Thursday 6 February, 15.00
Chester Room, Nuffield College
OXFORD TECHNOLOGY AND SECURITY NEXUS
Topic: The Role of Internal Skills and Expertise in Public Sector Digital Transformation — Case Studies from Estonia, Singapore, NZ, UK, & SA
Speaker: Aaron Maniam (Blavatnik School of Government)
Aaron Maniam is a Fellow of Practice and Director for Digital Transformation Education at the Oxford Blavatnik School of Government, where he focuses on issues connecting technology, public policy and public administration. He teaches on the School’s Master of Public Policy and executive education programmes, and convenes its digital “thematic cluster”, bringing together scholarship and practice on digital issues. He co-chairs the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on the Future of Technology Policy and is a member of the OECD’s Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence (AI) Futures.
Previously a policymaker in the Singapore government, he was most recently Deputy Secretary (Industry & International) at the Singapore Ministry of Communications & Information. Before that, he served in the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Trade & Industry, the Public Service Division and Civil Service College. Aaron did his PhD at the Blavatnik School of Government on a Clarendon Scholarship, focused on comparing the work of leading digital states like Estonia, New Zealand and Singapore. He holds an MPP from the School (with Distinction), a Master of Arts in International and Development Economics from Yale University, and a BA (double first-class honours) from Oxford in Philosophy, Politics and Economics.
The Oxford Technology and Security Nexus meets at Nuffield College as well as hybrid on Zoom. The group ultimately aims to break down siloes between academic research and policy/security practitioners’ work, demystify the political and security implications of new technologies, and foster better findings- and ideas-sharing among the broader Oxford community invested in these topics.
Attendance to all sessions is open to graduate students and members of the academic or policy communities. Group attendance may be limited; it is encouraged for all interested participants to contact Elisabeth (elisabeth.siegel@politics.ox.ac.uk) in advance to secure their place and receive the preparatory materials.
