Meet Austin Botelho 

• OII programme studied: MSc in Social Data Science 
• Undergraduate degree: International Affairs and Economics, Lafayette College 
• Home country: United States 
• Current role: Senior Data Scientist, Responsible AI at Indeed 

What are you up to now? 

I work on building guardrails, red teaming, and auditing risk for Indeed’s AI systems. 

Why did you choose the OII? 

The OII has a strong reputation for producing quality research that impacts both policy and industry. 

Highlights from the course? 

The support for my dissertation which ultimately led to a publication. 

What made studying at Oxford 

Being in such an intellectual place with access to renowned speakers and historic libraries. That, and halloumi wraps from Najar’s! 

How did the course help shape your path? 

My advisors Scott Hale and Bertie Vidgen introduced me to the field of hate speech detection which led to a career in trust and safety, and responsible AI. 

What has stayed with you? 

The emphasis on scientific rigour, which still shapes my approach to model evaluation. The programme also primed me to always consider the societal impacts, intended or not, of new technologies. 

Advice for prospective students?  

Remain open-minded and adaptive. Computational methods are constantly evolving and forcing us to rethink our assumptions. 

Meet Mona Elswah 

• OII programme studied: DPhil in Information, Communication, and Social Sciences 
• Previous degrees: BA in Mass Communication, Cairo University; MA in Journalism and Mass Communication, American University in Cairo 
• Home country: Egypt 
• Current role: Lecturer in Digital Media Governance, Department of Communications, Drama, and Film, University of Exeter  

What are you up to now? 

I’m teaching at the university of Exeter and currently working on many articles related to content moderation in the Majority world.  

What’s a typical day like? I am an academic mum, so my day has no free minute but is also full of fun. I work, write, play with my toddler, go out for walks, and then after she sleeps, I would do some extra writing.  

Why did you choose the OII? 

The interdisciplinary nature of the department is unique. At the OII, I met people from different fields like computer science, literature, history, and communication. This kind of interdisciplinarity gave me so much and taught me so many things. 

I was able to pursue the research I wanted, gain support from my supervisor Phil Howard while working on many research projects with him, and meet amazing and brilliant DPhil students and mentors.  

Highlights from the course? 

I was supported and encouraged to build a strong research profile even before graduating. I had the opportunity to teach, publish numerous peer-reviewed articles, give media interviews, organise workshops, speak at events, and much more. I was fortunate to be given this space as a DPhil student. 

What made studying at Oxford 

There is no place like Oxford. It’s a magical city and very intellectually competitive, which can be challenging, but also helps you grow as a researcher and student. You will have the opportunity to meet people and attend talks and debates that will inspire you for the rest of your life.  

How did the course help shape your path? 

I was inspired by my brilliant DPhil colleagues, my supervisor Phil Howard, scholars like Ralph Schroeder, and other outstanding researchers in the department. Through this experience, I gained research independence and discovered my identity as a researcher and academic.  

What has stayed with you? 

We were offered training sessions as DPhils like how to speak to the press or do cybersecurity. These things add to your skills and make you stand out in the academic and non-academic job market.   

Advice for prospective students?  

Take advantage of knowing your colleagues and mentors – they are your long-term assets. Don’t let the stress of studying make you unsee the true magic of Oxford University.  

Meet Cameron Raymond  

• OII programme studied: MSc in Social Data Science 
• Undergraduate degree: BSc Computer Science, Political Science, Queen’s University Canada 
• Home country: Canada  
• Current role: Research Engineer, Safety Research, OpenAI 

What are you up to now?  

I’m a researcher on OpenAI’s Safety Systems team. Most recently I’ve been working on GPT-5, training the model to reduce deceptive behaviour – misrepresenting the actions it had taken to the user – and minimise hallucinations when faced with incomplete information. You can read more about this work in the GPT-5 blog post and system card!  

What’s a typical day like?  

My day has changed a lot since I joined OpenAI three years ago. These days I am lucky to spend most of my time designing and running experiments, testing different training methods, and seeing how those interventions work in realworld use.  

Our team covers a wide range of risks – deepfakes, sycophancy (ungrounded flattery), biological risks, hallucinations, and deception – so I get to collaborate with a diverse group of researchers, engineers, and policy experts. 

Why did you choose the OII?  

I was interested in a programme that would build my technical expertise while also giving me a theoretical and empirical toolkit to study the social aspect of technology. The OII gave me a grounded lens to view my own work.  

Many of the discussions and debates we had – on digital companionship and wellbeing, the mechanisms behind the internet’s economics, the idea of “objective” technology, and bias in AI – feel prescient given how the world has evolved since 2021.  

