Today the Data Stewards Academy welcomed a new cohort of learners for the second iteration of its executive education course: Developing a Data Reuse Strategy for Public Problems. The course, which is part of the GovLab’s Open Data Policy Lab with support from Microsoft, is aimed towards data leaders in the public and private sectors interested in developing data reuse strategies to solve public problems. Over the course of eight weeks, the data stewards will learn about the ways in which they can use data to improve how they operate and how to pursue goals in the public’s interest. 

Through a series of interactive discussions and lectures by GovLab personnel and global domain experts, the cohort will gain exposure to cutting edge methods and data analytics that they can use to advance their institution’s goals. Participants will also enjoy a strong culture of peer learning. Given the wealth of knowledge each leader brings with them from their unique contexts and their extensive experience working with data, the cohort benefits from an exchange of knowledge and collective learning to deepen their understanding of the course’s many concepts. The Data Stewardship Executive Education Course was designed and implemented by program leads Stefaan Verhulst, co-founder and chief research development officer at the GovLab, and Andrew Young, the GovLab’s knowledge director, in close collaboration with a global network of expert faculty and advisors. 

For more information about the course, please see the course syllabus for the program which can be found here.

The second cohort is made up of twenty data leaders representing eleven countries around the Western Hemisphere. This diverse group features leaders in national and subnational government statistical agencies, private-sector decision-makers in telecommunications and finance firms, and senior practitioners working to achieve health, justice, and humanitarian objectives in both the public and and civil sectors. Specifically, the cohort is composed of data stewards from the following institutions: 

• Canadian Institute of Health Information (CIHI)
• Citi Ventures
• Educopia Institute
• Fundación de Ayuda por Internet (FUNDAPI)
• Government of British Columbia
• Indiana Department of Workforce Development
• International Rescue Committee
• Judicial Power of the City of Buenos Aires
• Montgomery County Government Office of Management and Budget
• National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) Mexico
• National Statistical Institute of Uruguay
• Office of Community Schools, New York City Department of Education
• Office of the Secretary of Innovation and Digital Transformation, Government of the City of Buenos Aires
• Oregon Health Authority
• Public Health Agency of Canada
• Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia
• Swisscom
• Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development
• United Kingdom Ministry of Justice
• United Nations Foundation, Digital Impact Alliance (DIAL)

Later this year, the Data Stewards Academy will launch a third iteration of the executive education course for data stewards based in the Eastern Hemisphere. Applications to join the third cohort will open in September. 

We will also release open-access learning materials on an ongoing basis to complement the currently available self-directed learning program. Watch this space for new offerings to help data stewards across contexts harness the Third Wave of Open Data. 

If you are interested in learning more about these opportunities, be sure to sign up for the Data Stewards Network Newsletter where you can learn more about the Academy’s future course offerings and receive alerts when applications for the third cohort open in September.  

Back to the Blog