Michael G. Vickers, a former Green Beret and CIA operative who ascended to become the Pentagon’s top intelligence official, will be the featured speaker at a lecture sponsored by the
Charles W. Hostler Institute on World Affairs.
Vickers, also a former U.S. under secretary of defense for intelligence, will discuss national security threats and counterterrorism strategies from 5-6:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 19, in Charles Hostler Hall (Storm Hall West 012) on the San Diego State University campus.
The event is free and open to the public. Reservations are appreciated, but not required, and
can be made online.
Vickers served under both Republican and Democratic administrations. He will examine a wide array of timely topics affecting current global geopolitics as well as their impact on worldwide businesses.
Among these hot-button issues are:
- National security challenges posed by a return of economic and military competition from China and Russia;
- Growing capabilities and expansionist aims by North Korea and Iran;
- Continued threats from global jihadist groups like Qa’ida and the Islamic State; and
- Accelerating technological change that is transforming wealth and power.
A leader in global counterterrorism operations and among the first to use cyber mission forces to defend against U.S. cyber attacks, Vickers will outline steps the United States and its allies need to take for a better leadership position in this “new national security era.”
Vickers’ career as a special operator, CIA operations officer, national security policy maker and Intelligence Community leader spans three decades, from the Cold War to the American offensive against Al-Qaeda, its allies and offshoots.
Most recently, Vickers served as the under secretary of defense for intelligence from 2011-2015, exercising authority, direction and control over the National Security Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, National Reconnaissance Office, Defense Security Service, and the intelligence components of the Military Services and Combatant Commands.
Currently, he is a senior advisor to the Boston Consulting Group and a senior fellow at Johns Hopkins Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies and the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
About Charles Hostler
Each year, the Charles W. Hostler Institute on World Affairs, endowed by the late Ambassador
Charles W. Hostler and his wife,
Chinyeh, hosts the Hostler Lecture Series at SDSU, where distinguished speakers visit campus to discuss timely global topics.
Hostler passed away in 2014 at the age of 94. He was a war hero, scholar, diplomat, businessman and philanthropist. He visited 175 countries, lived on four continents, and received decorations for his valiant actions from nine nations and four religious leaders.