WASHINGTON, DC (November 5, 2021) — The McCain Institute for International Leadership at Arizona State University (McCain Institute) was proud to host the second cohort of our National Security & Counterterrorism Fellows for a weeklong module in our nation’s capital. This weeklong convening was the first of three gatherings that will be held over the course of the 2021-2022 academic year, with gatherings planned in London this winter and Canberra this spring.
This week, the fellows met with senior officials at key government agencies as well as a wide range of national security leaders, practitioners and scholars. Each of these discussions touched on specifics relating to national security, but also on broader themes of character-driven leadership.
Speakers during this week’s programming included former Head of U.S. Special Forces Command Admiral William McRaven, former U.S. Secretary of Defense and current John S. McCain Distinguished Fellow Mark Esper, former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michéle Flournoy, and former Director of Central Intelligence John Brennan, among others.
Due to COVID restrictions, many of the meetings were held virtually or at the ASU Barrett & O’Connor Center. However, the module also included site visits to the Central Intelligence Agency, the White House, and the U.S. State Department.
“This week was an excellent showcase of how we are investing in the development of these future national security leaders,” said Nick Rasmussen, McCain Institute Non-Resident Senior Fellow and professor of practice at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. “By engaging with each other and with established leaders from all parts of the national security community, our fellows will deepen their understanding of today’s national security challenges and gain insights that will advance their work as they return to their home organizations.”
Designed and guided by former Director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center Nick Rasmussen, the McCain Institute’s National Security & Counterterrorism Fellowship brings together a group of the most promising rising leaders engaged in national security and counterterrorism work from countries that comprise the Five Eyes security partnership : Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Learn more about the National Security & Counterterrorism Fellowship Program here.
About the McCain Institute for International Leadership at Arizona State University
Inspired by the character-driven leadership of Sen. John S. McCain and his family’s legacy of public service, the McCain Institute fights to advance freedom, prosperity, security and human dignity for all Americans and the world.
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.
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