2026 International Scholarship Recipients Announced

2026 Global Changemakers Workshop — Decision Making in an Age of AI

We are delighted to announce this year's Aspen Institute New Zealand scholarship recipients for the 2026 Global Changemakers Workshop, taking place in Hyderabad, India this September.

The workshop, hosted by the Aspen Institute International Partners and the Ananta Aspen Centre, will bring together emerging leaders from across the global Aspen network to explore how leaders can navigate the opportunities and constraints of artificial intelligence, examining questions of accountability, governance, and the evolving relationship between institutions and the public.

Arne Larsen is a Research Analyst at the McGuinness Institute Te Hononga Waka, where he has spent several years examining how AI is shaping future trends and how it can support policy analysts in their work. He holds a BA in International Relations and Public Policy from Victoria University in Wellington, and has attended the ASPI Sydney Dialogue and spent three months with the Strategic Foresight Team of Defence Futures and Force Design in the UK. Closer to home, he participated in last year's Aspen-Otago National Security Forum. On receiving his scholarship to attend the Global Changemakers Workshop, Arne shared: "I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity, and thrilled to be representing Aspen NZ."

Alexander Plimmer is an incoming Master of Public Administration candidate at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs. He comes to Columbia from BDO New Zealand, where working in Business Advisory gave him a front-row view of how quickly AI and emerging technologies are changing organisations, and deepened his interest in the intersection of technology, economics, and responsible governance. At Columbia, he plans to focus on how institutions can adapt to technological and societal change while maintaining accountability and public trust. Alex attended last year's Aspen NZ Socrates seminar, Will We Ever Trust the News Again?, before being selected for this scholarship. On his award, he shared: "At a time of such uncertainty and change, the Aspen Institute Global Changemakers Workshop offers an opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue on artificial intelligence. I look forward to addressing one of the defining challenges of our generation alongside emerging leaders from around the world, and to exploring how it can be harnessed to strengthen decision making in a global society."

Congratulations to both Arne and Alex, and we look forward to seeing the perspectives they bring home from Hyderabad.

Thank you to all the scholarship applicants, and to the Aspen Institute's International Partners team in Washington, D.C., for making this opportunity possible.