The International Strategy Forum and the Korea Foundation Host The Second ISF Global Summit

UPDATED March 5, 2024 to avoid repetition

Seoul, South Korea, March 4, 2024 – Today, the International Strategy Forum (ISF) announced the 2024 cohort of ISF Fellows during the second annual global summit. Composed of five regions, the 116 new Fellows convened in Seoul from February 25-29th to commence their 11-month-long ISF Fellowship. The program is designed to build an interdisciplinary network of rising leaders working at the intersection of technology and global affairs and to strengthen democratic values, collaboration, and security as technology reshapes our world. 

The ISF Global Summit, held in partnership with the Korea Foundation, convened Fellows from 62 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, MENA, and the Americas. Fellows engaged in interdisciplinary discussions about solutions to some of the hardest problems facing our world. Fellows examined issues regarding Emerging Technologies, Geopolitics, and Human Security, Climate Change and Global Cooperation, and Public Innovation and Democracy through regional and thematic seminar sessions, Fireside Chats with senior Korean and American policymakers, and a one-day Policy Hackathon.

Helen Zhang, Director of the International Strategy Forum, is proud to have overseen the development and execution of the second Global Summit. “This experience has highlighted for all of us the extraordinary importance of an international fellowship of practitioners focused on the intersection of global affairs and technology,” she said. “We look forward to supporting these exceptional leaders as they embark on a year, and a lifetime, committed to solving the world’s hardest geopolitical, geotechnical, and geoeconomic challenges by leveraging technology for public benefit.” 

ISF strives to create the world’s most talented and promising network of exceptional emerging leaders and to equip them with novel opportunities to serve others. ISF connects young leaders from around the world, early in their careers, to collaborate on complex geopolitical issues and foster connections for the future. Through its global community, ISF equips Fellows with knowledge, resources, and an interdisciplinary network to strengthen progress and security as new technologies disrupt and alter the world order. ISF aims to build a lifelong community of senior leaders that can continuously strengthen cross-sectoral and cross-cultural collaboration and mentorship. 

First convened in 2021, ISF has strategically expanded across the globe, finding non-traditional talent from boardrooms, newsrooms, laboratories, policy-making councils, governments, and foundations. The program is intentionally interdisciplinary, with Fellows working in a variety of fields including health and social inequalities, water security, policy governance, geopolitical risk, consumer protection, climate change, technology for improved democracy, quantum, defense, and more. 

More details on each fellow including their areas of expertise can be found here: https://internationalstrategyforum.io/fellows/

Thanks to our partners, the Korea Foundation, you can watch a brief video recap of our time in Seoul here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SAJ2toMb1k 

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About ISF 

The International Strategy Forum (ISF) is an initiative of Eric and Wendy Schmidt, chaired by Fareed Zakaria and Jared Cohen, that supports the next generation of leaders in geopolitics, innovation and public service. Administrative support for ISF is provided by the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), a nonpartisan, nonprofit project with a mission to make recommendations to strengthen America’s long-term technological competitiveness, alongside its allies and partners.

ISF seeks out non-traditional talent across boardrooms, newsrooms, laboratories, policymaking councils, foundations, and beyond. Through convenings, mentorship, and more, ISF equips rising leaders in technology and international affairs with the knowledge, network, and resources they need to tackle the hardest problems at the intersection of technology and global affairs. 

Media Contact

Tara Rigler 

tmr@scsp.ai