Innovation in the “Age of Accelerations”



INNOVATION IN THE “AGE OF ACCELERATIONS”:

Global Resilience and Cyber Knowledge Networking

26 April 2018


 

We are grateful for a donation from Northrop Grumman Corporation
that helped the C4I & Cyber Center support this event.

 

A Symposium and Workshop
Held by George Mason University, the Global Challenges Forum Foundation
and the PfP Consortium Emerging Security Challenges Working Group in
partnership with NATO Allied Command for Transformation, the United States
Atlantic Council, and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research

LOCATION
George Mason University Science and Technology Campus
next to the Sen. Charles J. Colgan Hall
10900 University Blvd
Manassas, Virginia 20110

 


 

 “Indeed, there is a mismatch between the change in the pace of change and our ability to develop learning systems, training systems, management systems, social safety nets and government regulations that would enable citizens to get the most out of these accelerations and cushion their worst impacts.  This mismatch … is at the center of much of the turmoil roiling politics and society in both developed and developing countries today.  It now constitutes probably the most important governance challenge across the globe.”
–Thomas L. Friedman
Pulitzer Prize Winner and bestselling author of “Thank You for Being Late”
Friedman’s Symposium video


Growing access to knowledge and accelerating technological change bring enormous benefits, while also increasing both vulnerabilities and threats.  A combination of increased awareness and changing conditions compound both natural and man-made stresses and shocks.  Meanwhile, resilience to a widening range of emergencies should not just aim to return to the status quo after a crisis.  The goal is to become continually stronger—to “be prepared to bounce forward better.”  To achieve this, Tom Friedman’s group of “learning systems, training systems, management systems, social safety nets and government regulations” must be be tuned to fast-changing conditions.  Such resilience requires adaptability and innovation, as well as self-organized and emergent behavior, to empower effective, decentralized actions that complement strategic responses.As a benchmark for measuring progress, security must be defined broadly—freedom from want and freedom from fear.  Complex emergencies are particularly imperative, such as shared global threats to the environment and challenges to health, maritime, cyber, and energy security, as well as threats posed by terrorism and hybrid warfare.  New knowledge-sharing capabilities contribute greatly: they build trust and collaboration, enhance readiness and resilience, connect generations, and cultivate new global partnerships, even as potential downsides are identified and mitigated.

The event, hosted by George Mason University, takes place on 26 April 2018 at the Science and Technology Campus in Manassas, Virginia, followed by a by-invitation workshop on 27 April to bring forth actionable recommendations.  These will be developed in collaboration with the Partnership for Peace Consortium’s Emerging Security Challenges Working Group.  Other Partners include the NATO Allied Command for Transformation (NATO ACT), the Atlantic Council of the United States, and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).

This event builds on a series of previous workshops and strategic dialogues in the United States, Europe and the Middle East that identified key challenges and pointed toward collectively owned opportunities.  They began with the establishment of the “Global Resilience Readiness Initiative” at the launch of Global Knowledge Networking (GKN) in Geneva, Switzerland in September 2015.  This is the 2nd GKN Symposium and is dedicated to the exploration of enhancing global resilience in the “Age of Accelerations.”  The George Mason University sessions will focus on ways that innovation, especially in cyberspace, can help future leaders, their organizations, and institutions address global security challenges in a complex world, by making knowledge actionable.

Day One is a Symposium with distinguished speakers and expert panels to create a framework for tangible progress on emerging security challenges and interconnected global problems.

  • The “Emerging Challenges” Symposium will commence with the Opening Keynote on Transformation by NATO Admiral Manfred Nielson, who will share his vision to promote shared knowledge and building trust by “Building Resilience Through Collaboration.”
  • The remarks will speak to the NATO Resilience Commitment and Cyber Defense Pledge of the Warsaw Summit, with emphasis on extensive civil-military collaboration.  The Symposium agenda on Day One sets the stage for the Featured Keynote by Thomas Friedman on building resilience through “Innovation in the Age of Accelerations.”

