Most Popular CNAS Events of 2021

Online and hybrid events allowed CNAS to bring together tens of thousands of viewers from across the globe, and join the conversation. In 2021 CNAS hosted 49 events and a six-day conference where we convened administration officials, members of Congress, four-star officers, journalists, next generation national security voices, and expert researchers to bring awareness and deepen the conversation on pressing national security issues. Rewatch the our most popular events from the past year.

Popular Events

2021 CNAS National Security Conference

The Center for a New American Security, in partnership with Axios, presented the 15th Annual CNAS National Security Conference, A New American Security. The virtual conference explored the new challenges, ideas, and voices transforming America’s national security landscape. It featured a series of interactive online sessions on issues such as technology and economic competition, the future of defense, and the challenges to democratic values. The conference showcased a new generation of national security voices, including in “The Pitch,” the Center’s annual competition of ideas, held before an interactive audience and distinguished panel of judges.

Virtual Fireside Chat: India, China, and the Quad: The Future of U.S. Strategy in the Indo-Pacific

The Indo-Pacific has emerged as the world’s economic and geopolitical center of gravity. On February 10, 2021, CNAS hosted a special event to explore these challenges and introduce the new CNAS Indo-Pacific Security Program. Lisa Curtis, the inaugural CNAS Indo-Pacific Security Program Director was joined by Demetri Sevastopulo, U.S.-China Correspondent for the Financial Times, for a moderated discussion. CNAS CEO Richard Fontaine provided opening remarks.

Mission Brief | The Next National Defense Strategy with Dr. Mara Karlin

The Department of Defense is crafting a new National Defense Strategy, scheduled for publication in early 2022. It will identify priority threats and missions to deter competitors from aggression and secure U.S. interests around the globe. This guidance will size and shape the Joint Force and provide critical direction to the Department. On Thursday, December 9 the Center for a New American Security hosted Dr. Mara Karlin, who is Performing the Duties of Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, to discuss how the Department views the evolving security environment and its implications for the forthcoming National Defense Strategy.

The Future of U.S. Sanctions Policy with Wally Adeyemo and Jack Lew

On Thursday, October 21 Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo, who led the Treasury Department’s sanctions policy review, joined the Center for a New American Security for a wide-ranging conversation on the findings and what to expect from the Biden administration’s use of sanctions moving forward. He was joined by former Treasury Secretary Jack Lew and Ambassador Paula Dobriansky. The event included audience questions moderated by CNAS Senior Fellow and Director of the Energy, Economic and Security Program Emily Kilcrease.

Special Event | Crafting a U.S. National Technology Strategy

To compete with China, the United States must develop an intellectual framework that can serve as a roadmap for successful, long-term American innovation and technological leadership. On March 16, 2021, CNAS brought together Michèle Flournoy, Richard Fontaine, Martijn Rasser, Secretary James "Hondo" Geurts, Sue Gordon, Loren DeJonge Schulman, and Megan Lamberth for a virtual event on crafting a U.S. national technology strategy.

Special Event | The Future of U.S. Naval Strategy

In an increasingly competitive global environment, few issues are more pressing than the enterprise of naval forces around the world. From the tense South China Sea to the rapidly evolving Arctic, U.S. naval strategy—and the strategies of its competitors—will help define the future of geopolitical power. To discuss this critical issue and the U.S. Navy’s approach, CNAS hosted a virtual fireside chat with Admiral Mike Gilday, U.S. Chief of Naval Operations, and Richard Fontaine, CNAS Chief Executive Officer, on April 7, 2021.