The Emerging Technologies industry study is one of the most highly demanded courses at the Eisenhower School. One of our private sector fellows, Ms. Alexandra Nasif, Eisenhower School Class of '19, participated in this industry study. This past year’s syllabus revolved around the rapidly increasing applicability of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The subject matter attracted a slew of motivated students from many diverse backgrounds created an atmosphere for thoughtful seminar-style discussion. Site visits to Zurich, Cambridge, Toronto and Silicon Valley further immersed the students in the ever-changing world of emerging technology.
This year, the Emerging Technologies Industry Study was awarded the Major General Theodore Antonelli Award for best Seminar Industry Study Paper. Their study highlighted the importance of leveraging centers of excellence for U.S. national security. Using AI as a backdrop, the students compared the economic structures of the U.S. and China and their roles in encouraging innovation. The seminar team also analyzed four companies–Google, IBM, Baidu, and Ali Baba–to gauge the receptiveness of private sector organizations to government cooperation and how they attract their employees. CAPT Frank Futcher USN, the Emerging Technologies Industry Study Lead, was quite pleased with the seminar, attributing his student’s successes to “a diversity of perspectives and the group’s profound interest in the changing world of technology.”