Introduction to Issues in International Security is a collaboration between the Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) and the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE). Five CISAC scholars are featured in accessible video lectures that aim to introduce high school students to issues in international security and increase awareness of career opportunities available in the field. These scholars are Dr. Kevin Bustamante, Professor Martha Crenshaw, the Honorable Rose Gottemoeller, Professor Norman Naimark, and Dr. Megan Palmer. Free discussion guides, developed by Irene Bryant and Greg Francis of SPICE, are available for each of the lectures in this series.

For the fifth year since 2022, Dr. Ignacio Ornelas Rodriguez introduced the lectures and lessons in the discussion guides to high school students. This year the students were from Los Gatos, San Jose, Salinas, and Watsonville. The course culminated in a symposium on May 21, 2026 that was organized by Sabrina Ishimatsu. Three student groups had the opportunity to present their research projects to CISAC scholars, Dr. Harold Trinkunas, Dr. Kevin Bustamante, and Dr. Xunchao Zhang. 

The students’ research projects focused on the following topics: 

• What is Race?
• Biosecurity
• Analyzing Terrorist Incidents and Terrorism and Counterterrorism
   

The scholars provided extremely useful feedback on the students’ research projects and asked thought-provoking questions. Students from the 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 cohorts have commented on how the course taught by Ornelas Rodriguez and the feedback and questions from the CISAC scholars have helped them not only gain knowledge about international security but also to prepare for college. 

During this year’s symposium, the students were also very fortunate to listen to words of encouragement from Harvard undergraduate Alexandra Arguello and Stanford undergraduate Brianna Jimenez, 2022 and 2025 alumni, respectively, of the course taught by Ornelas Rodriguez. They also offered the following reflections for this article: 

Dr. Ornelas’s class helped prepare me for Harvard by giving me an early foundation in international security, global affairs, and the kind of critical analysis that college-level academia demands. The course taught me to engage complex issues with intellectual curiosity, connect global events to lived experiences, and ask stronger research questions. At Harvard, that preparation allowed me to approach courses in international law, comparative politics, global education, and Latin American studies with greater confidence and purpose. In many ways, the class was my first serious introduction to the academic interests that continue to shape my studies and my goal of becoming an attorney working with international populations.—Alexandra Arguello

Dr. Ornelas’s class prepared me as a first-generation student for the academic rigor and fast-paced environment at Stanford by giving me the opportunity to learn about complex topics, develop potential solutions, and explore research-based questions. Through this experience, I gained fundamental skills and knowledge that continues to help me succeed both academically and personally. As a future physician, this class provided me with critical insight on how international security impacts health, access, and care. The class has greatly impacted my journey at Stanford, and my purpose as I pursue higher education.—Brianna Jimenez

Ornelas Rodriguez closed the symposium by extending his praise for the 2026 cohort which exceeded his expectations and commended them for adding his class to their already busy academic lives.

To stay informed of SPICE news, join our email list and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram.