Thursday 12 June, 15.00
Chester Room, Nuffield College

OXFORD TECHNOLOGY AND SECURITY NEXUS

Topic: Budgeting for AI: Towards a Systematic Understanding of the Impact of Public Budgeting on Public Sector AI Adoption

Speaker: Chloe Chadwick (Oxford Internet Institute)

Chloe is a digital government researcher and doctoral student at the Oxford Internet Institute, where she is researching the use of data-driven technologies and AI in public sector organisations. Chloe is also an Expert Affiliate for StateUp, where she has worked on projects focussed on government innovation, resilience, and digitalisation. Chloe has most recently worked as an Adviser with the Australian Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, with previous roles including positions with the Cabinet Office, Universities Australia and within the science communication sector. Chloe holds an MPhil with distinction in Public Policy from the University of Cambridge.

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.

Thursday 5 June, 15.00
Chester Room, Nuffield College

OXFORD TECHNOLOGY AND SECURITY NEXUS

Topic: The Securitisation of AI Safety Institutes

Speaker: Renan Araujo (Institute for AI Policy and Strategy)

Renan Araujo is a Research Manager at the Institute for AI Policy and Strategy (IAPS), where he leads the research workstream on international AI governance and the IAPS AI Policy Fellowship. His work focuses on the implications of advanced AI on international relations, with a focus on US-China, and what institutional models might be conducive to international cooperation on AI, such as AI Safety Institutes.

Previously, Renan was a researcher on AI governance and emergent technologies at Rethink Priorities and the Institute for Law and AI. He has experience leading global capacity-building programs, especially in LMIC, and conducting comparative policy research. He is also a co-founder and adviser of the Condor Initiative, an educational nonprofit that supports Brazilian students in shaping AI research and policy globally. He also advises the Vista Institute for AI Policy. In a previous life, he was the youngest chief of staff of a Justice of Appeal at the State Court of Pernambuco, Brazil, where he worked for five years. He’s a lawyer by training with an MSc from the London School of 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.

Thursday 29 May, 15.00
Chester Room, Nuffield College

OXFORD TECHNOLOGY AND SECURITY NEXUS

Topic: Security Profile of Network Infrastructure in the High North and the Baltic Sea – Prospects for continued NATO-EU collaboration

Speaker: Anniki Mikelsaar (Oxford Internet Institute)

Anniki Mikelsaar is a Shirley Scholar and a DPhil student at the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford. Her doctoral research, supervised by Carl Frey and Vili Lehdonvirta, explores the governance of digital infrastructure, focusing on cable networks. In a professional capacity, she has worked as a Futures Analyst at DCDC of the UK Ministry of Defence, conducted research on fibre optic cables as Sir Richard Dearlove Scholar at Cambridge Security Initiative and Visiting Student at St. John’s College, University of Cambridge; and presented her research at various governmental and military organisations, including Royal Air Force (RAF) Benson base in Oxfordshire, NATO Force Integration Unit, the Government Office of Estonia, and the Higher Command Studies Course at the Baltic Defence College. She holds a Master’s in History from the University of Oxford (Merit, Best Thesis Prize 2024) and a first-class undergraduate degree from Sciences Po Paris and the London School of Economics. She has organised events bridging the submarine cable industry, governmental stakeholders, and academia, most recently as an Oxford China Policy Lab fellow in the 2024 cohort.

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.

Thursday 22 May, 15.00
Chester Room, Nuffield College

OXFORD TECHNOLOGY AND SECURITY NEXUS

Topic: Strategic Instability: A Practitioner’s Perspective on Narratives Fueling the Conventional and Emerging Tech Arms Race

Speaker: Karuna Nandkumar (Oxford China Policy Lab, fmr. U.S. DOD)

Karuna Nandkumar is the Head of Policy Programmes at the Oxford China Policy Lab. Her research focuses on Chinese foreign policy and diplomacy. Prior to OCPL, she worked on Indo-Pacific policy at the US Department of Defense in D.C. and coordinated US-China Track II dialogues with the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue in Beijing. She speaks Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, and French. She received her MA in Global Affairs as a Schwarzman Scholar at Tsinghua University and her BA in Public Policy from the University of Michigan.

