On May 19, 2025, Mason Korea Global Affairs students from the Diplomacy class had the opportunity to attend an event at the Embassy of Switzerland in the Republic of Korea (Swiss Hanok) and participate in the Anticipatory Leadership and Science Diplomacy Workshop as part of the Swiss-Korean Innovation Week (SKIW). This invitation was graciously extended by GLOA professor Dr. Intaek Han, who also took his students to the PechaKucha Night last Friday, May 23rd.
summary on behalf of his group.
Following a brief panel discussion featuring experts in technology, policy, and international relations, the workshop moved into an interactive session. Participants were organized into groups to explore five key questions, each facilitated by a panelist. Zane, Sawyer, and Hayoung (students from Mason Korea) represented their groups and shared summaries of their discussions. The questions that the students discussed in their groups as follows:
Future of Neuro-Augmentation:
- Should there be any boundaries or limits to research in human augmentation, particularly when it comes to neurotechnology?
- Who should decide where the red line is?
Geopolitics & Human rights:
- What concrete policies can prevent militarization or misuse while supporting beneficial innovation?
- Should the right to mental privacy and cognitive liberty be recognized as fundamental rights?
Technology Transfer:
- Intellectual property, research security, and global public goods: Universities and research institutions sit at the intersection of innovation, public goods, and international security.
- How to balance universal access with the protection of IP and incentives for innovation?
- What strategies can academic institutions adopt to responsibly manage dual-use risks while continuing to foster international collaboration?
Hayoung Yun, a student from Mason Korea who attended the event, shared her thoughts on the workshop: “What resonated with me the most was the workshop's emphasis on moving beyond reactive policymaking to a model of anticipatory governance - using a 5-, 10-, or 25-year window to anticipate scientific breakthroughs and emerging technologies by communicating with scientists, and build policies that foster innovation while mitigating risks.” She added, “In an age where the gap between the pace of technology advances and the policies addressing them is widening, I found this workshop more meaningful and relevant than ever.” Overall, Hayoung found the discussions to be engaging, and they further prompted her to reflect on questions, such as, “To what extent should cosmetic and military applications be allowed, as opposed to medical and civilian applications of emerging technology?"
The closing event of the Swiss-Korea Innovation Week was the PechaKucha Storytelling Night, which took place on Friday, May 23. The Mason Korea students also attended and listened to invited speakers from diverse backgrounds who shared their personal stories of innovation, creativity, and passion, using the dynamic format of 20 images shown for 20 seconds each. Overall, the students from the Diplomacy class had a wonderful and memorable experience at the Swiss-Korea Innovation Week.
May 26, 2025