WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 8, 2025) – The McCain Institute at Arizona State University (ASU) hosted the third and final module of its National Security & Counterterrorism Fellowship (NSCT) 2024 cohort in the United Kingdom, December 8-13, 2024.
The 2024 cohort of NSCT Fellows consists of 16 young leaders from the countries that comprise the Five Eyes (FVEY) intelligence alliance: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The cohort discussed the United Kingdom’s national security priorities with high-level officials in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), Secret Intelligence Service/MI6, the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, National Cyber Security Centre, and more. Fellows also met with reporters, policy experts, and alumni of the NSCT program in London and Belfast.
“This module in London, and for the first time, Belfast, is an invaluable experience for our fellows, as many of the national security and counterterrorism priorities discussed mirror top priorities in their home nations,” said McCain Institute Chief Program Officer Kristen Leanderson Abrams. “Throughout their year-long fellowship, our NSCT Fellows have built an enduring network of colleagues and gained a more comprehensive perspective of the Five Eyes partnership that will be essential in tackling the world’s security threats—today and in the years to come.”
While in London, the group engaged with senior security agency officials from across the UK, including Director General of the Security Service Ken McCallum, Ambassador Jane Marriott from the FCDO, and Director General for Homeland Security in the Home Office Chloe Squires. They also gained a deeper understanding of regional security priorities, the enduring strength of the Five Eyes alliance, and the importance of global partnerships in addressing complex challenges.
“The United Kingdom’s unique history with counterterrorism and national security issues provided a fantastic, strategic backdrop that drove salient conversation with our cohort and senior government officials,” said 2024 National Security & Counterterrorism Fellow Lance Mogard.
The 2024 fellowship three weeklong modules included visits to Washington, D.C., Canberra, Sydney, and Wellington, and London and Belfast. The 2025 cohort will be announced in January 2025. Learn more about the National Security & Counterterrorism Fellowship here.
About the McCain Institute at Arizona State University
The McCain Institute is a nonpartisan organization inspired by Senator John McCain and his family’s dedication to public service. We are part of Arizona State University and based in Washington, D.C. Our programs defend democracy, advance human rights and freedom, and empower character-driven leaders. Our unique power to convene leaders across the global political spectrum enables us to make a real impact on the world’s most pressing challenges. Our goal is action, not talk, and like Senator McCain, we are fighting to create a free, safe, and just world for all.
About Arizona State University
Arizona State University has developed a new model for the American research university, creating an institution that is committed to access, excellence and impact. ASU measures itself by those it includes, not by those it excludes. As the prototype for a New American University, ASU pursues research that contributes to the public good, and ASU assumes major responsibility for the economic, social and cultural vitality of the communities that surround it.
