On 27th November 2024, the Data for Policy hosted an insightful Fireside Chat with Prof. Marta Poblet (The Data Tank, Belgium; RMIT University, Australia) and Prof. Stefaan Verhulst (The Data Tank, Belgium; The GovLab, NYU, USA).
The session explored themes from Prof. Verhulst and Prof. Poblet’s recent blog post, “Key Lesson of This Year’s Nobel Prize: The Importance of Unlocking Data Reuse Responsibly to Advance Science and Improve People’s Lives”, which emphasised the crucial role of responsible data reuse in addressing global challenges. The discussion was inspired by the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, awarded for groundbreaking work in protein prediction, which has significant medical applications. This work was made possible by AI models that predict protein structures, but the key to their success lies in the availability of high-quality, open, and curated datasets—something still rare despite rapid advances in AI.
Key Discussion Points:
- Opportunities in Data Reuse: How responsibly reusing data can unlock new possibilities in scientific research, while ensuring privacy and ethical standards are maintained. The importance of high-quality, standardised data for medical and scientific advances was a central theme.
- Cross-Sector Collaboration: The need for building ecosystems that unite academia, industry, and policymakers to facilitate responsible data reuse. The discussion emphasised creating a shared understanding of data’s potential to benefit society.
- Practical Applications: Examples of how data reuse is advancing key sectors, including healthcare, environmental sustainability, and public governance, demonstrating the real-world impact of responsible data sharing.
- Interdisciplinary Insights: Combining expertise from across disciplines to maximise data’s potential. The need for new skills in data stewardship and governance to facilitate collaboration was highlighted as a crucial step in addressing these challenges.
The session concluded with an engaging Q&A, where participants shared their thoughts on overcoming current challenges, such as data accessibility, privacy concerns, and the importance of ongoing public engagement to ensure data reuse serves the public interest.
This Fireside Chat reinforced the Data for Policy Community’s ongoing efforts to foster critical conversations at the intersection of data, policy, and innovation.
Stay tuned for upcoming events as we continue to explore timely topics shaping the future of data-driven policy!