The Precision-Guided Podcast

Georgetown Security Studies Review
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The official podcast of the Georgetown Security Studies Review (GSSR), discussing all things national security, history, military, and foreign policy. GSSR is the official flagship publication of Georgetown University's Center for Security Studies, featuring both online commentary and a biannual academic journal. Find out more about GSSR here: https://georgetownsecuritystudiesreview.org/

  1. OCT 17

    Episode 77: Technology, Innovation, and National Security

    Arun Gupta, CEO of NobleReach, discusses the importance of combining industry and government to foster innovation in the national security and technology landscape. The relationship between public and private sector talent is based on trust and provides a unique opportunity to make advancements. Additionally, this period in innovation marks an unprecedented shift from historical government-led innovation to private sector-led development. Furthermore, Russia’s War against Ukraine demonstrates this relationship between the government and private sector while pursuing innovation and national security. Arun leaves listeners with three recommendations for how individuals can contribute to the technology and innovation needed to improve national security. Arun Gupta, CEO of NobleReach, is a venture capitalist, Lecturer at Stanford University for “Valley Meets Mission”, and Adjunct Entrepreneurship Professor and Senior Advisor to Provost at Georgetown University, and author of the National Bestseller, “Venture Meets Mission”. Arun is active in the emerging technology, entrepreneurship, public policy, and venture finance communities. As a Partner at Columbia Capital, Arun’s investment career spanned eighteen years including initiating the firm’s Cybersecurity and Government technology investments with a focus on National Security, AI, and SaaS/Cloud infrastructure sectors. Prior to joining Columbia Capital in 2000, Arun was at Carlyle Venture Partners focused on software investments. Prior to Carlyle, Arun held positions in Arthur D. Little’s telecom and technology consulting practice and shared responsibility for establishing ADL’s management consulting operations in Mumbai 1995-98. Arun received a B.S. degree with Distinction in Electrical Engineering and an M.S. degree in Engineering Economic Systems from Stanford University (’91). He received his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School (’95).

    31 min

  2. JUL 26

    Episode 76: Twenty Minutes on Tech with Dr. Daniel Byman

    This episode dives into the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) and explores how recent trends and developments in the technology continue to transform. This episode also examines the growing challenges of content moderation, as many social media companies continue to scale back their moderation efforts. Peyton Taylor (SSP‘25) hosts Dr. Daniel Byman, Director of the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University and Director of the Warfare, Irregular Threats, and Terrorism Program at CSIS. Daniel Byman is the director of the Security Studies Program and a professor at Georgetown University. He is also the Director of the Warfare, Irregular Threats, and Terrorism Program at CSIS.

    23 min

  3. JUL 1

    Episode 75: Unconventional Maritime Warfare

    Sea control is more important than ever. With 80-90 percent of the global trade over sea, it is impossible to maintain the current economic order without stability and security of the world's major trading routes. However, more forces than ever are able to destabilize the global maritime network. Whether it is a resurgence in piracy, increased terrorist threats, or state paramilitary organizations, the number of threats at sea is increasing. Today we sat down with Pieter Zhao to discuss these new threats. We also talk about his research into how states are choosing to meet these threats including his work on private maritime security firms and paramilitary maritime forces.  Articles Discussed: https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/nwc-review/vol77/iss1/7/ https://militairespectator.nl/artikelen/winning-without-fighting-indo-pacific Pieter Zhao is a PhD Researcher at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. His current research project focuses on maritime warfare and security from an applied historical perspective, specifically concerning non-state actors and irregular warfare at sea. After completing his BA and MA in History, he pursued a second Master’s degree in International Security Studies at Sciences Po, Paris. He completed part of his graduate studies at the Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies in Washington DC, focusing on US-China relations, maritime security, and nuclear proliferation. As a historian, his research interests include international security and geopolitics, specifically in the maritime domain and the Indo-Pacific region. He has previously published in the Naval War College Review, European Journal of East Asian Studies, Comparative Strategy, Militaire Spectator, and the Strategy Bridge.

