Troy University was the only U.S. university awarded the prestigious NATO Public Diplomacy Grant to host an international conference of leading experts on NATO.

Taking place Nov. 1 and 2 at the TROY Montgomery Campus, the conference, titled “NATO at Seventy: A Strategic Examination of the Past, Present, and Future of the Atlantic Alliance,” brings together generals, military experts, ambassadors, diplomats and scholars to discuss the importance and the future of the Atlantic alliance.

“The idea behind the grant is to provide outreach to the entire community, so we want this to expand not just to Montgomery or even Alabama, but to invite people as far away as South Carolina or Louisiana so it becomes a true regional event,” said Dr. Doug Davis, Director of TROY’s Master of International Relations program. “The renowned experts at this conference will talk about the importance of the Atlantic alliance, security, history and current events.”

Among those experts are Robert Hunter, who served as U.S. Ambassador to NATO from 1993 to 1998; George Cristian Maior, the Romanian Ambassador to the U.S.; Maj. Gen. Cezary Wisniewski, Poland’s Military Attaché to the U.S.; diplomatic representatives from Lithuania, Latvia and Croatia; and a NATO representative who will close the conference Saturday.

The conference features four panels that focus on the history of NATO, cyber and hybrid threats, current regional operations and threats, and future threats to the alliance.

The event is free and open to the public.

To attend, register with Melissa Neff at mneff@troy.edu. Snacks and a lunch on Saturday, Nov. 1 will be provided. For more information, visit https://www.troy.edu/nato70.

Founded in 1949, NATO is a military and political alliance between 29 North American and European countries. The organization promotes democratic values and enables members to consult and cooperate on defense and security-related issues to solve problems, build trust and prevent conflict.