The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) is now accepting applications for the ninth Young Strategists Forum to be held in Tokyo, Japan from January 27 to February 1, 2023. The Young Strategists Forum seeks to develop a new generation of strategic thinkers for an age of constrained resources and mounting international challenges. The 2023 Young Strategists Forum will begin with a half-day, interactive seminar led by Bonnie Glaser, director of the GMF Asia Program. The seminar will help participants to understand strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific. This will be followed by a 36-hour grand strategy simulation led by Zack Cooper, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and co-director of the Alliance for Securing Democracy at GMF. Participants will take on the roles of the United States and other major regional powers as they pursue long-term goals and carefully allocate military, diplomatic, and economic resources while navigating a series of crises. At the end of the exercise, participants will be debriefed on lessons learned. The simulation will be followed by a two-day study tour focused on the US-Japan alliance. Participants will have an opportunity to visit a major military facility and to interact with Japanese experts, politicians, business leaders, and government officials to gain a high-level perspective on Japanese strategic thinking. To give participants an opportunity to share their perspectives on key military, political, and economic issues, GMF will publish a series of papers by Young Strategists Forum participants after the conclusion of the program. International airfare, domestic travel, meals, accommodation, and ground transportation during YSF will be covered by the organizers.

This call for applications is open to emerging leaders--academics, journalists, policymakers, business professionals, and military officers--between the ages of 25 and 40, from the United States, Europe, Japan, and other likeminded countries in the Indo-Pacific. For more information and to access the application portal, visit the Young Strategists Forum webpage at https://www.gmfus.org/young-strategists-forum

Applicants will be asked to submit an application form, a current resume or CV, and a personal statement explaining why you are applying for the Young Strategists Forum and how you will contribute to and benefit from this program (no more than 750 words). GMF will accept applications on a rolling basis but no later than Monday, October 31, at 11:59 ET. If you have any questions, contact GMF Asia program assistant Julia Pallanch at JPallanch@gmfus.org.