Press | National Security

Kaplan argues that the United States is most vulnerable in conflicts that fall between quick strikes and total war, where objectives remain unclear and escalation risks spiral. Using Iran as a case study, he warns that these drawn-out, ambiguous wars often trap policymakers in costly, open-ended commitments with no decisive outcome.

On March 4, 2026, the Clements Center for National Security, in partnership with the Strauss Center for International Security and Law and the Intelligence Studies Project, hosted a panel discussion at the LBJ School of Public Affairs titled “Striking the Ayatollah: War Powers, Political Order, and Consequences.” The event examined the legal, strategic, and political…

Clements Center alumnus Lt. Col. Max Ferguson reflects on the 10th Mountain Division’s southern border mission in this firsthand account, detailing how the deployment became a valuable opportunity for real-world training and operational readiness.

Take a look back at our fall programming and see what we have in store for the spring!

The Clements Center for National Security and the Strauss Center for International Security and Law at The University of Texas at Austin are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Alexandra Sukalo to lead the University’s Intelligence Studies Project (ISP). ISP was established in 2013 as a joint venture of the Clements and Strauss Centers out of a conviction that the…

As the United States has shifted from combat operations to stabilization and reconstruction missions, it has struggled to translate battlefield success into lasting political outcomes. In Forgetting How to Win, Clements Center former Army PhD student Jeremy Kasper examines how the U.S. Army, State Department, and USAID have approached post-combat operations—and why institutional disconnects have…

As economic integration and shared supply chains bind the United States and Mexico closer than ever, a worsening cartel-driven security crisis threatens both nations. In Engelsberg Ideas, Clements Center alumnus Joseph Ledford traces the evolution of U.S.–Mexican interdependence—from trade and energy to counter-narcotics cooperation—and examines how Presidents Donald Trump and Claudia Sheinbaum are navigating a…

The Clements Center for National Security, the Strauss Center for International Security and Law, and School of Civic Leadership are pleased to announce that Robert D. Kaplan, the renowned foreign affairs correspondent and author, will be joining The University of Texas at Austin as a Distinguished Senior Lecturer. Kaplan will teach undergraduate and graduate courses, participate in our public…

We’re thrilled to celebrate Aarushi Garg, our research fellow, for being awarded this year’s Bonfire Scholarship! Established in 2000, the scholarship honors Longhorns who stood united with Aggies after the tragic 1999 bonfire collapse. Aarushi is being recognized for her leadership, her work in international and global affairs on campus, and her research and fellowships…

China is expanding its global security engagement, providing training to police, paramilitary, and security forces in countries around the world. APP’s Sheena Chestnut Greitens documents the scale of this work through her research, mapping nearly 900 Chinese security-training programs conducted across 138 countries.

This feature highlights the Clements Center’s “Beyond The Battlefield” forum, which examined how diplomacy, economic statecraft, intelligence, emerging technologies, and development aid can work together to sustain U.S. leadership without relying primarily on military force.

UT News recently spotlighted the University of Texas at Austin’s leadership in national security research and education — featuring a conversation between UT Executive Vice President and Provost Dr. William Inboden, a member of the Clements Center Board of Advisors, and Dr. Paul Edgar, Associate Director of the Clements Center for National Security.

We are proud to announce that Dr. Jaganath “Jay” Sankaran has been awarded a competitive grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York for the interdisciplinary research project, “How Are Modern Technologies Affecting Nuclear Risks?” About the Research Dr. Sankaran has partnered with Dr. Jaworek, the Director of the Nuclear Policy Program in the Nuclear Threat Initiative, to examine the…

Applications are now open for the 2026 Summer Seminar in History and Statecraft! Policymakers frequently attempt to draw on historical knowledge to gain perspective on contemporary national security issues. Meanwhile, historians and other scholars frequently comment on present-day decision-making problems and sometimes aspire to influence policy debates. Yet policymakers and scholars generally occupy separate intellectual…

Post-Doctoral Fellowship: The Clements Center offers post-doctoral fellowships to recent Ph.D. recipients to live and work in Austin, Texas. Fellows will spend the substantial portion of their time working on their own research and writing projects, while taking advantage of the many academic resources available here at the University of Texas-Austin. The fellowship offers a competitive stipend,…

The America in the World Consortium at Duke University, Johns Hopkins SAIS, the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Florida seeks applications from current Ph.D. students for its Predoctoral and Postdoctoral Fellowship Program.  The America in the World Consortium (AWC) is a dynamic partnership of universities seeking to create a more vibrant…

On September 11, 2025, the Clements Center for National Security, the Strauss Center for International Security and Law, and the Intelligence Studies Project hosted a panel discussion entitled “9/11: What Happened, and What It Means Today.” Held in the William C. Powers Student Activity Center Ballroom, the event brought together some of UT’s most distinguished…

Dr. Sheena Chestnut Greitens recently publishes piece in Financial Times titled, “How ‘Safe China’ Sells Its Security Strategy to the World.” In the piece, Dr. Greitens analyzes how China is reshaping the global security order by promoting itself as the world’s safest country and leveraging its surveillance and internal security tools to advance this narrative….

