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Schmidt Futures, Rhodes Trust Open Applications for Brilliant Nigerian Teens to Join Global Rise Community

Schmidt Futures, in partnership with the Rhodes Trust, announced that young people ages 15 to 17 (as of July 1st, 2023) can apply for the 2023 Rise Global Challenge with the launch of the ‘Rise To’ campaign.

The flagship program of Schmidt Futures and the anchor of a broader $1 billion philanthropic commitment from Eric and Wendy Schmidt, Rise finds brilliant people who need opportunity and supports them for life as they work to serve others. Rise will build a lifelong community of students, teachers, and institutions across sectors who aim to serve others.
The program, which identifies young people between the ages of 15 and 17 from around the world, is designed to encourage a lifetime of service and learning by providing support that could include scholarships, career services, and funding opportunities to help these leaders serve others for decades to come.
Since its inception, Rise has welcomed over 150,000 people from over 170 countries to its community and selected 200 Winners from 69 countries of origin who have showcased their brilliance – from making education more accessible to mitigating global warming and developing tools to better detect cancer.
Schmidt Futures recognizes that talent is created equally, but opportunity is not, which is why the Rise program partners with 30+ global organizations, including NBA Africa, the African Leadership Academy, HALI Network, and BUILD Nigeria, to scour the globe to find brilliant young people who are passionate about building a better world.
Over the last two years, a total of 11 Nigerian students have been selected as Rise Global Winners. Their projects include
- Starting an international NGO to educate the public and solve pressing social issues including gender equality and gender laws in Nigeria;
- Developing a program that offers teacher training programs, a student-centered curriculum as well as internship opportunities for students to receive quality computer science education in public and private schools;
- Building robotics to automate tasks; and
- Increasing access to STEM opportunities for Nigerian girls, among others.
“BUILD Nigeria is thrilled to continue growing our partnership with Rise in Nigeria as we work together to find and support the next generation of young problem-solvers looking to build a better world,” said Tolulope Olasewere, Co-Founder of Build Nigeria.
To celebrate the opening of applications, the ‘Rise To’ creative campaign invites brilliant young minds to continue to turn opportunities into action as they ‘Rise To’ face the world’s most pressing issues. Produced by Ogilvy, the campaign seeks to inspire and foster a global community of 15- to 17-year-olds invested in creating a better future.
Rise has partnered with multi-platinum singer-songwriter Bishop Briggs, known for her viral track “River,” on a series of beautifully shot films and audio ads featuring 2021 Rise Global Winners. The ads will come to life across social media as well as on Spotify and are set to the tune of Brigg’s new single “superhuman.”
The song, which was released today, is inspired by this new generation of young people and recognizes the superhumans that lie dormant in each of us.
“As a new parent, when I wrote “superhuman,” I was inspired by this brilliant up-and-coming generation,” said Bishop Briggs. “The Rise Global Winners’ dedication to building a better world truly exemplifies what the song is about — knowing you have the strength to continue on no matter what comes your way.”
Over the next two weeks, ‘Rise To’ will feature an integrated digital campaign showcasing the diverse brilliance of Rise Global Winners and inviting more to join the community. The activation will involve celebrating two years and 200 Global Winners across two iconic locations — Times Square in New York and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
Winners featured in the ‘Rise To’ campaign include:
- Rushank Goyal (India), who advocates against food adulteration in his community by conducting discussion sessions.
- Leah Mtindya (Zambia), who spreads awareness among teenagers about sexual and reproductive health, trans healthcare, and domestic abuse.
- Saoirse Exton (Ireland), who rewrote Irish mythology from a feminist perspective, foregrounding the strong characters that traditional narratives tended to suppress.
- Artash Nath (Canada), who created a way to measure the effectiveness of COVID-19 lockdowns using seismic vibrations to track human movement.
- Jennifer Uche (United States), who launched a podcast that highlights the importance of youth advocacy and the power of young people to change the world.
Rise Global Winners will receive individualized and flexible support to achieve their goals as they work to serve others. The program is designed to encourage a lifetime of service to develop innovative solutions to solve society’s hard problems.
That’s why Rise provides all applicants, regardless of Winner status, with access to its global network, free online courses, and curated opportunities from partners. To stay up-to-date on the benefits available for Rise applicants each year, please read the Official Rise Challenge Rules by visiting https://www.risefortheworld.org/rules.
“Eric and I have been impressed by the optimism, initiative and curiosity of the young people in the growing Rise community,” said Wendy Schmidt, co-founder of Schmidt Futures and president of the Schmidt Family Foundation. “We are excited to continue expanding this network with the 2023 cohort and can’t wait to see what these talented teens can accomplish when they work together in service for others.”
“We look for hidden brilliance, in whatever form it takes, wherever it is in the world,” said Eric Braverman, CEO of Schmidt Futures. “There are so many extraordinary people who could do so much more to make the world better if they only could find opportunity — and each other. We hope to make the longest bet we can imagine on exceptional talent with perseverance, integrity, and care for others.”
“We know that amazing things happen when talented people from different backgrounds are brought together and given opportunities to study, collaborate, and innovate,” said Elizabeth Kiss, CEO of the Rhodes Trust. “Rise is an extraordinary opportunity for people from every corner of the world to embark on a lifelong journey of service and impact. Wherever you are, we encourage you to apply. You only know what you can achieve when you try.”
All Rise Global Winners receive the following benefits upon selection:
- Residential Summit: A fully-funded, three-week residential summit with other members of the Rise Global Winner cohort.
- Global Winner Network: Access to the Rise Global Winners network to connect on common interests, make service commitments, launch enterprises, and collaborate.
- Counseling and Career Support: Advice and support for applying to university and selecting a career
- Programming: Access to specialized programs, courses, and other opportunities through Rise partners.
- Higher Education Scholarships: A four-year, post-secondary scholarship at any accredited university, including tuition and a living stipend, based on need and where not already covered by financial aid.
- Technology: A technology package, such as a laptop or tablet, to be determined annually.
In addition, all Rise Global Winners can apply for the following benefits:
- Partner Network: Matching to programs, secondary school scholarships, internships, and other benefits from partners who are part of the Rise network.
- Funding Opportunities: Apply for funding to experiment with innovative ideas to address major problems in local communities or around the world—ranging from seed money to start a social enterprise to a grant for a non-profit.
- Education Support: Apply for scholarship funds for a graduate degree.
How to Apply?
The online applications are open on the Rise website and are available until January 25, 2023, at 16:59 GMT. For applicants without access to mobile technology, Rise works with its partners on the ground to offer alternative pathways through paper applications.
Rise provides applicants with multiple opportunities during the application process to showcase their potential through videos, projects, and group interviews. The application allows applicants to select projects most suited to their interests, abilities, and time availability.
The Rise 2023 Challenge has three stages:
- Submission: Applicants introduce themselves through videos, create an individual project that demonstrates their talents and benefits their communities, and peer review other applicants’ projects, among other activities.
- Interview: Rise then selects up to 500 Finalists to advance to “Finalist Days,” where they demonstrate their motivations, problem-solving abilities, and teamwork skills in an innovative interview format.
- Global Winner Selection: From the Finalists, Rise selects 100 Global Winners to receive a lifetime of benefits as they work to serve others.
News
Trump Threatens More Strikes in Nigeria

