Clements-Strauss Asia Policy Program and KEI Co-Host Event on “Critical & Emerging Technology Cooperation in the US-Korea Alliance”

News | October 29, 2024

On October 24th, the Clements-Strauss Asia Policy Program co-hosted a two-panel event on Critical & Emerging Technology in the US-Korea Alliance with the Korea Economic Institute of America. During the event, panelists presented findings from their papers on US-Korea technology cooperation.

The day began with brief introductions by Dr. Sheena Chestnut Greitens, Asia Policy Director, and Dr. Clint Work, KEI Fellow and Director of Academic Affairs. The first panel included presentations by Sanghyun Han, Ph.D. student in International Affairs, Science and Technology at Georgia Tech, and Soyoung Kwun, Director of Security Policy Studies-Korea at the GMU Schar School of Policy and Government. Han research is about Advanced Computing Technology: AI & Quantum Science. He detailed how US-ROK cooperation has evolved around these technologies and the trajectory of working groups and dialogues. Dr. Kwon spoke on Semiconductor Supply Chains & Technology, focusing on state behavior in alliances and if existing alliance mechanisms effectively support technological cooperation. Adam Klein, Director of the Strauss Center for International Security and Law, served as discussant. In the role, he offered constructive feedback to the authors.

The second panel was comprised of Elan Sykes, Director of Energy and Climate Policy the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI), and Zeena Nisar, Policy Analyst for the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology. Sykes spoke about Clean Energy Technology & Markets, giving attention to the intersection of bilateral climate cooperation, the economy, and technology. Nisar’s research centers around Biotechnology & Biomanufacturing. She highlighted the strategic advantages of biotechnology, including how it can aid economic and supply chain security in the alliance. Dr. Joshua Busby, Professor Public Affairs at the LBJ School, served as discussant.

You can watch a recording of the event here. The panelists’ papers will later be published in the fall 2024 issue of KEI’s flagship journal, Korea Policy

While on campus, KEI staff members Clint Work and Mai Anna Pressley hosted an information session about careers in foreign policy. The team also coordinated a multilateral simulation with Clements Center Undergraduate Fellows and student affiliates. During the interactive simulation, students adopted the role of an Indo-Pacific nation and participated in mock multilateral negotiations about nuclear non-proliferation.