Posted: 4th February 2025

Sir Nigel Shadbolt, Professor of Computing Science, has been appointed to the Council for Science and Technology (CST), the Council that advises the Prime Minister and Cabinet on science 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. 

Professor Shadbolt, a leading researcher in 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. He 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 department’s Human Centred Computing theme and is the Senior Distinguished Scientist at Oxford’s Institute for Ethics in AI. 

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. Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt  

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