NATO at 75:

Charting a New Course

April 8, 2024 | Georgetown University

3700 O St NW, Washington, DC 20057

Re-watch the conference live stream video here

Sponsored by the Center for Security Studies, this conference is inspired by the 75th anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and will feature panels with prominent North American and European scholars and practitioners such as General Christopher G. Cavoli, Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) and U.S. Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith. Panels include the future of deterrence; burden-sharing; and NATO’s role in the Indo-Pacific.

The conference will be held on Monday, April 8, 2024, at Georgetown University’s historic Gaston Hall, with the option to attend virtually.

Conference Agenda

Monday, April 8, 2024

Gaston Hall, Georgetown University, Washington, DC

7:00 Check-in Opens

7:55 Doors Close

8:00-8:15 Welcome & Opening Remarks

8:30-9:30 Keynote Address and Fireside Chat with U.S. Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith

Moderator: David E. Sanger, The New York Times

9:45-11:00 Panel 1: NATO @ 75: Looking Back, Looking Ahead

Moderator: Leo Michel, Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA)

• Dr. Susan Colbourn, Duke University
• Professor Heidi Hardt, Associate Professor, University of California, Irvine
• Professor Sten Rynning, University of Southern Denmark

11:15-12:30 Panel 2: NATO and the Future of Deterrence

Moderator: Stephen J. Flanagan, Georgetown University

• Justyna Gotkowska, Center for Eastern Studies (OSW)
• Angus Lapsley, Assistant Secretary General for Defense Policy and Planning, NATO
• Dr. Heather Williams, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)

12:45-2:00 General Audience Lunch Break/U.S. and European Perspectives on Alliance Burden Sharing (Virtual Streaming of Panel)

Moderator: Professor Brian Blankenship, University of Miami

• Dr. Sophia Besch, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
• Camille Grand, European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR)
• Professor Barry Posen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

2:00-3:15 Panel 3: NATO and the Indo-Pacific

Moderator: Tara Varma, Brookings Institution

• Dr. Benedetta Berti, Head, Policy Planning, NATO
• Amb. Ivo Daalder (ret), The Chicago Council on Global Affairs
• Professor Luis Simón, Centre for Security Diplomacy and Strategy (CSDS) and Elcano Royal Institute

3:30-4:30 Keynote Address and Fireside Chat with General Christopher G. Cavoli, Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR)

Moderator: Dr. Sara Bjerg Moller, Georgetown University

4:30-4:45 Closing Remarks

Conference Logistics & Frequently Asked Questions

Getting to the conference venue

The NATO at 75: Charting a New Course conference is hosted by Georgetown University on Georgetown’s Main Campus. The Conference will take place in Gaston Hall, located in the building Healy Hall. Healy Hall is located in front of the university’s main gates at 37 & O Streets NW. If you will be parking in the Southwest Garage, taking the GUTS bus to campus, or taking the D2 or D6 buses, budget at least 8-10 minutes to walk to Healy Hall.

Transportation Options

Parking on Georgetown Campus

Parking at Georgetown is very limited, but visitor parking is available in the Southwest Garage, located at the entrance off of Canal Road, N.W.

Visit transportation.georgetown.edu/Driving-and-Parking for more detailed parking information. As off-campus (street) parking is hard to find in the Georgetown area, the use of public transportation is strongly encouraged when visiting the University.

Public Transportation

Metrobus route G2 stops at the Healy Gate (37th and O Streets, N.W.). The G2 bus connects to the Metro subway at the Dupont Circle Metro station (near 20th and Q Streets, N.W.)

Metrobus route D2 and D6 stops at 38th Street and Reservoir Road, N.W., on the Medical Center side of campus. The D2 and D6 buses connect to the Metro subway at Dupont Circle Metro station.

The Metro subway stations closest to Georgetown University are Dupont Circle station (at 20th & Q Streets, N.W.) and Rosslyn station (located across the Key Bridge in Rosslyn, Va., with entrances at North Moore Street & Wilson Blvd., and on Fort Myer Drive between 19th Street & Wilson Blvd.).

Food and Drink

No food or drink is allowed in Gaston Hall. The conference schedule includes a break for lunch from 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm. There are a number of delicious lunch options to choose from around Georgetown and close to the University’s campus.

Freedom of Speech and Expression

Georgetown University encourages freedom of speech and expression. This freedom includes the right to express points of view on the widest range of public and private concerns and to engage in the robust expression of ideas. As is true with society at large, however, this freedom is subject to reasonable restrictions:

The right of free speech and expression does not include unlawful activity or activity that endangers or imminently threatens to endanger the safety of any member of the community or any of the community’s physical facilities, or any activity that disrupts or obstructs the functions of the University or imminently threatens such disruption or obstruction.

Moreover, expression that is indecent or is grossly obscene or grossly offensive on matters such as race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or sexual orientation is inappropriate in a university community and the University will act as it deems appropriate to educate students violating this principle.

View the full Georgetown Speech and Expression Policy

NATO at 75: Charting a New Course is sponsored by: