Trilateral Technology Leaders Training Program
The Trilateral Technology Leaders Training Program, announced by the White House at the Trilateral Leaders’ Summit at Camp David in August 2023, brings mid-career government professionals from the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea to the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) for a three-week leadership development program in Washington, D.C. and Silicon Valley. The program is cohosted by SAIS and the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies.
Fellows from the inaugural cohort during their visit to the Google Headquarters in Silicon Valley (June 2024).
In June 2024, the inaugural year of the program brought 30 high-achieving mid-career leaders from the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea to Johns Hopkins SAIS for an intensive training program, focusing on key areas such as AI, semiconductors, cybersecurity, biotechnology, and other emerging technologies. Learn more about the inaugural program here.
The second cohort of the program will be held in June 2025 for three weeks and will strengthen trilateral relationships and enhance the capacity of leaders from the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea to tackle global challenges in technology governance.
Fellows will receive training in leadership and decision-making, and will participate in programs that deepen their understanding of global technological trends, policy-making frameworks, and the challenges and opportunities in governing emerging technologies. The program will consist of both classroom and extracurricular activities to help mid-career leaders develop these skills, drawing on faculty from SAIS and other divisions of the university, and experts from the policy and tech communities.
Participants should be high-achieving mid-career officials interested in technology governance from the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea. Suitable nominees will generally have at least 10 years of government service, public policy advocacy, non-governmental organization management, or similar experience; and have demonstrated an established track record of leadership, with a strong background in navigating global policy challenges and leadership in addressing issues pertaining to emerging technologies.
Participants could also include high-achieving representatives with similar experience from public policy advocacy or non-governmental organizations who may aspire to join government or re-join government. Participants must be proficient in spoken and written English.
We welcome participants from a variety of ministries or agencies. As an example, fellows can come from ministries including Foreign Affairs, Energy, Science and Technology, Trade and Industry, as well as National Security Councils and Central Banks.
Candidates who have professional experience on topics relating to emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, quantum computing, cybersecurity, space technology, and semiconductors may be given particular consideration.
Johns Hopkins SAIS will convene a distinguished selection panel that will choose ten participants from each country. The panel will consult closely with key experts and stakeholders, and will prioritize candidates with substantial expertise and interest in technology governance and leadership in emerging technology spheres. The link to the application can be found here.
No, a referral/nomination is not required to apply for this fellowship. However, if you have been invited to apply for the Fellowship by the Trilateral Member Government or a member of the SAIS Selection Committee, please indicate who has referred you to apply in the application form (note that this is not required, and you can otherwise write "not applicable").
The second cohort of the Trilateral Technology Leaders Training Program will come to Washington, D.C. and Silicon Valley in June 2025. The official program dates are June 9-27, 2025.
Applications are due on February 14, 2025. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and participants will be notified of the selection committee’s decision in the spring 2025.
Interested candidates must apply through the online application here: https://sais.fillout.com/trilateraltech. At least one letter of recommendation, a personal statement, and CV/resume along with the general application form are required to apply.
This fellowship is fully funded with the generous support of our co-host the Chey Institute and founding sponsors the NEC Corporation and Google, to include participants’ roundtrip economy travel, lodging, food, visa fees, and program materials and activity expenses, to include a per diem to cover incidentals.
Fellows participate in an opening reception at the Hopkins Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the inaugural cohort, featuring remarks by former Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, SAIS Dean James B. Steinberg, Karan Bhatia, Vice President, Government Affairs and Public Policy at Google, and Dr. Chris White, President of NEC Laboratories America, Inc. (June 2024).