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Stefaan Verhulst, PhD

Co-Founder l Research & Development l Social Change l Public Policy I Improving Governance & Science through Data and Innovation

Dr. Stefaan Verhulst, a passionate advocate for leveraging science and technology to enhance decision-making processes, has a rich academic background in communication, media studies, political science, and social science.

He holds a PhD in Communication and Media Studies from Vrije Universiteit Brussel, a Bachelor of Arts in Political and Social Science, and a Master of Arts in Communications Science from Rijks Universiteit Gent.

Dr. Verhulst has held key positions in various prestigious organizations, including being a Co-Founder and Principal Scientific Advisor at The Data Tank, Research Professor at NYU Center for Urban Science + Progress, and Co-Founder of The GovLab at New York University.

His contributions extend to roles such as Senior Advisor at Markle Foundation, Chief of Research at Markle Foundation, and UNESCO Chair in Comparative Communications and Information Law.

Additionally, he has served as an Adjunct Professor at institutions like The GovLab at NYU and The London School of Economics and Political Science. Dr. Verhulst's research endeavors include being a Former Co-Founder and Director at the University of Oxford and a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Glasgow.

Dr. Verhulst's work is dedicated to harnessing data and collective intelligence to drive positive change in decision-making and problem-solving processes, reflecting his commitment to the responsible use of technology and information in driving societal progress.

Highlights

Sep 2 · linkedin

🤔 Great New Report: "Open data in Scotland: a blueprint for unlocking innovation, collaboration and impact". The Open Data Team at the Scottish Government Digital Directorate has just released a great new report: ✅ exploring the domestic and international open data landscape; ✅ assessing Scotland's current status within the global context; ✅ updating existing guidance and identifying new needs for the open data community. ✍️ Kudos to Jack Lord, the editor of the report!

➡️ What’s really exciting and groundbreaking is the report’s embrace of the "Third Wave of Open Data" approach, which shifts the focus to being more purpose-led when designing for data re-use. 📊🔍

🔖 Quote from the report: "Our research suggested that the idea of open data and the principle of open by default are both widely supported. But these abstract and all-encompassing concepts can be overwhelming for publishers (who need to decide what to focus on and in what order) and for open data advocates (who are less likely to make focused arguments to open up specific datasets for specific purposes)."

🤝 "We would therefore recommend that this vision for open data in Scotland reflects the more targeted and attainable approach to publication seen in the so-called third wave of open data, which ‘seeks not simply to open data, but to do so in a way that focuses on impactful reuse, especially through inter-sectoral collaborations and partnerships’...

🔗 Check out the report and its recommendations here: https://lnkd.in/ej-3rK7z 💻 Learn more about the Third Wave of Open Data and 💡how to implement it: https://lnkd.in/dt4rCN3

#OpenData #DataReUse #DigitalScotland #DataInnovation #ThirdWaveOfOpenData #Collaboration

Sep 1 · linkedin

📢 New Policy Brief 👉 Data, when made accessible and re-used responsibly, is at the core of social and economic development, and technological innovation -including artificial intelligence.. yet current data governance efforts to unlock data are fragmented and siloed, and have failed to meaningfully advance data stewardship.

✅ This policy brief suggests a pathway forward: an International Decade for Data (2025-2035) under G20 sponsorship that could bridge and accelerate current efforts. ➡️ Full version at: https://lnkd.in/ePhKAz8h

➡️ By fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders—governments, private sector, civil society, and academia—the IDD aims to create a more unified approach to data governance.

✍️ Co-authors: my colleagues David Passarelli, Muznah Siddiqui and Lorrayne Porciuncula

🤔 Yet, a policy brief is only as good as its adoption 👉 Are leaders meeting for the G20 (Brasil) and the UN (Summit of the Future) serious about addressing today's data and data governance divide?

💻 See also: Unlocking the Potential: The Call for an International Decade of Data at: https://lnkd.in/eKPg7ZrA

#DataGovernance #Innovation #SustainableDevelopment #IDD #G20 #DigitalTransformation #SummitofTheFuture

Stefaan Verhulst, PhD
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Location

New York City Metropolitan Area