Stanford School of Engineering

Stanford Engineering has long been at the forefront of groundbreaking research, education and innovation. Through the development and application of engineering principles across disciplines, we are tackling the major challenges of the 21st century. ackling the major challenges of the 21st century. This university-wide initiative assembles Stanford's eminent scientists and engineers to delve into breakthroughs within frontier technologies shaping the global landscape. Established by cochairs Condoleezza Rice, director of the Hoover Institution; Jennifer Widom, dean of the School of Engineering; and Hoover senior fellows John Taylor and Amy Zegart, this ambitious university-wide initiative assembles Stanford's eminent scientists and engineers to delve into breakthroughs within these technologies and analyze their policy implications for US government decision makers, industry leaders, and the attentive public. "Situated within a world-class liberal arts university and colocated with professional schools and a leading policy research center like the Hoover Institution, Stanford Engineering is uniquely positioned to advance an initiative like the Stanford Emerging Technology Review,” Dean Widom said. “Our school’s legacy of innovation and cross-disciplinary collaboration, spanning from the birth of Silicon Valley to groundbreaking advancements in human health, sets us apart and paves the way for the tremendous impact of this project." “The inaugural release of the Stanford Emerging Technology Review is an important new resource for those trying to keep pace with a rapidly evolving technological landscape,” Director Rice said. “The report combines the policy expertise at Hoover with Stanford scientists who are doing cutting-edge research in the heart of Silicon Valley, and it will serve as a translation of sorts between the two to make the latest breakthroughs continuously accessible to policymakers.” Directed and edited by Herbert Lin, Hank J. Holland Fellow in Cyber Policy and Security, the Review underscores the heightened significance of today's technological advancements. In every era, technology possesses the transformative power to modernize and fortify nations, contributing to saving lives, winning wars, fostering prosperity, and advancing the human condition. Yet, historical instances abound where technology fell into the wrong hands, deployed in ways unintended by its creators—to degrade human talent, stifle societies, and exacerbate challenges rather than solve them. The first edition of the Stanford Emerging Technology Review serves as an indispensable primer for 10 pivotal emerging technology domains: (1) artificial intelligence, (2) biotechnology and synthetic biology, (3) cryptography, (4) sustainable energy technologies, (5) materials science/nanotechnology, (6) neuroscience, (7) nuclear technologies, (8) robotics, (9) semiconductors, and (10) space technologies. At Stanford, the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics integrates multiple engineering disciplines and focuses on structural, aerodynamic, propulsion, and guidance and control challenges posed by aircraft and spacecraft. ...view more