On Tuesday, February 6, the Atlantic Council, NATO ACT, the Canadian Consulate General, and UT-Austin’s Center for European Studies, Strauss Center for International Security and Law, and Clements Center for National Security will convene a public conference of NATO officials, former policymakers, and scholars engaging in a critical discussion about the role of the transatlantic alliance and its enduring value for Texans, featuring keynote remarks from General Philippe Lavigne, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, former U.S. Ambassador to NATO. Join us at the Etter-Harbin Alumni Center from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm.
This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required and does not guarantee admission. Parking is available for a fee at Manor and Brazos garages. Complimentary lunch will be available.
Register here.
This year’s historic NATO Summit will take place in the United States from July 9 to 11. As Allies gather to celebrate 75 years of NATO, the future of the world’s strongest military alliance will be a key topic of discussion for Heads of State and Government preparing for an era of unprecedented strategic competition and endemic geopolitical disruption.
Agenda:
9:30 am – 10:00 am • Registration
Coffee available
10:00 am – 10:15 am • Welcome Remarks
Robert Chesney, Dean of UT-Austin School of Law
10:15 am – 10:30 am • Keynote 1
General Philippe Lavigne, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation
10:30 am – 12:00 pm • Panel 1: Securing NATO’s Future: The Challenges of a New Era
- Audra Plepytė, Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania to the United States
- General (Ret.) Robert Neller, former Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps
- Chris Skaluba, Director, Transatlantic Security Initiative, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, Atlantic Council
- Kevin Rex, Former Ambassador of Canada to Eastern Europe
Moderator: Sewell Chan, Editor-in-Chief, Texas Tribune
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm • Lunch
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm • Panel 2: North America and NATO: Fostering Political and Policy Dialogue
- Marie-Doha Besancenot, Assistant Secretary General of NATO for Public Diplomacy
- Lieutenant General (Ret.) Christine Whitecross, Former Commandant of NATO Defense College
- Valbona Zeneli, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Transatlantic Security Initiative, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, Atlantic Council
Moderator: Adam Klein, Director of the Strauss Center for International Security and Law
2:30 pm – 3:00 pm • Keynote 2
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Former U.S. Ambassador to NATO
3:00 pm • Conference Adjourns
Please note, this agenda is subject to change.