Takshashila Hosts Network for Advanced Study of Technology Geopolitics Fellowship Conference

The Takshashila Institution organised a three-day academic conference as part of the Network for Advanced Study of Technology Geopolitics (NAST) fellowship at The Chancery Pavilion, Bengaluru, from November 22nd to 24th.

Fellows from the pioneer cohort of the NAST fellowship (2024-2025) presented their work-in-progress papers on areas lying at the intersection of technology and geopolitics, such as semiconductors, satellite constellations, lethal autonomous weapons systems and AI. 

Following a welcome dinner on 22 November, over the course of the next two days, the fellows presented the findings of their research, while receiving feedback from mentors, scholars and practitioners. In addition, they also engaged in a crisis negotiation exercise with a hypothetical scenario involving the Quad and China.  

The NAST fellowship aims to create a cross-disciplinary community of scholars and a body of knowledge that will inform policy, strategy, economics, technology and society. Selected fellows get mentorship from some of the leading experts in critical and emerging technologies, with expertise in geopolitics, geoeconomics, and innovation. The deliverables of the one-year long  fellowship is publication of papers in leading journals, and the award includes a cash prize of INR one lakh for top three papers. The NAST fellowship, which is an initiative of the Takshashila Institution, is supported by Samāgata Foundation.