HLS partners with US Strategic Command Academic Alliance on speaker series and events

The Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies at Indiana University has partnered with US Strategic Command (STRATCOM)—through the STRATCOM Academic Alliance—as STRATCOM organizes a series of lectures, guest speakers, and special events examining deterrence and national security challenges in the 21st century.

Developed as an initiative to create a community focused on the research and analysis of nuclear weapons deterrence, the Alliance promotes academic collaboration and provides both current military members and future national security professionals with the skills needed for a career in security strategies.

“The STRATCOM Academic Alliance is about bringing an academic understanding from a socio-political and human perspective into STRATCOM to inform them in what they do,” explains Assistant Professor Sarah Bauerle Danzman, faculty liaison between the Hamilton Lugar School and the Alliance.

To Bauerle Danzman, this is an opportunity for students to explore careers in the field of nuclear deterrence and engage in related conversations outside of the classroom.

“HLS students develop varying perspectives that relate to international politics, and they can have a hard time figuring out how to build international relations careers,” she says. But a “military adjacent” organization, like the STRATCOM Alliance, can provide a way to consider how the United States uses its power.

Notable guests during this year’s speaker series, which has given Hamilton Lugar students the opportunity to examine issues of deterrence and national security with policymakers at the highest level, include Former CIA Director General David Petraeus and Former Vice President of the European Commission Federica Mogherini.

“A lot of people still think about deterrence in a Cold War framework, and that can be harmful to US and global security,” says Kyle Tucker, HLS student liaison to the STRATCOM Academic Alliance. “[In this program] students can contribute research and papers to discuss modern issues of deterrence in an academic setting.”

STRATCOM also hosts academic conferences, simulations, and discussions. Its Academic Alliance Conference and Workshop will take place virtually from March 30–April 1. The no-cost event will include panel discussions on issues of deterrence, an experiential “war games” simulation, and a career fair. Registration is required; Hamilton Lugar School students are encouraged to attend.

Click here to learn more and register for the conference. Find more STRATCOM Academic Alliance events on the HLS calendar at: https://events.iu.edu/hls/