As a Senior Consultant with Crowell Global Advisors, Akanksha Sinha (MIA 2019) spends her days working on digital policy issues that don’t yet have answers. From AI governance to data flows and cloud infrastructure, much of her work involves figuring things out in real time.
In this conversation, Akanksha reflects on policymaking where clear playbooks don’t exist, why her current role feels like a dream job, and how her time at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP) has influenced her work in two very different policy environments.
You come from a policy and economics background, while your work centres on tech issues like AI, data governance, and cybersecurity. How did you build the confidence to step into a space often dominated by technologists?
It is not that different when you think about it. My academic background trained me to look at the most prominent issues of the day through an analytical lens. My work today specialises in digital policy, which on a granular level involves analysing how emerging technology such as AI is shaping and reshaping our world.
Given the pace at which technology is evolving today, we need all policy hands on deck, to make sure we can create an enabling regulatory environment to maximise its momentum for continued innovation and economic growth. In the case of AI specifically, this involves a medley of policy levers, including ensuring robust data governance practices and progressive cybersecurity measures to build resilient AI systems.
This is exactly what I love about working in digital policy: We do not study data governance, cybersecurity, and AI in isolation. Rather, we understand how these areas work in tandem and proactively shape their impact. Given how most emerging tech policy issues such as AI and quantum computing are very new and fast-moving, there is not a lot of policy precedence on the “right” way to create policy frameworks. As such, from technologists to policymakers, we are all learning on the job.
To answer your question, it was a sense of shared drive that led me to this space. I say “shared” as I believe everyone who is working in any capacity on AI today is driven by the sheer possibility offered by this once-in-a-generation technology. We are all confident that it has the potential to change life as we know it, and our drive is to make this change for the better.
Can you walk us through a recent moment where you had to quickly learn and interpret a complex technical development for a client?
I find everything in the digital policy realm complex and layered. That may just be a limitation of my comprehension abilities, but it is also a major contributor to what makes this a fascinating space to work in. The learning curve is very steep.
Just recently, we supported a regional multilateral organisation to brainstorm the development of a cloud policy framework for adoption by governments across the region. As countries look at scaling their AI ambitions, having a robust cloud computing ecosystem has become critical.
Our work involved analysing the different elements of a robust cloud framework. This included modernised procurement practices, measures for supporting cross-border data flows, and proactive practices for boosting cloud cybersecurity and resilience, as well as the importance of benchmarking international standards. We then worked with senior government policymakers from the digital ministries of the region to calibrate these elements and create an interoperable cloud framework for regional adoption.
The cloud policies of today will shape the AI ecosystems of tomorrow, and it was wonderful to have an opportunity to contribute to this.
Is your current role close to being a ‘dream job’?
My current role at Crowell Global Advisors (CGA) is not just close to my dream job, it is my dream job!
CGA has given me the platform to work with a diverse group of stakeholders — including industry and senior government officials, multilateral organisations, and think tanks — to drive impactful outcomes in the digital policy space.
I have also been fortunate to find outstanding mentors at CGA, namely my boss and other directors I work with. They have not only supported me in building relevant subject matter expertise, but also in developing professional soft skills such as writing well and communicating ideas succinctly.
In your digital and tech policy work, what from your LKYSPP training has been most useful?
The School’s name and prestige played a role in getting me a first interview with CGA, and my experience at the School continues to shape my professional journey today.
Firstly, it was at LKYSPP where I gained a lot of the soft skills that I still use in my day-to-day tasks in the workplace: research, analysis, and writing are at the top of my list. All those (seemingly endless) research papers and policy memos we wrote at LKYSPP were excellent training for building the analytical rigour and speed needed for policy analysis in the real world. Even something as minor as learning how to do academic citations in different formats is still relevant to my work today.
Secondly, the School helped me build subject matter expertise on policy issues relevant to my field of work. These included topics such as the geopolitical and economic history of Asia, and the evolution of alliances in the region. LKYSPP’s expertise in Asian policy is unparalleled globally and I still consult my lecture notes from my time at the School, to understand the nuances of Asian policymaking.
Previously, you were an investment specialist with Invest India, where you worked with 19 state governments to boost entrepreneurship and innovation. How did the LKYSPP experience support you in this very different setting?
I started working at Invest India right after graduating from LKYSPP. This was my first experience working for a government entity, and I could not have asked for a better role to put all my LKYSPP knowledge to practice.
My role at Invest India involved a lot of ground-level policy drafting and implementation guidance to state governments, specifically on boosting innovation and entrepreneurship. I pulled from all my experience studying evidence-based policymaking at the School to understand the unique geopolitical and cultural requirements of the different states, and tailor the policies to best serve their needs and growth ambitions.
Apart from this, all the subject matter expertise I had gained at LKYSPP studying India — its economic and trade history along with its geopolitical positioning and alliance building with the rest of the world — was incredibly helpful for this role.
This was one of the great things about studying at LKYSPP. There was a diverse menu of elective courses offered, covering key Asian countries as well as a range of policy topics such as healthcare, climate change, and sustainability. LKYSPP gave us the flexibility to pick and choose electives, which helped us build the right foundational skillset as per our career goals.
What led you to enroll in the LKY School in 2017?
While exploring options for graduate schools, I was clear about wanting to build Asia-specific expertise and picking a field of study with an academic focus and the potential for macro-level impact. Pursuing a degree from a public policy school seemed like the most natural transition after my undergraduate specialisation in Economics, as both these fields are complementary in nature.
At the time of applying, the Master in International Affairs course was newly launched by the School. Upon doing some research and talking to LKYSPP alums, I learned that the School had put in a lot of thought and resources in designing this course to equip its students to build strong careers in public policy and international affairs.
The alums spoke highly of the calibre of faculty, quality of peer groups, research support, academic resources, and scholarships offered by the School. The beautiful campus, located in the heart of Singapore’s verdant Botanic Gardens, was also a plus point for me. It was an absolute no-brainer to apply to the School, and I was extremely fortunate to be accepted.
I went on to have two of the best years of my life at LKYSPP; all that was said by the alums turned out to be true.
Has the LKYSPP community been part of your career after graduation?
I graduated from the School almost seven years ago, but my LKYSPP community has continued to grow. I am still in touch with my batchmates and professors from the course, and I have also been lucky to connect with many LKYSPP alums doing great things in the digital policy space, not only in Singapore but all over the world.
As an alum myself, the sense of kinship we feel, as soon as someone introduces themselves as an LKYSPP graduate, is amazing. We continue to be united by our love for the School, our joy in upholding its legacy, and our shared nostalgia for the amazing parties at College Green!
What’s next for you?
I hope to deepen my expertise in areas such as AI governance, cross-border data flows, digital trade, and cloud computing.
Apart from these, I am drawn to emerging digital policy issues such as quantum computing and its impact on data privacy and cybersecurity. (Hint: it is not all bad news.)
No matter how much the world changes, there will always be room for smart policymaking to maximise technology’s overall benefit to society. I hope my work will continue to contribute to this important cause.