We simply wrapped up the second yr of our Know-how, Innovation, and Nice Energy Competitors class – now a part of our Stanford Gordian Knot Heart for Nationwide Safety Innovation.
Joe Felter, Raj Shah and I designed the category to 1) give our college students an appreciation of the challenges and alternatives for america in its enduring strategic competitors with the Individuals’s Republic of China, Russia and different rivals, and a couple of) supply insights on how business know-how (AI, machine studying, autonomy, cyber, quantum, semiconductors, entry to house, biotech, hypersonics, and others) are radically altering how we’ll compete throughout all the weather of nationwide energy e.g. diplomatic, informational, army, financial, monetary, intelligence and legislation enforcement (our affect and footprint on the world stage).
Why This Class?
The return of strategic competitors between nice powers grew to become a centerpiece of the 2017 Nationwide Safety Technique and 2018 Nationwide Protection Technique. The 2021 Interim Nationwide Safety Steering and the administration’s lately launched 2022 Nationwide Safety Technique clarify that China has quickly change into extra assertive and is the one competitor doubtlessly able to combining its financial, diplomatic, army, and technological energy to mount a sustained problem to a secure and open worldwide system. And as we’ve seen within the Ukraine, Russia stays decided to wage a brutal battle to play a disruptive position on the world stage.
Prevailing on this competitors would require greater than merely buying the fruits of this technological revolution; it would require a paradigm shift within the pondering of how this know-how could be quickly built-in into new capabilities and platforms to drive new operational and organizational ideas and methods that change and optimize the way in which we compete.
Class Group
The readings, lectures, and visitor audio system explored how rising business applied sciences pose challenges and create alternatives for america in strategic competitors with nice energy rivals with an emphasis on the Individuals’s Republic of China. We targeted on the challenges created when U.S. authorities companies, our federal analysis labs, and authorities contractors now not have unique entry to those superior applied sciences.
This course included all that you’d count on from a Stanford graduate-level class within the Masters in Worldwide Coverage – complete readings, visitor lectures from present and former senior officers/consultants, and written papers. What makes the category distinctive nonetheless, is that that is an experiential coverage class. College students shaped small groups and launched into a quarter-long undertaking that obtained them out of the classroom to 1) establish a precedence nationwide safety problem, after which to 2) validate the issue and suggest an in depth resolution examined in opposition to precise stakeholders within the know-how and nationwide safety ecosystem.
The category was break up into three elements. Half 1, weeks 1 by 4 coated worldwide relations theories, methods and insurance policies round Nice Energy Competitors particularly targeted on the Individuals’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Communist Peoples Celebration (CCP). Half 2, weeks 5 by 8, dove into the business applied sciences: semiconductors, house, cyber, AI and Machine Studying, Excessive Efficiency Computing, and Biotech. In between elements 1 and a couple of of the category, the scholars had a midterm particular person undertaking. It required them to write down a 2,000-word coverage memo describing how a U.S. competitor is utilizing a particular know-how to counter U.S. pursuits and a proposal for the way the U.S. ought to reply. (These coverage memos have been reviewed by Tarun Chhabra, the Senior Director for Know-how and Nationwide Safety on the Nationwide Safety Council.)
Every week the scholars needed to learn 5-10 articles (see class readings right here.) And every week we had visitor audio system on nice energy competitors, and know-how and its influence on nationwide energy and lectures/class dialogue.
Visitor Audio system
Along with the instructing group, the course drew on the expertise and experience of visitor lecturers from business and from throughout U.S. Authorities companies to offer context and perspective on business applied sciences and nationwide safety.
Our class opened with three visitor audio system; former U.S. Secretary of Protection James Mattis and the CIA’s CTO and COO Nand Mulchandani and Andy Makridis. The final class closed with a chat by Google ex-Chairman Eric Schmidt.
Within the weeks in-between we had instructing group lectures adopted by audio system that led discussions on the crucial business applied sciences. For semiconductors, the White Home Coordinator for the CHIPS Act – Ronnie Chatterji, and the CTO of Utilized Supplies – Om Nalamasu. For business tech integration and house, former Protection Innovation Unit (DIU) Director Mike Brown and B. Common Bucky Butow – Director of the Area Portfolio. For Synthetic Intelligence, Lt. Gen. (Ret) Jack Shanahan, former director of the Joint Synthetic Intelligence Heart. And for artificial biology Stanford Professor Drew Endy – President, BioBricks Basis.