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.

Thursday 15 May, 15.00
Chester Room, Nuffield College

OXFORD TECHNOLOGY AND SECURITY NEXUS

Topic: AI Safety in Practice: Safeguarding Against Real-World Misuse and Near-Term Harms

Speaker: Broderick McDonald (Department of Politics and International Relations)

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.

Thursday 8 May, 15.00
Chester Room, Nuffield College

OXFORD TECHNOLOGY AND SECURITY NEXUS

Topic: Emergent Prestige and Status-Seeking Dynamics in International AI Competition

Speaker: Kayla Blomquist (Oxford Internet Institute)

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.

Thursday 13 March, 15.00
Chester Room, Nuffield College

OXFORD TECHNOLOGY AND SECURITY NEXUS

Topic: Hacktivism? Predatory Sparrow and the Ambiguities of “Ethical” Cyber Operations

Speaker: Hannah-Sophie Weber (Department of Politics and International Relations)

After: OTSN Social (all welcome)

Location The Oxford Retreat — Pub within short walk of Nuffield

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.

Thursday 6 March, 15.00
Chester Room, Nuffield College

OXFORD TECHNOLOGY AND SECURITY NEXUS

Topic: The Ethics of AI for Intelligence

Speaker: Professor Mariorosaria Taddeo (Oxford Internet Institute)

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.

Thursday 27 February, 15.00
Chester Room, Nuffield College

OXFORD TECHNOLOGY AND SECURITY NEXUS

Topic: AI Governance Internationalization

Speaker: Haydn Belfield (Department of Politics and International Relations)

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.

Thursday 20 February, 15.00
Chester Room, Nuffield College

OXFORD TECHNOLOGY AND SECURITY NEXUS

Topic: Silicon Valley in Context: Technology Corporations as Political Actors

Speaker: Dr. Alina Utrata (Fellow at St. John’s College, University of Oxford)

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.

Thursday 13 February, 15.00
Chester Room, Nuffield College

OXFORD TECHNOLOGY AND SECURITY NEXUS

Topic: The Macro- and Micro-Politics of AI Standards-Making

Speaker: Huw Roberts (Oxford Internet Institute)

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.

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.

Thursday 30 January, 15.00
Chester Room, Nuffield College

OXFORD TECHNOLOGY AND SECURITY NEXUS

Topic: The Political Economy of Strategic Technology Transfer: Security, Aid, and Benefit-Sharing in an Era of AI Competition

Speaker: Sumaya Nur Adan (Oxford Martin School AI Governance Initiative)

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.

Thursday 5 December, 15.00
Chester Room, Nuffield College

OXFORD TECHNOLOGY AND SECURITY NEXUS

Topic: Cyber Incidents, Ethics, and Armed Conflict
Speaker: Dr. Brianna Rosen (Blavatnik School of Government)

After: OTSN Social (all welcome)
Location The Oxford Retreat — Pub within short walk of Nuffield

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.

Thursday 28 November, 15.00
Chester Room, Nuffield College

OXFORD TECHNOLOGY AND SECURITY NEXUS

Topic: AI Governance & U.S.-China Track II Diplomacy
Speaker: Kayla Blomquist (OII) & Elisabeth Siegel (DPIR) (Oxford China Policy Lab)

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.

Thursday 21 November, 15.00
Chester Room, Nuffield College

OXFORD TECHNOLOGY AND SECURITY NEXUS

Topic: Turning the Tide: Government Action to Counter Ransomware
Speaker: Dr. Roxana Radu (Blavatnik School of Government)

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.

Monday 18 November, 17.00
Pembroke College and Online

Emerging Threats & Technology Working Group

Topic: Insider Threats & Foreign Malign Influence, from Detection to Elimination

Meetings will run both in person and online. Please be aware that group attendance may be limited. For registration and full details, please see: https://emergingthreats.co.uk/ In person location: Mary Hyde Eccles Room, Pembroke College

Thursday 14 November, 15.00
Chester Room, Nuffield College

OXFORD TECHNOLOGY AND SECURITY NEXUS

Topic: Compute North vs. Compute South: The Uneven Possibilities of Compute-based AI Governance Around the Globe
Speaker: Boxi Wu (Oxford Internet Institute)

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.

