A New
American Security
2021 CNAS National Security Conference
New Challenges, Ideas, and Voices
The Center for a New American Security (CNAS), in partnership with Axios, presented the 15th Annual CNAS National Security Conference, A New American Security. The virtual conference explored the new challenges, ideas, and voices transforming America’s national security landscape. It featured a series of interactive online sessions on issues such as technology and economic competition, the future of defense, and the challenges to democratic values. The conference showcased a new generation of national security voices, including in “The Pitch,” the Center’s annual competition of ideas, held before an interactive audience and distinguished panel of judges. This multi-day conference culminated in a live virtual strategy game around the issues shaping the Department of Defense’s next National Defense Strategy.
Presented in partnership with
Happening Now
Happening Now
Featured Speakers
Richard Fontaine
Chief Executive Officer, CNAS
Michèle Flournoy
Chair, Board of Directors, CNAS
Michael J. Zak
Member, Board of Directors, CNAS
Paul Scharre
Vice President and Director of Studies, CNAS
Carrie Cordero
Robert M. Gates Senior Fellow, CNAS
Lisa Curtis
Senior Fellow and Director, Indo-Pacific Security Program, CNAS
Ilan Goldenberg
Senior Fellow and Director, Middle East Security Program, CNAS
Andrea Kendall-Taylor
Senior Fellow and Director, Transatlantic Security Program, CNAS
Series Schedule
Day 1
08 Jun 2021
Day 2
09 Jun 2021
Day 3
10 Jun 2021
Day 4
15 Jun 2021
Day 5
16 Jun 2021
Day 6
17 Jun 2021
Opening Session: A New American Security
Join the Center’s experts and other leading voices in national security for the launch of the CNAS 2021 National Security Conference, A New American Security. CNAS CEO Richard Fontaine will provide... Read More
Richard Fontaine
Ilan Goldenberg
Stacie Pettyjohn
Kathleen Hicks
David Lawler
Vance Serchuk
1:00 pm - 1:30 pm ET
Show Me the Crypto
Join EES Adjunct Senior Fellow Yaya J. Fanusie and Research Assistants Jason Bartlett and Emily Jin in an interactive choose-your-own-adventure style scenario following a fictitious South Korean cryptocurrency exchange and... Read More
Jason Bartlett
Yaya J. Fanusie
Emily Jin
1:30 pm - 2:15 pm ET
Global Digital Order
As the global technology competition intensifies, how can the United States regain its edge? Watch live as CNAS experts and guests discuss what America and like-minded democratic countries can do... Read More
Lisa Curtis
Megan Lamberth
Martijn Rasser
Ainikki Riikonen
Bryan Walsh
2:15 pm - 3:15 pm ET
The Future of Indo-Pacific Strategy
The United States and China are competing across economic, diplomatic, military, technological, and ideological spheres, with implications for the future of the Indo-Pacific region. Join CNAS for an expert conversation... Read More
Lisa Curtis
Kurt Campbell
Mike Green
Harry Harris
Tanvi Madan
Live Podcast: CNAS Brussels Sprouts
Join the CNAS Transatlantic Security Program for a live, interactive recording of the Center’s Brussels Sprouts podcast with co-hosts Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend, plus other expert guests. Register for... Read More
Andrea Kendall-Taylor
Steven Erlanger
Anne Gearan
Susan B. Glasser
Jim Townsend
Constanze Stelzenmüller
11:00 am - 11:45 am ET
Protecting Democracy, Protecting National Security
Bolstering democracy at home in the face of an elevated threat from domestic extremist violence is a national security imperative. Watch live as CNAS convenes a virtual conversation about the... Read More
Carrie Cordero
Rep. Peter Meijer
Rep. Elissa Slotkin
Jonathan Swan
11:45 am - 12:30 pm ET
Military Recruitment for an Era of Competition
The makeup of the U.S. military reflects the strengths of American democracy, providing operational advantages in near-peer competition. Yet, the All-Volunteer Force faces a range of issues that hinder representation... Read More
Katherine L. Kuzminski
Bishop Garrison
Lieutenant Colonel Garrett Kaye
Kori Schake
12:30 pm - 1:00 pm ET
Russia: An Assumptions Check
How should U.S. policymakers think about the Russia challenge, especially in the face of other national security priorities? From the SolarWinds cyber breach to Moscow’s massive military buildup on Ukraine’s... Read More
Andrea Kendall-Taylor
Eddie Fishman
Michael Kofman
Margarita Konaev
1:00 pm - 1:20 pm ET
America and the Middle East
For 20 years, American presidents have tried to withdraw U.S. military forces from the Middle East, only to be pulled back in. As calls for the United States to completely... Read More
Ilan Goldenberg
1:20 pm - 2:20 pm ET
The Quad Equation: How Four Democracies Can Uphold the Rules-based Order in the Indo-Pacific
Following the first-ever Quad summit earlier this year, what can we expect from this emerging powerful group of Indo-Pacific democracies? Will the four nations—Australia, India, Japan, and the United States—be... Read More
Lisa Curtis
Stephen Biegun
Michael Fullilove
Vijay Gokhale
Shinsuke Sugiyama
The Pitch 2021: A Competition of New Ideas
Join CNAS for its annual premier event to elevate emerging and diverse voices in national security: The Pitch: A Competition of New Ideas. Selected applicants will make their pitch for... Read More
Richard Fontaine
Michèle Flournoy
Michael J. Zak
Carrie Cordero
Katherine L. Kuzminski
James L. Anderson
Jake Brooke
Rachel Brooks
Jamil Brown
John Grover
Andrew Hanna
Tina Huang
Shai Korman
Sophia Lugo
James Mersol
Walker Mills
Sara Plana
Kaleigh Thomas
Bethan Saunders
John Vrolyk
Abigail Wulf
12:00 pm-1:00 pm ET
Take Your Seat in the National Security Field: A Make Room Mentoring Session
Join us for a mentoring session focused on the next generation of national security professionals. This session will feature a brief panel on how to build a successful career in... Read More
Alexis Collins
Rebecca Liao
Kaleigh Thomas
Shelly O’Neill Stoneman
Security in the Balance: Gaming the Next Defense Strategy
Join the CNAS Defense Program and expert guests for a live virtual strategy game exploring some of the critical challenges shaping the Department of Defense’s (DoD) next National Defense Strategy... Read More
Stacie Pettyjohn
Chris Dougherty
Eric Fanning
Shai Korman
ED McGrady
Sarah Mineiro
Jacob Stokes
Becca Wasser
Robert O. Work