Staff-based Experiential Mission
The third a part of the category was distinctive – a quarter-long, team-based undertaking. College students shaped groups and developed hypotheses of how business applied sciences can be utilized in new and inventive methods to assist the U.S. wield its devices of nationwide energy. And in step with all our Gordian Knot Heart lessons, they obtained out of the classroom and interviewed 20+ beneficiaries, coverage makers, and different key stakeholders testing their hypotheses and proposed options. On the finish of the quarter, every of the groups gave a remaining “Classes Discovered” presentation and adopted up with a 3,000 to five,000-word team-written paper.
By the top of the category all of the groups realized that the issue they’d chosen had morphed into one thing greater, deeper, and far more attention-grabbing.
Staff 1: Local weather Change
Authentic Downside Assertion: What mixtures of applied sciences and worldwide monetary relationships ought to the US prioritize to mitigate local weather change?
Closing Downside Assertion: How ought to the US handle China’s dominance in photo voltaic panels?
In the event you can’t see the presentation click on right here.
We knew that these college students might write a terrific analysis paper. As we identified to them, when you could be the neatest particular person within the constructing, it’s unlikely that 1) all of the info are within the constructing, 2) you’re smarter than the collective intelligence sitting exterior the constructing.
Jonah Cader: “Know-how, Innovation and Nice Energy Competitors (TIGPC) is that uncommon mixture of the theoretical, tactical, and sensible. Over 10 weeks, Clean, Felter, and Shah define the complexities of recent geopolitical tensions and convey college students up the training curves of crucial areas of technological competitors, from semiconductors to synthetic intelligence. Every week of the seminar is a crash course in a brand new area, delivered to life by wealthy dialogue and an unimaginable slate of practitioners who dwell and breathe the content material of TIGPC day by day. Past the classroom, the course plunges college students into getting “out of the constructing” to iterate rapidly whereas translating learnings to the true world. Alongside the way in which the course acts as a powerful name to public service.”
Staff 2: Networks
Authentic Downside Assertion: How would possibly we implement a ubiquitous safe international entry to the web as a way to assist circumvent censorship in authoritarian regimes?
Closing Downside Assertion: How can we create an open, free Web and preserve efficient traces of communication in Taiwan in preparation for a possible invasion?
In the event you can’t see the presentation click on right here
By week 2 of the category college students shaped groups round a particular know-how problem dealing with a US authorities company and labored all through the course to develop their very own proposals to assist the U.S. compete extra successfully by new operational ideas, organizations, and/or methods.
Jason Kim: “This course doesn’t simply focus on U.S. nationwide safety points. It teaches college students tips on how to apply an influential and confirmed methodology to quickly develop options to our most difficult issues.”
Staff 3: Acquisition
Authentic Downside Assertion: How can the U.S. Division of Protection match or beat the velocity of nice energy rivals in buying and integrating crucial applied sciences?
Closing Downside Assertion: How can the U.S. Division of Protection deploy various funding mechanisms in parallel to conventional procurement autos to allow and incentivize the supply of crucial next-generation know-how in beneath 5 years?
In the event you can’t see the presentation click on right here
We wished to offer our college students hands-on expertise on tips on how to deeply perceive an issue on the intersection of our nation’s diplomacy, data, its army capabilities, financial energy, finance, intelligence, and legislation enforcement and dual-use know-how. First by having them develop hypotheses about the issue; subsequent by getting out of the classroom and speaking to related stakeholders throughout authorities, business, and academia to validate their assumptions; and eventually by taking what they realized to suggest and prototype options to those issues.
Matt Kaplan: “The TIGPC class was a spotlight of my tutorial expertise at Stanford. Over the ten week quarter, I realized an incredible quantity in regards to the significance of know-how in international politics from the three professors and from the consultants in authorities, enterprise, and academia who got here to talk. The category epitomizes a few of the finest elements of my time right here: the chance to be taught from unimaginable, caring school and to work with inspiring classmates. Joe, Steve, Raj instilled in my classmates and me a recent sense of pleasure to work in public service.”
Staff 4: Wargames
Authentic Downside Assertion: The U.S. wants a method, given a consultant simulation, to quickly discover a method for doable novel makes use of of present platforms and weapons.
Closing Downside Assertion: Strategic wargames stand to profit from a stronger integration of AI+ML however are struggling to search out adoption and utilization. How can this be addressed?
In the event you can’t see the presentation click on right here
We wish our college students to construct the reflexes and abilities to deeply perceive an issue by gathering first-hand data and validating that the issue they’re fixing is the true downside, not a symptom of one thing else. Then, college students started quickly constructing minimal viable options (coverage, software program, {hardware} …) as a technique to take a look at and validate their understanding of each the issue and what it will take to resolve it.
