IGC appoints senior advisors on data and AI

The new Senior Advisors will play a central role in a new IGC programme aimed at helping governments convert underutilised data into practical insights for policymaking. This work is led by Shahrukh Wani, the IGC's Head of Data and AI Policy Partnerships.

Although many governments generate substantial data through routine operations, siloed systems, limited analytical capacity, and fragmented governance often prevent this information from being consolidated or used effectively to inform decisions and public services. 

Advances in AI now offer a way to bridge this gap: enabling governments to process complex datasets at scale, surface patterns that would otherwise remain hidden, and apply timely intelligence directly to policy challenges. 

The initiative focuses on the intersection of data, AI, and economics. Working in close partnership with the LSE Data Science Institute, IGC brings together modern data science and AI methods with rigorous economic analysis and policy-relevant research. This integration ensures that data and AI tools are used to inform real policy choices, linking evidence to analytical frameworks that help governments understand trade-offs, understand incentives, and design reforms that target the outcomes they care about, rather than operating as standalone technical solutions. By grounding innovation in high-quality research and economic insight, the initiative supports governments to use data and AI in ways that strengthen decision-making to unlock economic growth.

Commenting on the appointment, the IGC’s Executive Director, Jonathan Leape, said:

“We are delighted to welcome two outstanding leaders in data and AI to the IGC. Their experience working at the intersection of technology, statistics, and public policy will be central to our mission of helping governments unlock the value of their data and expand responsible applications of AI. 

“With their support, we can accelerate the development of our support for governments, equip ministries with practical tools that strengthen day-to-day decision-making, and ultimately help countries translate data into better services, policy innovation, and broader economic growth.”

Find out more about the IGC's AI and data work:
From data to decisions: Improving data use in governments
From promise to practice: Making AI work in LMIC governments
 

Media contact:

Theo Gott: [email protected]