Hagerott speaks at national critical thinking conference

Hagerott speaks at national critical thinking conference

North Dakota University System (NDUS) Chancellor Mark Hagerott was a featured speaker at a national critical thinking event in Annapolis, Md., on Wednesday, Oct. 25. The event was hosted by the U.S. Naval Institute and the U.S. Naval Academy. They put together a panel of government, military, and academic thought leaders to discuss ways to create a culture of critical thinking in the military and how outthinking the enemy is key to future success.

“This timely conference focused on how to think in the age of AI, in the shadow of the war in Ukraine and the disruption in Gaza Strip. In the age of Fake News and global confusion, it is even more urgent that all Americans are thinking critically about the current events and the future as it unfolds,” Hagerott said. “I hear it all the time in North Dakota, too. Our workforce is telling us it wants our graduates to possess critical thinking skills.”

Hagerott was joined by nationally recognized scholars, AI thinkers, current and former military leaders, including Eric Schmidt, former CEO and Chairman of Google; Paul Scharre, AI thinker and author; Peter Singer, professor and strategist; Robert Work, former deputy secretary of defense; Jim Mattis, former secretary of defense; William Mullen, former commanding general of Training and Education Command; Trent Hone, author of Learning War; Samara Firebaugh, U.S. Naval Academy provost; Admiral Peter Daly, U.S Naval Academy president; Lt. Gen. Michael Plehn, president of the National Defense University; and Ann Rondeau, Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy (Retired), President of the Naval Postgraduate School.