Student Involvement

The MSC recently hosted “Fortifying the Foundation: Strategies for Safeguarding American National Security,” as the 67^th MSC Student Conference On National Affairs. The focus of the conference addressed the many challenges facing America today, both at home and abroad, through the development of innovative policy solutions.

The Feb. 10-12 conference hosted 115 delegates participating in 13 roundtable discussions. Delegates from the Texas A&M community were placed with delegates from around the nation, then paired with an expert facilitator to analyze national security issues ranging from improving U.S. relations abroad to the implications of artificial intelligence. Roundtable discussions resulted in the production of a relevant policy paper coupled with a presentation of what policy paper each roundtable created.

“Over the course of the conference, delegates will have the opportunity to dive into issues currently threatening our national security and assess our ability to combat them,” said Sophia Stone ’23, MSC SCONA chair. “They were able to take the time to learn from speakers, facilitators, or other delegates. Our goal for this conference is for delegates from around the United States to think critically about the issues at hand and consider the perspectives and experiences of those around them."

In collaboration with the U.S. Army War College, MSC SCONA hosts the International Strategic Crisis Negotiation Exercise (ISCNE) as a pre-conference event. The ISCNE is an annual simulation of a transnational diplomatic crisis in which students roleplay delegations from different countries to negotiate toward a solution over an intense two-day period. This year’s scenario was a diplomatic simulation of the arctic region with the following countries participating: the United States, Russia, China, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Canada.

The conference featured the following keynote speakers:

• ­­Admiral William R. McRaven, USN, Ret. Ninth Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command
• General David H. Berger, USMC 38th Commandant of the Marine Corps
• Lieutenant General S. Clinton Hinote, USAF, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategy, Integration, and Requirements
• Major General David C. Hill, Major General David (Dave) C. Hill serves as the 53rd Commandant of the U.S. Army War College

“MSC SCONA’s aim is to provide our delegate a unique experience with some of the nation’s top military minds, military leaders and academic scholars,” Stone said. MSC SCONA 67 concluded with remarks from Major General David C. Hill.