Mark R. Kennedy
Director, Wilson Center's Wahba Institute for Strategic Competition
Hon. Mark Kennedy (US Congress, 2001-07 MN), Director of the Wilson Center’s Wahba Institute for Strategic Competition, also serves as an appointed Civic Leader supporting the Secretary of the Air Force and as President Emeritus of the University of Colorado. Kennedy is dedicated to strengthening America’s alliances, and the technology, trade, infrastructure, and energy foundations of its economic and global leadership. Mark applies experiences as a first-generation college graduate, corporate executive, presidentially appointed member of the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations, founder of the Economic Club of Minnesota and author of an Ivy League published book. He has engaged wide cross-sections of society in over 45 countries, including refugee camps, war zones, 50 military bases and three aircraft carriers at sea.
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Raimondo’s China trip proves that just engaging Beijing isn’t enough
“All of these policy changes (by China) do not make sense if the goal is to promote long-term economic growth, but they could make sense if they are meant to help endure a conflict with the West,” Mark Kennedy, director of the Wilson Center’s Wahba Institute for Strategic Competition, told me.
Raimondo: Countries that flout IPEF rules won’t ‘see the benefits’
The panel moderator, Mark Kennedy, director of the Wahba Institute for Strategic Competition at the Wilson Center, noted that the supply chain pillar agreement announced in May still was undergoing “legal scrubbing” and that it was not known whether it would include a dispute resolution mechanism, among other outstanding questions.
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station & Patrick Space Force Base
Proud of the work of our United States Space Force guardians and Air Force airmen keeping us safe.
Kennedy Space Center's Historic Launch Complex 39A
Complex now operated by SpaceX. Pad on right of photo launched Apollo 11 that resulted in Neil Armstrong being the 1st to walk on moon exactly 54 years prior to day of visit. Pad on left of photo being built for Starship to return to moon
NATO Not Expanding Eastward Into Asia, Says US Ambassador
As NATO committed to work together to address the systemic challenges posed by the PRC to Euro-Atlantic security, the most important action the alliance can take is to stay unified, said Mark Kennedy, director of the Wahba Institute of Strategic Competition at the Wilson Center.
“That was exhibited in the communique,” he told VOA. “The key will be to translate these commitments into reality.”
China owns 300,000 acres of land in the U.S. Here's where
Mark Kennedy, director of the Wilson Center's Wahba Institute for Strategic Competition, said that the Chinese government has laws that allow the government to access information held by its citizens and corporations.
"That ability by the government to gain access to information is one of the reasons why people view the risk of dealing with a Chinese corporation similar to what they would view as the risk of dealing with the Chinese Communist Party or the government," Kennedy said.
Reacting to, and taking issue with, Tai’s ‘major speech’
“Now is not the time for sliding down slippery slopes in a race to the protectionist bottom. Rather than shards of truths, today’s strategic competition demands a clear-eyed view and dedicated effort to open markets for American products and services so that all workers not only prosper, but remain secure.”
Making Democracy Work
G7 struggles with response to China ‘economic coercion’ threat
“Europe has witnessed the impact of coercion within its ranks more vividly than the US, most recently in Lithuania, and endured the pain from overreliance on a sole supplier as it weaned itself off reliance on Russian energy,” Kennedy told Al Jazeera.
“A focus on de-risking by diversifying supply chain … by building partnerships with low- and middle-income countries through investment and aid is very unifying. It also can be presented to the Global South as a location for alternative sourcing.”
Onshoring, friendshoring, and the balancing act of “Made in America”
As my colleague Mark Kennedy and I wrote recently, in the aftermath of the First World War, the Treaty of Versailles brought on two decades of economic and political isolationism – and led the world directly into the Second World War. It was only after that vastly more destructive experience that the free world settled on the so-called “Washington Consensus” – a set of policy recommendations that, Kennedy wrote, “advocated for market-driven domestic economies and an openness to trade and investment.” It was this era of global engagement that established a global rules-based economic system, and that in turn led to unprecedented growth and prosperity for everyone including China.
