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Francesca Bria and Ian Hogarth join IIPP faculty ahead of new MPA

11 January 2019

Rising stars in digital transformation and artificial intelligence, Francesca Bria and Ian Hogarth, have been appointed Visiting Professors at the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose (IIPP).

Francesca Bria and Ian Hogarth join IIPP

As Visiting Professors at IIPPFrancesca and Ian will bring cutting-edge thinking and practice-based insights in the emerging fields of digital transformation and artificial intelligence to the Master of Public Administration (MPA) in Innovation, Public Policy and Public Value to equip our first cohort of students with the skills required to tackle the grand challenges of the 21st century.
 

Francesca Bria

Francesca Bria has advised governments, public and private organisations and movements on technology and innovation policy, and its socio-economic impact. She is currently the Commissioner of Digital Technology and Innovation for the City of Barcelona in Spain and she is leading the DECODE project on data sovereignty in Europe.

Francesca's work focuses on one of the key issues of our time: how can we give people the ownership of their data? In her recent report (co-authored with Evgeny Morozov), she explores how can societies regain control not only over digital technology, data, and infrastructure, but also over the services that are mediated by smart technologies—such as utilities, transportation, education, and health

She also serves as an adviser for the European Commission on Future Internet and Innovation Policy.

IIPP Deputy Director Rainer Kattel says,

"Francesca is a leading thinker on how to make data serve the citizens and not the other way around. Her work with the City of Barcelona in data democracy will be vital in shaping IIPP research in digital transformation in the public sector."

Ian Hogarth

An engineer and entrepreneur, Ian Hogarth has been involved with software during his entire career. After a year in Beijing studying Mandarin, Ian went on to found Songkick.com, the concert service.

He is an angel investor in over 40 start-ups, many of which are applying machine learning to markets like agriculture, construction, drug discovery, medical imaging, property and sales. He co-authored the State of AI in 2018 report summarising progress in machine learning research and commercialisation, and writes and speaks on the political and economic implications of machine learning.

He is also the author of the influential report on AI Nationalism in which he argues that the continued rapid progress in machine learning will drive the emergence of a new kind of geopolitics, namely AI nationalism. Warning against such a dangerous path, Ian argues "AI policy will become the single most important area of government policy."

Ian believes IIPP will significantly influence the most ambitious policy makers in the years to come and is looking forward to spending more time in the UCL world, engaging with the great group of minds IIPP has assembled including Mike Bracken, Carlota Perez and Josh Ryan-Collins.

IIPP Director Mariana Mazzucato says, 

"We are thrilled Ian has joined the IIPP team. His experience and expertise will be fundamental in shaping the way IIPP interacts with the question: ‘How can AI and Big Data be governed and shaped for the public good driven by public value?’"

Our MPA in Innovation, Public Purpose and Public Value focuses on developing an in-depth understanding of the economics of innovation, technological, social and institutional innovations, alongside cutting-edge thinking and practice around public administration and governance, strategic design and digital transformation. 

Part-time study details have been added to the MPA page. Click here to learn more.