The OII Steering Board has agreed that Professor Victoria Nash, Associate Professor and Senior Policy Fellow and current Deputy Director, should be the next Director of OII, a decision approved today by the University of Oxford’s Social Sciences Division.

Her term as Director is therefore expected to commence on 23 September 2021 when Professor Philip Howard’s current term as Director reaches its scheduled end.

Update – 17 March 2021:

After leading the OII as Director for a three-year term, Professor Philip Howard will step down to devote more time to helping governments and civil society tackle Covid disinformation.

Professor Howard had offered to help with the leadership transition through September 2021, as announced in January 2021, but is eager to take on this urgent role.

Incoming Director, Professor Victoria Nash, will now assume the directorship on 26 March 2021, and she will set out her priorities for leading the OII in the coming months.

Background:

In keeping with Oxford practice, the OII chooses one of its faculty to serve as Director for a three-year term. This choice is made by the OII’s Steering Board and is subject to the approval of the University’s Social Sciences Division.

The Steering Board comprises 15 members: 

• Director of the OII (chair) (ex officio): Prof Philip Howard
• Deputy Director of the OII (ex officio): Prof Victoria Nash
• Director of Research (ex officio): Prof Andrew Przybylski
• Director of Graduate Studies (ex officio): Prof Greg Taylor
• Head of Administration and Finance (ex officio): Douglas Thornton
• OII’s established Chairs: Prof Helen Margetts, Prof Viktor Mayer-Schoenberger
• One representative of the department’s faculty holding Professorial title: Prof Mark Graham
• One representative of the department’s Senior Research Fellows: Prof Vili Lehdonvirta
• Two representatives of the department’s Research Fellows: Dr Brent Mittelstadt, Prof Mariarosaria Taddeo
• Two representatives of the department’s Researchers:  Dr Aliaksandr Herasimenka; vacant
• One eligible representative of the department’s Administration: vacant
• The Chair of the OII’s Advisory Board (ex officio): Prof Richard Susskind
• Co-opted member: Prof Sandra Wachter
• Co-opted member: Dr Joss Wright