What made it the right fit?  

The diversity of topics I was able to explore, and the emphasis on solid statistical foundations and research design. The OII does a great job of getting the basics right for solid empirical research. 

Highlights from the course?  

Prior to the OII, I had never had exposure to designing experiments with human participants. Professor Przybylski’s experimental design course was eyeopening, fun, and an excellent primer on designing reproducible, transparent, appropriately scoped experiments.  

What made studying at Oxford special? 

Oxford is uniquely beautiful and romantic. Experiencing the history behind the place, while diving into courses that are so forward looking, was a privilege.  

How did the course help shape your path?  

The OII first led me to Stanford’s RegLab, where we partnered with government agencies to study the impact of policy choices and how technology can enable better governance. From there, I joined OpenAI and began working on AI safety.  

The OII gave me the foundation to span these worlds and the vocabulary to connect them. I was inspired by my peers and professors who I shamelessly drew from; their diverse backgrounds were a boon to my learning. 

What has stayed with you?  

The basics you practise at the OII are relevant regardless of what you end up doing in academia or industry – solid experimental design, understanding the distribution you’re studying, interpreting and communicating your results. The OII is special because, in addition to this, you get to critically study a range of interesting and bizarre phenomena that have arisen in our digital world.  

Advice for prospective students?  

If you’re considering applying, do! It was a life-changing experience for me. I’d also recommend looking closely at the course offerings; they are quite broad and you can shape your experience to be more oriented towards the social sciences, computer science, law, philosophy, and more. Choosing your own adventure in the latter terms was part of the fun for me! 

Meet Dr Carl Öhman 

• OII programme studied: MSc Social Science of the Internet; DPhil in Information, Communication and the Social Sciences  
• Undergraduate degree: Double major in sociology and comparative literature 
• Home country: Sweden 
• Current role: Associate Professor of Political Science, Uppsala University 

What are you up to now? 

I’m an associate professor of political science at Uppsala University, Sweden, where I lead two large research projects – one on AI and political communication and one on the existential dimensions of disinformation.  

I spend most of my time on research. Right now, I’m writing a monograph entitled Gods of Data, in which I use the philosophical tradition of religious critique to understand the social and political dimensions of AI. For my disinformation project, I’m working on a political theory of folly, where I draw on Renaissance philosopher Erasmus of Rotterdam’s classic, In Praise of Folly. 

What’s a typical day like? 

Today was typical. It started with reading on the bus – Hannah Arendt’s Between Past and Future. I then spent four hours working on a text entitled “Folly as a political virtue: Why epistemically inferior actors succeed in democratic competition.” After lunch with colleagues, I answered emails, called a collaborator, and held a doctoral supervision meeting. Later, on the bus to pick up my kids from kindergarten, I’ll get back to Arendt again.  

Why did you choose the OII? 

Early on, I knew I wanted to focus on the internet. I wrote both my BA theses on digital technologies, so when I found out there was something called the Oxford Internet Institute, the decision to apply was a no-brainer.  

The OII turned out to be a perfect fit for me due to the combination of hard social sciences and humanities. While my coursework leaned toward the social sciences, my DPhil research, especially in Luciano Floridi’s Digital Ethics Lab, drew heavily on humanities approaches. 

Highlights from the course? 

My cohort went to Barcelona together for a conference, which was really cool. Otherwise, the best part for me was getting such a broad understanding of how the internet works, which I don’t think I would have gained in any other non-technical department.  

What made studying at Oxford special? 

It’s a cliché but Oxford is like a real-life Hogwarts. I went to Merton College, which is one of the really old and traditional ones. So, the combination of these centuries old traditions and buildings with cutting-edge research on digital technologies made the OII unique.  

How did the course help shape your path? 

I am who I am today because of the OII. It helped me define my niche as a researcher, but also gave me a platform, academically as well as for public outreach. The press team did a great job advertising my work to the media, and I don’t think many other departments have those kinds of resources.  

I owe almost my entire academic career to Luciano Floridi, who supervised both my MSc and DPhil thesis. He is no longer at the OII, but there are other digital ethicists there who are doing a tremendous job.  

What has stayed with you? 

The friendships I made. I’d say I met three out of my ten closest friends through the OII. I continue to learn so much from these people whenever I see them, so, in a sense, my education is still ongoing.   

Advice for prospective students?  

It’s a very competitive programme, so don’t focus your application on how brilliant you are, but on what makes you stand out. Do you have a fun, innovative idea that you want to develop? Or perhaps an unusual background for someone studying the internet? Then focus on that!  

