We are excited to share our experience participating in the ITS Rio Global Policy Fellowship, an exceptional program designed to foster innovative ideas and collaborative solutions in the realm of technology and society. Thanks to the hospitality of the Instituto de Tecnologia e Sociedade (ITS Rio), we joined a diverse group of ten advocates from around the world to kick off an ambitious program. This fellowship connects us in a truly global conversation about the future of digital rights, technology, and democracy.
Our fellowship group consisted of ten tech leaders from across the globe, including Francisco Sabando (Ecuador), Felipe Suárez Giri (Uruguay), Felix Treguer (France), Julieta Murillas (Argentina), June Okal (Kenya), Kainen Bell (USA), Luisa Fernanda Gallo Herran (Colombia), Samrat Banerjee (India), and Yujie Fan (China).
The fellowship provided a dynamic platform for interdisciplinary collaboration. We had the opportunity to work alongside policy experts, technologists, and scholars from around the world, creating a rich environment for exchanging ideas and perspectives. The program featured over 25 meetings with leading policymakers, thinkers, and artists. We also participated in a summer law school with the Université de Montréal and experienced the G20 meetings firsthand.
During the stay we had a pleasure of meeting with leaders such as Mauricio Medeiros de Assis, Tiago Wolff Beckert and Alexandre Pauli from Tribunal Superior Eleitoral, Samara Mariana de Castro from Secretariat of Social Communication, Eduardo Salgado from National Data Protection Authority in Brazil or experts from Centro Brasileiro de Relações Internacionais.
We highly recommend this fellowship to anyone passionate about shaping the future of technology policy. For more details about the program and to learn how to apply, please visit the ITS Rio Global Policy Fellowship page.