Dr. Sean Costigan, an Icon of Change in the United States

Icons of Change International Awards 2026

Dr. Sean Costigan

Senior Adviser for Emerging and Disruptive Technology at NATO DEEP eAcademy
Senior Advisor, Emerging Security Challenges Working Group and Executive Editor, Partnership for Peace Consortium
University Lecturer, The New School, New York
Former Professor, George C. Marshall Center
Former Managing Director of Resilience Strategy, Red Sift
Former Chief Technology Officer, MIT Press
Former Consultant, U.S. Department of Energy
Former Director of Strategic Initiatives, North America, Center for Security Studies (CSS) at ETH Zurich
Former Executive Editor, Columbia University Press
Former Research Associate, Science and Technology Policy, Council on Foreign Relations

NATO Serge Lazareff Prize Recipient
Cyber Visionary Leader, Cyber Security Summit 2020

SDG Focus: Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Changemaker for AI Governance, Cybersecurity and Global Security Resilience (United States)

___________

Advancing Global Security Through Technology, Governance and Education

Dr. Sean Costigan is recognised for his contributions to international security, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence governance and strategic education. An experienced adviser, researcher, educator and international leader, he works at the intersection of emerging technologies, institutional resilience, security policy and capacity building.

His career spans academic institutions, international security organisations, technology companies, research networks and public-sector advisory initiatives. Across these fields, he has focused on helping institutions understand and respond to the implications of technological change, particularly the growing influence of artificial intelligence, cyber threats and hybrid security challenges.

As a strategic adviser to industry and government, and founder and principal of CoStrategia, Dr. Costigan advances the development and application of frameworks that connect AI governance, cybersecurity, organisational preparedness and workforce education. His work reflects an understanding that technological progress must be accompanied by sound governance, informed leadership and the capacity to anticipate emerging risks.

___________

Strengthening International Capacity in Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity

Since January 2026, Dr. Costigan has served as Senior Adviser for Emerging and Disruptive Technology at the NATO DEEP eAcademy in Warsaw, Poland.

In this role, he serves as lead architect and academic head for capacity-building initiatives addressing artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and hybrid threats within professional military education. He directs multidisciplinary teams comprising curriculum designers, subject-matter experts and researchers, supporting the development of educational frameworks, learning methods and environments focused on emerging and disruptive technologies.