Reconciling National Security Requirements with Research and Education

Friday, February 18, 2011: 10:00 AM-11:30 AM
145B (Washington Convention Center )
Scientific discoveries and technological advances offer the potential for tremendous benefit, but they also give rise to national security concerns, such as misuse by terrorist groups or exploitation by adversary states. Universities have long wrestled with security concerns regarding export controls, research by foreign nationals, and visas. More recently, new concerns have arisen regarding researchers with access to dangerous materials or research results that might be abused by others who wish to inflict harm. Policies to address these concerns could threaten the openness and intellectual freedom that underlie research, education, and scientific advancement. Much has been done over the past few years to facilitate engagement among the scientific and academic communities, security and law enforcement communities, and policy-makers so that both science and national security interests can be simultaneously promoted. When these goals come into conflict, however, different communities have different perspectives on which values should take precedence. This session will describe the current efforts to enhance communication between the security, policy-making, and scientific communities; university perspectives on addressing institutional priorities and national security requirements; and outreach efforts by the U.S. government. Can the security community and the scientific community see each other as allies, or should they aspire instead to peaceful coexistence?
Organizer:
Kavita M. Berger, AAAS Center for Science,Technology, and Security Policy
Co-Organizer:
Tobin L. Smith, Association of American Universities
Moderator:
Arun Seraphin, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
Discussant:
Gerald L. Epstein, AAAS Center for Science, Technology, and Security Policy
Speakers:
Ambassador Joseph DeTrani, National Counterproliferation Center
Science, National Security, and the Intelligence Community
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