Though IGS continues to co-sponsor the Global Security Policy Seminar (GSPS), the series is now housed at the Institute of International Studies. The series continues the work of the Harold Smith Seminar Series (2012-2017) at the Institute of Governmental Studies. The seminar also builds upon—and continues—the work of the U.S. Foreign Policy Seminar at the Intitute of International Studies.
Background: Formerly, the Harold Smith Seminar Series, this cross-disciplinary lecture series in Global Security Policy was re-imagined and re-instituted at UC Berkeley in 2018 with the objectives of 1) ensuring that students, faculty and scholars keep abreast of leading developments in national and international security; 2) providing a forum for discussion and collaboration among relevant communities across Campus; and 3) offering a new level of communication between UC Berkeley and the National Laboratories.
Because of globalization in all its dimensions, international security and stability are core elements of defense and national security. Natural and social sciences as well as humanities are all essential to addressing challenges in nuclear, cyber, space, biological and other security domains, as the disruptive power and accelerating pace of modern technologies challenge society’s stability, security and even governance.1 Many faculty at UC Berkeley teach and perform key research in these domains that are crucial to society’s future wellbeing. Relevant entities include the Departments of Computer Science, Economics, History, Molecular and Cell Biology, Nuclear Engineering, Physics, and Political Science; Berkeley Law, the School of Information Studies, the Institutes of Governmental Studies (IGS) and International Studies (IIS), the Military Affairs Program (MAP); and departments or centers with regional expertise (e.g., Middle East, East Asia, and elsewhere).
