It’s no surprise to any working operator that real-world, practical hands-on experience is crucial to success on the job. But what about having a theoretical knowledge or an academic understanding of intelligence? 

This week we’re talking with Dr. Samantha Newbery, senior Reader in Intelligence Studies at the University of Salford, to get a better grasp of why having a broader knowledge and academic understanding of intelligence is even relevant for today's EP professional and how it applies to the corporate security world.  

Join us as we pick Dr. Newbery’s brain on: 

• Whether tomorrow's EP professional is going to be required to just have a little more context and academic scope when operating?
• What the difference is between open-source intelligence courses and the academic study of intelligence?
• What is the value of academic studies and intelligence to the real world?
• A reverse question - who shouldn't be doing academic training in this area. Is there any category of person? Perhaps some stage of someone's career? Who shouldn't do it?
• What does one need to do in preparation before embarking on a master's degree?
• Why are ethics and intelligence gathering as such an important issue?
• Is it more difficult to do studies about intelligence in the private sector? 

With the drawdown in Afghanistan and colleagues looking at what to do next, could this be an area for EPs to gravitate to? We’ll have to see what time will tell on that. But we can take a cue from Dr. Newbery in deciphering that when she says:

In intelligence studies, we call it ‘signals and noise’. The vast amount of data that you get is the noise. But “intelligence” are the signals that are actually significant to you amongst all that noise 

For more about Dr. Newbery: Dr. Samantha Newbery is leader in International Security at the University of Salford, Manchester. A political scientist, her expertise lies in intelligence and security. She is regularly invited to speak to academic audiences as well as to security professionals and has made numerous TV and radio appearances. Her publications include Interrogation, Intelligence and Security: Controversial British Techniques, the first book to systematically analyze the British use of interrogation techniques that can be described as torture. Why Spy? The Art of Intelligence was co-authored with Brian T.W. Stewart CMG, a former Deputy Chief of MI6 and Secretary of the Cabinet Office’s Joint Intelligence Committee, is available in paperback.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-samantha-newbery-87511080/

Why Spy? https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/why-spy/