 


– Symposium Program –
(C)- confirmed 

 THURSDAY, 26 APRIL 2018

– SYMPOSIUM ON EMERGING CHALLENGES –

08.10               Meet in Hotel Lobby
08.15               Movement to George Mason University Venue
08.40 – 08.50  Welcoming Remarks – Mr. Michael Gaul (C) / Dr. Jean-Marc Rickli (C), Partnership for Peace Consortium Emerging Security Challenges Working Group Co- Chairs
08.50 – 09.00  Introduction to 2nd Global Knowledge Networking Symposium

Dr. Walter CHRISTMAN (C), Founding Director and Chairman, Global Challenges Forum Foundation, Geneva, Switzerland
09.00 – 09.30   Welcome Speech- Pursuing Resilience in the 21st Century

Dr. Ángel CABRERA (C), President, George Mason University

 

09.30-10.00     OPENING KEYNOTEBuilding Resilience Through Collaboration”

Admiral Manfred NIELSON (C)

Deputy Commander, NATO Allied Command for Transformation

 

10:00 – 11:00  PANEL 1Emerging Security Challenges

Addressing the need for coalitions of partners and greater collaboration in global networking for resilience to meet today’s peace and security challenges.

 

Chair: Ambassador Sorin DUCARU (C), former NATO Asst. SECGEN for Emerging Security Challenges

Honorable Rajiv J. SHAH, President, The Rockefeller Foundation

Dr. Stephen FLYNN, (C) Founding Director, Global Resilience Institute, Northeastern
Univ.

Ambassador (US-Ret.) Wendy CHAMBERLIN, President Middle East Institute and former Deputy High Commissioner, UNHCR

Honorable Katherine HAMMACK, former Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment, presently in climate change and sustainability

 

11.00 – 11.30  Coffee Break

 

11.30 – 12.45  PANEL 2:Exploring Resilience through Training Readiness – What`s new? What to provide? What to expect?”

 

Enhancing resilience has become a strategic task. The panel will detail examples of diverse challenges and wicked problems that require comprehensive approaches and partnerships to address.

 

Chair:  Mr. Frank DIGIOVANNI (C), Asst. Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, US Navy

Mr. Alex MEJIA (C), Executive Director, United Nations Institute for Training and Research

Rear Admiral (UK-Ret) James MORSE, (C)President, Rabdan Academy, United Arab Emirates

Dr. Lydia KOSTOPOULOS (C), Advisor, AI Initiative, The Future Society, Harvard Kennedy School of Government

Dr. Claudio CIOFFI-REVILLA, Director, Center for Social Complexity, George Mason Univerity

 

12.45 – 14:30  Lunch

 

14.30 – 14.50  FEATURED KEYNOTE ADDRESS“Resilience and Innovation in the ‘Age of Accelerations’”

Mr. Thomas FRIEDMAN (C) Video

Pulitzer Prize Winner and author of “Thank You for Being Late: An Optimist’s Guide to Thriving in the Age of Accelerations”

14.50 – 15.15 Keynote Commentary by Ms. Heather McGOWAN, The 4th Industrial Revolution.org and Work to Learn

 

15.15 -16.15    PANEL 3:   Education, Training, and Networking

 

Exploring strategies to design resilience education via Mr. Friedman’s identified priorities of “learning systems, training systems, management systems, social safety nets and government regulations.”

 

Visioning for Following Day Workshop: – ten minutes each person on topics

  1. Imagine what a resilient society looks like.
  2. Think about the challenges and opportunities posed to resilience in the digital age.
  3. What do you think are the greatest threats and risks that may come from cyberspace?
  4. Offer first principles and attributes of a Cyber Knowledge Network in response to those threats and risks.

