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HRDS Student Jackson Vann Wins Westin Scholar Award

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The American University of Paris is thrilled to announce that Jackson Vann, a graduate student taking 础鲍笔鈥檚 new MSc in Human Rights and Data Science, is the University鈥檚 first-ever . The International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) awards this honor in support of students who are identified as future leaders in the field of privacy and data protection, recognizing the growing global need for such practitioners. As IAPP President and CEO J. Trevor Hughes says: 鈥淭he privacy profession is fast growing and constantly evolving. We鈥檝e created these awards as a way to encourage students to enter this growing field and explore potential career opportunities.鈥�

The Westin Award is named after Dr. Alan Westin, a legal scholar and pioneer in privacy and data protection law. Award winners receive a $1,000 cash prize, a copy of Westin鈥檚 book Privacy and Freedom, two years鈥� membership to the IAPP, three complimentary exams for IAPP certifications (such as the CIPP, CIPM and CIPT) and unlimited access to online training for their selected certification exams.

Jackson Vann

Jackson expressed gratitude for the recognition, believing it will open new doors for him as a future privacy professional. 鈥淚f even one person at the decision-making table is trained in privacy, better choices will be made 鈥� whether in governments, private companies or international organizations,鈥� he said. Jackson believes that privacy is essential to the running of democratic societies and provides a strong foundation for the human rights policies that govern international respect for human dignity and freedom. 鈥淲ithout privacy, other fundamental human rights, such as the freedom of speech and the freedom of assembly, become impossible to exercise,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e have seen this time and time again in the rise of authoritarian states where the right to a private life quickly falls under threat.鈥�

础鲍笔鈥檚 MSc in Human Rights and Data Science combines a rigorous foundation in data science with the legal and philosophical considerations necessary to ensure the ethical implementation of policies and protections related to digital technology. Claudia Roda is the director of the program. 鈥淚 was thrilled that this honor went to Jackson,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e is a passionate promoter of privacy.鈥� As part of his MSc, Jackson has worked on projects exploring many areas of data protection, from a regulatory framework for children in the entertainment business to privacy and security in complex smart cities, and has provided comments on drafts of the EU鈥檚 Artificial Intelligence Act. 鈥淗e has also been very active within our community, supporting the work of 础鲍笔鈥檚 CIO on data privacy aspects,鈥� said Roda.