Dr Susan Oman and Dr Irini Katsirea have been appointed members of the UK Government’s Department of Culture Media & Sport (DCMS) College of Experts to apply innovative scientific methods to support government policy.
The DCMS College of Experts is made up of 58 external experts who bring their knowledge, research and ideas from across academia and industry to help influence, develop and enhance the government department’s policy work.
The College of Experts draws upon the expertise of this group to shape government actions and decision-making in and around the areas of culture, civil society, media and sport. Academics are integral to the group, using their scientific methods to identify key areas of research and provide robust evidence to inform change.
Dr Susan Oman, Senior Lecturer in Data, AI and Society, and AI and in/Equality Lead for the Centre for Machine Intelligence (CMI), said: “I am delighted to have been recruited to the DCMS College of Experts. This enables me to continue informing and advising policy in and beyond the department with rigorous research and robust training. It also extends all the excellent policy work we are doing in the CMI and across the University of Sheffield.”
Dr Irini Katsirea, Reader in International Media Law, said: “I am thrilled to be joining this diverse group of experts from across academia and industry. My expertise will contribute to helping DCMS tackle challenges pertaining to comparative media law and policy. I look forward to collaborating with fellow members and DCMS colleagues to support evidence-based policymaking and drive forward impactful solutions.”
The College of Experts is managed by the DCMS Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) Professor Tom Crick who said: “We are delighted to welcome our new members of DCMS College of Experts. Since 2021, the College of Experts has made a significant impact on our department, ensuring that our policy design, development and implementation is grounded in the most rigorous and robust research and evidence available. Your engagement will help us continue to tackle the complex and interdisciplinary challenges across our policy areas with confidence and insight. We look forward to engaging with you and building on the meaningful collaboration that has shaped and informed impactful decision-making.”