Exploring the role of machine learning in materials science and engineering In this paper, Professor Dane Morgan and Research Scientist Ryan Jacobs, from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, discuss their adventures in the field of machine learning in the areas of materials science and engineering. This paper gives a very brief and inevitably biased overview of machine learning (ML) in Materials Science and Engineering (MS&E), with examples taken from our own work with collaborators. We hope it conveys our excitement about the extraordinary potential of this new area of research. MS&E focuses on developing materials with desired properties. It has led to materials innovations that underlie much of modern society, from the transistors in computers to the batteries in cars and smartphones. In recent decades, major advances in algorithms, computing power, and data access have made ML tools extremely powerful.
The selected papers explore a range of factors that have shaped/induced and inhibited nuclear learning in South Asia. Feroz Khan and Ryan Jacobs start the conversation by summarizing the key findings over the five year period of this research project. They explain the divergent learning pathways that India and Pakistan took and analyze proposals to enhance nuclear learning proffered during the round table discussions at the two iterations of the project. Happymon Jacob and Naeem Salik provide theoretical insights into India and Pakistan's respective nuclear learning experiences. Next, Vipin Narang and Mansoor Ahmed identify technological trends and their impact on security doctrines as well as emphasize the role of political leadership in promoting stability. They also assess the implication of military modernization on strategic stability in the region. Contributing authors Naeem Salik and Sadia Tasleem describe steps Pakistan has taken to develop institutional mechanisms to manage its nuclear capability and tackle the relationship between nuclear learning and doctrinal thinking in Pakistan. Christopher Clary's chapter traces the differing trends and analyzes the forthcoming challenges in command and control in both India and Pakistan. Following, Ghulam Mujaddid critically analyzes Pakistan's existing command and control structure and advocates a single joint strategic force command for the future. In her chapter, Manpreet Sethi explains the causes of regional failure on restraint and détente and offers suggestions for improving nuclear arms control and regional confidence building measures. Last, Zafar Jaspal discusses the instability likely to affect in South Asia with the introduction of Ballistic Missile Defense. Both Sethi and Jaspal emphasize the importance of constructive dialogue and ultimately an arms control arrangement to ensure strategic stability. The following chapters are produced as written and researched by the authors and edited for content, brevity, and scholarly convention. The views and content are the authors' alone and do not represent the official policy of any government, the editors, the Naval Postgraduate School, or the project's sponsors. ; This collection of selected papers brings together findings from the Center on Contemporary Conflict's (CCC) South Asian Nuclear Learning project. With support from the National Nuclear Security Administration, a group of regional scholars from India, Pakistan, and the United States convened in Bangkok, Thailand in 2012 to discuss the concept of nuclear learning and apply it to the regional context of South Asia. Participants presented research findings assessing regional perspectives on nuclear learning, doctrinal developments, command and control setups, deterrence strategies, and approaches towards arms control, and confidence-building measures.
Increased naval patrols, infrastructure construction, and diplomatic visits characterize China's expanding political, economic, and military presence in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. This expansion creates challenges and opportunities for regional states and extra-regional powers that depend on the Indian Ocean's sea-lanes. The alignment strategies undertaken by regional states in response to Chinese moves will critically influence how the region develops over the next 15 years. This project sought to identify the alignment strategies of smaller countries in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) in the face of increasing Chinese presence in the region as well as the emerging Sino-Indian competition (the subject of a previous study by the same PIs). The aim was to inform the development of naval strategy and policy by providing USN leaders with insights that enable them to identify the most promising opportunities for building partnerships in the IOR. Focusing mainly on Sri Lanka and Indonesia, this project gathered a wide array of qualitative data through archival research and meetings with high-level officials and experts, mainly in India, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. In general, we found that India remains strongly inclined to balance against China and aims to strengthen its partnerships with the United States and other countries to achieve this aim. However, smaller countries in the IOR are much less inclined to balance against China. They seek to enhance their ties with the United States and China, but wish to avoid taking sides in a Sino-American contest. This calls for a high degree of sensitivity, creativity, and patience in developing maritime security partnerships in the IOR. ; Naval Research Program ; Prepared for Topic Sponsor: OPNAV N51; Research POC Name: RDML William McQuilkin ; NPS-N16-N359-A
PASCC Report Number: 2017-001 ; The ninth annual session of the U.S.-China Strategic Dialogue was held in Oahu, Hawaii, from September 8-10, 2015. The dialogue is a Track 1.5 meeting; it is formally unofficial but includes a mix of government and academic participants. The dialogue is organized by the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) and Pacific Forum CSIS (Center for Strategic and International Studies) and funded by the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency's (DTRA) Project on Advanced Systems and Concepts for Countering WMD (PASCC) at NPS. For the fourth time, this meeting was also supported by a Chinese co-host, the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association (CACDA). This "non-governmental" association, with close ties to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and People's Liberation Army (PLA), helped improve the level and quality of participants and secure support for discussing certain topics. ; Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) ; Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
