VU Institute of National Security

Our vision is to develop and support leaders who serve and solve our most pressing national security challenges.

[VU Institute of National Security @vunatsecurity]

Five years. One mission. A permanent hub for national security dialogue. 

As conflict shifts into the Age of Asymmetry, the Institute is scaling to meet the challenge. This is our roadmap for the 2026 #AsnessSummit—convening the leaders defining the future of American security.

[VU Institute of National Security @vunatsecurity]

This is what happens when mass surveillance meets A.I.

@VanderbiltU research exposes China’s alarming push to weaponize AI and predict who is likely to become a dissident before they even act.

Read the full article from @julianbarnes at the @nytimes.

https://t.co/D9cgknx7Gf

[VU Institute of National Security @vunatsecurity]

National resilience and competitive advantage are built through a culture of radical collaboration.

Gen. Paul Nakasone on how the #AsnessSummit serves as a platform for our brightest minds to solve the challenges of modern conflict together.

[VU Institute of National Security @vunatsecurity]

National resilience starts with the supply chain.

@GinaRaimondo at the #AsnessSummit: ”Economic security, supply chain security, technological security, is national security.”

We cannot separate our economic strength from our ability to lead on the global stage.

[VU Institute of National Security @vunatsecurity]

"The returns on that investment of time will always be exponential."

Gen. Dan Caine at the #AsnessSummit on the value of a life of service and the unique perspective required to lead through today’s unprecedented complexity.

[VU Institute of National Security @vunatsecurity]

National resilience depends on "leaders who can move fluently between innovation and strategy, between engineering and geopolitics."

@VanderbiltU Chancellor Daniel Diermeier at the #AsnessSummit on the new baseline of strategic leadership required to meet modern conflict.

[VU Institute of National Security @vunatsecurity]

Read now: https://t.co/NnKcllYzHz

[VU Institute of National Security @vunatsecurity]

The conversations shaping global security are evolving rapidly — and Vanderbilt is helping lead them.

Read our latest newsletter on Substack:
-2026 #AsnessSummit
-@bjgol on AI and cybersecurity
-@VanderbiltU National Security major launching Fall 2026
-Welcome 2026 INS Fellows

[VU Institute of National Security @vunatsecurity]

What was it really like at the 2026 #AsnessSummit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats?

Don’t take it from us — hear directly from the leaders who joined the conversation.

Here’s what stood out to them and why Nashville has joined the global national security conversation.

[VU Institute of National Security @vunatsecurity]

Davos, Munich, Nashville.

The national security landscape is changing. @smallwars explains why the #AsnessSummit is where the U.S. is working through the hardest questions about how we compete and adapt.

Read the full story: https://t.co/nLV1dWxmzZ

[VU Institute of National Security @vunatsecurity]

What began at @VanderbiltU in 2022 is now a nationally recognized forum, evolving alongside the challenges it was built to address—from AI to cyber.

This year marks a new chapter as the Asness Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats.

[VU Institute of National Security @vunatsecurity]

Watch the #AsnessSummit Day 2 highlight reel:

— Opening remarks from Sen. @MarshaBlackburn
— Keynote conversation with Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla (Ret.) on modern warfare and global security
— Panels on cyber operations, drone warfare, and what’s ahead for national security

[VU Institute of National Security @vunatsecurity]

Watch the #AsnessSummit Day 1 highlight reel for a glimpse inside:

— Opening fireside with General Dan Caine
— Key insights from The Honorable Gina Raimondo and author Dan Wang
— Panels on supply chains as battlegrounds, the power of perception, and lessons from modern conflict

[VU Institute of National Security @vunatsecurity]

Academic expertise meets real-world stakes.

During National Security Week, @VanderbiltU faculty completed a high-stakes Arctic simulation to tackle the complexities of modern conflict.

We’re strengthening national security through collaboration and applied problem-solving.

[VU Institute of National Security @vunatsecurity]

What does the next gen of national security leadership look like?

During National Security Week, 80 students engaged with Gen. Paul Nakasone, Lt. Gen. Matthew Glavy (Ret.), and experts from OpenAI, DARPA, and the FBI.

We’re moving beyond convening leaders to building them.

[VU Institute of National Security @vunatsecurity]

Highlights from #AsnessSummit Day 2 📸

The conversations zeroed in on where modern conflict is actively evolving.

A key takeaway: the future fight will be shaped by those who can integrate technology, strategy, and speed of decision-making faster than their adversaries.

[VU Institute of National Security @vunatsecurity]

Cybersecurity is now personal.

In a @nytimes essay, @bjgol, director of the Institute's Wicked Problems Lab, warns that AI is accelerating threats to individuals.

Are you prepared?

https://t.co/ViiBWr4rFP

[VU Institute of National Security @vunatsecurity]

Highlights from Summit Day 1 📸

Cyber, the Iranian conflict, and collaboration — three main themes from opening day of the 2026 #AsnessSummit on Conflict and Emerging Threats.

A key takeaway: focus on actions that drive outcomes.

[Sen. Marsha Blackburn @MarshaBlackburn]

When it comes to national security, we need the brightest minds working together.

The Vanderbilt Institute of National Security Asness Summit has become such an important part of the national dialogue, and it was an honor to speak about the great work being done in Tennessee.

[VU Institute of National Security @vunatsecurity]

@MarshaBlackburn We were honored to have you! Thank you for joining the dialogue and highlighting the critical role Tennessee plays in our national security landscape.

[VU Institute of National Security @vunatsecurity]

General Paul Nakasone (Ret.) closed the #AsnessSummit by outlining America’s competitive advantages:

- Innovation & Talent
- Alliances & Partnerships
- Transparency

Maintaining our edge isn't a given. It requires aligning academic innovation with national security.