The Raisina Dialogue is a multilateral conference held in New Delhi to address pressing geopolitic and geoeconomic challenges, and the goal of the Raisina IE-Global Student Challenge organised as part of the conference is an initiative to engage future leaders in global governance discussions. The Challenge is co-organised by the IE School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs (IE SPEGA) and the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), India’s leading policy think tank.
The theme for the 2026 Raisina IE-Global Student Challenge was “AI in Global Governance” and branched out to two subthemes: ”AI for Civilian Use” and “AI for Military Use.” The challenge brought together 84 students from 80 top schools of government and global affairs from 60 countries around the globe. As part of the challenge, students were assigned to one of 14 groups and assigned a case to prepare over four weeks and present at the conference.
Daya Atreya represented the Geneva Graduate Institute at the event, and her team was allotted to argue in favour of ”AI for Civilian Use”. Together, they presented a policy proposal titled “A Two Level Solution — Global and National Policies for Data Sovereignty and Representative AI Ecosystem”. The proposal aimed to bridge the growing governance divide between the Global North and South, presenting a perfect middle ground for digital diplomacy to be anchored to the Global South with financial compliance from the Global North:
Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping global power, but the structures governing it still reflect deep global inequalities. Our policy, therefore, challenged the idea that the Global South should remain a passive supplier of data while decision-making power and economic gains remain concentrated elsewhere. We wanted to move the conversation toward governance models in which countries and communities that generate data also help set the rules and share in the benefits. For us, the challenge was ultimately about redefining who participates in the data economy — and who gets to shape the future of AI.
Daya Atreya and her team presented and won their case in front of a high-level jury consisting of Stefan Löfven, Former Prime Minister of Sweden; Vina Nadjibulla - Vice-President, Research & Strategy, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada; Gautam Chikermane, Vice President, Observer Research Foundation; and Suzannah Jessep, Chief Executive, Asia New Zealand Foundation.
Of the experience, Daya Atreya said,
Working with teammates from different parts of the world was an eye-opening experience. Each of us brought our own experiences, perspectives, and ways of thinking, and it was amazing to see how those differences shaped our discussions and ideas. It reminded me that tackling global challenges isn’t just about solutions on paper, but about learning from each other and building something together.
Daya Atreya is the second consecutive student to win the Raisina IE-Global Student Challenge from the Geneva Graduate Institute. In 2025, Shruti Merin Lal — Master Student in Anthropology and Sociology and alumna of the Master in International and Development Studies (‘24) — was also part of the winning team for her case study focused on reforming the state of multilateralism.
