Hume Seminar Series: National Security Risks Today and Tomorrow: Bad News and Good News

About the Event

This interactive presentation will examine the daunting national security challenges facing U.S. policymakers—including the President—in an era of profound geopolitical disruption and unprecedented technological change. It will survey the tools available to U.S. decision-makers, including the Intelligence Community, before posing a central question: Can the architectures and mindsets shaped by the Cold War and 9/11 provide the resilience, adaptability, and decisional advantage needed to navigate rapidly evolving threats across land, sea, cyberspace, and outer space?

About the Speaker

Paul Hollingsworth, President of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers and retired senior CIA officer.

Paul Hollingsworth retired in 2025 after working for ten years as the senior intelligence advisor on Europe and Eurasia for the energy company bp. He previously served a 27-year career in analysis and operations at the Central Intelligence Agency, including three overseas tours and rotational assignments at the FBI and the National Security Council staff at the White House. Prior to joining the US government, he worked as a managing editor for the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute. He holds a B.A. in theology from Georgetown University and an M.A. and a Ph.D. in Byzantine history and medieval Slavic studies from the University of California (Berkeley).. 

Event Notice

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Sarah Downer at humecenter@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.