About CINSER

Current Work

CINSER provides a gateway to critical technology innovation through creating and supporting academic programs at CSU, providing career development opportunities for students, offering community engagement activities and conducting pure and applied research to address society's contemporary challenges through technology. Most activities have an aim to increase participation in critical and emerging technologies by fostering awareness of these technologies and by providing learning, career and research opportunities. CINSER has the following projects: IC CAE, ISWN, CARNATIONS, AI@PBI and Mic2ExL.

CINSER Goals 2020 - 2025

Goal One: Develop academic coursework and program offerings at the undergraduate and graduate levels in critical technologies and other emerging fields
Goal Two: Prepare individuals for careers in critical and emerging technology fields
Goal Three: Provide co-curricular, community development and professional development activities to foster educator development, student enrichment, and community advancement
Goal Four: Conduct interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research related to emerging and critical technologies

Strategic Pillars of Excellence

I. Research Synergies, Discovery and Innovation

Cultivating a robust ecosystem of external grant-funded inquiry that investigates the technological and social dimensions of critical and emerging technology. At CINSER, we prioritize collaborative research that transforms theoretical curiosity into practical, scalable capability.

II. Inclusive Community Advocacy

Building enduring alliances that ensure technology serves as a tool for universal human empowerment. At CINSER, we are dedicated to fostering technical agency and expertise for all people.

III. Academic & Curricular Evolution

Designing and supporting forward-thinking academic programs and activities that prepare a new generation of thinkers to navigate a world informed by rapid technical shifts. At CINSER, we emphasize problem-solving that addresses the most significant challenges of our global society.

IV. Secure & Intelligent Infrastructure

Providing the intellectual and technical framework necessary to navigate an increasingly complex global landscape. At CINSER, we focus on the configuration of systems, technologies and policies that promote security, integrity, and human potential in every technology-mediated interaction.

History

In 2014, Chicago State University (CSU) was awarded a grant to establish an Intelligence Community Centers for Academic Excellence ( IC-CAE). CSU’s IC CAE is housed in the Center for Information & Security Education and Research (CINSER). CINSER is the only IC-CAE in Illinois and Great Lakes Region and it is established to offer educational programs and to perform research activities in the area of security and intelligence. In September 2019, the CINSER became a legacy IC CAE program. In 2024, CINSER gained active status with the award of a new grant from IC CAE.

CINSER Goals 2014-2019

Goal One: Establish Chicago State University’s Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence (IC CAE) in Intelligence and Security Education and Research
Goal Two: Develop undergraduate and graduate programs (minor, certificate, bachelor's and masters) in Security and Intelligence Studies
Goal Three: Graduate students with proficiency in a strategic language such as Arabic, Hausa or Kiswahili
Goal Four: Conduct annual series of conferences, colloquia, seminars and workshops with higher education, government, and industry partners in the region to foster IC-CAE faculty development, student enrichment, and a security culture among the public
Goal Five: Conduct multidisciplinary research to investigate threats, risks, safety, security, and individual privacy among communities in the Chicago region.