2024
Aspen Security Forum
July 16-19, 2024 | Aspen, CO
2024 Agenda
2024 Welcome Message
2024 Videos and Transcripts
Message from our Executive Director, Anja Manuel
June 26, 2024
Dear friends and colleagues,
The year 2024 marks a pivotal moment of both individual empowerment and collective cooperation.
More than four billion people in over sixty countries are eligible to vote in elections this year, creating a unique opportunity for individual civic engagement across the world.
Yet, serious global challenges also demand collective action. Conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, and elsewhere, and the competition between the U.S. and allies on the one hand against China, Russia, Iran, and friends on the other, highlight the complex interdependencies shaping our world. Rapid advances in artificial intelligence and other technologies often outstrip legal and policy frameworks.
At the 15th annual Aspen Security Forum, we will explore innovative new collaborations across government, private industry, and civil society to tackle these challenges. We will reflect on critical questions, aiming for a more secure, peaceful, and prosperous world by asking:
How can the U.S. and its allies manage competition with China in the South China Sea, Taiwan Strait, and over critical minerals, while cooperating on climate change and global health?
How can the United States and U.S.-based companies stay competitive in space and who are America’s likely international partners in this vast new world?
How are the U.S. and its partners working with business to build resilient supply chains and diversify production in a time of great power competition?
How can the United States work with other democracies and the private sector to minimize the impact of AI-generated malicious content in elections with an eye toward election integrity?
How do we jointly leverage the power of artificial intelligence in cyber defense and advanced weapons systems while mitigating the risks of an AI arms race?
Which civil society actors, governments, and companies will partner to counter China's influence in the Global South?
What does the shifting European defense landscape mean for transatlantic relations and how will this impact existing international organizations?
Can we create new partnerships or strengthen existing coalitions to end the conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon, and the Red Sea and promote a peaceful future for the region?
Thank you for joining us.
See you in Aspen,
Anja Manuel
Executive Director
Aspen Strategy Group and Aspen Security Forum
2024 Agenda
Please note that all speakers and times are subject to change.
View the Full Agenda
Day 1: Tuesday, July 16
All session times in MDT
11:00 AM — 5:00 PM
Registration Open
Opening Program in the Greenwald Pavilion
5:00 — 5:10 PM
Welcome Remarks
Joseph Nye, Co-Chair, Aspen Strategy Group and Dean Emeritus, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University
Niamh King, Director, Aspen Strategy Group and Aspen Security Forum
5:10 — 5:55 PM
The China Challenge
Stephen Biegun, Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, U.S. Department of State
Alan F. Estevez, Under Secretary of Industry and Security, U.S. Department of Commerce
Anja Manuel, Executive Director, Aspen Strategy Group and Aspen Security Forum
Eric Schmidt, Chair, Special Competitive Studies Project; Former CEO of Google
Moderator: Demetri Sevastopulo, U.S.-China Correspondent, Financial Times
5:55 — 6:25 PM
Fireside Chat with Ng Eng Hen
Ng Eng Hen, Minister of Defence, Singapore
Moderator: Ravi Agrawal, Editor in Chief, Foreign Policy
6:25 — 6:30 PM
Closing Remarks
Anja Manuel, Executive Director, Aspen Strategy Group and Aspen Security Forum
6:40 — 8:00 PM
Opening Reception in Doerr-Hosier Building, Aspen Meadows
Day 2: Wednesday, July 17
7:00 AM
Breakfast Available for All Participants in Davis Commons and Marble Garden Tent
Daily Program in McNulty Room, Doerr-Hosier Building
9:00 — 9:15 AM
Welcome Remarks
Joseph Nye, Co-Chair, Aspen Strategy Group and Dean Emeritus, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University
Anja Manuel, Executive Director, Aspen Strategy Group and Aspen Security Forum
9:15 — 9:55 AM
Infinity and Beyond: Space and National Security
Lt. Gen. Jeff Kruse, Director, Defense Intelligence Agency
Robert Lightfoot, President, Lockheed Martin Space; Former Associate Administrator, NASA
Gen. Stephen Whiting, Commander, U.S. Space Command
Moderator: Loren Grush, Space Reporter, Bloomberg
9:55 — 10:30 AM
Phishing, Fakes, and Fraud: Tackling Transnational Crime and Enhancing Global Security
Brian Nelson, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, U.S. Department of the Treasury