President Donald Trump has warned that the United States could carry out further military strikes in Nigeria if Christians continue to be killed, reigniting a sensitive debate over religious violence and foreign intervention in Africa’s most populous nation.

President Donald Trump
Trump made the remarks in an interview with The New York Times, published on Thursday, while responding to questions about a US military strike carried out in Nigeria on Christmas Day.
At the time, the US military said the operation targeted Islamic State militants in north-west Nigeria and was conducted at the request of the Nigerian government.
Nigeria, however, described the operation as a joint counterterrorism effort, stressing that it was aimed at armed groups designated as terrorists and “had nothing to do with a particular religion”.
“I’d love to make it a one-time strike,” Trump was quoted as saying. “But if they continue to kill Christians, it will be a many-time strike.”
Pressed on comments by his own Africa adviser that extremist groups such as Islamic State and Boko Haram have killed more Muslims than Christians in Nigeria, Trump acknowledged that Muslims were also victims but insisted that Christians were being targeted disproportionately.
“I think that Muslims are being killed also in Nigeria. But it’s mostly Christians,” he said.
Trump has repeatedly raised alarms about the safety of Christians in Nigeria, beginning in late October when he warned that Christianity faced what he described as an “existential threat” in the country. He has accused Nigerian authorities of failing to adequately protect Christian communities and has openly threatened US military intervention if the violence continues.
Nigeria has firmly rejected claims of systematic persecution of Christians. The government maintains that the country’s security challenges are complex and largely driven by insurgency, banditry and criminal violence rather than religious targeting.
With a population of more than 230 million people, Nigeria is almost evenly divided between Christians, who are concentrated mainly in the south, and Muslims, who predominate in the north. Islamist insurgencies, particularly Boko Haram and its offshoots, have plagued parts of northern Nigeria for more than a decade, killing thousands and displacing millions.
Nigerian authorities have repeatedly pointed out that militant attacks have claimed the lives of both Muslims and Christians, arguing that framing the violence along religious lines oversimplifies the crisis and risks inflaming tensions.
Following Trump’s earlier threats, the Nigerian government said it was willing to continue cooperating with Washington in combating terrorism but rejected language suggesting that Christians alone were under threat.
The latest comments are likely to strain diplomatic relations further, as Nigeria balances its partnership with the United States against concerns over sovereignty, security cooperation and the portrayal of its internal conflicts on the global stage.
News
OpenAI Launches ChatGPT Health

OpenAI maker of ChatGPT is rolling out a health-focused feature to the generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool that’s used by nearly a billion users.

