{"id":155690,"date":"2022-02-22T09:24:17","date_gmt":"2022-02-22T19:24:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=155690"},"modified":"2022-02-22T09:24:17","modified_gmt":"2022-02-22T19:24:17","slug":"national-intelligence-director-visit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2022\/02\/22\/national-intelligence-director-visit\/","title":{"rendered":"National intelligence director says UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa students bring needed perspectives"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"zoom
UH<\/abbr> President David Lassner, U.S. Director of Intelligence Avril Haines and College of Social Sciences Dean Denise Eby Konan, with College of Social Sciences students<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sixteen students studying national security and intelligence in University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa\u2019s College of Social Sciences<\/a> had a rare opportunity to speak and learn from the U.S. Director of Intelligence.<\/p>\n

The university hosted a virtual visit with Avril Haines in December 2021, which began with a conversation between Haines and UH<\/abbr> President David Lassner<\/strong>, and concluded with a Q&A session with students in an internship course called “USINDOPACOM\u2013UHM<\/abbr> Mentoring Program for Intelligence”—a collaboration between UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command<\/a> (USINDOPACOM<\/abbr>).<\/p>\n

“This partnership positions our students to gain marketable skills and network with leading experts in the field of intelligence,” said College of Social Sciences Dean Denise Eby Konan<\/strong>. “It’s part of M\u0101noa\u2019s commitment to develop academic pathways to career opportunities, especially in fast-growing job areas in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> and the Pacific.”<\/p>\n

To understand this region we need people from this region.
\n— Avril Haines<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa is a Native Hawaiian-serving institution and one of the most ethnically diverse universities in the nation. Haines is prioritizing efforts to increase diversity within the intelligence community, focusing on recruiting and retaining a workforce representative of the U.S.<\/p>\n

“The University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> and your student body, as incredibly diverse as it is, and geographically where you\u2019re located, you bring perspectives that we need,” Haines said. “We absolutely have to understand this (Asia-Pacific) region. And to understand this region we need people from this region and we need to be able to tap into your understanding of the area so that we can absorb that as we try to provide the intelligence picture to our customers.”<\/p>\n

Haines answered questions from students ranging from the intelligence community\u2019s role in promoting U.S. President Joe Biden\u2019s goal of promoting democratic ideals around the world to the U.S. strategic competition with China through a humanitarian, military and economic viewpoint. She also outlined career opportunities for those interested in joining the intelligence community.<\/p>\n

To view the entire event, visit the College of Social Sciences YouTube page<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For more on Haines\u2019 virtual visit, see the Office of the Director of National Intelligence website<\/a>.<\/p>\n