Etienne Reche-Ley: “Know-how, Innovation and Nice Energy Competitors gave me a possibility to dive into an actual world nationwide safety risk to america and perceive the implications of it throughout the nice energy competitors. Not like some other class I’ve taken at Stanford, this class allowed me to take motion on our downside about networks, censorship and the shortage of free movement of knowledge in authoritarian regimes, and gave me the prospect to fulfill and be taught from a large number of consultants on the subject. I completed this class with a deep understanding of our downside, a proposed actionable resolution and a newfound curiosity within the intersection of know-how and innovation because it applies to nationwide protection. I’m very grateful to have been a part of this course, and it has impressed me to go a step additional and pursue a profession associated to nationwide safety.”
Staff 6: Disinformation
Authentic Downside Assertion: Disinformation is a nationwide safety risk.
Closing Downside Assertion: The U.S.’s capacity to shut the disinformation response kill chain is hampered by a scarcity of coordination between U.S. authorities companies, no clear possession of the disinformation downside, and a scarcity of clear tips on public-private partnerships.
In the event you can’t see the presentation click on right here
One different objective of the category was to proceed to validate and refine our pedagogy of mixing a standard lecture class with an experiential undertaking. We did this by tasking the scholars to 1) use what they realized from the lectures and a couple of) then take a look at their assumptions exterior the classroom, the exterior enter they obtained could be a drive multiplier. It could make the lecture materials actual, tangible and actionable. And we and they’d find yourself with one thing fairly invaluable.
Shreyas Lakhtakia: “TIGPC is an interdisciplinary class like no different. It’s a fabulous introduction to a few of the most important tech and geopolitical challenges and questions of the twenty first century. The category, just like the subjects it covers, is unimaginable and bold – it’s an effective way to degree up your understanding of not simply worldwide coverage, political idea and know-how coverage but additionally deep tech and the position of startups in projecting nationwide energy. In the event you’re interested by the way forward for the world and the position of the US in it, you gained’t discover a extra distinctive course, a extra devoted instructing group or higher audio system to listen to from than this!”
Staff 7: Quantum Know-how
Authentic Downside Assertion: China’s deliberate authorities funding in quantum dwarfs that of the U.S. by an element of 10.
Closing Downside Assertion: The US quantum ecosystem doesn’t generate sufficient consciousness of alternatives to pursue careers in quantum that might catalyze business progress.
In the event you can’t see the presentation click on right here
We knew we have been asking so much from our college students. We have been integrating a lecture class with a heavy studying record with the most effective practices of speculation testing from Lean Launchpad/Hacking for Protection/I-Corps. However I’ve but to wager flawed in pushing college students previous what they assume is affordable. Most rise method above the event.
Staff 9: Lithium-Ion Batteries
Authentic Downside Assertion: Provide and manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries is centered in China. How can the U.S. change into aggressive?
Closing Downside Assertion: China controls the processing of crucial supplies used for lithium-ion batteries. To regain management the DOE must incentivize quick and long-term methods to extend processing of crucial supplies and reduce dependence on lithium-ion batteries.
In the event you can’t see the presentation click on right here
All of our college students put in extraordinary quantity of labor. Our college students got here from a various set of background and pursuits – from undergraduate sophomores to fifth yr PhD’s – in a mixture together with worldwide coverage, economics, pc science, enterprise, legislation and engineering. Some will go on to senior roles in State, Protection, coverage or different companies. Others will be part of or discovered the businesses constructing new disruptive applied sciences. They’ll be those to find out what the world-order will appear like for the remainder of the century and past. Will it’s a rules-based order the place states cooperate to pursue a shared imaginative and prescient for a free and open area and the place the sovereignty of all international locations giant and small is protected beneath worldwide legislation? Or will it’s an autocratic and dystopian future coerced and imposed by a neo-totalitarian regime?
This class modified the trajectory of a lot of our college students. A quantity expressed newfound curiosity in exploring profession choices within the discipline of nationwide safety. A number of shall be profiting from alternatives supplied by the Gordian Knot Heart for Nationwide Safety Innovation to additional pursue their contribution to nationwide safety.
This course and our work at Stanford’s Gordian Knot Heart wouldn’t be doable with out the unrelenting help and steerage from Ambassador Mike McFaul and Professor Riitta Katila, GKC founding school and Principal Investigators, and the tenacity of David Hoyt, Gordian Knot Heart Assistant Director.
Classes Discovered
- We mixed lecture and experiential studying so our college students can act on issues not simply admire them
- The exterior enter the scholars obtained was a drive multiplier
- It made the lecture materials actual, tangible and actionable
- Pushing college students previous what they assume is affordable leads to extraordinary output. Most rise method above the event
- The category creates alternatives for our greatest and brightest to have interaction and deal with challenges on the nexus of know-how, innovation and nationwide safety
- The ultimate shows and papers from the category are proof that may occur
Filed beneath: Know-how Innovation and Nice Energy Competitors |
