Inaugural Session of Real Issues, Real Experts, Real Time to Discuss the Chinese Spy Balloon

On Thursday, February 16, at 6 PM, University President Jim Gash will host the first edition of Real Issues, Real Experts, Real Time, Pepperdine’s new series of expert discussions of current events. In this virtual roundtable, called “Unraveling the Mystery of the Chinese Balloon,” three prominent national security experts will talk about the mysterious aircraft that gained international attention in early February and was eventually shot down by a US fighter jet.

To discuss the national security and foreign relations implications of this incident, President Gash will speak with Kristen Edwards Marquardt, a national and cyber security expert who previously served as intelligence advisor to the secretary of Homeland Security; General John Teichert, a former fighter pilot and recently retired brigadier general and national security expert; and Josh Steinman, a former senior director for cyber policy and deputy assistant for national security affairs to the president.

Real Issues, Real Experts, Real Time engages the Pepperdine community in conversations with subject-matter experts about timely issues as they unfold. At each session, invited experts will discuss the complexities of critical contemporary issues with the intention of creating an environment of civil discourse in a nonpartisan manner.