Named ChatGPT Health, the new feature aims to provide users with health and wellness information. This, as health is one of the most common ways people use ChatGPT, according to OpenAI.
In a blog post, Microsoft-backed OpenAI says de-identified analysis of conversations show that over 230 million people globally ask health and wellness-related questions on ChatGPT every week.
ChatGPT Health will also “securely” connect medical records and wellness apps to ground conversations with a user’s own health information, making responses more relevant and useful.
“Designed in close collaboration with physicians, ChatGPT Health helps people take a more active role in understanding and managing their health and wellness – while supporting, not replacing, care from clinicians.”
According to OpenAI, health information is often scattered across portals, apps, wearables, PDFs, and medical notes making it hard to see the full picture, and people are left to navigate a complex healthcare system on their own.
“ChatGPT Health builds on these so responses are informed by your health information and context. You can now securely connect medical records and wellness apps – like Apple Health, Function, and MyFitnessPal – so ChatGPT can help you understand recent test results, prepare for appointments with your doctor, get advice on how to approach your diet and workout routine, or understand the trade-offs of different insurance options based on your healthcare patterns.”
According to the company, ChatGPT Health is designed to support, not replace, medical care, adding that it is not intended for diagnosis or treatment. “Instead, it helps you navigate everyday questions and understand patterns over time – not just moments of illness – so you can feel more informed and prepared for important medical conversations.
“To keep your health information protected and secure, Health operates as a separate space with enhanced privacy to protect sensitive data. Conversations in Health are not used to train our foundation models. If you start a health-related conversation in ChatGPT, we’ll suggest moving into Health for these additional protections.”
OpenAI adds that access to ChatGPT Health has started with a small group of early users to learn and continue refining the experience, adding that users with ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus, and Pro plans outside of the European Economic Area, Switzerland, and the UK are eligible.
“As we make improvements, we plan to expand access and make Health available to all users on web and iOS in the coming weeks.
“Medical record integrations and some apps are available in the US only, and connecting Apple Health requires iOS.”
News
Kaspersky Shares AI Cybersecurity Predictions for 2026

Kaspersky experts outline how the rapid development of AI is reshaping the cybersecurity landscape in 2026, both for individual users and for businesses. Large language models (LLMs) are influencing defensive capabilities while simultaneously expanding opportunities for threat actors.

Deepfakes are becoming a mainstream technology, and awareness will continue to grow. Companies are increasingly discussing the risks of synthetic content and training employees to reduce the likelihood of falling victim to it. As the volume of deepfakes grows, so does the range of formats in which they appear.
At the same time, awareness is rising not only within organisations but also among regular users: end consumers encounter fake content more often and better understand the nature of such threats. As a result, deepfakes are becoming a stable element of the security agenda, requiring a systematic approach to training and internal policies.
Deepfake quality will improve through better audio and a lowering barrier to entry. The visual quality of deepfakes is already high, while realistic audio remains the main area for future growth.
At the same time, content generation tools are becoming easier to use: even non-experts can now create a mid-quality deepfake in just a few clicks. As a result, the average quality continues to rise, creation becomes accessible to a far broader audience, and these capabilities will inevitably continue to be leveraged by cybercriminals.
Online deepfakes will continue to evolve but remain tools for advanced users. Real-time face and voice swapping technologies are improving, but their setup still requires more advanced technical skills. Wide adoption is unlikely, yet the risks in targeted scenarios will grow: increasing realism and the ability to manipulate video through virtual cameras make such attacks more convincing.
Efforts to develop a reliable system for labelling AI-generated content will continue. There are still no unified criteria for reliably identifying synthetic content, and current labels are easy to bypass or remove, especially when working with open-source models. For this reason, new technical and regulatory initiatives aimed at addressing the problem are likely to emerge.
Open-weight models will approach top closed models in many cybersecurity-related tasks, which create more opportunities for misuse. Closed models still offer stricter control mechanisms and safeguards, limiting abuse.
However, open-source systems are rapidly catching up in functionality and circulate without comparable restrictions. This blurs the difference between proprietary models and open-source models both of which can be used efficiently for undesired or malicious purposes.
The line between legitimate and fraudulent AI-generated content will become increasingly blurred. AI can already produce well-crafted scam emails, convincing visual identities, and high-quality phishing pages.
At the same time, major brands are adopting synthetic materials in advertising, making AI-generated content look familiar and visually “normal.” As a result, distinguishing real from fake will become even more challenging, both for users and for automated detection systems.
AI will become a cross-chain tool in cyberattacks and be used across most stages of the kill chain. Threat actors already employ LLMs to write code, build infrastructure, and automate operational tasks.
Further advances will reinforce this trend: AI will increasingly support multiple stages of an attack, from preparation and communication to assembling malicious components, probing for vulnerabilities and deploying tools. Attackers will also work to hide signs of AI involvement, making such operations harder to analyse.
“While AI tools are being used in cyberattacks, they are also becoming a more common tool in security analysis and influence how SOC teams work. Agent-based systems will be able to continuously scan infrastructure, identify vulnerabilities, and gather contextual information for investigations, reducing the amount of manual routine work.
“As a result, specialists will shift from manually searching for data to making decisions based on already-prepared context. In parallel, security tools will transition to natural-language interfaces, enabling prompts instead of complex technical queries,” adds Vladislav Tushkanov, Research Development Group Manager at Kaspersky.
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