Summer Internship in International Affairs. Geoeconomics, Technology & Security Analyst

Global Institute of National Capability (GINC)

Format: Remote (10 Weeks) · Team‑based · AI Skills · Slack‑first collaboration

Focus: Comparative national capability across nine areas (Critical Technology, Strategic Infrastructure, National Security, Human Capital, Information & Influence, Governance & Integrity, Financial Strength, Production & Innovation, Investment & Trade)

Outcome: One professional, defendable assessment per team; LinkedIn‑verifiable GINC badge; top teams invited to regional roundtables

What this internship is

A 10‑week, project‑based program where small teams assess three countries across the nine areas of national capability. You’ll combine top‑down hypotheses with bottom‑up indicators, stress‑test your claims through red‑teaming, and deliver a defended assessment to expert judges.

You will leave with:

• A publishable‑quality country capability dossier and defense deck
• Hands‑on practice using AI as a research copilot (with rigorous human verification)
• A GINC Summer Analyst digital badge for LinkedIn (with optional “Merit/Distinction” notations)
• Eligibility for regional roundtable invitations

How it works

• Teams & Slack: You’ll collaborate in dedicated Slack channels, with weekly live sessions (webinars, clinics), and async threads for research, data, and feedback.
• Single integrated project: One shared product per team (executive brief, full assessment, indicator workbook, argument maps, slides) defended in Week 10.
• AI throughout, with guardrails: We use approved GenAI tools for brainstorming, literature triage, synthesis, argument mapping, scenario ideation, and meeting summarization—never as a substitute for evidence. All claims require sources; teams document AI prompts/outputs in an AI log and verify facts before inclusion.
• Time commitment: Designed for a serious summer load (recommendation: ~20–30 hours/week, combining live and async work).
• Support: Weekly office hours (Ask‑Me‑Anything), data help threads, and red‑team coaching.

Weekly guide (with AI usage highlighted)

Week 1 — Onboarding & Intro to National Capability

Live welcome + Q&A; overview of the framework; materials shared; collect country preferences.

AI this week: orientation to GINC’s AI guardrails; quick demo on prompt hygiene and citation discipline.

Deliverables: Team charter; scope statement; Slack setup.

Week 2 — Project Design & Data Architecture

Teams announced; project outline and step‑by‑step process; teams create channels and approach; GenAI demo for brainstorming, idea capture, and research triage; start argument maps.

AI this week: ideation, literature surfacing, preliminary source scans, structured argument‑map building.

Deliverables: Methods memo v1; data/source registry; initial argument map.

Week 3 — Evaluation Framework Build

Training on rubrics and the GINC evaluation rubric; craft top‑down hypotheses for all nine areas; produce hypotheses for each of the three countries. Session on AI‑supported evaluations and how to red‑team them.

AI this week: draft comparative rubrics, generate hypothesis “strawmen,” and run AI‑assisted red‑team prompts to expose gaps—then verify manually.

Deliverables: Framework v1; nine‑area hypotheses per country; AI log entries with verification notes.

Week 4 — Hard Capability Analysis

Three webinars: Critical Technology, Strategic Infrastructure, National Security. Teams run bottom‑up assessments and share internally.

AI this week: indicator extraction checklists, evidence synthesis, outline drafting; caution flags for hallucinations.

Deliverables: Hard‑capability sections + cited indicators.

Week 5 — Soft Capability Analysis

Three webinars: Human Capital, Information & Influence, Governance & Integrity. Continue bottom‑up work.

AI this week: sentiment/topic clustering for media/governance sources, policy‑document summarization, bias checks.

Deliverables: Soft‑capability sections + methods notes.

Week 6 — Economic & Financial Capability

Three webinars: Financial Strength, Production & Innovation, Investment & Trade.

AI this week: table/figure drafting, sensitivity‑analysis scaffolds, cross‑country comparator generation (manually validated).

Deliverables: Econ/financial sections + sensitivity tables.

Week 7 — Synthesis & First Full Draft Submission

Integration clinic and last‑mile tips; submit full bottom‑up evaluation at the most granular level by week’s end.

AI this week: narrative smoothing, duplication checks, terminology harmonization, figure/slide drafts.

Deliverables: Full Draft v1 (report + workbook + slides).

Week 8 — Red‑Team Round

Each team is assigned another team’s draft to red‑team. Conduct a 30‑minute feedback webinar; the session is AI‑summarized and posted async.

AI this week: structured critique prompts (assumptions/data/logic), meeting auto‑summaries with action items.

Deliverables: Red‑team memo + AI summary; response plan.

Week 9 — Adjustment Week

Incorporate feedback; resolve challenges to assumptions/data; finalize evaluation in GINC template.

AI this week: change‑tracking, consistency checks, executive‑summary drafting (human‑edited), reference cross‑checks.

Deliverables: Final submission package (report, workbook, argument maps, slides).

Week 10 — Oral Presentation & Defense

60‑minute presentations + Q&A; judges push on method, evidence, and implications.

AI this week: speaker notes rehearsal, Q&A bank generation, timing practice.

Deliverables: Approved final package; GINC badge issued; roundtable selections announced.

What you’ll build (deliverables)

• Executive brief (1–2 pages) and defense deck
• Full comparative assessment across nine areas for three countries
• Indicator workbook with sources, transformations, and limitations
• Argument maps linking claims → evidence → assumptions → risks
• AI log documenting prompts, outputs kept/discarded, and human verification

Why you should apply

• Real‑world relevance: Geoeconomics, technology, and security are converging—this program sits at that intersection.
• Method + evidence, not buzzwords: You’ll learn how to build defensible frameworks, not just summaries.
• AI fluency with rigor: Use AI to go faster and raise quality—within a professional verification workflow.
• Career signal: A recognisable GINC badge plus a portfolio piece you can show to employers.
• Network & visibility: Feedback from practitioners; top teams invited to GINC regional roundtables.

Assessment & recognition

• Scoring: Methodological rigor (30%), Evidence quality (25%), Insight & relevance (25%), Communication (10%), Teamwork (10%).
• Badging: GINC Summer Analyst (2025); distinctions for top performers (Merit, Distinction).
• Roundtables: Selections consider composite score and topic diversity.

Eligibility & expectations

• Advanced undergraduates, master’s, and early‑career professionals in IR/IA, economics, public policy, data/CS, security studies, area studies, or adjacent fields.
• Comfort with evidence synthesis and collaborative writing. Prior coding is a plus but not required.
• Workload: Plan ~20–30 hrs/week across live sessions and async teamwork.

Responsible AI & data policy

• Cite everything. No AI‑generated claims without sources.
• No confidential or personal data in prompts.
• Human‑in‑the‑loop: Every AI‑assisted output is reviewed and, if used, edited by humans.
• Transparency: Maintain your AI log; be ready to show it during defense.

Ready to level up?

Join a focused cohort, learn to think like an analyst, and graduate with a defensible, portfolio‑ready assessment—and the GINC credential to back it up.