2023 Global Security Forum

Join your colleagues for a series of a moderated ‘arm-chair conversation style’ fireside chats with leading international experts and thought leaders on Tuesday, March 7 at the 2023 Global Security Forum hosted by the Center for Intelligence and National Security – an Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence – and the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma. 

With a focus on meeting current and future challenges to global security in an ever-changing landscape, speakers will examine how the United States – along with its NATO allies and other allies – can defend democracy in an era of state threats, especially from an increasingly assertive China and Russia, by structuring and sustaining an effective strategy to counter the threat authoritarian states pose. They also will share insights on what is on the horizon. Time is allotted in each session for opening remarks by the speaker and Q&A from the moderator and audience.

This free in-person event begins in the Holeman Lounge at 9:00am, includes lunch, and ends at 3:45pm. On-site Registration is from 8:30am to 9:00am. 

Confirmed speakers include:

Shigeru Kitamura is a former National Security Advisor of the Government of Japan, known as the Secretary-General of National Security Secretariat (NSS). Appointed in September 2019, he took the lead in establishing the Economic Section in the NSS in April 2020. Mr. Kitamura previously served as the Director of Cabinet Intelligence during both the Democratic Party of Japan and Liberal Democratic Party administrations, from December 2011 to September 2019 (from the first Noda cabinet to the fourth Abe Cabinet.)  He will provide an overview of the challenges facing Japan in the Indo-Pacific.  and explain its Economic Security Promotion Act and new National Security Strategy. 

Simon McGee is a former UK senior civil servant and director of government communication, Cabinet Office, Government of the United Kingdom. Mr. McGee has extensive experience leading communications across the British government and advising senior leaders in the UK. During his time as a senior civil servant in the British government, he served as a personal communications advisor to four Cabinet ministers – Justine Greening, Patrick McLoughlin, Philip Hammond, and Boris Johnson – as the head of media for three government departments, including leading HM Diplomatic Service’s worldwide media operation in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Before entering Whitehall, he was a journalist for the Mail on Sunday, the Sunday Times, and the Yorkshire Post. He currently is director of Hawkwood Strategy, a global advocacy firm based in London and Dubai. He will discuss the press, social media, and the information environment.  

Feroz Bashari, who was the director of communications, Office of the President, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and served as the chief spokesperson for the government of Afghanistan for several years will provide an Afghanistan retrospective and discuss lessons learned. He spoke to national and international media on political, security, social and economic issues and was also the head of crisis communications joint task force in Afghanistan. Dr. Bashari also worked as the country media advisor for the U.S Embassy Kabul as well as the head of strategic communications for the U.S. military command (CFC-A).