Think through what it is you want to get out of the programme. The OIIis like a buffet – you have to actively and consciously choose what to put on your plate. If you expect to get fed, you will probably not get much out of it, but if you have a plan or a vision for what you want to learn, it is the perfect place.  

Meet: Carla Intal 

• OII programme studied: MSc Social Data Science 
• Previous degrees: BSc Economics, University of the Philippines; MSc Applied Economics, Johns Hopkins University 
• Home country: Philippines 
• Current role: Senior Insights Program Manager, LinkedIn 

What are you up to now? 

I’m an Insights Program Manager at LinkedIn. Every day is different, but the core of our work is uncovering interesting data and trends that show the value of LinkedIn products to members and customers. 

I manage insights for the Thought Leadership programme in our Sales Navigator product, studying aggregate buyer and seller behaviours. Using LinkedIn data, I answer questions like: What’s the shortest path to building a buyer–seller connection? What skills do top-performing sellers have? How can AI improve seller performance? What online actions signal a buyer is ready to purchase? 

The goal is always to prove Sales Navigator’s value, and the hypothesising never ends, which makes my work exciting. 

Why did you choose the OII? 

Before the OII, I worked in economic research, holding degrees in economics and serving as a macro researcher at the IMF. There, I discovered data science, and once I realised I could apply computational science and machine learning to solve social science problems, I was hooked. I took courses, learned Python, and began using it in my analytical work. 

I decided to challenge myself and commit to full-time study. When the OII launched its MSc Social Data Science in 2018, I was thrilled – it was exactly what I wanted: a data science programme with a social science focus. 

My research interests lay in networks, having studied interconnections across economies, trade, finance, and labour at the IMF. With network science a core SDS area, I was paired with a thesis advisor specialising in network theory and won the Thesis Prize for outstanding dissertation. 

Highlights from the course 

I’ll never forget our debates on data and information in the Foundations and Frontiers courses. I think that these discussions are what makes an Oxford education truly unique; they trained me to think critically, be open to alternative perspectives, and recognise my own echo chamber. I can still hear Viktor Mayer-Schönberger urging us to “Be bold!” 

The richness came from the class itself. The OII’s strength is in its multidiscplinarity, and in my SDS cohort, we had people from law, linguistics, sociology, political science, economics, maths, statistics and more. We learned from each other, borrowing methodologies across fields and applying them in new ways. 

Studying at Oxford 

Oxford is the city of dreaming spires – charmingly beautiful, with a rich heritage. It was surreal to study where renowned scholars, world leaders, and Nobel laureates once sat. 

Beyond the scenery, what made Oxford special were the people. Everyone I met was passionate about something, whether literature, languages, maths, chemistry, or music. And you’d meet them over a pint at the King’s Arms or at Freud’s, a Victorian-era church turned nightclub. That blend of history, intellect, revelry and irreverence was irresistible. 

How did the course help shape your path? 

I credit my career pivot from public policy to tech to my Oxford degree. 

In my first term, I tested the waters by applying to tech jobs and listing my SDS degree, even though I’d barely begun the programme. I got calls from nearly every application. That’s when I realised its value. I also realized that my skill set as an economic data scientist was valuable in other fields. There are companies who seek data scientists with an economics background, to solve business problems, or analyse consumer behaviour, or do industry research and insights. 

I was ecstatic when LinkedIn hired me. I was drawn to its core vision and mission: “Create opportunity for every member of the global workforce; connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.” This resonated deeply after my decade at the World Bank and IMF. Its data on labour, jobs, and skills was familiar, and its nature as a social network aligned with my research in networks.  

What stuck? 

The multidisciplinary approach of the OII was one of the things that stuck with me, enabling me to explore different methods and look beyond my domain when problem solving. For example, a question like “What are sellers reading on LinkedIn?” could be answered with basic analytics – but it’s more interesting to use LLMs for social listening or network analysis for topic clustering. 

Another lesson taught by the OII that I still use today is our responsibility as data scientists to uphold data ethics and integrity. That means ensuring data is sourced, stored, and reported correctly; is compliant with GDPR and other standards; and what is reported is credible and representative of the truth. Handling member data makes this responsibility even more important. 

If you’re thinking about applying… 

Firstly, pick a lane and focus on it. Knowing my identity as a researcher, that my niche was in macroeconomics and my method of choice was networks, helped me focus my application and coursework. But if you don’t yet have a lane, that’s fine – many discover the path that suits them at the OII. I stumbled upon the agent-based modelling class and found it fascinating, despite never having heard of it before. 