Thursday 7 November, 15.00
Chester Room, Nuffield College

OXFORD TECHNOLOGY AND SECURITY NEXUS

Topic: Content Moderation, Platform Governance, and Legitimacy
Speaker: Diyi Liu (Oxford Internet Institute)

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.

Monday 4 November, 17.00
Pembroke College and Online

Emerging Threats & Technology Working Group

Topic: Terrorist Leadership, New Technologies, and the Changing Character of War

Meetings will run both in person and online. Please be aware that group attendance may be limited. For registration and full details, please see: https://emergingthreats.co.uk/ In person location: Mary Hyde Eccles Room, Pembroke College

Thursday 31 October, 15.00
Chester Room, Nuffield College

OXFORD TECHNOLOGY AND SECURITY NEXUS

Topic: Understanding the Geoeconomics of Data Centres and the Cloud
Speaker: Abid Adonis (Oxford Internet Institute)

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.

Thursday 24 October, 15.00
Chester Room, Nuffield College

OXFORD TECHNOLOGY AND SECURITY NEXUS

Topic: The Political Economy of Worker Retraining in the Age of AI
Speaker: Julian Jacobs (Department of Politics and International Relations)

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.

Julian Jacobs is a political economist at the University of Oxford specialising in artificial intelligence policy, the political implications of technological shocks, inequality, debt, and polarisation. His previous research looked at the relationship between technological disruption and socio-political views, with a focus on populism, class dealignment, and polarisation. This writing and research has previously been featured in the New York Times, Financial Times, Vox, Politico, Bloomberg, and Jacobin. He is a Senior Economist at OMFIF—a monetary policy think tank—where he helps to drive our AI policy workstream. And he is a consultant at The Brookings Institution and Center for AI Safety.

Monday 21 October, 17.00
Pembroke College and Online

Emerging Threats & Technology Working Group

Topic: New Depths: U.S.‐China Competition in Undersea Digital Infrastructure

Moderator: Anniki Mikelsaar, DPhil Candidate, Oxford University

Meetings will run both in person and online. Please be aware that group attendance may be limited. For registration and full details, please see: https://emergingthreats.co.uk/ In person location: Mary Hyde Eccles Room, Pembroke College

The need for undersea telecommunication cables and their supporting technologies continues to increase. As companies, governments, and individual users are becoming increasingly reliant on cloud-based data storage and secure telecommunications, internet cables and their supporting infrastructure have become indispensable for the functioning of the digital economy and the development and deployment of AI-based systems.

At the same time, the intensifying U.S.-China technological rivalry influences the global digital infrastructure market, posing new challenges to the security of these systems, while equally increasing consumer costs. Recently, governments particularly in the U.S. and Europe have started to strengthen their regulations around cable security, enforcing stricter ownership rules, and endorsing caution toward ‘high-risk vendors.’ Why is that? What are some of the impacts of this strategic competition on the security and openness of the global Internet? And which measures, particularly those of closer industry-government collaboration, would enable overcoming the challenges?

Wednesday 12 June, 15.00
Chester Room, Nuffield College

OXFORD TECHNOLOGY AND SECURITY NEXUS

Topic: Space Policy, Data Centres on the Moon, and New Colonialism
Speaker: Yung Au (Oxford Internet Institute)

After: Cyber Strategy Group Social (all welcome)
Location The Oxford Retreat — Pub within short walk of Nuffield

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.

Monday 10 June, 17.00
Hertford College and Online

Emerging Threats & Technology Working Group

Topic: TBC

Speaker: Christopher Morris, Oxford University; CCW Emerging Threats Group Director

Christopher Morris runs a weekly discussion group. Please be aware that group attendance may be limited. It is required to contact Christopher (Christopher.Morris@politics.ox.ac.uk) in advance for availability. Meetings will run both in person and online.

