Event Highlight

2020 Niejelow Rodin Global Digital Futures Policy Forum: Cybersecurity, the Digital State, and Democratic Governance

Posted Feb 23 2020

The Niejelow Rodin Global Digital Futures Policy Forum represents a long-term intellectual initiative to reimagine our digital future, focusing on the potential benefits and costs arising from global digital technology changes and looking ahead to emerging challenges and possible policy responses.

Now in its sixth year, the Forum, brings together leading scholars, policymakers, legal experts, and others to discuss critical challenges related to digital transformations. The 2020 half-day Forum featured panel discussions on cybersecurity and digital identity, with an opening keynote address by Toomas Ilves, former President of Estonia, and a presentation by John Battelle, Senior Research Scholar at Columbia SIPA, on Mapping Data Flows.

“Cybersecurity, the Digital State, and Democratic Governance.”  George W. Ball Lecture with President Toomas Ilves, Former President of Estonia and George W. Ball Adjunct Professor of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs; in discussion with Dean Merit E. Janow, Columbia SIPA, Professor of Professional Practice International Economic Law and International Affairs.

Pursuing Digital and Cyber Peace, a panel discussion focusing on cyber peace (and war), will explore the successes and failures of previous efforts for a more peaceful, stable, and secure cyberspace as well as current efforts by the United Nations, other countries, industry, and civil society.

Mapping Data Flows and Transparency, a discussion with SIPA Senior Research Scholar John Battelle on his research Mapping Data Flows, on how the largest technology companies collect, use, and share user information across the Internet. This session will explore issues related to transparency of data usage and collection, and consider the implications for consumers and citizens.

Digital Identity: A Development Agenda, this panel, organized in collaboration with Columbia World Projects, brings together experts from development and cybersecurity to discuss the use, policies and mechanisms of digital identities, with a focus on developing countries. Central to the discussion are the issues of ensuring privacy and security while facilitating improved access and rights to financial products, transparency and accountability of state and non-state actors, and enhanced efficiency and accuracy in service delivery.

  • George W. Ball Lecture

    • President Toomas Ilves, Former President of Estonia and George W. Ball Adjunct Professor of International and Public Affairs, SIPA
    • Dean Merit E. Janow, Professor of Professional Practice International Economic Law and International Affairs, SIPA

    Pursuing Digital and Cyber Peace 

    • Moderated by: Jason Healey, Senior Research Scholar, SIPA
    • Chris Harland, Deputy Head of Delegation and Legal Adviser, ICRC
    • Thomas Markram, Director and Deputy to the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs
    • Alexander Niejelow, Senior Vice President of Cybersecurity Coordination & Advocacy, Mastercard and Executive Board Member of the CyberPeace Institute
    • Milica Pejanovic-Durisic, Permanent Representative of Montenegro

    Mapping Data Flows and Transparency

    • Speaker: John Battelle, CEO of Recount Media and Senior Research Scholar, SIPA

    Digital Identity: A Development Agenda

    • Moderated by: Ronaldo Lemos, Adjunct Senior Research Scholar, SIPA.
    • Aubra Anthony, Team Lead USAID Strategy & Research
    • Steven Bellovin, Percy K. and Vida L.W. Hudson Professor of Computer Science at Columbia School of Engineering
    • Anupam Chander, Professor, Georgetown University Law Center
    • Catherine Highet, Lead for FinEquity’s Technology Working Group at CGAP
    • Valerie Khan, Co-founder and VP at Digital Equity

Watch the Recordings

  • Welcome & Brief Introduction - Merit E. Janow
  • George W. Ball Lecture - President Toomas Ilves, Former President of Estonia
  • Niejelow Rodin Global Digital Futures Policy Forum Intro - Dean Janow
  • Pursuing Digital and Cyber Peace
  • Data Flows and Transparency
  • Digital Identity: A Development Agenda
  • Closing Remarks - Dean Merit E. Janow