High school students will have the chance to hear from a former FBI agent and former KGB agent, among other officials, at a summer academy at the University of North Georgia that will provide the students with a look into the intelligence industry.
The National Intelligence Summer Academy will run from July 17 through 21 and will give 50 rising sophomores, juniors or seniors an in-depth look at intelligence careers. It is funded through UNG's Institute for Leadership and Strategic Studies.
Dr. Edward Mienie, professor and executive director of the strategic and security studies bachelor's degree program and partnerships, together with ILSS, created the academy. It is believed to be the first of its kind in the nation.
"We are looking forward to building on the huge success of NISA's 2022 inaugural year," Mienie said. "This year we will continue to provide students with a context for understanding the important role that intelligence has played in our nation's history and continues to play today and provide foundational knowledge of intelligence, setting the stage for possible careers in the field."
Mienie previously helped create a curriculum that introduces security and intelligence studies to Georgia high school students.
NISA 2023 will be held on UNG's Cumming Campus for the first four days.
"During which, students will hear from guest speakers and cover nearly 20 topics including the history of intelligence, possible jobs, functions of the intelligence field, sharing of information between U.S. intelligence agencies, cybersecurity, and the ethical, moral, and legal considerations of intelligence," a press release from UNG reads.
NISA will feature high-profile speakers including retired, decorated FBI agent Dell Spry and former KGB agent Jack Barksy, who is the longest-serving undercover foreign intelligence agent. Barksy operated in the U.S. for 10 years before coming out of the shadows. Additional speakers for this year will be a senior retired CIA agent who was the head of the CIA operations for Africa, and a second agent whose expertise was the far east, as well as representation from the NSA.
The academy concludes with a motor coach trip to the Dahlonega Campus, where attendees will have class, tour the campus, eat lunch and receive information about UNG's academic programs and its Corps of Cadets.
"As the multifaceted threats to our national security interests become more intense and sophisticated, it is important to introduce young students to the critical role the intelligence community has in mitigating those threats," Mienie said. "NISA's mission is to pique the interests of young students by introducing national intelligence as a possible career path and to the fulfilling and rewarding nature of such a career. In fact, it should be more than a career; it ought to be a calling."
Participants must apply here and priority is given to students with a GPA of 3.5 or higher and those students who have studied a strategic language. Strategic languages included Arabic, Farsi, Russian, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese or Korean. The $149 fee per participant helps defray expenses of meals, course materials and the motor coach.
Georgia high school teachers can audit the course. Those interested should contact Heath Williams.