 

Chair:  Dr. Walter CHRISTMAN (C), Chairman, Global Challenges Forum Foundation

Ms. Heather McGOWAN, 4th Industrial Revolution.org and Work to Learn

Dr. Linton WELLS, II (C), George Mason University C4I & Cyber Center

Mr. John ROBB, (C)Global Guerrillas

Dr. Kathryn LASKEY, (C) Associate Director, GMU C4I Cyber Center

Mr. Ralph THIELE (C), Chairman, German-Political Military Society

 

16:15 – 16.30  Closing Remarks –  Dr. Mark PULLEN (C), George Mason University

 

 

– Workshop Program –
 

Friday, 27 April, 2018
 

Workshop on Opportunities and Solutions – Day Two
 

Day Two will be a closed-to-the-public Workshop that focuses on opportunities and possible solutions to the challenges identified on Day One.

 

  • The Workshop will explore people, processes, organizations and technologies that can help create a connected community to address the identified challenges.  It will give focused attention to Mr. Friedman’s observations concerning “learning systems, training systems, management systems, social safety nets and government regulations” that need to be tuned to these changing conditions.”

 

  • Working Group participants will contribute to shaping the vision, mission, core functions and structures of a prototype Cyber Knowledge Network (CKN) that can help implement the broad GKN initiative through concepts such as NATO ACT’s “Persistent Federated Approach.” The Workshop goal is to develop actionable recommendations.

 

 

          FRIDAY, 27 APRIL 2018 – WORKSHOP ON OPPORTUNITIES AND SOLUTIONS          
 

08.00               Movement to George Mason University Venue

 

08.15 – 08.30  Welcoming Remarks and Introduction of Mr. John Hawley (C) and GMU Facilitators – Mr. Michael Gaul (C), Dr. Jean-Marc Rickli (C), Partnership for Peace Consortium Emerging Security Challenges Working Group Co-Chairs

 

08.30 – 09.00  Orienting Remarks“Resilience and Innovation in the 21st Century”
Dr. Linton Wells, II (C), George Mason University

 

09.00 – 10.30  Group Exercise #1: Building Resilience Through Design Innovation

Moderator: Dr. Jean-Marc Rickli (C)
Facilitator: Mr. John Hawley (C)
From the outset, a bold and innovative learning approach is required, one building on existing efforts, but also recognizing the opportunity to build on new energy emerging in the context of the unfolding resilience initiative.  Opportunities arise, for example, to position the military, government administration and the private sector as a connected testbed for new technologies, integrated learning, innovative partnerships and creative thinking.

 

10.30 – 11.00 Coffee Break

 

11.00 – 12.30  Group Exercise #2: Building Resilience through Connectedness
Moderator: Mr. Sean Costigan (C)
Facilitator: Mr. John Hawley (C)
 

Identify the enabling forces, sense-making methodologies and tools that will facilitate moving from big data to big insights to effectuate more robust decision-making.  Address opportunities for a Cyber Knowledge Network to serve as a launching pad in moving from descriptive insight to predictive insight in support of a collaborative design and innovation network.
12.30 – 14.15  Lunch

14.15 – 14.45 PLENARY Presentation –
Mr. Alex Mejia (C), UNITAR on the Global Cyber Academy
Dr. Itamara Lochard (C), George Mason University C4I & Cyber Center – Commenting from Perspective of Global Knowledge Networking.
 

14.45 – 16.400  Group Exercise #3: Visioning Exercise for Creating a Cyber Knowledge Network
Moderator: Mr. Michael Gaul (C),
Facilitator: Mr. John Hawley (C)
 

Knowledge is a critical enabler in successfully managing crises.  Thus, solutions in the realm of knowledge networking require, at their core, holistic approaches to research, education and training.  Group facilitation will explore possibilities for SMART persistent partnerships that are: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely

 

16.00 – 16.30 PLENARY Presentation of Consolidated Recommentations
John Hawley (C) and Joel Garrison (C)

 

16.15 – 16.30  Way Forward – Mr. Michael Gaul (C) & Dr. Walter Christman (C)

 

16.30 – 16.45  Closing Remarks
Dr. Mark Pullen, George Mason University
Mr. Michael Gaul (C),Partnership for Peace Consortium Emerging Security Challenges Working Group Co-Chair

 

 

Saturday, 28 April, 2018
 

07.00 – 17.00  Individual Departures