Intelligence Studies Consortium Spring 2026 Symposium

The Intelligence Profession: Future Challenges & Opportunities

About This Event

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The Intelligence Studies Consortium (ISC) was established in 2018 by the National Intelligence University (NIU) and university partners to promote communication and cooperation among academic and government organizations. The ISC provides an organized forum for the partner universities to collaborate in exploring issues and engaging in solutions that can improve national security. The participating universities have intelligence studies academic programs and unique relationships with many government agencies, non-government organizations, and the private sector; the ISC seeks to develop these relationships and provide an integrated forum to discuss critical intelligence issues in intelligence education. 

The Spring 2026 Symposium, titled "The Intelligence Profession: Future Challenges & Opportunities," featured a combination of keynote speakers, student and faculty panels, student and faculty poster sessions, networking opportunities, and a Career Fair. It also featured information about publication, internships, and employment opportunities in government (intelligence community and non-Title 50 jobs) and the private sector. The symposium was conducted both in-person and virtually, with sessions recorded. In addition to its formal sessions, the symposium also included an evening reception, and recognized outstanding student presentations with awards.

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Call for Submissions

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The ISC's call for submissions aimed to solicit fresh insights from students and faculty members at the ISC universities—at the graduate, undergraduate, or post-doctoral levels—for presentation at the Spring 2026 Symposium, “The Intelligence Profession:  Future Challenges & Opportunities.”

The lines of effort for this challenge, supported by the Intelligence Studies Consortium, included Homeland Security, National Security & Great Power Competition, Business/Private Sector, Emerging Technologies, and the Concept & Future of Intelligence Studies. Both individuals and teams of students submitted ideas in one of the areas below, or noted that their submission fell in an unidentified area (Open Topic Submission).  

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This symposium was an opportunity for students and faculty members to present recent work at an academic conference in a panel format. Panelists were selected for participation in the symposium based on their proposal, which was judged by the ISC faculty representatives using the criteria below. In addition, all persons (whether or not selected for a panel) had the opportunity to present in a poster session. Submitters provided a 1-2 page proposal (an abstract) for a 10-minute presentation at the symposium and panel discussion. Government employees were obligated to obtain prepublication review on their own prior to submission.

Criteria

• Relevance: Does the idea align to one or more of the lines of effort?
• Benefit: Does the idea improve the intelligence community’s understanding of possible opportunities and challenges associated with the topic?
• Creativity: Is the idea original to a current or future problem or does it apply an existing idea to a new problem?
• Feasibility: How easily can the idea be implemented?
• Integration: Is a clear explanation provided of how the idea might integrate with existing national security and intelligence efforts?

Subject Matter

Homeland Security 

We must identify novel ways to identify and address domestic extremism; threats to critical infrastructure; the risks involving natural disasters, climate change and environmental security; the flow of illegal drugs/narcotics, human trafficking, and illegal immigration into the United States; and issues in providing effective intelligence support to state and local law enforcement (e.g., the “Going Dark” debate).

National Security & Great Power Competition  

In this new era of renewed focus on great power competition, the intelligence community (Title 50 organizations) must redouble its commitment to strategic intelligence analysis focused on political, economic, and military spheres. Analyzing key drivers will enable policymakers to understand significant developments and effectively employ the full range of our national power.  

Business/Private Sector  

What are some of the key “intelligence” issues facing the private sector?  This category included the sharing of cyber threat information between the federal, state and local governments, and the private sector; foreign intelligence collection (i.e., theft of corporate intellectual property); limitations imposed on the private sector by federal export control law; and what the private sector can do to respond to foreign threats (e.g., the “Hack Back” debate).

Emerging Technologies 

This category included a range of topics, such as cyber, quantum computing, Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML), and bio sciences (e.g., CRISPR and bio warfare); indeed, emerging technologies can significantly change the course and character of future of intelligence operations and international conflict. For example, AI/ML can enable intelligence activities such as advanced intelligence collection, analysis and sharing (“Big Data”); information operations; cyber security; lethal autonomous weapon systems; and support to decision-makers. What are the opportunities and risks, for the United States, raised by emerging technologies?

The Concept & Future of Intelligence Studies 

This category included a range of topics, including whether intelligence constitutes a “profession,” issues and concerns for educators and students in this dynamic and changing field, professional organizations open to students and practitioners in this field, and opportunities for academic publication.

Open Topic Submission (Open Topic)