Secondly, enjoy Oxford life! Study is the priority, but some of my best memories are from outside the classroom: lunch at Gloucester Green, attending friends’ college formals, watching Eurovision with the Oxford Philippines Society, and incubating start-up ideas at the Oxford Foundry. These experiences made my time unforgettable. 

Meet Joey D’Urso

• OII programme studied: Social science of the internet 
• Undergraduate degree: Philosophy, politics and economics, New College, Oxford 
• Home country: UK 
• Current role: Senior data journalist, The Times and Sunday Times 

What are you up to now? 

I’m a data journalist for the Times and Sunday Times, which involves using numbers to tell news stories. Typically, this involves making charts and crunching through datasets, which could be in the public domain or made available exclusively. I particularly enjoy covering politics — 2024 was a good year for that. The work can involve anything, though, from health to economics, sport to education. I also write about football and politics. My first book was published in June 2025, More Than a Shirt: How Football Shirts Explain Global Politics, Money and Power. 

Why did you choose the OII? 

I wanted to increase my skills in data and statistics, and it certainly helped with that, and helped me land a job I probably wouldn’t have done otherwise. I have long been fascinated by the internet and social media and feel like I know have a more rigorous understanding of it. Although my time at OII was quite Covid-disrupted, I found the teaching very good, and enjoyed the time I spent in Oxford a lot. 

Highlights from the course? 

It will sound very nerdy, but I really enjoyed studying some pretty hardcore maths and statistics, and putting my skills to the test in an in-person exam dressed in my sub-fusc. After eight years in the workplace, it was refreshing to be doing some old-school learning again. I found it very satisfying and fulfilling. I also enjoyed writing a thesis about online scams. 

What made studying at Oxford 

I do think there is a culture of hard work and high standards at Oxford that is not necessarily replicated everywhere. As a part-time student who was working alongside it, I wanted to feel like my time was being used effectively and I was learning things, and I absolutely did. The social aspects were fun too, getting dressed up and having dinners at high table. 

How did the course help shape your path? 

Very much so. Beefing up my data skills helped me land the job I am doing now. 

What has stayed with you? 

I use the R programming language on a daily basis in my job now. I had no knowledge of it before. I also think I see social media in a more global context now, having learned lots of interesting things about how it operates in India, China and beyond, not just the US and Europe. 

Advice for prospective students?  

Do it! It’s a great course, and Oxford is a great place to be. 

Meet Lofred Madzou 

• OII programme studied: MSc in Social Science of the Internet  
• Undergraduate degree:  Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences, Université Sorbonne, Paris 
• Home country: France 
• Current role: CEO and Founder of SkildMind, Co-founder of the African Olympiad Academy 

What are you up to now? 

I’m the CEO and Founder of SkildMind, a tech-enabled consultancy helping enterprise clients navigate AI transformation. We specialise in supporting clients to establish AI Centres of Excellence (AI CoEs), internal structures that ensure companies align AI implementation with strategic business objectives.  

Alongside this, I’m the Co-Founder and Director of Partnerships at the African Olympiad Academy (AOA), a world-class high school, training the top maths and science talent on the continent. Our graduates will join the new generation of top AI entrepreneurs, mathematicians and scientists that Africa needs. 

Why did you choose the OII? 

Before Oxford, I launched my first startup called Propind in 2013, a tech platform designed to help governments crowdsource public input into legislation. Although the venture didn’t succeed, that was the first time that I became fully aware of the transformative power of technology on society.  

I wanted a graduate programme that would strengthen my technical skills while deepening my understanding of how digital technologies are shaping society and the economy. The MSc in Social Science of the Internet stood out. Where else can you study machine learning, AI policy, and philosophy of information in the same week, with leading academics in each field?  

Highlights from the course? 

One course that had a lasting impact on me was the Philosophy of Information class with Luciano Floridi. It was simply fantastic. That’s when I realised that the entire AI project, namely building machines that can mimic human thinking and behaviour, is built on very old philosophical assumptions. I discovered that getting immersed in the work of some great philosophers would give me a deeper understanding of what AI can and should do. Through that course, I discovered thinkers like Heidegger, Kierkegaard, and Dreyfus, and I consider myself a phenomenologist to this day.  

What made studying at Oxford special? 

I immediately fell in love with Oxford, its majestic buildings, traditions, and long history. It was unlike anything I experienced before, and I loved wandering through the streets and exploring the city.  

I was based at St Cross, a graduate-only college where students from different disciplines come together. I spent hours chatting with college mates who were studying economics, philosophy, physics, or medieval naval history, and learned so much from them. That’s probably what I miss most about my time at Oxford.  

