Summer webinar series on emerging technology and national security policy careers
Updated: Sep 25, 2023
Sessions will not be recorded and individuals must sign up to receive event access — you can express interest in attending here.
Horizon’s mission is to help the US government navigate our era of rapid technological change by fostering the next generation of public servants with emerging technology expertise. The policy opportunities and challenges related to emerging technology are interdisciplinary and will require talent from a range of backgrounds and communities, including many that don’t have ready access to information about what policy work is like and what a career transition might look like. As a result, this series will cover:
- Examples of individuals with non-traditional (e.g. technical or legal) backgrounds transitioning into emerging technology policy
- Examples of what a “day in a life” is like at a think tank, advocacy organization, executive agency, or in Congress
- Examples of ongoing policy efforts and debates related to AI or biosecurity policy
All sessions will involve interactive conversations with experienced policy practitioners and opportunities for audience questions. Some of the sessions will be useful for individuals from all fields and career stages, while others are more focused — you may choose to attend all or only some of the sessions. Currently scheduled sessions include:
- Q&A with Jason Matheny, CEO of the RAND Corporation
- Q&A with Nikki Teran, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Progress (IFP), on biosecurity challenges and policy careers to address them
- Q&A with Helen Toner‚ Director of Strategy and Foundational Research Grants at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET), on AI challenges and policy careers to address them
- What’s it like working in the executive branch?
- What’s it like working in a think tank?
- What’s it like working in Congress?
- Choosing graduate schools for policy careers (master’s, PhD, JD)
- Transitioning from law to policy
- Transitioning from science and tech to policy
- Advancing in policy from underrepresented backgrounds
- Horizon Fellowship info session
We’re grateful to our partners for their collaboration on this webinar series. The Scowcroft Institute is a biosecurity-focused international affairs research center engaged in education and policy-oriented research. SeedAI works to create a more robust, responsive, and inclusive future for AI in America, including through work with Congress, the White House, and local communities.