In person location: Mary Hyde Eccles Room, Pembroke College

Wednesday 5 June, 15.00
Chester Room, Nuffield College

OXFORD TECHNOLOGY AND SECURITY NEXUS

Topic: Multilateral AI Governance Negotiations & Global Inclusion at the UN
Sam Daws, Senior Practitioner Associate (DPIR)

Sam Daws works on the interface of multilateral policy, diplomatic strategy, and geopolitics, with a focus on AI governance. He has worked in UN-related policy roles for over three decades. From 2000 to 2003 he served as First Officer to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in New York. He later served as Deputy Director in the UK Cabinet Office supporting the Prime Minister’s role as Co-Chair of the UN Panel on the creation of the Sustainable Development Goals. His previous roles included Senior Principal Research Analyst in the Multilateral Policy Directorate of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Executive Director of the United Nations Association of the UK, and UK Representative of the United Nations Foundation.

Sam has a degree in social anthropology with African and Asian development studies, and a Masters in international conflict analysis.

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.

Monday 3 June, 17.00
Pembroke College and Online

Emerging Threats & Technology Working Group

Wargame: QUANTUM FURY Wargame, Cyber Cup Rematch

Facilitator: Caroline Baylon, Said Business School Fellow, APPG Lead, ETG Research Associate

Christopher Morris runs a weekly discussion group. Please be aware that group attendance may be limited. It is required to contact Christopher (Christopher.Morris@politics.ox.ac.uk) in advance for availability. Meetings will run both in person and online.

In person location: Mary Hyde Eccles Room, Pembroke College

Wednesday 29 May, 15.00
Chester Room, Nuffield College

OXFORD TECHNOLOGY AND SECURITY NEXUS

NO WORKING GROUP MEETING — Closed Session (Blavatnik School)

Topic: Navigating the Cyber Frontier: Trends and Challenges

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.

Monday 27 May, 17.00
Pembroke College and Online

Emerging Threats & Technology Working Group

Topic: TBC

Speaker: TBC

Christopher Morris runs a weekly discussion group. Please be aware that group attendance may be limited. It is required to contact Christopher (Christopher.Morris@politics.ox.ac.uk) in advance for availability. Meetings will run both in person and online.

In person location: Mary Hyde Eccles Room, Pembroke College

Wednesday 22 May, 15.00
Chester Room, Nuffield College

OXFORD TECHNOLOGY AND SECURITY NEXUS

Topic: Cloud Empires’ Physical Footprint: Trade and Security Politics Shaping Global Data Infrastructure
Prof. Vili Lehdonvirta and Boxi Wu (Oxford Internet Institute)

US-China technological rivalry presents dilemmas for third countries. Cloud computing infrastructure has become an acute front in this rivalry because of the infrastructural power that it affords over increasingly cloud-based economies, and because it is a control point in AI governance. We ask what factors explain a third country’s “cloud infrastructure alignment”—the degree to which the country’s local cloud computing infrastructure belongs to U.S. versus Chinese providers. Based on literature, we sketch three different answers: international trade, digital imperialism, and third-country strategic choice. In the first quantitative study on the topic, we test propositions derived from these views using original data on global hyperscale cloud infrastructure combined with trade statistics and security variables. We find that cloud infrastructure alignment is positively associated with other imports from the U.S. or China, negatively associated with interstate disputes, and only weakly associated with security cooperation ties. The findings suggest that commercial interests and third-country strategic choice may be more influential in shaping cloud infrastructure than any imperialist expansion or containment by the superpowers. We conclude that researchers should direct more attention to the role of third-country agency in technology geopolitics, and to the role of tech firms as autonomous geopolitical actors.

Vili Lehdonvirta is Professor of Economic Sociology and Digital Social Research at the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford. He leads a research group examining the politics and socio-economic implications of digital technologies. Lehdonvirta holds a PhD in Economic Sociology from the University of Turku (2009) and a MSc from the Helsinki University of Technology (2005).

Boxi Wu works in Google DeepMind’s Responsible AI team, focusing on the ethical and societal implications of frontier AI models across both LLMs and multimodal models. They advise teams on ethical risks and mitigations, and lead internal ethics & safety governance fora, alongside their part-time studies in the MSc in Social Science at the OII. Their research interests focus on the social and political impacts of AI, focusing on the materiality of AI infrastructure and implications for AI ethics and governance, working with Professor Vili Lehdonvirta to map global AI infrastructure.

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.