Matthew Noyes, Cyber Policy and Strategy Director, Office of Investigations, United States Secret Service
Jürgen Stock, Secretary General, INTERPOL
Moderator: Nick Schifrin, Foreign Affairs and Defense Correspondent, PBS NewsHour
10:30 — 10:50 AM
Fireside Chat with Rustem Umerov
Rustem Umerov, Defence Minister, Ukraine (VIRTUAL)
Moderator: David Sanger, White House and National Security Correspondent, The New York Times
10:50 — 11:25 AM
Commission on the National Defense Strategy Report Readout
Eric Edelman, Counselor, Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments; Member, Commission on the National Defense Strategy
Jane Harman, Chair, Commission on the National Defense Strategy; Former Member of Congress
John “Jack” Keane, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Institute for the Study of War; Member, Commission on the National Defense Strategy
Mara Rudman, James R. Schlesinger Distinguished Professor, Miller Center, University of Virginia; Member, Commission on the National Defense Strategy
Moderator: Courtney Kube, National Security and Pentagon Correspondent, NBC News
11:25 AM — 12:00 PM
India: Challenges and Opportunities
Robert D. Blackwill, Henry A. Kissinger Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy, Council on Foreign Relations; Former U.S. Ambassador to India
Bharat Lal, Secretary General, National Human Rights Commission, India
Daniel Twining, President, International Republican Institute
Moderator: Ravi Agrawal, Editor in Chief, Foreign Policy
12:00 — 1:30 PM
Lunch for All Participants in Davis Commons and Marble Garden Tent
Featured Book Talks in Kaufman Room, Doerr-Hosier Building (Lunch Provided):
12:00 — 12:30 PM
Book Talk: New Cold Wars: China’s Rise, Russia’s Invasion, and America’s Struggle to Defend the West
David Sanger, White House and National Security Correspondent, The New York Times
Mary K. Brooks, Former Scholar, Wilson Center
12:45 — 1:15 PM
Book Talk: World on the Brink: How America Can Beat China in the Race for the Twenty-First Century
Dmitri Alperovitch, Executive Chairman, Silverado Policy Accelerator
Moderator: Shashank Joshi, Defence Editor, The Economist
1:30 — 2:10 PM
Start Ups to the Rescue: The Next Gen Industrial Base
Doug Beck, Director, Defense Innovation Unit and Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Defense
Troy Demmer, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer, Gecko Robotics
Tara Murphy Dougherty, CEO, Govini
Igor Jablokov, Founder and CEO, Pryon
Moderator: Gordon Lubold, White House and National Security Reporter, The Wall Street Journal
2:10 — 2:40 PM
Fireside Chat with Roger D. Carstens
Roger D. Carstens, Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, U.S. Department of State
Moderator: Courtney Kube, National Security and Pentagon Correspondent, NBC News
2:40 — 3:20 PM
From Co to EVs: Global Energy Challenges
Ernest J. Moniz, Co-Chair and CEO, Nuclear Threat Initiative; 13th Secretary of Energy, U.S. Department of Energy
Meghan O’Sullivan, Director, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University; Former Deputy National Security Advisor on Iraq and Afghanistan
Dan Stephens, Senior Partner, McKinsey
Moderator: Steve Clemons, Contributing Editor, National Interest
3:20 — 4:00 PM
Flammable World: Who Will Help the World’s Most Vulnerable?
David Miliband, President and CEO, International Rescue Committee
Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli, President and CEO, ONE Campaign
Eileen O’Connor, Senior Vice President for Communications, Policy, and Advocacy, Rockefeller Foundation
Moderator: Daniel Kurtz-Phelan, Editor, Foreign Affairs
4:00 — 4:40 PM
The Evolving Threat Landscape
Mark Esper, 27th Secretary of Defense; Partner, Red Cell Partners Venture Capital
Jeh Charles Johnson, Partner, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP; Former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (VIRTUAL)
Moderator: Andrea Mitchell, Chief Washington Correspondent and Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent, NBC News
4:40 — 4:45 PM
Closing Remarks
Anja Manuel, Executive Director, Aspen Strategy Group and Aspen Security Forum
Featured Book Talk in Kaufman Room, Doerr-Hosier Building (Drinks Reception):
5:00— 5:30 PM
Book Talk: A Life in the American Century
Joseph Nye, Co-Chair, Aspen Strategy Group and Dean Emeritus, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University
Moderator: Niamh King, Director, Aspen Strategy Group and Aspen Security Forum
Film Screening in Paepcke Auditorium:
6:00 — 7:30 PM
“Jamala Songs of Freedom” with Panel to Follow
Panelists:
Natalie Jaresko, Chairperson of Aspen Institute Kyiv; Managing Director, EY Partheon
Beth Mendelson, Executive Producer and Director, Voice of America
