KCSI Digest - Apr 2026 | King’s Centre for the Study of Intelligence

April 2026 Digest

Contents:

Events
Call for Papers
Recent Publications
Podcasts

Events:

Chasing Chi with James Gaylord
8 April 2026
International Spy Museum, Washington D.C. & Online

Stealing secrets was a family affair for Chi Mak. As a cleared defense engineer designing sensitive power systems for US Navy warships, Chi had access to the most cutting-edge advancements in American naval technology. For decades, and with the help of his family, he used this access to pass US military secrets to China's intelligence services, thereby endangering American soldiers, sailors and aviators. Once the FBI learned of this betrayal, Chi and his circle became subjects of an extensive years-long investigation, culminating in a late-night airport arrest to prevent US military secrets from being lost forever. By investigation's end, Chi Mak and five others had been arrested and convicted of stealing sensitive US naval, aerospace, and space technologies and providing them to the People's Republic of China (PRC).

Former FBI Special Agent and Supervisor James Gaylord ran this entire investigation and details his account in Chasing Chi: The FBI’s Groundbreaking Pursuit of China’s Most Prolific Spy Family. For over 30 years, Agent Gaylord led FBI counterintelligence and counterterrorism investigations against every major hostile international threat. Please join us to hear his briefing on how the FBI, using nearly every covert technique possible, tracked and captured Chi, his family members, and an associate, and uncovered a plethora of PRC tradecraft to build the most successful prosecution of China’s spies ever.

More details here.

Inside Intelligence - Iran's WMD Post-Conflict: What to do next?
8 April 2026
Johns Hopkins, Online

Join MS in Intelligence Analysis Program Director Michael Ard for an in-depth discussion on Iran’s post-conflict Weapons of Mass Destruction operations with Charles Duelfer, former CIA special adviser on WMD and the 2004 head of the Iraq Survey Group.In addition to his work with the CIA, Duelfer’s 27 years in government spanned roles in the Office of Management and Budget, the Department of State, and the United Nations. His involvement in Gulf issues began in the 1980s, and he served as deputy chairman of the UN weapons inspection efforts in Iraq for several years. Post-government, Duelfer has pursued a variety of entrepreneurial enterprises including CEO of start-up space launch company, Transformational Space. He is a regular commentator in the media on intelligence and foreign policy and is the author of Hide and Seek: The Search for Truth in Iraq and the Duelfer Report on Iraq’s WMD.

More details here.

The Realities of Iran
9 April 2026
The Institute of World Politics, Online

Former CIA officer Bill Murray examines Israel, Iran, and nuclear strategy, drawing on decades of firsthand experience in the Middle East. The ongoing conflict in Iran belies the realities of the region, and in particular the history and societal issues that has shaped modern day Iran. Mr. Murray will provide his unique insights - based on his extensive firsthand experience from having served in the region as a senior CIA field operative and Chief of Station in multiple locations. William D. Murray had a distinguished 30+ year career in the CIA’s clandestine service, with multiple tours of duty primarily in the Middle East, Eastern and Western Europe, and North Africa. He is the recipient of the Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal, the Intelligence Commendation Medal, and numerous other awards and commendations. Mr. Murray earned a BA (cum laude) in History from Suffolk University and has lectured on the Middle East at the Royal College of Defense Studies in London.

More details here.

2026 Spring Symposium-The Data-Driven Enterprise: Building, Buying, and Deploying Capabilities at Mission Speed
14 April 2026
Intelligence and National Security Alliance, Arlington, VA

Join us on Tuesday, April 14, from 8:00 am - 5:30 pm, at the Westin Arlington Gateway, for INSA's 2026 Spring Symposium, The Data-Driven Enterprise: Building, Buying, and Deploying Capabilities at Mission Speed. This full-day program will examine how intelligence, defense, and national security organizations are using data to drive faster, more informed enterprise decisions, from acquisition and resourcing to operational execution. Through three panels, two keynotes, and five ignite rounds, speakers will share concrete lessons on modernizing acquisition, integrating data and analytics at scale, and moving capabilities from concept to mission impact. The program concludes with a networking reception, giving participants the opportunity to continue the conversation and build new connections.

More details here.

The Spy in the Hanoi Hilton
27 April 2026
International Spy Museum, Washington D.C. & Online

Documentarian and former BBC producer, David Taylor was stunned when he uncovered the last best kept secret of the Vietnam War. Join Taylor as he takes us behind the scenes of the research and creation of his film The Spy in the Hanoi Hilton. Hỏa Lò Prison was used by the Northern Vietnamese to hold and torture American POWs. The prison, nicknamed the Hanoi Hilton, held many aviators who had been shot down, including prominent figures such as John McCain and Jim Stockdale. Throughout their captivity prisoners were in contact with the CIA through ever more sophisticated methods of communication which led to a secret rescue mission that remained classified for 40 years. Taylor and special guest Robert Wallace, former Deputy Director of CIA’s Officer of Technical Services, will share this extraordinary tale of the prisoners’ courage and determination matched by the commitment shown by CIA officers and the Office of Naval Intelligence to save them. And in case you were wondering, Taylor will also describe how he persuaded the CIA to assist in telling the story of this classified program.

More details here.