US, Australia, UK Forge Landmark Nuclear Submarine Deal
"This is really more a response to the very aggressive military buildup that China has had, as opposed to anything we're doing that would be provoking to China," Mark Kennedy, director of the Wahba Institute for Strategic Competition at the Wilson Center, told VOA.
Technology Restrictions Must Be Paired With Promoting Trade
Technology restrictions only succeed in tandem with other advanced economies. As restrictions bifurcate markets, America will lose foreign consumers unless it embraces trade.
US Two-Way Trade Rose in 2022, New Data Show
“There has not been a broad-based decoupling … and many economists are seeing that there really hasn't been a significant onshoring or reshoring. There are still strong ties, and to break those ties with China would be both difficult and costly.”
Defining America's New Playbook
"Finding the right balance between markets and intervention is key. Close collaboration with allies is also vital. America faces a peer rival: China. Only in tandem with its allies can the US achieve the scale to sustain the international order and deter aggression."
Looking Anew at Trade
"The result of America's inward turn is to step aside as other nations negotiate preferential access and define the terms to trade, sacrificing the jobs that go with that trade and the influence that comes from the associated interactions. Perhaps no other nation has benefited more from America's trade resistance than China."
Introducing the Wahba Institute for Strategic Competition
Former Congressman, businessperson, and university leader Mark Kennedy will serve as WISC’s Director.
Wilson Center Launches Wahba Institute for Strategic Competition to Shape Conversations and Reforms in Era of Great Power Competition
“Succeeding in strategic competition is the animating imperative of our time and the goal of WISC,” said Mark Kennedy, the Director of the new program. “It is an honor to lead such meaningful work in partnership with the many scholars and experts of the Wilson Center.”
Strategic competition calls for strengthening trade in the Americas
Narrowing in to understand the trade relationships between China and strategic sectors in the Western Hemisphere should be a fundamental task for [the China select] committee and the 118th Congress to undertake. Ideally, this would lead to actionable results providing tangible economic opportunities for the U.S. and its partners in the region.
At Davos, EU leaders bristle over green subsidies in IRA
“It will be interesting to see what the final Treasury regulations are able to do, but many believe this is going to require a legislative fix,” Kennedy said. “The accommodations that are so far in the Treasury ruling are not of great significance related to the concerns the European community has.”
Kennedy argued that Washington should have negotiated with all its major industrial partners before passing such a sweeping piece of legislation.
“Climate concern is a global concern,” he added. “Having a more coordinated approach to it, as opposed to something that moves down a protectionist path, is more likely to achieve the climate objectives in an efficient manner.”
Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang made his debut after taking office
"Whether it's health care, education, financial services or agriculture, the U.S. remains a technological leader in all areas that could benefit Africa. The U.S. still has strong ties across Africa. But given that we're dealing with a peer rival and given that they are prioritizing Africa and giving it a lot of attention, it will require the United States to do more."
US and EU indicate plan to end electric vehicles subsidies dispute, both wary of China and Russia
“America needs to prioritise coordination and cohesion with allies to be successful in its #StrategicCompetition with authoritarian powers,"
Australia Should Work Closely With U.S. to Master Nuclear Submarine Building, Congressmen Say
References "The Geopolitical Importance of Southeast Asia and The Pacific" panel
Navigating Strategic Competition
Navigating Strategic Competition
Navigating a Chaotic Global Situation
'Inflation Reduction Act is in clear violation of KORUS FTA'
"I am pleased that the Biden administration has agreed to discuss South Korea's concerns regarding the Inflation Reduction Act," he said in an email interview with The Korea Times.
"Just as America wants to ensure that others abide by the terms of trade agreements, it is important that America does so as well."
BROADENING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION: A FIRESIDE CHAT WITH MINISTER KAREN MAKISHIMA
Interview of Representative Karen Makishima, Minister of Japan's new Digital Agency.
Shinzo Abe’s legacy worthy of the highest honor
Minister Fumio Kishida’s recent introduction of a roadmap to increase Japanese spending on defense from 1 percent of GDP to 2 percent of GDP certainly continues the spirt of Shinzo Abe.
