OPEN Echoes - EP013 - Dr. Lana Obradovic & Dr. Jody Neathery-Castro

OPEN Echoes

OPEN ECHOES Episode #13 An interview with Dr. Lana Obradovic and Dr. Jody Neathery-Castro. --- Dr. Obradovic is Director of the International Studies program, an Associate Professor of Political Science and the Director of the Intelligence Community Center of Academic Excellence at University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO). She is a faculty member in USSTRATCOM's Strategic Leadership Fellows Program and teaches the Department of Defense National Security Innovation Network “X-Force” capstone and "Hacking for Defense" courses. Dr. Neathery-Castro currently serves as the UNO Interim Associate Vice Chancellor of Global Engagement. She is a faculty member in the Political Science Department and holds courtesy appointments in International Studies, Women’s and Gender Studies, Human Rights, and Islamic Studies. — This OPEN Echoes interview explores: - The influence of gender on perceptions, behaviors, and decision-making processes in online information and cognitive warfare. - The utilization of gender by strategic competitors, such as Russia and China, in disinformation and psychological operations. - The role of advancements in IT and neurocognitive science in shaping the way strategic competitors approach operations. - The importance of integrating gender perspectives to avoid overlooking vulnerabilities and hinder the effects of strategies. - The urgency of addressing cognitive warfare, especially in the context of exploiting gender to divide and polarize societies. - The role of gender stereotypes in distorting public discourse and influencing decision-making. - The need for increased media literacy and educating the public to recognize fake news and gender stereotypes. - Recommendations for NATO and the broader audience based on Integrating Gender Perspective in Cognitive Warfare. - The importance of adopting the Women, Peace, and Security strategy and integrating gender perspectives into cognitive warfare concepts. - Encouragement for a wider audience, beyond gender advisors, to take an interest in understanding gender-related cognitive warfare. — Welcome to OPEN Echoes. OPEN stands for “Other Perspectives Exchange Network.” Our mission is to explore diverse, insightful, and sometimes disruptive viewpoints on matters crucial to NATO. OPEN Echoes reflects the original thoughts, analyses, and viewpoints shared by academics, thought leaders and non-military experts — spreading ideas, perspectives, and insights across the globe. It’s our hope that the insights shared in these episodes will help to impact and influence thinking and conversations long after you take off your headphones. OPEN Echoes alternates episodes between compelling interviews with non-NATO subject matter experts, and readings from OPEN's wide range of publications. Today we feature an interview with the two authors of “Integrating Gender Perspective in Cognitive Warfare," Dr. Lana Obradovic and Dr. Jody Neathery-Castro. (This publication is available on the OPEN Publications website here.) --- The lightly-edited transcript of this episode’s interview with Dr. Obradovic and Dr. Neathery-Castro follows: --- Dave Summers: I'd like to have you both introduce yourselves individually so that the listeners get used to your voices and we know who's who and then we'll just go through the questions here; and it's more of a jump ball type of thing whoever is more comfortable answering the question is great. If you both want to, that's awesome as well. Lana, why don't you start? Dr. Lana Obradovic: Hello, I am Dr. Lana Obradovic, Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of International Studies at University of Nebraska at Omaha. Dave: Jody. Dr. Jody Neathery-Castro: Hi there. I am Jody Neathery-Castro, also, Associate Professor of Political Science, and Associate Vice Chancellor for Global Engagement here at University of Nebraska at Omaha. Dave: I'm wondering who or what inspired or influenced you to write about this particular issue? Dr. Obrad