Key Takeaways
- The United States’ Global Emerging Leaders in International Cyberspace Security (GEL‑ICS) fellowship proved a low‑cost, high‑impact tool for shaping technology governance in partner nations, especially across Africa.
- Alumni of the program revived stalled U.S.–Africa cyber dialogues and helped secure a unanimous UN vote for a permanent global cybersecurity mechanism.
- Despite its success, the fellowship was discontinued in early 2025 during a broader reassessment of foreign assistance and the reorganization of the State Department’s Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy.
- Reactivating and expanding the fellowship—broadening its mandate to cover AI, quantum, biotech, satellite connectivity and autonomous systems—would reinforce U.S. soft power, align African digital governance with American interests, and counter rival influence.
- Including representatives from multilateral institutions, business, academia and civil society, and significantly expanding African participation, would ensure the program reflects the full spectrum of technology‑policy debates.
The Strategic Imperative of U.S. Engagement in Africa’s Tech Landscape
Artificial intelligence and cyber capabilities are reshaping the global economy, and nations that lag in domestic AI infrastructure or technical expertise risk falling further behind. This gap is most pronounced across Africa, where rapid digital growth collides with nascent regulatory capacities. As the article notes, “The United States needs to use its soft power and its diplomatic convening capabilities to become, and to stay, the go‑to commercial and security partner for Africa in these domains.” Securing that partnership is not merely altruistic; it is essential for protecting U.S. economic and national‑security interests tied to the continent’s strategic resources.
Why Africa Matters: Critical Minerals and Supply‑Chain Foundations
Africa holds roughly 30 percent of the world’s critical mineral reserves—materials indispensable for microprocessors, magnets, batteries, and alloys that underpin everything from aircraft to smartphones and cloud architecture. “African minerals are the base of the supply chain for every AI model run and every byte stored,” the piece observes. While the United States is investing heavily in the physical infrastructure and logistics to secure these resources, tangible assets alone cannot guarantee long‑term security or alignment. Policy influence, therefore, becomes the necessary force multiplier.
Soft Power as a Force Multiplier: The Role of the GEL‑ICS Fellowship
To safeguard its interests, the United States must counter competitors who have spent years shaping regional regulatory landscapes. The State Department’s Global Emerging Leaders in International Cyberspace Security (GEL‑ICS) fellowship, launched in 2023 by the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy, was designed precisely for this purpose. Its goal was “to equip a global network of future senior officials from around the world with the knowledge and connections to advance a shared vision for a secure, stable cyberspace.” By bringing rising officials—including many from African nations—to the United States for a two‑week visit, monthly virtual workshops, and a capstone at an international forum such as the Internet Governance Forum, the program created direct channels for dialogue and relationship‑building.
Tangible Outcomes: Policy Shifts and Diplomatic Wins
The fellowship’s modest investment yielded concrete policy returns. In 2024, an African alumna revived a senior‑level policy dialogue on cyber and digital‑policy issues with the United States, ending years of diplomatic stalemate. By 2025, with alumni occupying key policymaking posts in their home countries, every participating nation supported the UN decision to establish a permanent global mechanism on cybersecurity. “A majority of these nations were actively involved in the outcome, creating a collective action to replace the decades of ad hoc working groups that US adversaries had consistently used to weaken US leadership on cybersecurity,” the article reports. These results illustrate how access to U.S. expertise and peer networks can turn previously unaligned states into key diplomatic partners.
Why the Program Was Halted and the Opportunity to Revive It
Despite its low cost and high impact, the GEL‑ICS fellowship was discontinued in early 2025 during a general reassessment of foreign assistance. The administration reorganized the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy, distributing its component offices to other bureaus and assigning the fellowship’s office to the new Bureau of Emerging Threats. Importantly, “Without any change in authorities, either bureau could serve as an ideal home for a resuscitated program.” The structural flexibility means the State Department can readily reactivate and expand the initiative without needing new legislative authority.
Expanding the Mandate: From Cyber Norms to Frontier Technologies
A revived fellowship should move beyond a narrow focus on cyber norms to encompass governance across frontier technologies—AI, satellite connectivity, quantum computing, biotechnology, autonomous systems, and related fields. As the piece argues, “The State Department should reactivate and expand the fellowship with an updated mandate. Rather than focusing solely on cyber norms, it should also address governance across frontier technologies…”. This broader scope would align the program with the multifaceted technological challenges African nations face as they integrate AI‑driven industries, expand broadband via satellite constellations, and explore quantum‑secure communications.
Inclusive Participation: Governments, Industry, Academia, and Civil Society
Technology policy debates do not occur solely within ministries; they involve a vibrant ecosystem of stakeholders. The fellowship should therefore include representatives from multilateral institutions, business, academia, and civil society. Such inclusivity ensures that the program reflects the full spectrum of perspectives needed to craft resilient, open, and secure technology ecosystems. Moreover, given Africa’s status as the UN’s largest voting bloc and its projection to host a quarter of the global workforce by 2050, African participation must be significantly expanded to reflect the continent’s growing influence.
A Broader Soft‑Power Strategy: Learning from Competitors
The article ends with a pointed observation: “By coincidence, at the time of this writing, Tsinghua University in Beijing invited one of the authors to attend its fellowship on these subjects, along with an African cohort. The United States’ chief adversary has a soft power strategy. Why doesn’t Washington?” This contrast underscores that rivals are already investing in similar people‑to‑people exchanges to shape norms and secure influence. Reactivating and expanding the GEL‑ICS fellowship would constitute a deliberate, comparative‑advantage‑driven component of a broader U.S. soft‑power strategy—leveraging America’s leadership in innovation, its diplomatic networks, and its commitment to an open, rules‑based tech order.
Conclusion: Ensuring Enduring Technology Partnerships
Building enduring technology partnerships requires showing up consistently, sharing expertise, and nurturing long‑term relationships. By restoring and expanding the fellowship within the Bureau of Emerging Threats, the United States can ensure that African digital governance frameworks are developed alongside partners who share a commitment to open, secure, and resilient technology ecosystems. This initiative, paired with a clear, sustained soft‑power agenda, would not only protect U.S. economic and security interests tied to critical minerals and AI supply chains but also reinforce a global order where technology serves the common good rather than becoming a vector for strategic competition.
The US must become Africa’s partner on technology and AI. It can do so with soft power.