ONDISC aims to provide a forum where leading scholars from Notre Dame and elsewhere come together to explore the most pressing issues in international security.
Notre Dame, IN
Joined August 2016
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At the same time, relying on rulebooks can distort the simulation itself, rendering it unrealistic in various ways. It is one of the major challenges with wargaming with an eye to learning lessons and preparing for real crises.
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The other option is to develop extraordinarily complex rulebooks and guides that take initiative out of the hands of the referees altogether. Each has trade offs: relying on referees, however honest, can often mean reaching preconceived conclusions.
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That has been done in the past by bringing in those with the most experience on a given subject: veterans fresh from the frontline, or strategists recently involved in high-level decision-making.
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Great question, @ArgusPlatformAI! Here is a thread on what Dr. Johnson has to say on the subject.
Well, it is a big problem! There are two basic approaches. The first is training or finding referees who are as knowledgeable on the nature of the simulation as possible.
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What can board games teach us about strategy, leadership, and national security?
In our recent panel, moderated by ADM Chris Grady, experts examine how wargaming helps leaders test assumptions, anticipate challenges, and prepare for complex decisions: youtu.be/ACC_7SN97IU
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- TODAY -
Risa Brooks, the Allis-Chalmers Professor of Political Science at Marquette University and Visiting Fellow at Kellogg Institute at the University of Notre Dame, will present her talk "From Individuals to Institutions."
ondisc.nd.edu/events/2026/10…
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Risa Brooks is a Visiting Fellow at Notre Dame's Kellogg Institute for International Studies. She is also the Allis-Chalmers Professor of Political Science at Marquette University.
Dr. Brooks will lead us in discussion of her upcoming seminar.
ondisc.nd.edu/events/2026/10…
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Join ONDISC and Bard College professor of European History and Culture Sean McMeekin TODAY for his talk "Stalin's War."
📅 Tuesday, October 13
⏰ 4:30 - 6 PM
🏫 1030 Jenkins Nanovic Halls
🤔 Learn more ondisc.nd.edu/events/2026/10…
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Join ONDISC and Bard College Professor of European History and Culture Sean McMeekin for his talk "Stalin's War" next week at Notre Dame!
📅 Tuesday, October 13
⏰ 4:30 - 6 PM
🏫 1030 Jenkins Nanovic Halls
🤔 Learn more: ondisc.nd.edu/events/2026/10…
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What if the smartest response to a military threat isn't matching your rival, but outthinking them?
Erik Gartzke explains why the US often relied on nuclear weapons as a cheaper and more effective alternative to building massive conventional forces.
ondisc.nd.edu/events/2025/11…
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- TODAY -
ONDISC welcomes Rachel Metz, Assistant Professor at @GWtweets for her talk "The Cult of the Persuasive."
Join us today as we learn about the US' approach to building out partner's militaries... and why we struggle to do so.
Learn more 👇
ondisc.nd.edu/events/2026/09…
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- Coming Soon -
ONDISC welcomes The George Washington University Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Rachel Metz to Notre Dame.
Dr. Metz will be presenting her book project "The Cult of the Persuasive."
🤔 Learn more: ondisc.nd.edu/events/2026/09…
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How do you study failed states if many of them are missing from the data?
Bridget Coggins explains a major challenge facing researchers and policymakers: some of the world's most fragile states are often excluded from the datasets used to analyze them.
ondisc.nd.edu/events/2025/10…
What is the greatest danger facing a powerful state?
Tulane University professor Chris Fettweis explains how overconfidence and overexpansion undermined one of history's most successful rulers during China's Tang Dynasty.
ondisc.nd.edu/events/2025/10…
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- TODAY -
Join ONDISC as we feature Notre Dame political science professor Dan Philpott for the latest entry in our Seminar Series!
Today, Dr. Philpott will present his talk "Christian Justice and Political Realism."
Learn more 👇
ondisc.nd.edu/events/2026/09…
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ONDISC is proud to bring a friend from down our hall, Dan Philpott, front-and-center as he presents his talk "Christian Justice and Political Realism."
📅 Tuesday, September 15
⏰ 4:30 PM
🏫 1030 Jenkins Nanovic Halls
ondisc.nd.edu/events/2026/09…
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Critical context on the ongoing shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz via @nytimes.
The piece features insights from ONDISC Principal Eugene Gholz on maritime transit security and economic implications.
📰 Read more: nytimes.com/2026/09/06/busin…
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What do South Park's Underpants Gnomes have to do with international security?
UC San Diego professor Erik Gartzke uses a famous joke to explain a major problem with traditional thinking about arms races and war.
ondisc.nd.edu/events/2025/11…
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ONDISC begins the new school year with Wen-Chin Wu, a Research Fellow at Taiwan's Institute of Political Science at Academia Sinica.
Wen-Chin has spent years collecting data on Taiwan's national security opinions. Tonight, he shares what he found.
ondisc.nd.edu/events/2026/09…
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Would you rather fight a war or pay an invader to leave?
Tulane University professor Chris Fettweis explains how leaders of the Tang Dynasty sometimes chose diplomacy and payments over costly military conflict.
Learn more and watch the full seminar: ondisc.nd.edu/events/2025/10…