Opening session 09.00-09.30

Welcoming remarks

• Marie-Laure Salles, Director, Graduate Institute, Geneva

Introduction

• Richard Baldwin, Professor of International Economics, Graduate Institute, Geneva

Keynote speaker

• Martin Vetterli, President, EPFL

Moderator: Michael Kende, Visiting Professor, Graduate Institute, Geneva

SESSION 1. What is data? 09.30-10.30

This panel will examine the question of what is data? In particular, how is personal data defined? What are the contexts in which such data can be used and misused? What is big data, how is it gathered, and how is it different? What is the role of data in machine learning and artificial intelligence? 
 
Speakers

• Internet governance: Dr. Katharina E. Höne, Director of Research at DiploFoundation 
• Big data: Kenneth Cukier, Senior Editor at The Economist and fellow at Oxford University Said Business School
• Machine learning: Robert West, Professor, Data Science Laboratory, EPFL

Moderator: Jovan Kurbalija,  Head of the Geneva Internet Platform

BREAK 10.30-11.00

Session 2. The use of data for healthcare and pandemics 11.00-12.30

The COVID-19 crisis has had a significant impact on every aspect of our lives and societies. We will consider here the role that data has played in helping to address the pandemic, how that could be built on going forward, and how the underlying sensitive data can be protected.

Topics and speakers:

• Data in epidemiology, Marcel Salathé, Professor, Laboratory of Digital Epidemiology, EPFL
• Data for contact tracing, Carmela Troncoso, Professor, Security and Privacy Engineering Laboratory, EPFL
• Privacy-Conscious Health-Data Sharing, Jean-Pierre Hubaux, Professor, Laboratory for Data Security and Academic Director of C4DT, EPFL

Moderator: Olivier Crochat, Executive Director, Centre for Digital Trust, EPFL

LUNCH BREAK 12.30-13.30

Session 3. Principles of Data Governance 13.30-15.00

The principles of data governance must be developed and implemented with a multi-stakeholder approach. Civil society has a role to develop a framework of good practices; government can implement such a framework through new regulations; and vendors have a role in helping to develop trust through their technologies and practices.

Topics and speakers: 

• Ethical data handling. Robin Wilton, Senior Advisor for Internet Trust, Internet Society 
• Government. Anna Buchta, Head of Unit "Policy & Consultation", European Data Protection Supervisor
• Developing corporate trust. Jean-Yves Art, Senior Director, Strategic Partnerships, Microsoft

Moderator: Michael Kende, Visiting Professor, Graduate Institute, Geneva

BREAK 15.00-15.30

Session 4. Future Practice of Data Governance 15.30-17.00

In practice, it has been difficult to apply the principles of data governance. This can be because the current technology presents challenges, with new technologies being designed to make it easier to govern data use. It can also be because, regardless of the technology, there is a market failure, for instance the corporate liability from poor data governance is not sufficient. It can also be from a variety of other factors that companies face in their data governance.

Topics and speakers:

• How Nations Govern Data: Susan Aaronson, Research Professor of International Affairs, Director, Digital Trade and Data Governance Hub, George Washington University 
• Data in insurance: Jeff Bohn, Director, Swiss Re Institute
• Security technology: Olivier Crochat, Executive Director, Centre for Digital Trust, EPFL 
• Trust, power and the broadening scope of data governance: Rory Macmillan, Partner, Macmillan Keck Attorneys & Solicitors, Geneva

Moderator: Jean-Pierre Hubaux, Professor, Laboratory for Data Security and Academic Director of C4DT, EPFL

Closing Session - HIGH LEVEL PANEL 17.00-18.00

Panel discussion:

• Marietje Schaake, President, CyberPeace Institute
• Daria Robinson, Executive Director, Diplomacy Forum, Geneva Science & Diplomacy Anticipator 
• Emmanuel Letouzé, Director & Co-Founder, Data-Pop Alliance
• Edouard Bugnion, Professor and Vice President for Information Systems, EPFL

Moderator:  Richard Baldwin, Professor of International Economics, Graduate Institute, Geneva
Closing:  Michael Kende, Visiting Professor, Graduate Institute, Geneva

Data plays a pivotal role in many avenues of our lives, our economies, and our societies. This truth has been highlighted in dramatic fashion in societies’ response to the COVID-19 crisis. But what is data? This question is critical yet not easy to answer since data is not just one thing, and it is changing fast as we look to the future.
 
Economically, data is a factor of production that is as critical to competitiveness in the 21st century as capital and labour were in the 20th century. Scientifically, data is changing the way research is conducted in fields like medicine, chemistry, and others. Internationally, data is transforming areas ranging from international trade and finance to development assistance and the control of epidemics. Data is changing the nature of military and geostrategic conflicts, raising new issues of cybersecurity, impacting the approach to public health, and helping in the fight against climate change.
 
The rising importance of data has thrown up new challenges ranging from competition policy to privacy to the geostrategic implications of 5G. The importance of understanding and addressing these new challenges has been made more urgent by a growing, popular backlash against some aspects of the digital economy. This ‘techlash’ is perhaps inevitable as every great new tool can be used for both good and bad. As we have seen, data can yield insights for contact tracing, but can lead to privacy concerns. Data on political preferences helps new candidates compete for public office, but it can also help deliver disinformation. And there is an increasing sense that only the tip of the iceberg is in view.
 
Data governance, to realise the benefits of data and reduce the harms, cannot be left only to governments. Users must have a say, with the help of civil society; new technology can provide privacy and security by design; companies can help to generate trust through ethical data handling; while governments take their respective role in setting policy and developing regulations.

The goal of this conference is to boost understanding of what data is and help to develop mindsets and attitudes that are based on technical and economic realities rather than the myths and shallow discussions that so often appear in popular media. It will start with the present, but look forward to the opportunities, and the challenges, that new technologies will bring for the year 2025, and examine, among other things, how the data underlying applications and services will help in the economic and social recovery from the pandemic.

This event is held in the context of the Road to Bern, a series of events in Geneva leading to the United Nations World Data Forum, 3 - 6 October 2021 in Bern.

This event is held in the context of the Road to Bern, a series of events in Geneva leading to the United Nations World Data Forum, 3 - 6 October 2021 in Bern.

This conference has been organized thanks to the kind sponsorship of Mr. Sergey Popov.