Conference Schedule
Agenda
Two days of keynotes, panels, and a full-scale wargaming simulation.
Friday, April 11 — Educational Focus & Speaker Program
Grounding the conference in rigorous educational content from leading voices in wargaming, conflict cognition, and AI.
Registration & Breakfast
Check in, pick up materials, and enjoy breakfast while networking with fellow participants.
Opening Remarks & Keynote Address
Welcome to the inaugural Collegiate Wargaming Conference at Yale.
Panel 1: Introduction to Wargaming
What wargaming is, how it works, and why it matters for strategic education.
Lunch
Networking lunch with fellow participants and speakers.
Panel 2: Human Cognition in Conflict
How people interpret risk, surprise, and incomplete information under pressure.
Panel 3: AI and Decision-Making in Defense
How AI is currently used in defense and security, and what open questions remain.
Break
Refreshments and networking.
Panel 4: Modeling Non-Human Actors
Approaches to representing AI behavior, heuristics, and uncertainty in simulations.
Wargame Briefing
Introduction to Saturday's simulation, team assignments, and scenario overview.
Conference Dinner
Formal dinner with keynote speaker and networking opportunities.
Saturday, April 12 — Full-Scale Wargaming Simulation
A large, hands-on wargaming exercise with participants from multiple universities, military branches, and industry representatives.
Breakfast & Team Assembly
Meet with your team and review the scenario briefing materials.
Wargame Session 1
First half of the simulation. Teams will make strategic decisions and react to evolving scenarios.
Lunch
Working lunch with team discussions.
Wargame Session 2
Second half of the simulation. Adaptation, escalation, and resolution phases.
Debrief & Analysis
Facilitator-led discussion of outcomes, lessons learned, and strategic insights.
Closing Remarks
Wrap-up and next steps for the collegiate wargaming community.
⚖ Structured Scenario
Participants will be organized into teams and work through a scenario involving human decision-makers and an AI-modeled opponent.
🎓 Learn by Doing
Teams will make choices, react to new information, and adapt as the scenario unfolds. Facilitators will guide the exercise and adjudicate results.
💡 Reflect & Discuss
The day is designed to be accessible, engaging, and a practical introduction to how wargaming works at scale.
The goal is not to predict future conflict, but to give participants a chance to experience how different decision styles and assumptions shape strategic outcomes.