Take a look back at our summer programming and see what we have in store for this fall semester.

Former Clements War College Fellow Colonel Neil Hollenbeck writes in Military Review “Why the Army Needs Units Driving Drone Development and How to Do It.” “Instead of the modernization enterprise developing small-drone warfare capabilities with input from the operational Army, it should enable the operational Army to develop its own. The enterprise can do this…

The Clements Center for National Security is honored to announce a $10 million endowment from the William P. Clements Foundation. This generous gift secures the long-term future of the Center and strengthens our mission to prepare the next generation of leaders in national security and public service. The endowment will support our expanding academic and…

For over a decade, the Clements Center has proudly convened its annual Summer Seminar in History and Statecraft in Beaver Creek, Colorado, a weeklong program devoted to learning, thoughtful discussion, and networking.  This year’s highly selective program brought together twenty-three students from premier universities in the U.S. and abroad, including Boston University, Clemson University, Columbia…

This year, the Clements Center introduced the first iteration of our South Korea May Term: America in the Pacific – American History, Strategy, and the Future of the Indo-Pacific Region. Conducted entirely in South Korea, the program offered twenty UT Austin undergraduate students the opportunity to visit significant landmarks in Korean history and culture, meet with…

General Robert B. Neller, U.S. Marine Corps (Retired), 37th Commandant of the Marine Corps and former member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, provides commentary piece for Defense One. In it, Neller argues that the U.S. military must prioritize adaptability, advanced training, and tech integration.

This year marked our tenth annual London May Term: The U.S. and U.K: Past Present and Future of the Transatlantic Alliance. From 2015 to 2025, we have partnered with the renowned War Studies Department at King’s College London to bring twenty undergraduate students from UT-Austin to the United Kingdom, France, and Belgium to study the…

Asia Policy Program (APP) Director Sheena Chestnut Greitens recently did an interview with Seoul Shinmun about the future of Korean Studies in the U.S. and how APP at integrates technology, national security, and public policy to reflect Korea’s evolving global profile. “Most Korean Studies programs are humanities-focused and concentrated on the East/West coasts – but…

The Marine Corps has dedicated a new facility that will serve as the epicenter for next-generation wargaming and analysis: the General Robert B. Neller Center for Wargaming and Analysis. Named in honor of the 37th Commandant of the Marine Corps and Distinguished National Security Fellow at the Clements Center for National Security, the center will…

Congratulations to Clements Center Faculty Fellow Jay Sankaran on his latest article in The Nonproliferation Review, titled “The motivations and unintended consequences of US pursuit of missile defense.” In this piece, he explores why U.S. efforts to reassure Russia and China about missile defense have fallen short and argues that the accumulation of U.S. technological capabilities…

Former Clements Center Undergraduate Fellow Julian Alin recently published his capstone paper in the Spring 2025 issue of The Globe, George Washington University’s Undergraduate Research Journal in International Affairs. Read the article here.

Take a look back at the last semester in our Spring 2025 Newsletter!

UT-Austin McCombs School of Business publishes “Energy Production Drives U.S. Global Strength,” highlighting last month’s panel discussion, “Power & Influence: The Current Geopolitics of Energy & Security,” held during UT Austin’s Energy Week. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (Former U.S. Senator; Former U.S. Ambassador to NATO; Founding Member, KBH Energy Center), George Seay (Founder and Chairman,…

On April 24th and 25th, the Clements Center for National Security, the UT-Austin Department of History, and the America in the World Consortium hosted the conference “Cold War 2.0? Power and Prudence: Lessons of the Cold War for the 21st Century” in Bass Lecture Hall at the LBJ School for Public Affairs. As great power…

In his article for Military Review, the professional journal of the U.S. Army, Lt. Col. D. Max Ferguson explains the concept of a catalyst paper as a way to recalibrate Army writing norms. “Catalyst papers jump-start conversations, and they help others chew on ideas and learn from current efforts. They can help us transform,” says…

The Clements-Strauss Intelligence Studies Project of The University of Texas at Austin announces the 11th annual competition recognizing outstanding student research and writing on topics related to intelligence and national security. The winner of the “Inman Award” will receive a cash prize of $5,000, with two semifinalists each receiving a cash prize of $2,500. This competition is…

In “No Peer Rivals American Grand Strategy in the Era of Great Power Competition” Dr. Ionut Popescu takes a major staple of International Relations scholarship—the offensive realist paradigm—and develops a comprehensive and practical grand strategy for the United States in this new era of Great Power Competition. 

On Wednesday, March 5, Dr. Joseph Ledford testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on advancing American interests in the Western Hemisphere. Among the attendees was Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, a respected leader on national security issues who has spoken at several Clements Center events.