Events

Join the Intelligence Project for a conversation with recently retired Rear Admiral Philip Yu, an expert of strategy, plans and policy, on the topic of great power competition. As a former senior official from the Department of Defense,he offers an insightful, experienced perspective for managing relations with key players in China and Russia.

This seminar is in person only and is open to Harvard ID holders. The conversation will be under the Chatham House Rule and will be moderated by Intelligence Project Director Mark Pascale. Refreshments will be served. Registration is required and will be open to the first 48 to register. 

Putin’s war in Ukraine, Russian election meddling, deep-cover Russian “illegal” spies in the West, disinformation, overhead spy balloons, and assassinations—subjects that all make regular news headlines. When they do so, however, those headlines frequently lack their proper, long-term, context.

To bring historical perspective to these national security issues at the frontline of contemporary geopolitics, join the Belfer Center’s Intelligence Project for the launch of Calder Walton’s book, SPIES. The Epic Intelligence War between East and West, being published on June 6.

Described by Fiona Hill as “essential reading” and a “masterclass in twentieth century and contemporary history,” and by Christopher Andrew as a “masterpiece,” SPIES explores the clandestine struggle that has been raging between Russia and Western powers for a hundred years and counting. Its conclusions, however, go further than Russia in the past: they relate to the current unfolding intelligence conflict between China and the West. Chinese intelligence has taken up the mantle of the KGB— but taken espionage to new levels.

Calder Walton will present the principal findings of his book, followed by a  Question & Answer session with incoming Intelligence Project Director incoming Project Director Mark Pascale and Intelligence Project Fellows including Beth Sanner, Norman T. Roule, Rolf Mowatt-Larssen, Kristin Wood, and Jeff Fields.

This virtual event will take place on June 5 at 4:00PM EST. Calder Walton’s remarks will be on the record, but the Q&A will be under Chatham House rules. It will be open to the public, but registration is required. RSVP at the link below:

On Wednesday, May 19 and Thursday, May 20 at 8 a.m. EDT, join us for an online workshop hosted by Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center Intelligence Project, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Innovation Initiative, and The Center for Advanced Defense Studies.

This two-day conference will bring together practitioners from academia, industry, government, and civil society for the first time to begin charting concrete solutions to problems hindering the adoption of data into defense and intelligence awareness.

This event is by invitation only. Advance registration required. 

Climate Change, Intelligence, and Global Security is a half-day conference co-sponsored by the Intelligence Project and the Environment and Natural Resources Program at Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs along with the Center for Climate and Security. 

Headlined by John Kerry, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, the conference will directly follow the April 22/23 Earth Day Leaders Climate Summit, and will emphasize the critical need for international cooperation and global leadership to collectively address the security threats posed by the climate crisis. We will convene senior climate experts, current and former intelligence officers, and leaders in the private sector and academia to facilitate productive dialogue and innovative solutions for combating the climate crisis. The four panels will examine climate change from a security perspective, discuss the role of the intelligence community in monitoring and mitigating the threats posed by climate change, explore new ways of thinking about international intelligence cooperation, and examine the role and contributions of the private sector.

This conference is virtual, open to the public, and free to attend.  Advanced registration is required. Please register individually for each session. 

Please join the Intelligence Project for a conversation with Lt. Gen. Charles Hooper, Former Director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, and Former Defense Attache in Beijing, on Wednesday December 2nd from 1:15-2:15pm

The Intelligence Project will host a webinar with Mark Kelton, Former Director of Counterintelligence for the CIA, on Wednesday October 21 from 12:00-1:15pm. 

This event is off-the-record and open to the Harvard Community. Advance registration required. 

The Intelligence Project will host a webinar with the Honorable Mike Rogers, Belfer Center Senior Fellow and Former Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and David E. Sanger, Belfer Center Senior Fellow, adjunct lecturer at the Kennedy School and national security correspondent and senior writer at The New York Times, on Tuesday May 13th from 12:45-2:00pm via zoom. 

This session will be recorded and on the record. Priority registration will be given to Harvard students, staff, faculty, fellows, and affiliates. Please register below for access to the zoom link. 

The Intelligence Project will host a lunch with Mark Kelton, Former Director of Counterintelligence for the CIA, on Wednesday, December 11th from 12:00-1:15pm in the Belfer Center Library. Paul Kolbe will moderate.

Lunch will be provided on a first come, first served basis. Please RSVP below and bring your Harvard ID for check-in at the door. 

The Intelligence Project will host a lunch with Mark Kelton, Former Director of Counterintelligence for the CIA, on Wednesday, April 25th from 12:00-1:00pm in One Brattle 350. Rolf Mowatt-Larssen will moderate.

Lunch from Flour Bakery will be provided on a first come, first served basis. Please RSVP below and bring your Harvard ID for check-in at the door. 

A conversation with, Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, Mr. Marcel Lettre