Network for Advanced Study of Technology Geopolitics (NAST) Fellowship

Programme Overview

The Network for Advanced Study of Technology Geopolitics (NAST) aims to build high-quality scholarship in India at the intersection of technology and geopolitics. Discussions around emerging and critical technologies often lack a prudent understanding of how emerging technologies, geoeconomics, and geopolitics interact and can play a pivotal role in shaping India’s national power. The aim is to create a cross-disciplinary community of scholars and a body of knowledge that will inform policy, strategy, economics, technology and society.

NAST Fellows for 2024-2025 Cohort

Focus Areas

NAST fellows will undertake research in one or more of the following areas: advanced telecommunications like 5G/6G, etc; artificial intelligence; open-source technologies; biotechnology and bioeconomy; nuclear technologies; quantum computing; geospatial technologies, space technologies; semiconductors; rare earth; or any other critical and emerging technology domain.

Fellows will have the opportunity to work with mentors, who will be among the leading experts in the field of critical and emerging technologies with expertise in the intersection of geopolitics, geoeconomics and innovation. NAST Fellows will gain invaluable skills in research, critical thinking, analysis, communication etc. through this mentorship opportunity.

Eligibility and Qualifications

NAST invites applications from researchers from any background, including from universities, research institutes, media, government services and industry, who are enthusiastic about undertaking fresh research on the geopolitics of critical and emerging technologies and their impact on India or globally.

Prospective fellows must either be working or studying in India, have at least an undergraduate degree and be proficient in English.

Location and Time Commitment

NAST is a 12-month-long fellowship that is completely online and includes a two-day in-person conference/workshop in Bengaluru. Furthermore, this is not a full-time opportunity, and fellows may continue their ongoing professional activities without disruption.

Deliverables and Awards

The NAST Fellowship offers opportunities for analysts and scholars to work under the co-guidance of foremost experts in international relations, emerging technologies, and governance and work towards a publication in the leading journals and reviews in these fields.

A cash prize of ₹ 1 lakh each will be awarded to the three best papers determined by the jury

Mentors

C Raja Mohan

Senior Fellow with the Asia Society Policy Institute in Delhi; Visiting Research Professor at the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS), National University of Singapore

Interest Areas: Indian foreign policy; Global geopolitics

Douglas Fuller

Professor in Zhejiang University's School of Management; Author of Paper Tigers, Hidden Dragons: Firms and the Political Economy of China’s Technological Development

Interest Areas: Chinese technology policy; Technology geopolitics

Kailash Nadh

Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Zerodha; Founding Director, FOSS United Foundation

Interest Areas: Free and open-source softwares

Rahul Matthan

Partner, Trilegal and heads its Technology, Media and Telecom practice

Interest Areas: Data Protection, Privacy, Digital Public Infrastructure, Cryptocurrency

Lt. Gen. (Retd) Prakash Menon

Director, Strategic Studies Programme at Takshashila; Adjunct Professor, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore.

Interest Areas: Strategic Studies, Nuclear Deterrence, Statecraft

Narayan Ramachandran

Co-Founder, The Takshashila Institution; Ex-Country Head of Morgan Stanley India,

Interest Areas: Technology Geopolitics; Geoeconomics

Pranay Kotasthane

Deputy Director, The Takshashila Institution; Chair, High-Tech Geopolitics Program at Takshashila

Interest Areas: Technology Geopolitics; Semiconductors

Dr Y. Nithiyanandam

Professor; Head, Geospatial Program at the Takshashila Institution.

Interest Areas: Advanced Remote Sensing, GIS Analytics, Urban and Ocean Informatics, and Geo-intelligence

Aditya Ramanathan

Research Fellow, Takshashila Institution; Chair, Advanced Military Technologies Programme at Takshashila

Interest Areas: Technology Geopolitics; Space; Nuclear; Military Technologies

Anirudh Suri

Managing Partner, India Internet Fund; Author of The Great Tech Game: Shaping Geopolitics and the Destinies of Nations.

Interest Areas: Technology Geopolitics, Climate, and Strategic Affairs

Group Captain TH Anand Rao

Senior Fellow, Centre for Air Power Studies, New Delhi

Interest Areas: Space Domain; Space Security and Policy

Timeline

The timeline for the NAST Fellowship Pioneer Cohort is as follows:

  • January 31, 2024 - Call for Proposals

  • March 10, 2024 –  Research proposal submission deadline

  • April 10, 2024 - Evaluation & notification of selected research proposals

  • April 15, 2024 – Start of NAST fellowship

  • June 15, 2024 – Deadline for submission of first draft

  • August 15, 2024 - Deadline for submission of second draft

  • October 1, 2024 - Deadline for Pre-Conference Draft

  • November 22-24, 2024 - In-person academic workshop with mentors and fellows in Bengaluru

  • December 31, 2024 – Submission of final draft to mentors for feedback

  • February 15th, 2025 – Submission of final paper to NAST team

  • March 15th, 2025 - Selection & award of top 3 paper submissions by an independent jury

Contact Us

Please reach out to us for any questions about the fellowship through email at nast@takshashila.org.in