Presentation Title:
Integrated Defense Against Cognitive Warfare
Special Event Type: Signature Event
Tag Line : Strengthening Minds, Fortifying Nations, Resilience in the Face of Hybrid Threats
Keywords: COGNITIVE;CYBER;INFORMATION OPERATIONS;INFORMATION WARFARE;SOCIOLOGICAL
Program Description:
Cognitive Warfare manipulates how people think and perceive reality in order to undermine decision-making, erode trust, and destabilize societies.
As a form of Hybrid Warfare, it targets cognitive abilities by attacking perceptions, trust in processes, decision-making mechanisms, and the cohesiveness of our social organizations. Using information, cognitive science, digital tools, and potentially neuroscience, it influences thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors within the human-centric battlespace of beliefs, emotions, and ideologies.
Over the past five years, NATO’s Concept Development Branch has explored this domain, proposing it as a formal dimension of warfare alongside Sea, Air, Land, Space, and Cyber. It has also been studied under other names by various nations and think tanks under the auspices of Hybrid Threats, Information Operations, and Liminal Warfare. By whatever title, these threats endanger stability, democracy, and the rules-based order.
Our response to Cognitive Warfare must be multifaceted, both in its design as well as its participants. This international panel will explore the foundations of Cognitive Warfare and present real-world examples from Ukraine and Bulgaria. Discussions will cover military considerations, such as operator training as well as the senior policymaker actions needed to facilitate an integrated, Whole of Society defense—both nationally and in cooperation with allies and partners.
Moderator Information: Sae Schatz, PH.D. (US) Executive Director Partnership for Peace Consortium U.S. Defense Civilian
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Panelist #1 Information: Todor Tagarev, PH.D. (BGR) Former Minister of Defense Bulgaria (2013, 2023-2024)
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Panelist #2 Information: Yevgeniya Gaber, PH.D. (UKR) Professor, George C. Marshall Center, Non-resident Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council
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Panelist #3 Information: Aleksandra Nesic, PH.D. (USA) Chair, Europe and Eurasian Area Studies Foreign Service Institute U.S. Department of State
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Panelist #4 Information: Jean-Marc Rickli, PH.D. (CHE) Head of Global and Emerging Risks Geneva Centre for Security Policy
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