Simon Munzert is new Director of the Hertie School’s Data Science Lab

Starting this month, Professor of Data Science and Public Policy Simon Munzert is the new Director of the Hertie School’s Data Science Lab. He succeeds his colleague Prof. Slava Jankin to continue strengthening the university’s position at the interface of data science and public policy.

"We are delighted to have Simon Munzert, a recognised scholar and outstanding professor, at the helm of the Data Science Lab to build its mission further,” said University President Prof. Cornelia Woll about the research lab’s new leadership. “We are looking forward to this new chapter for the Data Science Lab and for our university." 

Founded in 2019, the Data Science Lab is dedicated to tackling the most pressing issues of our times by leveraging the power of data science innovation and artificial intelligence. For example, its researchers are currently exploring attitudes towards hate speech regulation around the world or how machine learning can be used to inform climate mitigation policy. 

“I am honoured to step into the shoes of my predecessor and lead the Data Science Lab. Within the last four years, we have grown from a small group of data scientists into a full-fledged team of interdisciplinary researchers and students. I look forward to continuing the lab's scholarly research and policy-oriented outreach in Berlin and beyond,” says Munzert. 

Thanks to founding director Slava Jankin

Slava Jankin, the lab’s founding director and the school’s Professor of Data Science and Public Policy, returns to the United Kingdom to continue his work on natural language processing and machine learning. Having built up the Data Science Lab in Berlin from its beginnings, Jankin contributed heavily to the establishment of the Hertie School’s newest two-year master’s programme, the Master of Data Science for Public Policy (MDS). The first cohort of MDS students will graduate in summer 2023.

"Through his leadership at the Data Science Lab, his research and teaching, Professor Jankin’s part in making big data and artificial intelligence main topics of focus at the Hertie School is substantial. We owe him a great debt of gratitude for his tireless commitment and hope to build on his vision," said President Woll.

Under Munzert’s leadership, the Data Science Lab will continue on its mission to further the common good through insights stemming from the use of technologies in an increasingly data-driven society.