Overview
Dissertation
Global Digital and Technology Governance Policies
This direction can study the policy challenges brought by emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing, for example, the construction of global unified standards for AI ethics. It can also examine the regulatory policy conflicts in cross-border data flows, such as the impact of different national data privacy laws on multinational enterprises, or the role of cryptocurrency regulatory policies in national sovereignty and global financial stability.
Why does this topic interest me?
Why Global Digital and Technology Governance Policies Is a Compelling Research Direction
The focus on Global Digital and Technology Governance Policies stems from its unique intersection of cutting-edge technological innovation, cross-border regulatory conflicts, and core global public policy goals—including equity, security, and sustainable development. There are three key reasons why this direction stands out as both interesting and impactful:
1. Unprecedented Policy Lag Behind Technological Change
Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and blockchain are evolving at a speed that far outpaces the development of global regulatory frameworks. Unlike traditional policy areas (e.g., climate or trade) where basic international norms and institutions already exist, digital and tech governance is still in a "norm-building" phase. For example, generative AI’s rapid proliferation has raised urgent issues around algorithmic bias, intellectual property rights of AI-generated content, and cross-border AI-driven misinformation—but there is no globally unified standard to address these challenges. This policy gap creates a dynamic, high-stakes research context, as scholars can explore how different stakeholders (governments, tech giants, international organizations) negotiate and shape rules that will define the future of digital development.
2. Intense Tensions Between National Sovereignty and Global Digital Integration
The direction highlights a fundamental contradiction in the digital era: the global nature of data flows and technology supply chains clashes with countries’ desire to protect their national security, economic interests, and public values. A typical example is the regulatory conflict over cross-border data transfers—while the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) emphasizes strict data privacy and localization requirements, the U.S. promotes a more liberal data flow regime to support its tech industry’s global competitiveness. Meanwhile, developing countries often face the dilemma of either adopting Western-led regulatory standards or building their own systems, which may lead to fragmentation of the global digital market. Studying these tensions allows researchers to examine how global public policy can balance national autonomy and cross-border cooperation—a core question for modern global governance.
3. Far-reaching Implications for Global Equity and Inclusive Development
Digital and tech governance policies are not just technical rules; they directly determine the distribution of benefits and risks in the global digital economy. For instance, debates over global AI ethics standards are not only about technical safety but also about whether developing countries have a voice in setting rules that will shape the future of AI—avoiding a scenario where a small number of tech-leading nations dominate the global digital order. Similarly, cryptocurrency regulation involves balancing financial innovation with the need to prevent capital flight and protect vulnerable economies from digital financial risks. Research in this area can shed light on how global public policies can ensure that technological progress benefits all countries, rather than widening the digital divide—a critical goal for equitable global development.
In summary, this research direction is fascinating because it deals with frontier, unresolved, and high-impact issues that lie at the heart of the digital transformation of global society. It also offers ample opportunities to combine theoretical analysis (e.g., theories of global governance, regulatory competition) with empirical case studies (e.g., GDPR’s extraterritorial impact, AI governance initiatives by the OECD or G7), making it a rich and rewarding topic for a Global Public Policy thesis.
Topics
1. Regulatory Fragmentation or Convergence? A Comparative Study of Cross-border Data Flow Policies Between the EU, the US and ASEAN
2. Balancing Innovation and Ethics: How Global Multilateral Organizations Shape AI Governance Standards for Developing Countries
3. The Extraterritorial Effects of the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA): Implications for Multinational Tech Firms and Global Digital Governance
4. Cryptocurrency Regulation and National Sovereignty: Analyzing the Policy Dilemmas of Emerging Economies in Global Digital Financial Governance
5. Stakeholder Negotiation in Global Tech Governance: The Role of Non-Governmental Organizations in Promoting Inclusive AI Ethics Standards
I chose the second topic
Topic 2: Balancing Innovation and Ethics: How Global Multilateral Organizations Shape AI Governance Standards for Developing Countries
◦ Primary method: Mixed methods (Desk-based research + Qualitative research + Limited quantitative research)
◦ Rationale: Use desk-based research to sort out AI governance frameworks released by multilateral organizations (e.g., OECD, UNESCO) and policy responses of developing countries. Adopt qualitative research (e.g., discourse analysis of policy documents, expert interviews with scholars/policy makers) to explore the influence mechanism. Add limited quantitative research (e.g., statistical analysis of the number of developing countries participating in global AI standard-setting) to supplement the argument with data support.
The research focus and design concept of the dissertation
Research Focus and Design Overview: Balancing Innovation and Ethics: How Global Multilateral Organizations Shape AI Governance Standards for Developing Countries
This study centers on exploring how global multilateral organizations (e.g., OECD, UNESCO) formulate and promote AI governance standards, and their influence on developing countries’ policy adoption. It aims to unpack the tension between technological innovation and ethical norms, while examining the voice and agency of developing countries in global AI rule-setting to address the inequities in current governance frameworks.
Adopting a mixed-methods approach, the research first relies on desk-based research to collect and analyze AI governance guidelines from multilateral bodies and policy documents of representative developing countries. Then, qualitative research (discourse analysis and expert interviews) is employed to identify the influence mechanisms of multilateral organizations and the policy dilemmas faced by developing countries. Complementary limited quantitative research is used to statistically measure the participation degree of developing countries in global AI standard-setting processes. The study ultimately intends to propose targeted recommendations for inclusive global AI governance.