This summer, two Colgate students participated in the International Security and Intelligence (ISI) program through the Cambridge Security Initiative to learn directly from intelligence experts in the field. The inaugural fellows in this new program, Will Keiser ’27 and Sawyer Brown ’25, were sponsored by the Robert P. Kraynak Institute for the Study of Freedom and Western Traditions.
“The ISI program is ideal for students exploring the nexus between intelligence craft and international affairs from a variety of perspectives,” said Kraynak Institute Co-Director Carolyn Guile.
Keiser and Brown were chosen for their outstanding academic performance and keen interest in the program's subject fields. The institute will open applications for two spots at ISI annually, offering students “a unique opportunity to put their critical thinking skills acquired at Colgate to use, learning directly from experts in the intelligence field,” says Guile.
In October 2024, the Institute welcomed to campus Prof. David V. Gioe, a scholar of intelligence, former intelligence practitioner, and, recently, British Academy Global Professor in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London. Guile said the discussions that ensued during his visit gave students interested in the intelligence fields the opportunity to learn about the ISI program at Cambridge University, UK. Gioe co-convenes the program with Prof. Michael S. Goodman, former head of war studies and professor of intelligence and international affairs at King’s College London.
Keiser said his main area of focus during the program was finding a philosophical framework to examine how algorithms were used in the U.S. drone program in Iraq against ISIS. As a computer science major, Keiser said that, while writing a social science paper was a bit out of his comfort zone at first, he’s enjoyed the challenge, and it has expanded his thinking about what role drone technology plays in affecting debates around conflict.
“I think the most impactful part to me was getting to see into the world of intelligence, not only the academic side, but the practitioner,” Keiser said. “That will relate well to my studies at Colgate as a computer science major, minoring in Middle Eastern and Islamic studies, by being able to identify intersections of those two fields and where I can make an impact during my undergrad years.”
Brown’s research during the program focused on how Russia’s information operations in Mali interact with anti-French narratives circulating within Malian society — which fits into the broader world of how states and nonstate actors use information operations to amplify historical and political discontent to gain strategic leverage and shape regional alignments.
“The program in its entirety gave me a great sense of how the intelligence world operates, what its nuances are, and opened my eyes to issues and conflicts all throughout the world,” Brown said. “It gave me specific areas and ideas to pursue for my career, like private intelligence, and broadened my research experience and knowledge on African security.”
The Cambridge Security Initiative launched ISI Program in 2016 to provide an opportunity for participants to engage with leading academics and practitioners from intelligence and security communities, and it focuses primarily on intelligence dimensions of international security. The ISI program offers an integrated series of lectures and seminars, which incorporate independent supervised research, as well as the study of international security and intelligence topics. Participants in the program also attend an annual conference that brings together speakers and delegates from governments, security agencies, academia, and business to explore issues related to security.