Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt appointed to the UK Government’s Council for Science and Technology

The Council for Science and Technology is formed of 19 independent members who are made up of senior figures from the fields of science, engineering and technology. Professor Shadbolt joins seven other new members who will advise the Prime Minister and Cabinet on strategic science and technology policy issues that cut across the responsibilities of individual government departments.

In an era where data and AI will be essential tools in augmenting government, boosting science and innovation, and creating economic and social value, I am totally committed to use my expertise to help the CST provide the advice that Government requires.

Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt, Principal of Jesus College and Professor of Computing Science at the Department of Computer Science

Professor Shadbolt, a leading researcher in Artificial Intelligence (AI), was one of the originators of the interdisciplinary field of Web Science. He is chairman of the Open Data Institute which he co-founded with Sir Tim Berners-Lee and was knighted in 2013 for services to science and engineering.

At Oxford, Professor Shadbolt is currently Director of the Oxford Martin Programme on Ethical Web and Data Architectures which aims to reform the concentration of power on the World Wide Web by developing and deploying new forms of technical and legal infrastructure. He also leads the Human Centred Computing theme within the Department of Computer Science and is the Senior Distinguished Scientist at Oxford’s Institute for Ethics in AI.

Following his appointment, Professor Shadbolt said: 'I am delighted to be joining the CST and look forward to working with my fellow members to provide advice on the priorities for UK Science and Technology. The challenges of the 21st century require us to draw deep on the excellence of our fundamental and applied research. In an era where data and AI will be essential tools in augmenting government, boosting science and innovation, and creating economic and social value, I am totally committed to use my expertise to help the CST provide the advice that Government requires.'

Dame Angela McLean, the Government Chief Scientific Adviser and Co-Chair of CST, added: 'The eight new members bring extraordinary breadth and depth of experience: from AI and data to chemical engineering and venture capital. I am confident that new members will further invigorate the Council and its ability to provide robust advice on the government’s high-level priorities for science and technology. I look forward to collaborating across a wide range of topics to further embed specialist knowledge of the UK’s strength in science and technology into the heart of government decision-making.'

Professor Shadbolt joins fellow Oxford academic Professor Jim Hall FREng FICE, Professor of Climate and Environmental Risks at the Environmental Change Institute, who is a current member of the Council.

Read more about the Council for Science and Technology and its members on the CST website.