Look north, North Dakota, and be UND Proud
Profile of Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, named after University of North Dakota alum.
Air War College National Security Forum
Learned a lot at the United States Air Force Air University Air War College National Security Forum at Maxwell Air Force Base, including seeing the F-22 Raptor Demo Team.
Los Angeles Garrison and Space Systems Command
Thanks to Colonel Becky Beers and the team at Los Angeles Garrison and Space Systems Command - SSC for an excellent briefing. The US Space Force Guardians there are doing great work keeping our nation safe.
Vandenberg Space Force Base
Thanks to Col. Robert Long, US Space Force Space Launch Delta 30 commander, for briefing me in my role as a civilian advisor to the Secretary of the Air Force. Col Long also gave Debbie Kennedy and I a tour of Space Launch Complex-6 to brief me on on Vandenberg Space Force Base’s commercial launch capabilities. (U.S. Space Force photo by Airman 1st Class Rocio Romo)
NASA JET PROPULSION LABORATORY AT CAL TECH - CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Thanks to Richard Cook, Mars Sample Return Program Manager at NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration's NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory at Cal Tech - California Institute of Technology Here with replicas of JPL's NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover and Ingenuity Mars helicopter.
Yasuyuki Kasai, Director General of National Space Policy Secretariat in Japan's Cabinet Office
Very informative meeting with Yasuyuki Kasai, Director General of National Space Policy Secretariat in Japan's Cabinet Office discussing U.S. - Japan collaboration in Space.
JAXA TSUKUBA SPACE CENTER
Learned a lot from my visit to Japan's JAXA Tsukuba Space Center. They are a great NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration -partner. Here inside model of Japanese Experiment Module “Kibo” of the International Space Station.
SPACE EXPERTS SHOULD OPPOSE DISRUPTION OF SPACE COMMAND
"China sending a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile circling the globe in near earth orbit and then maneuvering toward its target should make it clear that the imperative to preserve leadership in space is nothing to joke about.” “Russia’s recent satellite destruction affirms, the new high ground is space, and it is contested."
U.S. SPACE FORCE RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS
Meeting with fellow U.S. Air and Space Force Civic Leader Christian Anschutz and Brig. Gen. John Olson, Chief Data and Artificial Intelligence Officer for the Department of the Air Force and Col. Marc Brock, Commander of Space Delta 2
Marine Corps Risks Moving Too Fast, but Also Too Slow
We must focus on the capabilities to deter China, not on preserving legacy systems and structures more suited to past conflicts.
Andersen Air Force Base - Guam
It was great to visit Guam, a territory of the United States, where America's morning begins.
AWARDING AMB. JON HUNTSMAN CHAMPION OF FREE TRADE AWARD
As Founder and Chairman Emeritus of the Economic Club of Minnesota, I helped establish the Bill Frenzel Champion of Free Trade Award to promote the importance of expanded trade.
UND: ACE AWARD FOR INSTITUTIONAL TRANSFORMATION
I appreciated current University of North Dakota Andrew Armacost recognizing my contributions as the immediate past President of UND as he accepted UND's American Council on Education / Fidelity Investments Award for Institutional Transformation. Congrats to whole UND Team.
HOSTING BOB COSTA - CO-AUTHOR WITH BOB WOODWARD OF NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER PERIL
It was wonderful to welcome Bob Costa as part of my Frontiers of Freedom Lecture Series at the McCarthy Center at the College of St. Benedict - St. John's Univerity.
The real Space Force — a great second season
Here’s hoping that the Netflix series concludes in season two, but that with the United States Space Force being Semper Supra, always above, our democracy will “live long and prosper.”
Hill Air Force Base, Utah
Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado
Fourth Infantry Division Ceremony
Installing Deputy Commander and State of the Division Address.
Space Force Adds University of Colorado to Upcoming Partnership Program
Kennedy said he’s “thrilled” that the University Partnership Program will involve both workforce development and research development...
