The Global and National Security Institute (GNSI) at the University of South Florida is changing the game for undergraduate students in the security field. Hosting the first ever Undergraduate Strategy competition as part of the International Security Experience (ISE), GNSI challenged students with a real-world strategic scenario in which their goal was to create a comprehensive plan that would then be judged by panels of current practitioners, experts and academics. The plans would encompass military, political, diplomatic, economic and social factors.
Strategy competitions have long been reserved for post-graduate researchers and active practitioners, but GNSI saw a lack of opportunity for undergraduate students. David Oakley, academic director at GNSI said the inspiration for the undergraduate strategy competition came from a similar program at the U.S. Army War College. “We were looking for ways to provide student experiential learning opportunities to complement the excellent education they get in the classroom and to create opportunities for students interested in national/international security.” Oakley explained. “I previously attended the Army War College’s Strategy Competition that is at the graduate level and thought a similar experience would be great for undergraduate students.”
We were looking for ways to provide student experiential learning opportunities to complement the excellent education they get in the classroom.
David Oakley, PhD
GNSI Academic Director
Building on that strategy competition, the USF Undergraduate Strategy Competition brought together student teams from 17 universities across the United States and Poland. The two intensive days gave the students a head start in honing their skills, and provided an opportunity to collaborate with their peers, network with industry professionals, and build their skills in a high-stakes, real-world environment.
The competition took place over the final two days of the ISE and consisted of two phases - a collaborative phase and a single-elimination competition phase. Challenging students to create and present a fully functional action plan to a realistic security scenario, this experience placed students in the roles of industry leaders to test their knowledge and abilities in critical situations. The teams of students were eager to present their research and knowledge in front of leaders in the field and receive real, substantive feedback that will help guide their approach to security challenges throughout their careers.
Participants from multiple schools expressed their excitement, with Texas A&M student Hunter Flurry specifically mentioning anticipation for, “the opportunity to work on critical thinking in a high-stakes environment”, a sentiment echoed by many in attendance. Creating opportunities that extend outside the classroom, this competition provides students a platform to engage with the kinds of complex, consequential problems they will face as future practitioners.
Beyond the competition, students were given the chance to connect and network with the judges and other researchers, and national security experts. This proved to be a highlight of the event, with University of Central Florida student Cannon Wisley saying, “During the competition I was most excited about getting to meet the incredible professionals that GNSI put together. Overall, I believe the conversations were the most valuable currency in the event.”
The University of Central Florida claimed victory in the finals, defeating a team from Arizona State, becoming the first ever champions of the GNSI Undergraduate Strategy Competition. Though only one team took home the trophy, every student in attendance gained incredible experience, connections, and knowledge to take with them as they transition into their careers.
Through the International Security Experience, GNSI offers students a unique and strategic
opportunity to take the first steps towards becoming tomorrow’s ambassadors, operations
officers and intelligence analysts.
This year’s field of competitors (4-6 students on each team):
- University of South Florida
- Arizona State University
- Coastal Carolina University
- Duke University
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
- Georgetown University
- Norwich University
- War Studies University (Poland)
- The General Tadeusz Kościuszko Military University of Land Forces (Poland)
- Texas A&M
- The Citadel
- The College of William & Mary
- University of Central Florida
- University of North Carolina
- University of Tampa
- University of Texas
What does the future hold for the strategy competition?
Expansion of the field and more opportunities to present their plans to the judges
will be high on the list for future competitions, according to Oakley. “There are
lessons we learned from this event and we will adjust based on these lessons but overall,
we are very pleased with how this inaugural strategy competition turned out. In addition
to USF, we had 13 other universities competing at the event and amazing mentors/judges
supporting the event . This far exceeded our expectations for our first year. Next
year, we hope to expand the number of universities and also increase the international
institutions involved while maintaining the high quality of judges/mentors."
If you're interested in participating in the 2027 USF Undergraduate Strategy Competition (tentatively scheduled for April, 2027), please contact David Oakley, PhD, GNSI Academic Director.