Harry Targ
Purdue university in 2021 established what is called the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy. Its goal, its website says, is to integrate “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.”
“put the Purdue Equation, “Transformation to the Power of Trust,” to the test by embarking on a global campaign to challenge the market dominance of Chinese tech firms through the Clean Network. The strategy united countries and companies around a commitment to a set of trust principles in technology adoption, data privacy, and security practices. In this highly successful strategy, Krach’s team transformed US diplomacy and created a new model based on trust called Tech-Statecraft by integrating Silicon Valley strategies with traditional foreign policy tools. As Bloomberg wrote, “The Clean Network’s effort to create a united economic front is to China what George Kennan’s historic “long telegram” of 1946 was to the Soviet Union.”
And recently according to the Taipei Times:
Purdue University is launching a center to advocate for Taiwan as a trusted partner and encourage US investment in the nation, former US undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment Keith Krach told a news conference in Taipei yesterday
Krach, chairman of the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue, first announced plans for the establishment of the Taiwan Center for Innovation and Prosperity before his arrival in Taiwan on Wednesday for a four-day visit.\
The center would be a partnership between public and private sectors in the US and Taiwan to “advocate for Taiwan internationally and attract more global partners,” the institute said. Purdue launching center to advocate for Taiwan
The question remains for the citizenry of Indiana and the nation as to whether higher education should be weaponized, particularly in a world of conflict and the profusion of nuclear weapons. Not too long ago over 200 colleges and universities supported programs in Peace Studies. These included curricula and research on war and peace. They were not based on assumptions about the inevitability of war, presumptions about enemies, or even American exceptionalism. However, they were motivated by the recognition that war and violence were among the most prominent afflictions in human history and education and research could play a role in reducing their occurrence.
