Future Governance

Overview

This is a unique, new interdisciplinary Future Governance programme from The University of Edinburgh offering an innovative approach to study that will help you develop advanced thinking in governance and policy-making for the future. It is for critical thinkers who seek to develop leading-edge knowledge to help them shape the world – and their careers – by driving positive change through policy and decision-making.

You will gain the skills and knowledge required to evaluate and use diverse data sources and emerging technologies to understand, critique and shape the future of governance. The cross-sector, interdisciplinary approach used within EFI showcases the very best the University of Edinburgh has to offer and includes collaboration with policy and communication experts and decision-makers across the public, private and third sectors.

You will develop a deep understanding of democracy and participation in an era of rapidly developing technological change and data-driven decision-making, and you will interrogate the challenges and opportunities that new and big data sources bring to the future of governance. You will increase your knowledge of ethical decision-making in the context of data-driven policy-making, and your confidence in using new and big data. You will learn to identify the most appropriate methods required to address policy issues and learn how to apply a strong, critical and interdisciplinary understanding to the challenge of our democratic futures.

Career opportunities

Future Governance graduates will have a robust understanding of data-driven decision-making in governance processes. They will be ready to make positive change in the decision-making environment. The core elements of the programme address the data and higher-order skills we know are important for the future of work, confident and critical citizenship, and a thriving, just society.

Our data-literate graduates will be well placed to offer the cross disciplinary skills that are in demand from decision-makers and researchers in the public, private and third sectors. We expect our graduates to take up posts or to seek promotion in these sectors, equipped to carve out a niche in the rapidly transforming field of governance.

For mid-career professionals from the private, public, and third sectors, the programme will support them to become leaders on new or existing governance projects with a strong data aspect or to transition to such careers and/or seek promotions within their own institutions.