The U.S. Department of State is the first organization to adopt Purdue's Crack Technology Diplomacy Institute's new platform, which aims to provide education on emerging technologies in the geopolitical context.
The Tech Diplomacy Academy, which launched Tuesday, aims to teach enrollees about the science and engineering behind emerging technologies, how those technologies are being commercialized, and the foreign policy risks and opportunities for those innovations. CEO Michel Jouda said it is a centric online platform. The president of the nonprofit, nonpartisan Krach Institute and a former assistant secretary of state told FedScoop.
As the first adopter, the State Department will use the platform as an educational resource for officials.
“The gift of a teaching license from the Krack Institute to the new Tech Diplomacy Academy will bring our nation's public diplomacy and cyber and digital technology experts to the cutting edge,” said Elizabeth M. Allen, the state's assistant secretary for public diplomacy. “They will have access to training.” On to FedScoop.
Allen emphasized the importance of technology in world affairs, saying that “technology diplomacy is a core foreign policy priority” and that mastering technology diplomacy is “essential for State Department personnel to keep the United States at the cutting edge.” ”.
The creation of the academy comes as understanding technology becomes even more important in diplomacy. Giuda said technological threats will only increase due to things like generative AI, advanced semiconductors, 6G and Iranian drones, and State Department leaders are emphasizing the need to upskill diplomats.
“What we are doing at the Tech Diplomacy Academy is empowering government, business, technology, and even civic leaders in the United States and our allies to help them navigate this rapidly changing technology landscape. It is about being able to compete and win in a rapidly changing and contested geopolitical landscape,” Giuda said. He said.
The State Department becoming the first organization to adopt the new program marks a full-circle moment for the crack institute, founded by former State Department employees.
The institute is led by Keith Clack, former chairman and CEO of DocuSign and former undersecretary of state for economic growth, and Moon Chan, current president of Purdue University and former science and technology advisor to the secretary of state. Co-founded in 2021 by.
Mr. Giuda, who worked at the State Department during the Trump administration, worked with Mr. Clack and Mr. Chen to build the Clean Network, an alliance of countries and telecommunications companies, in the process creating a new form of what they called “tech diplomacy.” He said he had devised a method.
“We now have a proven model for working with not only the United States but across our alliance partners on how to work with our governments and businesses to secure critical technology areas. The Krach Institute laboratory was intended to continue that research,” Giuda said.
The Crack Institute's “North Star” is to ensure “technology advances freedom,” and the Tech Diplomacy Academy will advance that, she said.
The first curriculum offered by the academy is called the Tech Primer Series and will focus on the fundamentals of important emerging technologies, according to a release provided to FedScoop ahead of the announcement.
Giuda said State Department employees using the new platform will be able to take courses offered by the academy on demand, as their busy schedules allow. The course is approximately 1 hour long and consists of 10 6 minute modules. The initial curriculum will include about 20 courses, upon completion of which registrants will receive a certificate, Giuda said.
He said the biggest indicator of the program's success is whether the academy provides value and new information to U.S. diplomats.
The State Department is the first, but additional partnerships within government are part of the academy's vision. Ultimately, Giuda said, “the goal is for the entire USG to learn on this platform.”
