A year-long, non-residential program of in-person convenings and virtual programming, built to forge a global, interdisciplinary network of the next generation of problem solvers.
Founded in 2021 by Eric and Wendy Schmidt, with program chairs Fareed Zakaria, globally renowned journalist, and Jared Cohen, former head of Google Jigsaw, ISF is a year-long, non-residential fellowship program that brings together rising leaders around the world, ages 25 to 35, from diverse fields — including government, academia, deep tech, military, journalism, research, and the arts — to consider the future of geopolitics, the future of technology, and the future of democracy. In 2024, ISF was integrated into another effort launched by Dr. Schmidt, the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP).
This era of accelerating innovation presents new hybrid global challenges and opportunities that cut across disciplines, ranging from technology governance, economic competition, rising nationalism, and energy security. Yet, the fields of geopolitics and technology are siloed. Training and mentorship have become more specialized, failing to build the broad-reaching networks that can create cross-disciplinary solutions. That is where ISF comes in.
Our goal is to forge a global, interdisciplinary network of the next generation of problem solvers with extraordinary potential in geopolitics, innovation, and public leadership. We seek to build bonds across sectoral and national lines, so we can work together to navigate the geopolitical and technology challenges amidst a changing world order.
Unlike regionalized networks, ISF is a worldwide community focused on tackling shared global challenges.
While many foreign policy programs overlook the outsized impact of technology, ISF breaks down barriers by bringing together international strategists with experts in hard sciences and innovation.
The benefits of becoming an ISF Fellow take many forms. The program is personalized and tailored to Fellows' needs as they grow during their fellowship year and beyond. All ISF Fellows receive access to the following benefits: