Speaker at Kean University 2025 Honors Convocation

Join us at the New York University Global Public Health School on 8 March 2024 at 4:00 PM ET for a book talk with Urs Gasser as he delves into his latest work, "Guardrails." In this talk, Gasser will explore the ways in which societal norms shape our decision-making processes in an era saturated with data and dominated by rapidly advancing technologies like artificial intelligence.

On Thursday, 24 February, Stefaan will discuss “Data technologies and data as a public good” at the sixth annual Government of Canada Data Conference, co-hosted by the Canada School of Public Service and Statistics Canada. He will be joined by Jennifer Miller, Director General, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, and Marc Brouillard, Chief Digital Officer, Fisheries and Oceans Canada.  Learn more and register here: https://www.csps-efpc.gc.ca/events/data-conference2022/index-eng.aspx

On Thursday, 24 February, The GovLab's Stefaan Verhulst will also be hosting a course titled “Data Driven Service Design: Potential, Practice and Challenges. Service Design Masterclass” for the university POLI.design. The course will explore the digital transformation of society and ways to “develop partnerships that allow for more data driven design service.” It will also explore the organizational and societal opportunities and implications of re-using data for service design. Learn more and register here: https://www.polidesign.net/en/formazione/business-design/corso--service-design-masterclass-data-driven-service-design-potential-practice-and-challenges/

On Wednesday, 23 February 2022, Stefaan Verhulst will participate in the Data Science for Impact conference. The half-day, virtual event will examine how data can be used to support the social sector. Participants will learn how to apply machine learning and data analytics to support their work.

The GovLab’s AI Ethics course, a collection of lectures on the ethical implications of artificial intelligence from different perspectives, will host its seventh Global Perspectives on AI Ethics panel. Led by The GovLab’s Stefaan Verhulst and NYU Center for Responsible AI’s Julia Stoyanovich, attendees will hear from Avinash Dadhich (GLA University), Cristina Pombo (Inter-American Development Bank), and Natalia Domagala (UK Cabinet Office) as they explore issues such as regulation promoting innovation, and the role of algorithmic transparency.

On Thursday, 27 January 2022, Stefaan Verhulst participate in the 2nd ICT4D Conference, a virtual gathering of over 700 actors involved in development and humanitarian response. There, he will participate in a panel on “Defining responsibilities in data sharing” together with Shreya Agarwal (Digital Green), Caitlin Augustin (DataKind), Immaculata Mwanja (Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team), Joseph Oliveros (International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - IFRC). The panelists will discuss the different forms of fdata collaboration, the advantages and disadvantages of data sharing, and the enablers of responsible and impactful data sharing. 

On 24 January 2022 from 9:00 AM EST, The GovLab’s Stefaan Verhulst will also be participating in the “ELISE Webinar: Emerging Approaches for Data-Driven Innovation in Europe,” as a part of its third panel titled “The social and organizational dimensions of data-driven innovation at the local level” alongside Lina Dencik from Cardiff University and Hillen Oost from Association of Dutch Municipalities / Futura Nova.eu. 

On 18 January 2022 from 8:00–10:00 AM EST, The GovLab’s Stefaan Verhulst will be participating in an online event hosted by the FARI – AI Institute for the Common Good on “AI, Data, and Robotics for Brussels and the Common Good.” The event will explore how AI, data, and robotics can be used for Brussels’s citizens, administrations, and companies. Stefaan will lead a keynote address on Urban AI. He will be joined by Aimee van Wynsberghe (Foundation for Responsible Robotics), who will discuss AI and sustainability, and Holger Hoss (Confederation of Laboratories for Artificial Intelligence Research in Europe), who will discuss the future of European AI.

Governments across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa are increasingly turning to data for improved service delivery, knowledge sharing, and governance revitalization. What are some of the successes and challenges faced along the way? What ethical, social, and economic considerations do future government digitalization policies need to account for? Join Building Data Governance Strategies in the EMEA: A 100 Questions Initiative - an event hosted by The GovLab to reflect on the questions identified and how to operationalize them in Europe and the MENA region. Register at bit.ly/100QEMEA and take part in public voting at https://governance.the100questions.org

How can governments take better steps to inform citizens and source and use data to improve governance processes? What role do non-profits, watchdogs, and lay citizens play in implementing and overseeing a responsible, inclusive, and accountable transition to data-driven democracy? For the last few months, The GovLab, the Asia Foundation, BRAC Institute of Governance & Development Bangladesh, and The Centre for Strategic and International Studies Indonesia have sought to source the questions that data could answer toward transforming the way different societies govern themselves. Following a prioritization effort among a large cohort of “bilinguals,” global experts in both data science and governance, we have released the 10 curated questions for public voting. Please join Doing Data-Driven Democracy Right: A 100 Governance Questions Initiative - an event hosted by The GovLab to reflect on the questions identified and how to operationalize them in an Americas context. Register at bit.ly/100QAmericas Take part in public voting at https://governance.the100questions.org

On 1 December at 8:45 AM EST, UNICEF Program Officer and RD4C team member Eugenia Olliaro will participate in a discussion titled, “Protecting children’s data, privacy and prioritizing fairness in an AI world,” as a part of the Global Forum on AI for Children hosted by UNICEF and the Government of Finland. Joined by other participants — Maria Luciana Axente (Responsible AI and AI for Good Lead, PwC), Edson Prestes (Full Professor, Federal University of Rio Grande Sul), and Julia Reuben (Assistant Deputy Director, Allegheny County Children, Youth, and Families) — the breakout session will focus on the RD4C Principles and how they can reduce unwanted and discriminatory bias for children through better policies and practice. More information can be found at https://rd4c.org/articles/responsible-ai-rd4c-at-unicef-global-forum-on-ai-for-children/index.html. Register for the event at https://www.lyyti.fi/reg/Unicef_Global_Forum_4584.

On 1 December 2021 at 8:40–9:40 AM EST, Stefaan will moderate a panel on “Latin America’s transition to a data-driven economy” as part of the Latin American Congress on the Fourth Industrial Revolution, a conference by the  C4IR Centres in Brazil and Colombia to mobilize action toward inclusive and sustainable development in Latin America. Participants—including Sheila Warren (Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution), Kimberly Bella (VISA International), Fabrizio Scrollini (Latin American Open Data Initiative), and Daniel Gomez (Colombia’s National Planning Department)—will discuss the opportunities presented by data for Latin America. Additional information and registration can be found at https://www.congresolatam4ir.co/es/congresodelacuartarevolucionindustrial.

On 29 November, the Big Data for Migration Alliance is hosting an event on digital self-determination and migration titled “Harnessing data innovation for migration policy in Europe and Africa.” Hosted at the Robert Bosch Foundation in Berlin in a hybrid format, it will include a day of discussions on how “data innovation can concretely help to improve evidence on migration for policymaking.” It will bring together expert stakeholders across the public sector, private sector, and civil society to better understand digital self-determination in the context of migration policymaking. BD4M is also soliciting guest blog posts from experts in the field reflecting on data innovation for migration during the lead up to the event. More information about the event, the call for guest blog posts, and event registration can be found at https://data4migration.org/harnessing-data-innovation-for-migration-policy-in-europe-and-africa:-state-of-the-art-and-future-directions/.

On 29 November 2021, Stefaan Verhulst will also participate in an online panel as part of Vrije Universiteit Brussel’s Ethics Week 2021. The panel, “Magic Numbers: Data, Statistics, and Integrity,” will look at the ways that open data can promote scientific integrity and offer researchers good data practices for their work. The panel will be led by Professor Jean-Claude Burgelman (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) and, in addition to Stefaan, include Sabina Leonelli (University of Exeter), Dr Mahlet Zimeta (Open Data Institute), and Lennart Martens (Ghent University). Information and registration can be found here.

On 23 November 2021, The GovLab’s Stefaan Verhulst will host a roundtable on moving “From data intelligence to decision intelligence” at the EU DataViz 2021 conference.

On 22 November 2021, The GovLab is hosting a webinar “Children in Humanitarian Crisis — How to Use Data Responsibly.” Featuring speakers from the OCHA Centre for Humanitarian Data, The GovLab, and UNICEF, the event will focus on the Principles for Data Responsibility in Humanitarian Action, released this year by Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) as part of its Operational Guidance on Data Responsibility.  Information and registration can be found at: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_heWnrB8WTpCP5XVCLwviKg

Organized by AI for People, the event aims to bring together academics from interdisciplinary fields as well as artists, citizens, and nonprofits. Anyone interested in AI is invited to attend the series of workshops, keynotes, and roundtables. Additional information and registration can be found at https://aiforpeople.org/conference/.

On 18 November, The GovLab’s Stefaan Verhulst will be participating in a panel on “Global Data Dynamics” as part of AIOASM 2021, an annual international conference organized by the AI Impact Alliance on the social impacts of artificial intelligence. Led by Kai-Hsin Hung (HEC Montréal), Stefaan will discuss the role of new sharing partnerships in the digital economy, emerging business models and frameworks for national and international partnerships, and the digital economy commons. Stefaan will be joined by Amrita Nanda (AAPTI Institute) and Jessica Leblanc (TIESS). The full agenda can be found at https://spark.adobe.com/page/6HPgm2Oik8HH3/. Registration for the event can be found at http://iaenmissionsociale.com/inscription/.

On 10 November 2021 at 11:00 AM EST, The GovLab’s Stefaan Verhulst will discuss UNCTAD’s latest report as part of a panel discussion titled “Digital Economy Report 2021: Cross-Border Data Flows and Development: For Whom the Data Flows.” Stefaan and his co-panelists—which include Susan Aaronson (George Washington University), Bob Fay (Centre for International Governance Innovation), Torbjörn Fredriksson (UNCTAD), Fernando Perini (International Development Research Centre), Lorrayne Porciuncula (Internet and Jurisdiction Policy Network), and Erin Tansey (International Development Research Centre)—will reflect on the most important data governance issues facing the world and how the voices of developing countries can be represented in discussions on data governance. The virtual event will be hosted in English with simultaneous French translation.

As part of the 100 Questions Governance Domain, The Asia Foundation invites guests to discuss how data can be leveraged for good governance.

From 25–28 October, The GovLab joins the World Bank among other partners in organizing the Symposium on Data Analytics and Anticorruption, an online and in-person event to review research on transparency and anti-corruption. The event will include researchers from around the world and cover new data-driven approaches for detecting and measuring corruption, assessing anti-corruption tools and interventions, and contributing to new knowledge.

For the last few months, The GovLab, the Asia Foundation, BRAC Institute of Governance & Development, and The Centre for Strategic and International Studies Indonesia have sought to source the questions that data could answer toward transforming the way different societies govern themselves. Following a prioritization effort among a large cohort of “bilinguals,” global experts in both data science and governance, we will be releasing the 10 curated questions for public voting during a side-event of the UN General Assembly.

This online event, co-organized by Nesta, will explore how collective intelligence is crucial to improve public leaders skills in order to create a more participatory culture. It will run from 9:00am-10:30am on Oct 20. Register: https://www.eventsforce.net/nesta/frontend/reg/tRegisterEmailNew.csp?pageID=4715&eventID=19&tempPersonID=6410