Columbia University’s Institute of Global Politics (IGP) has announced that Audrey Tang has been named an IGP Carnegie Distinguished Fellow, adding one of the world’s most innovative voices on digital democracy, civic technology, and collaborative governance to its distinguished community of global leaders.
Based at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), the Institute of Global Politics brings together experienced policymakers, scholars, diplomats, activists, and innovators to address some of the world’s most urgent challenges. Its primary areas of focus include democratic resilience, geopolitical stability, technology and innovation, inclusive prosperity, and climate and sustainable development.
The Carnegie Distinguished Fellows program is central to that mission. Fellows contribute their real-world expertise through public discussions, policy roundtables, faculty collaborations, student advising, classroom engagement, and research. Audrey’s appointment creates an opportunity for Columbia students and faculty to learn directly from a leader who has demonstrated how technology can strengthen democracy rather than undermine it.
Audrey served as Taiwan’s first Digital Minister and later became the country’s inaugural Minister of Digital Affairs. Now serving as Taiwan’s Cyber Ambassador, Audrey has earned international recognition for advancing government transparency, civic participation, digital inclusion, and innovative responses to disinformation and social division.
Audrey’s work helped establish Taiwan as a global model of participatory digital governance. Initiatives such as vTaiwan have used open-source technology and large-scale online deliberation to identify areas of agreement among people with very different viewpoints. Instead of rewarding outrage or amplifying the most divisive voices, these systems are designed to surface shared values and help citizens, experts, and policymakers develop workable solutions together.
That experience aligns closely with IGP’s commitment to promoting civil discourse and connecting academic research with practical policymaking. At a time when artificial intelligence and social media are transforming how people receive information, form opinions, and participate in public life, Audrey brings a hopeful but deeply practical perspective: digital platforms can be designed to create trust, encourage collaboration, and give citizens a meaningful voice.
Audrey already has a connection to Columbia’s work in this area, joining New_Public co-founder Eli Pariser for a Columbia discussion on reshaping social media for the public good in 2024. The conversation examined alternatives to today’s engagement-driven platforms and explored how digital public spaces might better support healthy communities and democratic participation.
As an IGP Carnegie Distinguished Fellow, Audrey will bring these ideas into an environment built around rigorous inquiry, constructive dialogue, and real-world impact. Audrey’s appointment also recognizes the increasing global importance of Taiwan’s experience in digital democracy and civic resilience.
For Audrey, the fellowship represents another important platform from which to advance a vision of technology not simply as a commercial product, but as civic infrastructure. For Columbia and its students, it offers access to a rare leader who has translated ambitious democratic principles into tools and systems that people can actually use.
Bottom line:
Audrey’s appointment is both a significant honor and a timely opportunity to help shape a more democratic, inclusive, and collaborative digital future.
For more information on how to invite Audrey to speak at your next event, click here.