Tom Wright, Senior Director for Strategic Planning, National Security Council
Moderator: Julia Ioffe, Founding Partner & Washington Correspondent, Puck News
Day 3: Thursday, July 18
7:00 AM
Breakfast Available for All Participants in Davis Commons and Marble Garden Tent
7:45 — 8:45 AM
AI Security Breakfast at the Google Pavilion
Heather Adkins, Vice President and Cybersecurity Resilience Officer, Google
Bruce Andrews, Corporate Vice President, Government Affairs, Intel
Jason Clinton, Chief Information Security Officer, Anthropic
J.R. Rao, Fellow and CTO, Security Research, IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center
Moderator: Leigh Palmer, Vice President, Google Public Sector
Daily Program in McNulty Room, Doerr-Hosier Building
9:00 — 9:10 AM
Welcome Remarks
Dan Porterfield, President and CEO, Aspen Institute
9:10 — 10:10 AM
NATO, Europe, and Ukraine
General Christopher Cavoli, Supreme Allied Commander Europe and Commander, United States European Command
Jens Plötner, Foreign and Security Policy Advisor to the Chancellor, Germany
Stefano Sannino, Secretary General, European External Action Service
Jonatan Vseviov, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Estonia
Moderator: Shashank Joshi, Defence Editor, The Economist
10:10 — 10:30 AM
Fireside Chat with Penny Pritzker on Ukraine’s Economic Recovery
Penny Pritzker, United States Special Representative for Ukraine’s Economic Recovery, U.S. Department of State; 38th U.S. Secretary of Commerce, U.S. Department of Commerce
Moderator: Andrea Mitchell, Chief Washington Correspondent and Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent, NBC News
10:30 — 11:05 AM
Resilience in the Face of Transformation
Douglas Lute, Chair, International and Defense, BGR Group; Former U.S. Ambassador to NATO
Liz Martin, Director, U.S. Department of Defense, Worldwide Public Sector, Amazon Web Services
Christine E. Wormuth, 25th Secretary of the Army, U.S. Army
Moderator: Gordon Lubold, White House and National Security Reporter, The Wall Street Journal
11:05 — 11:30 AM
Fireside Chat with General Laura Richardson on Opportunities and Challenges in the Western Hemisphere
General Laura Richardson, Commander, U.S. Southern Command
Moderator: Dafna Linzer, Executive Vice President and Editorial Director, U.S. News and World Report
11:30 AM — 12:00 PM
The Future of Military Power
Chris Brose, Chief Strategy Officer, Anduril Industries; Former Staff Director, United States Senate Armed Services Committee
Mara Karlin, Professor, Johns Hopkins University-SAIS; Visiting Fellow, Brookings Institution; Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities, U.S. Department of Defense
Moderator: Nick Schifrin, Foreign Affairs and Defense Correspondent, PBS NewsHour
12:00 — 1:30 PM
Lunch for All Participants in Davis Commons and Marble Garden Tent
Featured Book Talks in Kaufman Room, Doerr-Hosier Building (Lunch Provided):
12:00 — 12:30 PM
Book Talk: Muppets in Moscow: The Unexpected Crazy True Story of Making Sesame Street in Russia
Natasha Lance Rogoff, Author; TV/Film Producer-Director, “Muppets in Moscow”
Moderator: Douglas Rediker, Managing Partner, International Capital Strategies
12:45 — 1:15 PM
Book Talk: Unit X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley Are Transforming the Future of War
Raj M. Shah, Managing Partner, Shield Capital
Christopher Kirchhoff, Advisor, Defense Innovation Unit
1:30 — 2:55 PM
Middle East Fireside Chats with Leaders from the Region
Salam Fayyad, Visiting Senior Scholar and Daniella Lipper Coules ’95 Distinguished Visitor in Foreign Affairs, Princeton School of Public and International Affairs; Former Prime Minister, Palestinian Authority
Amos Yadlin, President and Founder, MIND Israel; Former Head of Military Intelligence of Israel
Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, National Security Advisor, Kingdom of Bahrain
Moderator: David Ignatius, Columnist, The Washington Post
2:55 — 3:30 PM
The World at Risk: Navigating Modern Threat Landscapes
Jane Holl Lute, Former United States Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security
John McLaughlin, Professor of Practice, Merrill Center for Strategic Studies, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University; Former Acting Director, Central Intelligence Agency
Beth Sanner, Director, Geopolitics and Strategy, International Capital Strategies; Former Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Mission Integration, Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Moderator: Walter Isaacson, Leonard Lauder Professor of American History and Values, Tulane University; Former President and CEO, Aspen Institute
3:30 — 4:15 PM
Fortifying America’s Future: Pathways for Competitiveness
