This is part of a series of columns written by Arts & Sciences Student Ambassadors.
The Milstein Program in Technology and Humanity is a four-year program that brings together a small cohort of students interested in the intersection of technology, society, and the humanities. It provides funding for independent projects, the opportunity to participate in a summer at Cornell Tech, and the resources to pursue long-term research. What makes it unique is that it gives you the flexibility to connect technical work with questions around policy, ethics, and global dynamics.
My favorite part is easily the Cornell Tech program! Last summer, I lived on Roosevelt Island for eight weeks, and it was an amazing opportunity to be in the center of New York City while also being immersed in a research environment where labs such as the Social Tech Lab and Digital Life Initiative are focused on cutting-edge research on the social and environmental effects of emerging technologies.
While in this program, I took courses in Digital Making and Physical Making and spent most of my time building my own project. Over the last two weeks of the program, I built an AI chatbot designed to answer questions on U.S.-China relations, and analyze investment risk and broader geopolitical dynamics, especially around technology.
Being able to work closely with professors and graduate student mentors significantly influenced my ability to execute this project.
I’m still close to several of the people I met that summer! We spent a lot of time together outside of class, whether hosting potlucks or matcha socials, and those friendships have carried into collaborating on research and planning future trips.
Azam-Naseeruddin is an Asian studies and College Scholar major in the College of Arts & Sciences.