Russian Espionage and Intelligence Tradecraft, Hybrid War, and Dirty Tricks
30 April 2026
International Spy Museum, Washington D.C. & Online

Imagine sitting across from Russian intelligence officers, trying to guess what they’ll do next. Sean M. Wiswesser has been in just that position. As a member of the CIA’s expert cadre in the Directorate of Operations, Wiswesser worked closely with the US intelligence community and foreign allies to recruit Russian spies and then work to counter their services, giving him a unique perspective on the Russian Intelligence Services’ (RIS) global reach. With his new book Tradecraft, Tactics, and Dirty Tricks: Russian Intelligence and Putin’s Secret War Wiswesser takes readers deep into the heart of Maskirovka—the Russian art of denial, deception, and manipulation. Tonight, Spy Museum Historian, Dr. Mark R. Jacobson will interview Wiswesser about the shadowy world of Russian espionage from “street work,” honeytraps, and assassinations, to the RIS’ roles in the Russo-Ukraine War. They’ll discuss both historical examples and firsthand accounts of the tactics employed by the three main services of Russia’s intelligence apparatus: the SVR, GRU, and FSB.

More details here.

SCIF After Hours with Michael Pennington
30 April 2026
Intelligence and National Security Alliance, Chantilly, VA

Join 150 colleagues from across the intelligence and national security community for an evening of candid conversation and connection at INSA's SCIF After Hours with Michael Pennington, Senior Defense Intelligence Analyst for China and Taiwan, China Mission Group, Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). The evening will kick off with a networking reception, followed by a fireside chat between Mr. Pennington and INSA President Suzanne Wilson Heckenberg. Topics for discussion include:

Military Modernization: PRC capability shifts and what they signal about long-term military ambitions and the future operating environment.
Technological Competition: How the PRC seeks to leverage emerging technologies for strategic advantage.
Supply Chain Resilience: National security risks posed by economic and technological dependencies on the PRC and how to mitigate vulnerabilities.
Power of Partnership: Opportunities for the public and private sectors to collaborate to maintain the United States’ strategic and technological advantage.

Bring your questions! There will be ample time for the audience to engage directly with Mr. Pennington during the Q&A. The program will wrap-up with a dessert reception.

More details here.

Call for Papers:

Call for Papers: Netherlands Intelligence Studies Association (NISA) International Conference 2026: Resilient Intelligence in the Era of Democratic Backsliding
Abstracts Due: 1 April 2026
Conference: 2-3 December 2026
Location TBA

The Netherlands Intelligence Studies Association (NISA) invites scholars, practitioners, and other interested professionals to participate in an international conference on “Resilient Intelligence in an Era of Democratic Backsliding”, to be held on 2 and 3 December 2026 in The Netherlands. Location to be announced.

With authoritarianism on the rise, democratic societies face mounting pressures on their security, governance, and institutional integrity. Intelligence and security services play a crucial—yet contested—role in safeguarding democracy and the rule of law. This conference explores how intelligence and security services can remain resilient, independent, and legitimate within a democratic framework.

We welcome contributions that critically examine the role, functioning, and governance of intelligence and security services in this context of democratic backsliding, from both an historical and a contemporary perspective, from several disciplines, and from practitioners and scholars. Relevant themes include, but are not limited to:

Intelligence and democratic resilience
Intelligence cooperation and information sharing across national contexts with varying levels of democracy
Politicization and political independence of intelligence
Democratization of intelligence
Political and societal legitimacy
Accountability and oversight
Intelligence in times of geopolitical uncertainty
Intelligence responses to hybrid threats and authoritarian influence
Normative, legal, and ethical dimensions of intelligence work in an increasingly authoritarian world order.

Participants are invited to submit proposals for one of the following formats:

Academic paper with an accompanying presentation. Selected academic papers may be considered for publication in a special issue of a leading international peer-reviewed journal.
Academic presentation without a paper
Practitioner presentation
Panel discussion with a maximum of three experts or practitioners
Interviews

The organizing committee explicitly encourages participation from academics at all career stages, including PhD candidates and early-career researchers, as well as practitioners from intelligence, security, policy, businesses and related fields.

More details here.

Call for Papers: Australian Institute of Professional Intelligence Officers (AIPIO) 2026 Intelligence Conference
Abstracts Due: 10 April 2026
Full Paper Due: 17 July 2026
Conference: 26-28 August 2026
Melbourne, Australia

The Australian Institute of Professional Intelligence Officers (AIPIO) is pleased to invite submissions for its Call for Papers (CFP) for the 35th Annual National Conference – Intelligence 2026, taking place at the Sofitel Melbourne on Collins from 26–28 August 2026.

The conference theme, ‘Intelligence in Action: Strategy to Delivery’, will examine how intelligence capabilities are conceived, operationalized, and measured. Within this overarching theme, we will explore three critical sub-themes:

Operational Agility
Partnerships
Impact and Integration

Each sub-theme reflects a core component required to sustain, evolve, and future-proof the intelligence profession in Australia. AIPIO now invites abstract submissions that are clearly aligned with the Intelligence 2026 theme. We welcome contributions from intelligence practitioners, academics, students, and industry professionals from Australia and abroad. Authors of accepted abstracts will be invited to prepare a full paper and deliver a presentation at Intelligence 2026.

A detailed synopsis of all presentations will be included in the post-conference Intelligence Proceedings. In addition, selected papers may be considered for publication in the peer-reviewed AIPIO Journal, subject to scholarly merit and the outcomes of a blind review process.

More details here.