    34 min

  4. APR 13

    Episode 74: US-Mexico Relations in the Shadow of Fentanyl with Dr. Vanda Felbab-Brown Part 2

    Amid President-elect Donald Trump’s recent pledge to impose a 25% tariff on Mexican products, if Mexico does not curb the flow of fentanyl, this episode dives deep into the complexities of U.S.-Mexico relations and the fight against organized crime. Join host Nelly Hernandez Valdez and policy expert Dr. Vanda Felbab-Brown as they explore: Fentanyl and the Cartels: How Mexican criminal groups have become key players in the U.S. fentanyl epidemic and their strategies for controlling local economies and territories. China's Role: The connection between Chinese criminal groups and Mexico’s illegal economies and its implications for global security. Bi-national Cooperation: Why has the Bicentennial Framework between the Biden and Lopez Obrador administrations seen limited progress, and what can we expect under President Claudia Sheinbaum and President-elect Donald Trump as they inherit this complex relationship. Weapons Trafficking: The U.S. gun industry’s impact on cartel firepower and whether reforming firearm policies could disrupt organized crime. Policy Proposals: The effectiveness of proposed measures, such as designating cartels as foreign terrorist organizations or employing military force, and what policymakers can do to achieve real results. Vanda Felbab-Brown is a senior fellow in the Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology in the Foreign Policy program at Brookings. She is the director of the Initiative on Nonstate Armed Actors and of the Brookings series "The Fentanyl Crisis in North America and the Global Reach of Synthetic Opioids. She is also the co-director of the Africa Security Initiative. Previously, she was the co-director of the Brookings projects “The Opioid Crisis in America: Domestic and International Dimension," “Improving Global Drug Policy: Comparative Perspectives Beyond UNGASS 2016,” and “Reconstituting Local Orders.” Dr. Felbab-Brown is an expert on international and internal conflicts and nontraditional security threats, including insurgency, terrorism, organized crime, urban violence, and illicit economies. Her fieldwork and research have covered, among others, Afghanistan, South Asia, Burma, Indonesia, the Andean region, Mexico, Iraq and other parts of the Middle East, and various parts of Africa. She was a senior advisor to the congressionally-mandated Afghanistan Peace Process Study Group. A frequent commentator in international and U.S. media, Dr. Felbab-Brown regularly provides testimonies to the U.S. Congress. She also hosts the podcast show “The Killing Drugs: Synthetic Opioids Around the World. ”

    35 min

  5. APR 9

    Episode 73: National Security, Fiction, And Wicked Problems

    A wicked problem is a problem that is difficult or impossible to solve because of incomplete, contradictory, and changing requirements that are often difficult to recognize. In the national security space many of the problems we face are wicked problems. Such problems require creative and unconventional thinkers.  Dr. Tammy Schultz believes that fiction provides the tools needed to engage with wicked problems. We talk about teaching creativity, professional military education, and how doing something different than usual can hold the key to literally changing the way your brain works. Dr Schultz is a Professor of Strategic Studies at the U.S. Marine Corps War College and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University's security studies program. She won the Dr. Elihu Rose Award for Teaching Excellence at Marine Corps University. She also was Georgetown University’s Security Studies Program nomination for outstanding faculty mentor in 2019.   Dr. Schultz conducts communication plenaries and simulations at the State Department for Foreign Service Officers. Previously, she was a Fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). Prior to joining CNAS, she served as a Research Fellow and Director of Research and Policy at the U.S. Army’s Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute. Dr. Schultz was a Brookings Institution Research Fellow.

    43 min

  6. FEB 4

    Episode 72: Behind the Curtain: U.S. Counterterrorism Policy, October 7th, and the Future Threat Landscape

    The terrorism threat landscape is an extremely complex phenomenon that evolves on a daily basis. In turn, appropriate solutions and countermeasures are also subject to change. Peyton Taylor (SSP’25) hosts Professor Christopher P. Costa, U.S. Army Colonel (Ret.) to discuss the broad terrorism landscape that the world faces currently. Costa shares creative and timely insights into subjects such as U.S. counter-terrorism policy, the events leading up to the October 7th attack, what role hostage taking has had in the war between Israel and Hamas, as well as the long-term implications the war could have.  Christopher P. Costa, USA, (Ret.) is an adjunct associate professor with Georgetown University’s Security Studies Program, Walsh School of Foreign Service. He is a former career intelligence officer and was Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council from 2017 to 2018. He Recently Co authored an article with Dr. Colin Clarke on Counterterrorism policy in the Levant. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/column_article/trump-administrations-counterterrorism-policy-should-begin-at-golan-heights **The views represented in this podcast belong to each individual and do not represent the views of Georgetown, the Georgetown Security Studies Review, or any other institution

