When and where is the 2018 Inter-Policy School Summit?

The summit is hosted at the University of Chicago, the weekend of March 2-4, 2018.

Who is this year’s partner organization?

We’re very excited to announce that the world-renowned think tank New America is partnering with the Inter-Policy School Summit 2018.
As part of this partnership, Summit participants will work shoulder-to-shoulder with senior policy experts from New America to better understand the interplay between the issues of cybersecurity and trade. Read more about New America’s work on cybersecurity here.

What’s this year’s topic?

The project selected for this year’s Summit focuses on a relatively new field: the relationship between cybersecurity and trade. Specifically, we will focus on the decline in the legitimacy and momentum of multilateral trade regimes, and the speed by which technological change is disrupting existing trade policy and regulations. We will consider how the challenges posed by digital trade and cybersecurity should affect the way we think about trade issues. Up to now, relatively little policy research has been applied to this topic, so accepted students will have the chance to contribute substantially to the future work of New America by helping answer the following questions:

• How should nations inform their economic and trade policy goals given concerns about cybersecurity?
• How should international organizations react to new trade regimes and cybersecurity threats?
• What aspects of cybersecurity should be tackled as part of domestic trade policy?
• How do we balance security objectives with the benefits of free trade?

What if I know nothing about cybersecurity and trade?

As long as you’re interested in these two fields, we urge you to apply. If you’re selected to attend the Summit, you will receive background briefing materials prior to your arrival that will introduce you to the topic and help you arrive fully prepared to tackle this complex policy problem. Additionally, Summit attendees work in teams in which students can bring their diverse strengths to bear.
So, while you might not be a cybersecurity or trade expert right now, you’ll work closely with students and policy experts that can broaden your perspectives on these topics.

How is the Summit structured? Is there a scheduled published already?

The Summit is a three-day event in which students work in teams on specific questions relating to cybersecurity and trade. Students hear from keynote speakers, receive a specific question related to cybersecurity and trade to work on with their team, draft recommendations, and present them to New America Foundation policy experts. More specifics and an official agenda will be posted soon.

How many students attend the Summit? Where do they come from?

Since this is a working summit where students are expected to contribute meaningfully to teams and collaborate closely with leading policy experts in the field, we will limit the number Summit attendees to 30 students. We accept students from graduate programs in public policy here in the United States and abroad.
If you’re interested in applying, you can do so by filling in the application form on this website or by sending your name, school, resume, and a letter of interest no longer than 300 words to ipss.uchicago@gmail.com no later that January 19, 2018. You can apply through a form on the Summit's website as well.

How expensive is the Summit?

There is no registration fee, and we will provide the food throughout the whole event. We will also put you up with Harris Public Policy students during your stay to boost the networking experience. Your only expense is your flight to and from Chicago.

Who should apply?

If you’re a graduate student in public policy who wants to contribute to actionable policy work today, then you should apply here.