CU to join Space Force partnership
The partnership program will also serve the Colorado Springs campus, said system President Mark Kennedy, with potential to expand to the Denver and Anschutz campuses.
COLORADO’S BEST MINDS + CU INNOVATORS = A BETTER FUTURE
President Mark Kennedy and host Emily Davies speak with serial entrepreneur, Stan Lapidus, about his accomplishments and insights on business collaboration in advancing health care, from ingenuity to implementation.
READING HOUSE MOUSE, SENATE MOUSE
Building our democracy requires starting civics education early.
MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN
"As the most significant player in the digital space, America has the most to gain or lose, but ironically, at exactly the worse time to do so, we opted to sit on the sidelines and complain as we continue to watch the rest of the world define the rules for us.
INTERVIEW: AMATEUR HOUR: PRESIDENTIAL CHARACTER AND THE QUESTION OF LEADERSHIP
Interview of Dr. Lara Brown regarding her new book.
Interview: American in the World
Interviewing Bob Zoellick on his new book.
Future of U.S. Space Command
Attended General “Jay” Raymond, U.S. Space Command and Commander, discuss the development and expansion of the U.S. Space Command/
Expanding the Springs' aerospace and defense impact
Op Ed with Frank Backes, Kevin O’Neil and Venkat Reddy
Visit to the Catalyst Campus for Technology & Innovation
Great collaboration by Kevin O'Neill and team that is fueling Colorado's #Aerospace industry.
Does freedom depend on technological leadership?
None of us have lived in a world where a democracy was not home to the most advanced technology. Only recently have we begun to worry about whether an autocratic nation could achieve technological leadership and what the consequences would be if it did.
UCCS' astronautical engineering program expanding with Anschutz Foundation donation
“This gift will help grow our leadership in these areas for the benefit of the state and the nation,” he said in a statement.
Colorado uniquely positioned to serve Space Command's mission
"Colorado’s powerful convergence of academic, industry, government and philanthropic assets set us apart from the pack. We are uniquely positioned to meet Space Command’s needs and help advance its mission and strategic priorities."
COMPETING IN THE NEXT ECONOMY
Honored to be a member of this commission.
Space Command belongs here in Colorado Springs: State leaders make closing argument
"With the support and encouragement of The Anschutz Foundation, we plan to expand UCCS’ engineering building, allowing us to educate more engineers."
Tour Lockheed Space
Collegiate Drone Racing Championship
Pleased to make UND the host university for teh Collegiate Drone Racing Championship Competition.
What Does Peace Through Strength Mean Today?
Geo-political and military experts with US Air Force and US Navy (Vice-Admiral Mike Franken) backgrounds converge on UND to discuss evolving meaning of “peace through strength”.
U.S. Navy Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka
With George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management graduate Akiko Kawai.
Commissioning of USS Gerald Ford
Collaboration Discussions with Air Force
Hosted conversations between Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Reserve Affairs and Airman Readiness John Fedrigo and University of North Dakota Aerospace on collaboration in training Air Force pilots.
Cruise Aboard USS John C. Stennis
Lakenheath Air Base, UK
Navy Walter Reed Medical Center
Congressional Visit to Iraq
Photo with US Marines in Baghdad
Naval Air Station Pensacola
Naval Station Newport
Commissioning of USS George HW Bush
North Korea DMZ Joint Security Area
Photo in Joint Security Area conference room with North Korean soldier observing through the window.
US Forces in Korea
Army General Leon Laporte
Yokota Ảir Base - Japan
Congressional Visit to Iraq
Being Breifed by US Army Genearl George W. Casey Jr. in Baghdad, Iraq.
US Marines - Fallujah, Iraq
Briefed by US Marine General James T. Conway
Minnesota Army National Guard - Peacekeepers in Bosnia
Congressional Visit to Iraq - Kuwait
Air National Guard C-130 Rides to / From Iraq
Commissioning of USS Ronald Reagan
Minnesota Air National Guard
USS Enterprise
Joined Secretary of the Navy Gordon England in welcoming home sailors who "kicked the door open" on the War on Terror.
USS John F. Kennedy
