Up Close & Policy: Research, Parliament and evidence on digitisation

About this seminar

In this session of Up Close & Policy we explore why and how to engage research with parliament. The panel will discuss their experiences of working together on the topic of digitisation, equity and access, and how research can inform parliamentary decision-making. We welcome Stephen Metcalfe MP, chair of the All Parliamentary Party Group on AI and Dr Lorna Christie, Physical and Digital Sciences Advisor at the Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology (POST), alongside UCL's Dr Jack Stilgoe, to delve into some of the possible routes to parliamentary engagement.

Chair
Dr Irina Brass, Associate Professor in Regulation, Innovation and Public Policy, UCL Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy. Her research interests are in the regulation of emerging technologies and the governance of responsible innovation. Dr Brass has a background in public policy, regulation and standardisation, with research that spans across radio spectrum management, intellectual property and competition rules, data protection, cybersecurity and safety regulations. She holds a PhD in Government from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), having looked at the role that standards-making organisations play in defining radio spectrum policy and regulations for cellular and wireless communications.

Internal UCL Speaker
Dr Jack Stilgoe is a Senior Lecturer in Social Studies of Science at University College London. He has spent his professional life in the overlap between science policy research and science policy practice, first at UCL’s department of Science and Technology Studies, then at the think tank Demos, then the Royal Society and then the University of Exeter. He has published and presented his academic and policy research to audiences around the world. Working with academics, policymakers, the media and others, he has helped advance debates on emerging technologies, public engagement with science, the use of expert advice and the value of innovation.

External Speakers
Stephen Metcalfe MP, Conservative MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for AI. Stephen is the Conservative MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock, and has been an MP continuously since 6 May 2010. He has previously been a member of the Commons Science and Technology Committee and Commons Liaison Committee and is currently co-chair of the APPG AI with Lord Clement-Jones CBE.

Dr Lorna Christie is a Physical Sciences Adviser at the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST). POST’s main role is to produce impartial, non-partisan, and peer-reviewed briefings, designed to make scientific research accessible to members of the UK Parliament. Lorna’s background is in chemistry, and she obtained a PhD in inorganic chemistry from the University of Glasgow in 2017. Since working as an Adviser at POST, Lorna has produced briefings on a wide range of topics including 5G technology, security of UK telecoms networks, chemical weapons, online safety education, and food fraud, and has supported the work of several parliamentary select committees.

About the series
Beyond ministers and their advisers, policy decisions are informed and made by a wide group of people. This series looks at who they are, what they do and how the research community works with the world of public policy to inform decision making.

The Up Close & Policy Series features UCL researchers in open conversation with policy professionals drawn from a wide range of organisations. Come along for your chance to ask the experts about the opportunities and pitfalls in engaging with the world of public policy, find out the insights they have gained, and hear what they consider are the key lessons for successful engagement.

UCL Public Policy is committed to increasing the diversity and inclusivity of its activities. We encourage people from under-represented groups (BAME, LGBTQ+, a mature student, or disabled) to attend.