Tech Diplomacy Now: Tech Diplomacy Academy is Free
Used by leaders in more than 30 countries, Tech Diplomacy Academy is now free and open to everyone, empowering more people to compete, lead and advance freedom.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Tech Diplomacy Updates
Top News of the Week
Latest News
Technology Strategy and Policy
Artificial Intelligence
Telecommunications Networks and Infrastructure
Critical Minerals
Synthetic Biology
Quantum
Advanced Aerospace Technology
Semiconductors and Microelectronics
Energy and Climate
Opinion and Commentary
The Last Word
Keith Krach Leads US Business Delegation to Taiwan to Deepen Economic and Tech Ties
The U.S.-Taiwan Business Council delegation of senior business leaders, headed by Krach Institute and Council Chairman Keith Krach. The visit followed the new U.S.-Taiwan trade deal, which reduced tariffs on Taiwanese goods from 20% to 15% and driving expanded investments by Taiwanese semiconductor and technology companies in the U.S. It also coincided with the January 27 joint statement endorsing the Pax Silica Declaration—a U.S. initiative promoting trustworthy AI and supply chains. Delegates represented a broad cross-section of industries and companies, including Google, AWS, IBM, Qualcomm, Lockheed Martin, Citigroup, Uber, HP, Booz Allen Hamilton, TSMC, and others. The group met with Taiwan's Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (pictured above), Premier Cho Jung-tai, Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung, and other senior officials.
Top News of the Week - Tech Diplomacy Academy is Now Free and Open to All
As emerging technologies reshape American and allied security, prosperity, and freedom, the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue unlocked its flagship education platform to all learners worldwide.
Key points:
Tech Diplomacy Academy is the world’s first online education platform dedicated to preparing leaders across government, industry, and civil society to understand how critical and emerging technologies shape national power, economic competitiveness, and freedom.
By unlocking the Tech Diplomacy Academy, the Krach Institute is scaling the understanding required for the United States and its allies to compete, cooperate, and shape how technology is deployed rather than having it shape us.
By removing the paywall, the Krach Institute is transforming the Tech Diplomacy Academy from a limited executive education program into a global public education platform, designed to operate at the scale and speed the moment demands.
The Tech Diplomacy Academy already serves as a training platform for leaders across U.S. and allied government, industry, and civil society. Participants include professionals from the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and NATO’s Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic.
To date, more than 17,000 learners in over 30 countries have participated in the Academy, supported by global distribution partnerships with organizations such as LinkedIn Learning, the Project Management Institute, and the Sourcing Industry Group.
To learn more about the Tech Diplomacy Academy and to enroll, please visit TechDiplomacyAcademy.org.
Latest News
Trump launches $12 billion minerals stockpile to counter China – Reuters, February 2, 2026
Musk’s xAI, SpaceX combo is the biggest merger of all time, valued at $1.25 trillion – CNBC, February 3, 2026
Five Takeaways from the TikTok Deal – ITIF, January 26, 2026
India, EU reach landmark trade deal, tariffs to be slashed on most goods – Reuters, January 27, 2026
India and Europe, both stung by Trump, turn to each other in a ‘mother of all deals’ on trade – CNN, January 27, 2026
Carney rolls his eyes at US Treasury secretary, telling Trump he meant what he said at Davos – AP, January 27, 2026
America in decline? Data shows even its poorest states now outperform most G7 economies – Times of India, January 20, 2026
US Secures Historic Chip Deal Amid Tech War with China – Newsweek, January 16, 2026
Technology Strategy and Policy
Exclusive: OpenAI’s Brockman and a16Z funnel cash to pro-AI super PAC – Axios, Jan 30, 2026
The tech ‘courtier’ steering Trump on AI to Silicon Valley’s delight – Financial Times, January 27, 2026
David Feith on Trump 1.0 vs Trump 2.0 and China – The Wire China, January 25, 2026
Trump Administration Pushes Out Key Officials Focused on China Tech Threat – WSJ, January 23, 2026
Artificial Intelligence
Robots only half as efficient as humans, says leading Chinese producer – FT, January 26, 2026
China Trains AI-Controlled Weapons with Learning from Hawks, Coyotes – WSJ, January 24, 2026
China’s fear of ‘selling young crops’ spurred review of Meta’s Manus deal – FT, January 23, 2026
Chinese AI leaders warn the US’ lead is widening – Semafor, January 11, 2026
China AI Leaders Warn of Widening Gap with US After $1B IPO Week – Bloomberg, January 10, 2026
Telecommunications Networks and Infrastructure
China surpasses five-year plan targets in telecommunications development – Caliber, January 28, 2026
Blue Origin’s satellite internet network TeraWave will move data at 6 Tbps – TechCrunch, January 21, 2026
