CIGI Announces Establishment of Digital Policy Hub

Naod Abraham is a third-year mathematical physics student at the University of Waterloo with an interest in computer science. Early in his studies, Naod published a paper about computational complexity theory and machine learning in a peer-reviewed journal. During his fellowship at the Digital Policy Hub, he will further investigate the applications of machine learning for other practically important problems.

Daria Bielik is a master of public policy candidate through a partnership with the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy and the Kyiv School of Economics. She is passionate about the intersection of AI and education, which she’s actively exploring through her work at the Ontario Ministry of Education. Her research as a fellow at the Digital Policy Hub focused on the influence of large language models (LLMs) on student learning outcomes and academic performance in higher education settings, combining real-world exploration with rigorous academic inquiry.

Ori Freiman is a post-doctoral fellow at McMaster University’s Digital Society Lab, and a former post-doctoral fellow at the Digital Policy Hub. He is researching the responsible implementation of emerging technologies, trust in technology and the impacts of technology policy on democracy and societal change. He completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Toronto’s Ethics of AI Lab. His formal education includes a B.A. in philosophy; an M.A. in library and information science; and a Ph.D. from the Graduate Program in Science, Technology and Society at Bar-Ilan University, Israel. 

Andrew Heffernan is a part-time professor of international relations and comparative politics at the University of Ottawa, where he also completed a Ph.D. in political science. He is a former post-doctoral fellow at the Digital Policy Hub whose research examined climate governance and mis- and disinformation around climate change. Other major research interests include African politics, global environmental governance, climate change mis- and disinformation, community-based conservation, and the politics of food. Andrew is also active in the scholarship of teaching and learning, about which he is regularly publishing on and presenting at academic conferences, as well as implementing in his teaching in university classes.

Paula Martins is a policy advocacy lead at the Association for Progressive Communications where she follows digital and human rights policy issues at the global level and helps shape the organization’s responses to emerging policy trends. As a Digital Policy Hub doctoral fellow, her research delved into freedom of expression and digital rights. She is also pursuing her doctorate in law at McGill University.

Matthew da Mota is a senior research associate and program manager for the Global AI Risks Initiative at CIGI, working to develop governance models to address the most significant global risks posed by AI and to realize the potential global benefits of AI in an equitable and sustainable way. He is particularly interested in how emerging technologies such as AI might shape information systems, ways of thinking and institutions over time and what kinds of collaborative research and governance models can address these challenges.

During his post-doc fellowship at CIGI’s Digital Policy Hub, Matthew focused on AI policy and implementation in research and higher education, spanning institutional policies, governance standards, content and tool licences, and data governance frameworks. He continues to lead governance in the sector as chair of the expert drafting committee for a national governance standard for machine learning and AI implementation in research institutions with the DGSI.

Matthew holds a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto Centre for Comparative Literature.

Laila Mourad is a Ph.D. candidate at York University where she is exploring how home-based labour in the gig economy can inform and shape our understanding of the evolving notions of “work” in the digital economy. She applies an interdisciplinary approach to her research of gender, labour and international development, and examines how existing and emerging technologies transform the ways in which household economies and social relationalities are envisioned, as well as their role in development. She is the co-founder of SWANA Collective, a group that aspires to cultivate alternative decolonial spaces in academia and beyond. During her fellowship with the Digital Policy Hub, Laila examined how existing and emerging technologies transform economic activities.

Maral Niazi is a Ph.D. student at the Balsillie School of International Affairs with a multidisciplinary background in political science, human rights, law and global governance. Her research with the Digital Policy Hub expanded on her doctoral research on the global governance of AI where she will examine the societal impacts of AI on humanity.

Frederick (Fred) Okello is a master’s student at the Balsillie School of International Affairs and a former Digital Policy Hub fellow. His research focused on "Technology for Development" as a tool for reducing poverty, digital and energy inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa. His research assesses T4D as a platform for the region’s digital innovation, investment and policy development, and aims to identify digital technology innovations and policies that can improve private investor regulation, market competitiveness, as well as provision of financial assistance to disadvantaged customers in Sub-Saharan Africa’s digital economy. 

Ambika Opal is a former visiting fellow at the Digital Policy Hub and is currently working as a manager with Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated to develop the Nunavut Data Strategy and support other data governance initiatives. Ambika holds a bachelor’s degree in systems design engineering and a master’s degree in global governance and specializes in the intersection of technology and policy, including renewable energy, climate change and data. 

Harnoorvir (Harnoor) Singh Josan is a computer science undergraduate student at the University of Alberta with a passion for innovation. Harnoor’s research with the Digital Policy Hub centred on artificial intelligence, music, and copyright policies in Canada and the United States, furthering his commitment to leave a meaningful impact in the technology and policy creation domains. Previously, he worked as a product owner for an enterprise mobility management solution that merged his technical acumen with business insights.

Mahatab Uddin is an expert on climate change law, intellectual property law, technology transfer and sustainable development. He is an adjunct professor and post-doctoral researcher at the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development at the University of Guelph, Canada, where he researches possible legal frameworks for AI-run climate-smart agricultural practices — research he expanded on during his fellowship with the Digital Policy Hub. He holds a Ph.D. in public international law on climate change and sustainable development at Aarhus University, Denmark; an M.Sc. in sustainable development from Uppsala University, Sweden; and an LL.M. in intellectual property law from Stockholm University, Sweden.