Next Frontier Seminar Hosts Inaugural Annual Launch Retreat in Newport, Rhode Island
NFS Team Lead Jason Hug and NFS Fellows Katherine Chou and Addie Lowenstein of Yale University present at a workshop during the 2024 retreat.
Newport, RI, September 23, 2024 — The Next Frontier Seminar (NFS) successfully held its inaugural launch retreat on September 21st and 22nd at the historic Ker Arvor Estate in Newport, Rhode Island. The retreat brought together 18 exceptional undergraduate students from Yale and Stanford Universities, organized into four research teams, who will engage in NFS’s intensive year-long program focused on the intersection of technology and international security.
The NFS Retreat fosters inter-university dialogue, exposes students to leading-edge research, and offers them the opportunity to workshop their own projects. Throughout the retreat, students received training in research and leadership, while deepening their understanding of global security challenges shaped by emerging technologies.
The event featured ten distinguished experts from academia, think tanks, private enterprises and the military, who delivered presentations, engaged in discussions and provided extensive tailored feedback to the students. The retreat also included specialized training for team leads, preparing them for their roles as they navigate their research throughout the academic year.
NFS Fellows from Stanford University watch a fireside chat with a semiconductor expert.
Generous support from the philanthropists Sean and Margaret Maloney, the Schmidt Family Foundation, and Yale University made the event possible. NFS is deeply grateful for their continued commitment to nurturing the next generation of leaders at the intersection of technology and global security.
NFS fellows will reconvene in January in Stanford, California for the NFS Mid-Year Summit, where they will present their in-progress research and collaborate with experts from the fields of technology and international security as their projects continue to evolve.
Looking ahead, NFS remains committed to offering students an unparalleled experience. As one fellow from last year’s pilot described:
“Working on this research project has been one of the most growth-inspiring, rewarding, and memorable experiences I’ve had during my college career. Not only did I dive into a topic that was previously completely foreign to me — to climb up from square one and now wield my newfound knowledge with confidence — I also found invaluable mentorship and friendships that will last beyond the project. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in this project, collaborate with peers from a wide range of disciplines, and cultivate life skills that cannot be practiced in the classroom.”
Team lead Juan Agustín Otero and NFS Fellow Yana Tucker of Yale University present at a workshop during the 2024 retreat.
About the Next Frontier Seminar
The Next Frontier Seminar is a philanthropic research group powered entirely by part-time volunteers. Our mission is to identify and develop outstanding undergraduate and graduate talent at the intersection of international security and emerging technology for the United States and its allies. Through our unique personalized program, we aim to contribute a small number of truly extraordinary talents to governments, private firms, and academic institutions across the alliance network while building authentic, people-to-people connections between international cohorts of fellows.
The Next Frontier Seminar is supported entirely by donations and volunteers. Together, we enrich the experience of dozens of students. 100% of donations go directly to programming. The Next Frontier Seminar is registered nonprofit under IRS Code Section 501(c)(3).