Chike Aguh, Senior Advisor, Project on Workforce, Harvard University; Former Chief Innovation Officer, U.S. Department of Labor
Bruce Andrews, Corporate Vice President and Chief Government Affairs Officer, Intel
Robert M. Gates, Partner, Rice, Hadley, Gates and Manuel; 22nd U.S. Secretary of Defense, U.S. Department of Defense; Former President, Texas A&M University
Katie Jenner, Secretary of Education, Indiana Department of Education
Moderator: Courtney Kube, National Security and Pentagon Correspondent, NBC News
4:15 — 4:45 PM
Fireside Chat with Condoleezza Rice and Robert M. Gates
Robert M. Gates, Partner, Rice, Hadley, Gates and Manuel; 22nd U.S. Secretary of Defense, U.S. Department of Defense
Condoleezza Rice, Co-Chair, Aspen Strategy Group; 66th U.S. Secretary of State, U.S. Department of State
Moderator: David Sanger, White House and National Security Correspondent, The New York Times
4:45 — 4:50 PM
Closing Remarks
Joseph Nye, Co-Chair, Aspen Strategy Group and Dean Emeritus, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University
Anja Manuel, Executive Director, Aspen Strategy Group and Aspen Security Forum
Featured Book Talk in Kaufman Room, Doerr-Hosier Building (Drinks Reception):
4:50 — 5:20 PM
Book Talk: Phantom Orbit: A Thriller
David Ignatius, Columnist, The Washington Post
Day 4: Friday, July 19
7:00 AM
Breakfast Available for All Participants in Davis Commons and Marble Garden Tent
7:30 — 8:30AM
Bird Watching Outing
Daily Program in McNulty Room, Doerr-Hosier Building
9:00 — 9:05 AM
Welcome Remarks
Joseph Nye, Co-Chair, Aspen Strategy Group and Dean Emeritus, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University
9:05 — 9:45 AM
Fireside Chat with Antony J. Blinken
Antony J. Blinken, 71st U.S. Secretary of State, U.S. Department of State
Moderator: Mary Louise Kelly, Co-Host, All Things Considered, NPR
9:45 — 10:25 AM
The View From the Senate
Chris Coons, U.S. Senator for Delaware
John Cornyn, U.S. Senator for Texas
Dan Sullivan, U.S. Senator for Alaska
Moderator: Ellen Nakashima, National Security Reporter, The Washington Post
10:25 — 11:05 AM
Securing Trust in the Global Digital Economy: Cyber, Fraud, and Emerging Threats
Sir Jeremy Ian Fleming, Former Director, GCHQ
Jon M. Huntsman Jr., Vice-Chair, Mastercard; Former U.S. Ambassador to China and Russia
Anne Neuberger, Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology
Kent Walker, President, Global Affairs, Google
Moderator: Steve Clemons, Contributing Editor, National Interest
11:05 — 11:40 AM
Fireside Chat with General CQ Brown, Jr.
General CQ Brown, Jr., Chairman, U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff
Moderator: Jennifer Griffin, Chief National Security Correspondent, Fox News
11:40 AM — 12:20 PM
Denver Dialogue X ASF: The End of Soft Power?
Joseph Nye, Co-Chair, Aspen Strategy Group and Dean Emeritus, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University
Farah Pandith, Adjunct Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations; Former Special Representative to Muslim Communities, U.S. Department of State
Kori Schake, Senior Fellow and Director of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies, American Enterprise Institute
Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO, New America; Former Director of Policy Planning, U.S. Department of State
Moderator: Dafna Linzer, Executive Vice President and Editorial Director, U.S. News and World Report
12:20 — 12:50 PM
Democratic Resilience in the Age of AI
Condoleezza Rice, Co-Chair, Aspen Strategy Group; 66th U.S. Secretary of State, U.S. Department of State
Teresa Hutson, Corporate Vice President, Technology for Fundamental Rights, Microsoft
Anna Makanju, Vice President, Global Affairs, OpenAI
Moderator: Alex Ward, National Security Reporter, POLITICO
12:50 — 1:25 PM
Fireside Chat with Jake Sullivan
Jake Sullivan, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, National Security Council
Moderator: Demetri Sevastopulo, U.S.-China Correspondent, Financial Times
1:25 — 1:30 PM
Concluding Remarks
Joseph Nye, Co-Chair, Aspen Strategy Group and Dean Emeritus, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University
Condoleezza Rice, Co-Chair, Aspen Strategy Group; 66th U.S. Secretary of State, U.S. Department of State
Anja Manuel, Executive Director, Aspen Strategy Group and Aspen Security Forum
Niamh King, Director, Aspen Strategy Group and Aspen Security Forum
Lunch Available for All Participants in Davis Commons and Marble Garden Tent
Videos and Transcripts
Speakers
Leadership
Harvard Kennedy School
Co-Chair, Aspen Strategy Group
Speakers
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR 2024 PARTNERS
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