To compete and thrive in the 21st century, democracies, and the United States in particular, must develop new national security and economic strategies that address the geopolitics of information. In the 20th century, market capitalist democracies geared infrastructure, energy, trade, and even social policy to protect and advance that era’s key source of power—manufacturing. In this century, democracies must better account for information geopolitics across all dimensions of domestic policy and national strategy.
This April, a group of eleven HKS students traveled to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to exchange research, engage in cultural dialogue, and witness the changes going on in the Kingdom first hand.
The trip included discussions with government officials on different aspects of Saudi Vision 2030, including cybersecurity initiatives, the changing role of women, Wahabism, and tourism; visits to Etidal and the Mohamamed bin Naif Center for Counseling and Care in Riyadh; KAUST University, historic Old Town, the Islamic Development Bank, and Effat University in Jeddah; and an exclusive visit to the archaelogical remains of the Nabatean Kingdom in Mada'in Saleh in the Al Ula desert.
Please join us for lunch on May 3rd for a panel discussion with the students on their takeaways from the trip.