How Iran jammed Starlink (and how Iranians are trying to get around it) – France24, January 14, 2026
Access to Elon Musk’s Starlink internet service is now free in Iran as regime continues brutal crackdown on protests – CNN, January 13, 2026
Critical Minerals
Trump launches $12 billion minerals stockpile to boost US manufacturing, counter China – Reuters, February 2, 2026
Japan-China tensions drive high-tech mineral prices to record highs – Nikkei Asia, January 27, 2026
Chinese exports of rare earth magnets to Japan fall in December – Reuters, January 19, 2026
Rare-Earth Magnet Maker Raises $215 Million to Amp Up U.S. Supply – WSJ, January 19, 2026
Venezuela’s Coltan and the Quiet Fragility of Tantalum and Niobium – The National Interest, January 13, 2026
Japan sets sail on rare earth hunt as China tightens supplies – Reuters, January 12, 2026
Synthetic Biology
Scientists Use AI to Create First-ever Functional Synthetic Life, Because What Could Go Wrong? – ZME Science, January 28, 2026
China’s labs pull ahead as global drugmakers invest in biotech pioneers – FT, January 26, 2026
Welcome to post-Darwinism: AI fires silver bullet for creating new life – Times of London, January 24, 2026
China’s Other Olympics – The Wire China, December 21, 2025
Charting the Future of Biotechnology: An action plan for American security and prosperity – NSCEB, April 2025
Quantum
Most complex time crystal yet has been made inside a quantum computer – New Scientist, January 28, 2026
Quantum Computing For Missile Defense: 10X Faster – Forbes, January 27, 2026
Quantum-Computing Company IonQ to Buy Chip Maker SkyWater for $1.8 Billion – WSJ, January 26, 2026
An old problem could stop the U.S. from leading on quantum computers – WaPo, January 26, 2026
Largest-ever ‘superposition’ supersizes Schrödinger’s cat – Scientific American, January 25, 2026
Advanced Aerospace Technology
How to View the Artemis II Moon Launch – NYTs, January 28, 2026
Artemis 2 astronauts enter quarantine to prep for NASA moon launch – USA Today, January 26, 2026
Maker of China’s C919 jet set to pick up production pace after delay – SCMP, January 26, 2026
In China’s Orbit: Beijing’s Space Diplomacy in the Global South – CSIS, January 15, 2026
Semiconductors and Microelectronics
China gives nod to ByteDance, Alibaba and Tencent to buy Nvidia’s H200 chips – sources – Reuters, January 28, 2026
China Tells Alibaba, Tech Firms to Ready Nvidia H200 Orders – Bloomberg, January 23, 2026
Nvidia suppliers halt H200 output after China blocks chip shipments – FT, January 20, 2026
Taiwan’s Flagship Chip Maker Charts a Future Beyond Taiwan – WSJ, January 18, 2026
China blocks Nvidia H200 AI chips that US government cleared for export – report – The Guardian, January 17, 2026
Trump Administration Enacts Security Rules for Nvidia’s China Chip Sales – WSJ, January 13, 2026
Honda diversifies chip supply to lower China dependency – Nikkei Asia, January 11, 2026
Energy and Climate
China steers the Gulf’s driverless future as U.S. rivals stay home – Rest of the World, January 20, 2026
US battery makers shift supply chain from China to South Korea – Nikkei Asia, January 19, 2026
Tesla poised to be early winner as Canada opens door to Chinese-made EVs – Reuters, January 18, 2026
China and Russia dominate nuclear power push with 90% of new reactors – Nikkei Asia, January 18, 2026
Reliance pauses lithium-ion cell manufacturing plans amid China tech curbs, says report – ET Auto, January 12, 2026
Opinion and Commentary
The Trump Administration’s Cyber Strategy Fundamentally Misunderstands China’s Threat – Matthew Ferren CFR, January 26, 2026
How China pulled off a great tech reversal – Kyle Chan, FT, January 26, 2026
Zelensky and Trump Expose Europe’s Weakness: ‘Europe loves to discuss the future,’ the Ukrainian told the Davos crowd, ‘but avoids taking action today.’ – Walter Russell Mead, WSJ, January 23, 2026
Trade Armageddon has failed to materialize – Peter Foster, FT, January 19, 2026
California’s Tech Industry Kill Switch – Mike Solana, Pirate Wires, January 12, 2026
Notes from the UAE: AI, sovereign wealth, and strategic autonomy – Samuel Hammond, Second Best, December 18, 2025
The Last Word
“Emerging technologies are becoming the backbone of economic strength and national power. If free societies do not understand and help shape them, adversaries will. Opening the Tech Diplomacy Academy is about ensuring leaders and citizens alike have the knowledge to lead, set the rules, and make sure technology serves people, not authoritarians, and advances freedom rather than oppression.”
— Michelle Giuda, CEO of the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue
About: Tech Diplomacy Now
The Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue is the world’s preeminent trusted technology accelerator. As the leader of the new category of Tech Diplomacy, the Institute integrates technology expertise, Silicon Valley strategies, and foreign policy tools to build the Global Trusted Tech Network of governments, companies, organizations and individuals to accelerate the innovation and adoption of trusted technology and ensure technology advances freedom.