In the Interest of National Security

Listen as Dr. Eric Hyer, retired professor of political science and Coordinator of Asian Studies at the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies at Brigham Young University, discusses his time studying in Taiwan, experience with the foreign service, research regarding Chinese border disputes, and thoughts on political leadership in China. 

How does the One China Policy maintain peace on both sides of the Taiwan Strait? How can the U.S. avoid war with China amid rising tensions and worsening relations? How does President Xi Jinping’s leadership of the Chinese Communist Party compare with Chairman Mao Zedong? Learn all this, and more, in this episode of In the Interest of National Security.  

Listen as Maggie Hutchens and Ethan Morse, seniors in the National Security Studies Program at Utah Valley University (UVU), share their experiences studying national security at UVU and competing in the Atlantic Council’s Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge.

How does the Center for National Security Studies (CNSS) prepare students to apply practical skills in the professional field? What is the makeup of CNSS’s cyber team—the W0LV3R1NES? How do the W0LV3R1NES compete with graduate students from prestigious universities and academies in the Cyber 9/12 competition? How can students become involved in international cyber competitions? Learn all this, and more, in this episode of In the Interest of National Security.

Listen as Professor Gordon Flake, CEO of the Perth USAsia Centre, shares experiences from his career working with think tanks, attending global diplomatic conferences, and establishing a center for studying relations between Australia, Asia, and the U.S.

How does Australia act as a fulcrum for U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy? Which global partners does Australia rely on for national security? Which Asian countries can support a free and open Indo-Pacific? Learn all this, and more, in this episode of In the Interest of National Security.

Listen as Rachael Hutchings, Deputy Director of the Center for National Security Studies at Utah Valley University (UVU), walks us through her career path–from law school in Tennessee to the Japan Energy Law Institute in Tokyo to the Center for National Security Studies at UVU–and discusses nuclear energy in a national security context.

How can a legal education equip students to succeed in national security careers? In what ways do nuclear energy issues impact American national and global security? And, why is a basic understanding of STEM so valuable for national security professionals when dealing with nuclear and other similar issues? Learn all this, and more, in this episode of In the Interest of National Security.

Listen as Dr. Jeannie Johnson, Founding Director of the Center for Anticipatory Intelligence (CAI) at Utah State University (USU), draws from her experience at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Department of State (DOS) to explain and illustrate the concepts of Anticipatory Intelligence and Strategic Culture.

What is "Anticipatory Intelligence" and how does it complement traditional forms of intelligence analysis? What is "Strategic Culture" and why is its importance too often underemphasized in the U.S. government? And, how can students from all backgrounds and disciplines benefit from CAI's unique Anticipatory Intelligence programs? Learn all this, and more, in this episode of In the Interest of National Security. 

Listen as Alan Fuller, Chief Information Officer for the State of Utah, and Phil Bates, Chief Information Security Officer with the Utah Department of Technology Services, discuss the opportunities and challenges posed by advancing technology.

How have advances in technology both positively and negatively impacted Utah and its citizens? How does the Utah state government combat cybercrime targeting both itself and Utah's private industry? What is Self-Sovereign Identity, and why is it a promising solution to modern issues of online privacy and identity verification? Learn all this, and more, in this episode of In the Interest of National Security. 

Listen as Brandon Amacher, Director of the Emerging Tech Policy Lab, discusses his background and role in leading EMTECH as part of Utah’s Intermountain Intelligence, Industry, and Security Consortium (I3SC). 

What necessary services do I3SC and the EMTECH lab provide to Utah’s public and private sectors? How do people of all backgrounds, both technical and not, contribute to cyber security? And how have students become policy consultants for Utah’s burgeoning Silicon Slopes community? Learn all this and more in this episode of In the Interest of National Security. 

Listen as Mary Kent, Director of UVU's own Open-Source Intelligence Center, explains how she uses open-source intelligence in support of law enforcement and national security.

What is unique about open-source intelligence and how it is collected? In what ways has open-source changed the national security playbook? And how does open-source empower analysts to use criminals' own methods against them? Learn all this and more in this episode of In the Interest of National Security.