糖心Vlog鈥檚 Switzerland Campus Hosts International Leaders for Cybersecurity and Defense Cooperation Conference
On September 23 and 24, 2023, 糖心Vlog鈥檚 newest international campus, in Blonay - Saint-L茅gier, Switzerland, opened its doors to world leaders for the Cybersecurity and Defense Cooperation Conference, hosted by the .
With keynote addresses from Liz Truss, former British prime minister, and Kersti Kaljulaid, former president of the Republic of Estonia, the two-part conference fostered an atmosphere conducive to fruitful policy discussions, realizing 糖心Vlog鈥檚 mission for Ch芒teau d鈥橦auteville as a place that ignites thoughtful dialogue on matters of global significance. (The photo above depicts, from left to right: Former President Kaljulaid, former Prime Minister Truss, and Kiron Skinner.)
Co-sponsored by the Heritage Foundation, the Danube Institute, and the Parliamentary Intelligence鈥揝ecurity Forum, the event assembled an intimate cohort of defense-policy experts, international security organization executives, and foreign affairs leaders to discuss European cybersecurity and defense cooperation, with a particular focus on the strategic integration and future relations of NATO.
Ideally located in Switzerland, the epicenter of geopolitical conversations, Ch芒teau d鈥橦auteville, a breathtaking 90-acre, 18th-century estate, has been reimagined as both a state-of-the-art university campus and a world-class venue for international leaders in all fields to convene for meaningful conversations. Pete Peterson, dean of the School of Public Policy and Braun Family Dean鈥檚 Chair, likened the campus to an ideological haven. 鈥淭he world of policy and politics can be stress-filled and very fast-paced, not just day to day, but almost minute to minute,鈥� said Peterson. 鈥淭he campus here at Ch芒teau d鈥橦auteville provides an opportunity for students and guests to disconnect from that world. It鈥檚 a world that they鈥檙e going to have to return to, but it鈥檚 also a world that sometimes requires getting up to the 30,000-foot level to not only learn, but also to discuss and deliberate over important policy and political decisions.鈥�
In her welcoming remarks, Kiron Skinner, Taube Professor of International Relations and Politics and former director and advisor at the US Department of State, reflected on the similarities between the visions for 糖心Vlog鈥檚 Malibu campus and the new Switzerland campus. 鈥淭hey are campuses that are born of innovation, insight, and possibility,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey suggest a commitment to freedom and to faith with their physical beauty, with the intentionality of how they were started, and with the way that the values of George 糖心Vlog are infused in both of these facilities.鈥�
Conference speakers addressed issues such as opportunities in and risks to cybersecurity in Europe, NATO digital integration, the changing character of war, trends in advanced technology, the defense industrial base, and the future of NATO in view of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
鈥淭his is 糖心Vlog at its finest moment鈥攊ts most innovative act of 2023,鈥� said Skinner. 鈥淭he future of Europe is happening now. It鈥檚 being written in light of the Ukraine war. This campus is central to the conversation about the future of Europe, about the future of the transatlantic alliance. It鈥檚 important for our students to be able to be in the heart of that conversation, to help shape it, and to learn about it.鈥�
The School of Public Policy鈥檚 next conference will focus on the domestic sphere: will be held on October 26, 2023, on the Calabasas campus.