    32 min

  7. 12/06/2024

    Episode 71: US-Mexico Relations in the Shadow of Fentanyl with Dr. Vanda Felbab-Brown Part 1

    Amid President-elect Donald Trump’s recent pledge to impose a 25% tariff on Mexican products, if Mexico does not curb the flow of fentanyl, this episode dives deep into the complexities of U.S.-Mexico relations and the fight against organized crime. Join host Nelly Hernandez Valdez and policy expert Dr. Vanda Felbab-Brown as they explore: Fentanyl and the Cartels: How Mexican criminal groups have become key players in the U.S. fentanyl epidemic and their strategies for controlling local economies and territories. China's Role: The connection between Chinese criminal groups and Mexico’s illegal economies and its implications for global security. Bi-national Cooperation: Why has the Bicentennial Framework between the Biden and Lopez Obrador administrations seen limited progress, and what can we expect under President Claudia Sheinbaum and President-elect Donald Trump as they inherit this complex relationship. Weapons Trafficking: The U.S. gun industry’s impact on cartel firepower and whether reforming firearm policies could disrupt organized crime. Policy Proposals: The effectiveness of proposed measures, such as designating cartels as foreign terrorist organizations or employing military force, and what policymakers can do to achieve real results. Dr. Vanda Felbab-Brown is a senior fellow in the Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology in the Foreign Policy program at Brookings. She is the director of the Initiative on Nonstate Armed Actors and of the Brookings series "The Fentanyl Crisis in North America and the Global Reach of Synthetic Opioids. She is also the co-director of the Africa Security Initiative. Previously, she was the co-director of the Brookings projects “The Opioid Crisis in America: Domestic and International Dimension," “Improving Global Drug Policy: Comparative Perspectives Beyond UNGASS 2016,” and “Reconstituting Local Orders.” Dr. Felbab-Brown is an expert on international and internal conflicts and nontraditional security threats, including insurgency, terrorism, organized crime, urban violence, and illicit economies. Her fieldwork and research have covered, among others, Afghanistan, South Asia, Burma, Indonesia, the Andean region, Mexico, Iraq and other parts of the Middle East, and various parts of Africa. She was a senior advisor to the congressionally-mandated Afghanistan Peace Process Study Group. A frequent commentator in international and U.S. media, Dr. Felbab-Brown regularly provides testimonies to the U.S. Congress. She also hosts the podcast show “The Killing Drugs: Synthetic Opioids Around the World. ”

    42 min

  8. 10/28/2024

    Episode 70: Legislating Artificial Intelligence with Sunny Gandhi and Thomas Woodside

    Thomas Woodside and Sunny Gandhi  worked on SB1047, a California bill focused on national security and public safety risks from advanced AI systems. We discussed their experiences advocating for the bill, speaking to legislators and industry experts, amending the bill in response to feedback, and reflecting on lessons learned for future AI policy efforts. Thomas Woodside is a policy analyst at the Center for AI Safety Action Fund, one of the co-sponsors of SB 1047. Before that, he was a junior fellow at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology at Georgetown, where he wrote technical explainers for policy audiences and did some grantmaking. He did his undergraduate in computer science at Yale. Sunny Gandhi is the Vice President of Political Affairs at Encode Justice, an organization advocating for safe and responsible artificial intelligence where he has experience working in AI governance at both federal and state levels. Sunny has previously held technical roles at Deloitte and NASA and has worked with the US State Department and the law firm Mayer Brown. He graduated from Indiana University this past May.

    1h 7m
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Ratings & Reviews

4.6
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

The official podcast of the Georgetown Security Studies Review (GSSR), discussing all things national security, history, military, and foreign policy. GSSR is the official flagship publication of Georgetown University's Center for Security Studies, featuring both online commentary and a biannual academic journal. Find out more about GSSR here: https://georgetownsecuritystudiesreview.org/

Information

  • Creator
    Georgetown Security Studies Review
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    86
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Georgetown Security Studies Review
  • Show Website
    The Precision-Guided Podcast

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