Global Emerging Leaders in International Cyberspace Security (GEL-ICS) Fellowship

On April 23, 2023, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy (CDP) and Meridian International Center launched the pilot program of the Global Emerging Leaders in International Cyberspace Security (GEL-ICS) Fellowship. The program equips leaders from like-minded foreign partners to be effective advocates of the United Nations General Assembly-affirmed framework of responsible state behavior in cyberspace through a two-week U.S. visit, a virtual seminar series, and a culminating event at a global cyber policy conference.

The 2023 cohort included 23 Fellows representing 20 different countries. All GEL-ICS Fellows are diplomats or representatives from national cybersecurity agencies on a trajectory to be senior interlocutors in their respective governments with the potential to exert enduring diplomatic influence on international cyberspace issues. During their two-week U.S. tour, the first component of their seven-month engagement with this program, they visited San Francisco, Washington, DC, and New York City to gain an understanding of how the U.S. Government, private sector, academia, and the United Nations are promoting stability and security in cyberspace.

After completing the virtual seminar series throughout the summer, Fellows will attend the 2023 Internet Governance Forum in Kyoto, Japan, where they will generate a discussion with the international community on the role of cyber diplomacy in addressing collective threats and advancing a vision for a safe, secure cyberspace. GEL-ICS alumni will augment U.S diplomatic engagement and form a global network of proponents for a stable and secure cyberspace for future generations.

The GEL-ICS program provided fellows with the opportunity to interact with cyber leaders from the United Nations in New York, New York.

The group visits Googleplex in Mountain View, California.

Fellows spend a day at Meridian with U.S. Government interagency leaders in cybersecurity.

Fellows hear a keynote from Jennifer Bachus, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy

Fellows have a discussion on the sidelines of the RSA Conference, the world’s leading cybersecurity conference and exposition held in San Francisco, California.

Partner

The Global Emerging Leaders in International Cyberspace Security (GEL-ICS) Fellowship is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy and supported in its implementation by Meridian International Center.

Meridian Staff

Dea Kollekowski

Sarah Schneider