken drastically different approaches to both our ally and our adversary, and we'll...
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Students Talk Security | Domestic Terrorism and its Implications for U.S. National Security
An Interview with Former U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly by Carson Whitesell Summary: In this episode of “Students Talk Security,” former United States Senator Joe Donnelly discusses the domestic terrorism in the United States with an emphasis on recent events like the storming of the Capitol on…
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Do Wars Make States and States Make War: Rethinking the Origins of the Seven Years War
Recorded: April 6, 2021 Host: Joseph Parent Speaker: Steven Pincus
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Students Talk Security | A New Faustian Bargain?
Title: A New Faustian Bargain? Understanding the Lessons of the Soviet-German Cooperation An Interview with Professor Ian Johnson by Charles Sedore Summary: In this episode of Students Talk Security, Charles Sedore, a Notre Dame senior, and Professor Ian John, Assistant Professor of Military...
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Flexibility in Order: Three Conditions that Preclude Change in International Order
Recorded: March 23, 2021 Host: Joseph Parent Speaker: Mariya Grinberg
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Afghanistan: Hold 'em, Fold 'em, Walk Away, or Run
Summary: On this episode of “Outside the Box,” Jim and Mike speak with Dr. William Ruger, Vice President for Policy at the Charles Koch Foundation, Iraq War Veteran, President Trump’s nominee as ambassador to Afghanistan, and author of a widely discussed New York Times Op/Ed piece urging the…
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Geopolitics: The Competing Maritime and Continental World Orders
Title: Geopolitics: The Competing Maritime and Continental World Orders of China, Russia, and the United States Recorded: March 16, 2021 Host: Joseph Parent Speaker: Sarah Paine
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Large-N Qualitative Analysis (LNQA)
Full Title: Large-N Qualitative Analysis (LNQA): Everything You Wanted to Know about Doing a Cornell-Princeton Book, Part I Speaker: Gary Goertz and Stephan Haggard Host: Joseph Parent Recorded: February 23, 2020
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Students Talk Security | Anticipate, Prevent, Respond
Title: Anticipate, Prevent, Respond: Conflict Stabilization and U.S. Foreign Policy in Africa Hosted by Katherine McLaughlin Summary: With 54 voting UN members, economies ripe for investment and development, and the emergence of foreign influence in the continent, Africa’s future is of strategic...
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Students Talk Security | Smart Sanctions 101: Strategic Economic Peacebuilding
Summary: Sanctions expert and Professor Emeritus of Peace Studies George A. Lopez draws on his extensive research and experience in sanctions design and peace building to explain the advantages and drawbacks of targeted economic sanctions as a diplomatic tool, particularly in how they enable the…
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Students Talk Security | No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy
Title: No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy: The Importance of Law and Humanitarian Values on the Battlefield An Interview with Colonel Ian Brasure by Evan Muller Summary: In this episode of ‘Students Talk Security’, Evan Muller will discuss Col. Brasure's career, the importance of international law,...
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U.S.-Israel Relations Under Biden w/ J Street
Summary: On our second episode of Outside the Box, Mike and Jim discuss U.S.-Israel relations after the Trump Administration. Under the 45th President, the United States moved closer to the positions of the Binyamin Netanyahu’s Likud government than any previous Administration, recognizing…
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About this show
The Notre Dame International Security Center was established in 2008 to provide a forum where leading scholars in national security studies from Notre Dame and elsewhere could come together to explore some of the most pressing issues in national security policy.
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Notre Dame International Security Center
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