More than 75 UW-Madison students and members of the public attended an April 25 panel discussion on internship and career opportunities in U.S. intelligence and national security agencies for students with language and cultural competencies.
Panelists, representing the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Language Service Corps, National Security Agency, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, spoke about proficiency in languages other than English as a national security issue.
FBI representative Peter Sursi put it plainly: “Being bad is a growth industry, and people are bad in languages other than English all the time.”
The panelists described career paths available for students with language skills and knowledge of the culture and world regions in which the language is spoken.
"For those who are studying a foreign language and gaining regional expertise,” said Errol Smith, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, “there are numerous positions in the intelligence community where such skills are highly desired or even required."
“The panel was fantastic,” said Kadie Ray, a graduating International Studies major and student of Arabic and Spanish. “I learned helpful and concrete information about the different federal agencies that work in national intelligence, and how to pursue employment that makes use of my foreign languages.”
This event, part of the Language for Life series, was sponsored by the Language Institute, with the National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages and the UW-Madison Russian Flagship Center.
Language for Life is a program of the UW-Madison Language Institute that gives current students the opportunity to meet with working professionals who studied a foreign language in college and are using that language in their professional or personal lives in inspiring ways.
Language for Life is made possible by the support of the College of Letters and Science Anonymous Fund.
The Language Institute promotes collaboration for research, education and community outreach in languages, literatures and cultures. The Language Institute is an initiative of the College of Letters and Science, with substantial support from the Division of International Studies.
See the website for more about the event, including tips for students interested in pursuing employment opportunities with U.S. national security and intelligence agencies.
Story by Michael Kruse, Language Institute