How did the course help shape your path? 

My course has shaped my entire trajectory. During my time at OII, I found the defining question of my career: how can we make AI more trustworthy? Since then, I’ve tried to answer it through a mix of policy, processes, and tools. The programme taught me to think rigorously about complex questions related to the impact of AI on society, drawing on insights from both computer science and the social sciences. 

What has stayed with you? 

What’s stuck with me the most are the qualitative and quantitative methods that I use to approach complex questions daily. OII gives you a “how to” – a precious toolbox to confront any question related to technology’s impact on society.  

Advice for prospective students? 

If you’re eager to gain a deeper understanding of how AI and emerging technologies impact society – and, more importantly, if you want to play a significant role in shaping those impacts – this is the place for you.  

Keep in mind that it is a truly multidisciplinary department, so it requires a genuine intellectual curiosity to explore other disciplines and ideas outside your comfort zone.  

Finally, don’t let the fear of failure hold you back! I joined OII after my first startup failed, and many other failures have led me to where I am now. Take a leap of faith. 

Meet Manpreet Deol 

• OII programme studied: MSc, Social Science of the Internet 
• Undergraduate degree: BSc, Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering 
• Home country: Canada 
• Current role: Associate, Inovia 

What are you up to now?  

I’m an investor at Inovia where I search for, invest in, and support frontier Seed and Series A technology startups building AI-powered applications, vertical software, and next-generation computing infrastructure. While the fund has Canadian roots, we invest in category-leading companies across North America and Europe. 

What’s a typical day like?  

A typical day consists of meetings with founders, conducting technical and financial due diligence on live investments, and supporting our portfolio companies with strategic projects. Our team regularly engages in discussions about the merits of emerging technologies and their applications. Of late, these conversations have focused on generative AI, large language and image models, and quantum computing. 

Why did you choose the OII?  

Having studied engineering, which indexed heavily on the quantitative, the OII’s interdisciplinary grounding and seminar-based teaching stood out as a way for me to delve into the qualitative. The OII seemed like a nucleus of researchers making an impact, instructors dedicated to teaching, and space to have meaningful discourse. The programme definitely lived up to this reputation during my time as a student. 

What made OII a good fit? 

My course mates, with their diverse backgrounds spanning the social sciences, law, and history, brought valuable perspectives I wouldn’t have encountered otherwise. The opportunity to delve into courses ranging from cryptography and subversive tech to internet economics to data visualization was an outstanding experience. This exposure helped craft a research topic for my thesis that was timely and applicable to where I wanted to end up – helping technology startups build responsibly and sustainably. 

What made studying at Oxford 

Oxford holds a special place in my heart, largely because of the vibrant and inspiring individuals who bring the city to life. My two years there were life-changing, and I forged some of my closest friendships during this time. I loved cycling around, getting lost in the greenspace bordering the city, and indulging in scones with clotted cream and jam. Studying in the many historic libraries was an added treat. 

How did the course help shape your path?  

Studying digital social research methods at the OII gave me a strong base in using data to address social issues relating to emerging technologies. After completing the MSc, I read the MBA, where I learned the financial mechanics for supporting and scaling these technologies. Today, I consider myself an innovator and advocate, and the OII equipped me with skills on both fronts.  

What has stayed with you?  

Since my time at the OII, asking myself about the groups that are empowered and those that are disempowered by a particular technology has stayed at the top of my mind. Who’s missing from the table? 

My thesis focused on re-imagining participatory design and responsible research and innovation for facial recognition technology development. With the rise of AI-driven recognition and vision systems in recent years, I’m grateful that I delved into these themes in my research as they are more relevant than ever.  

What approaches or insights do you still use today?  

The data science skills I honed during my MSc are particularly helpful when I examine the architectures and tech stacks of the AI and ML-focused software companies we consider investing in. The ability to think critically about and articulate both the benefits and the potential harms that may arise when implementing a certain product have been mission critical. The AI for Social Good (AI4SG) learnings from the programme continue to resonate with me in my day-to-day. 

Advice for prospective students?  

The OII is a particularly unique place at Oxford, given how multidisciplinary it is. I initially thought my background in engineering would be an outlier, but soon realised there is no “right” set of prerequisite experiences. In fact, I gained a complementary set of skills that have made me a more comprehensive thinker, builder, and tech investor. 

In an era where the sociotechnical sphere is rapidly evolving due to the advent of generative AI and agentic workflows, we need more excited and energetic leaders who understand the implications of these tools, who can make data-driven decisions, and who are courageous to act. The OII attracts some of the best researchers, leaders, and technologists in the world who embody these traits.