Looking forward to my visit to Florianópolis, Brazil. I will deliver a masterclass on governance and innovation in smart cities as part of a Council on Australia Latin America Relations (COALAR) grant funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia at the KCWS2019: SUSTENTABILIDADE E INOVAÇÃO NA ERA DO CONHECIMENTO.
I am spending the next two weeks in Brazil visiting colleagues and developing research partnerships. I will deliver two research seminars:
Shaping the Future of Autonomous Systems in Society: Research with Impact
Emerging technologies are fundamentally impacting and transforming all aspects of our society. I am particularly concerned with how technological innovations impact 1) the design of our public institutions, 2) the apparatuses through which we shape, implement, and evaluate public policies, and 3) our governance frameworks for public goods. All indications suggest that we are moving toward a world where autonomous systems will dictate how we interface and interact with other agents and objects in our society. We can take advantage of emerging technologies to make our societies more livable, just, resilient, and sustainable. To realize this future, we need active and sustained engagement by scholars across a myriad of disciplines, especially public policy and management.
Public policy and governance scholars have largely been absent when it comes to engineering efforts related to the design and deployment of autonomous systems and policy debates that will shape their impact on our society. In this talk, I will outline why we need active engagement by public policy and management scholars during phases of autonomous systems development and implementation. Examples will be drawn from over a dozen research engagements that have studied emerging technologies in the public sector, from predictive analytic systems to blockchain, social media platforms, and machine learning algorithms. I will outline key governance dilemmas and policy challenges confronting public agencies as they try to keep up with the rapid pace of technological innovations.
Studying complex phenomena requires us to undertake research that 1) draws on multiple disciplines, 2) engages a diverse group of stakeholders, 3) appreciates a plurality of research approaches, and 4) generates actionable solutions. Executing inter-disciplinary research is no easy feat to accomplish. Researchers face daunting challenges from the onset; beginning with the inception of ideas, continuing to the crafting of problem statements, executing the research process, and then communicating the results via publications in academic and practitioner outlets. However, these challenges should not be viewed as an excuse to abandon inter-disciplinary research in favor of narrowly focused research exercises. Opportunities for use-inspired research will be discussed. In addition, I will present a working model for executing inter-disciplinary research that has served me well. I will openly share some of the trials and tribulations that I have encountered along the way.
Scheduling meetings: Feel free to send me an email. I will be in Vitória from Aug 10-13 and in Rio de Janeiro from Aug 14-18.
In the October issue of India Management, published by the All India Management Association, I have an article on the art and science of intrapreneurship.
I am looking forward to visiting Moscow to deliver a keynote at the Startup Village 2018. Hosted by the Skolkovo Foundation in collaboration with the Foundation’s partners, Startup Village is the largest startup conference for technology entrepreneurs in Russia and the CIS countries. Since its launch, Startup Village has proven itself to be a unique platform where startup founders and innovators meet successful entrepreneurs, investors, large technology corporations, and representatives of city administration to discuss technological trends, ideas, and the nurturing of the next generation of Russian entrepreneurs. This global event annually brings together thousands of participants from all over the world, hosting more than 15,000 participants within two days in 2017.
Credit: Salzburg Global Seminar/Ela Grieshaber.
I am looking forward to participating in the Mechanics for the Future: How Can Governments Transform Themselves? session at the Salzburg Global Forum.
Governments worldwide are under pressure to meet complex needs as populations age, countries urbanize, and technology transforms lives and work. They have lead responsibility to prepare their societies for a radically changing world, yet face shrinking budgets and declining trust in the public sector. The machinery of government has changed, requiring governments to transform themselves, both in terms of the methodology they use and the people needed to implement the change. What is the role of government in driving innovation? How can countries and cities learn from each other? How can governments recruit and retain the best people in public service with the right skills? How can governments better harness the market, and strengthen constructive partnerships with civil society and the private sector? What types of public communication work best to rebuild public trust?
See here for a list of attendees.
As part of the meeting, I will be leading a discussion on the potential for advances in artificial intelligence (AI) to transform how we govern. We will employ a case study that I co-authored with Richard T. Watson (Regents Professor and the J. Rex Fuqua Distinguished Chair for Internet Strategy, University of Georgia). The case study takes place in a country, Intelligensia, and is focused on deploying AI systems to modernize the national healthcare system and improve quality of life outcomes.
Had a great time in Milan at Università Bocconi. See here for coverage on some of the work done: [Link] [Link]
The IBM Center for the Business of Government released my new report today.
Delivering Artificial Intelligence in Government: Challenges and Opportunities
This report reviews recent progress made in applying artificial intelligence to public sector service provision, drawing on lessons learned from commercial experience as well as burgeoning cognitive computing activity by Federal, State, local, and international governments.
To access the report, please click here.
Source: December 8, 2017 – Governing
 |
 |
 |
I will be visiting colleagues at Audencia Business School (France), University of Antwerp (Belgium), and Lancaster University (England) over the next couple of weeks. During my visit, I will deliver several public lectures, attend research forums, and work on collaborative research projects.
Schedule:
Audencia Business School – Research presentation: November 13, 2017
Antwerp Management School – Research presentation: November 15, 2017; IT Governance Discussion with Graduate Students
Lancaster University Management School – Research presentation: November 16, 2017; Centre for Technological Futures Round Table
