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Eugene Yi

DPhil Student

Eugene Yi

DPhil Student

Profile Contents

About

Eugene is Vice President of Creative Development & Strategy at Emmy Award-winning Kuku Studios developing animated feature films. Previously, he was the Director of Product at Hawkfish building tech infrastructure for the Democrats in the 2020 U.S. presidential cycle. He was the Head of Asia Public Policy at Twitter from 2013 to 2016 helping launch new Asian markets, including China, and developing the company’s corporate social responsibility mission.

Eugene is Co-founder, Board Director, and former President of Cortico, a non-profit in cooperation with the MIT Media Lab where he was a Visiting Researcher from 2016 to 2020. He designed technologies paired with human practices to launch Electome, a tool for journalists during the 2016 U.S. presidential cycle, and create the Local Voices Network to bring underheard voices to the center of a stronger public dialogue.

Eugene has applied his digital content and technology expertise in policymaking and political spheres. He worked as digital director and digital advisor in several U.S. presidential and senatorial campaigns. He served in the U.S. Department of State at Embassy Beijing as a Political Officer covering Internet freedom and in the U.S. Department of Defense as a Country Director for China and Korea at the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Policy.

Eugene is a Presidential Leadership Scholar, Asia 21 Young Leader at the Asia Society, and Google Next Gen Fellow. He received his AB and MPA from Princeton University, School of Public and International Affairs. He lives in London with his wife and daughter.

Positions at the OII

  • DPhil Student, October 2021 -