Google Cloud’s public sector director for ANZ Luch Joveski (left) with UC vice-chancellor Bill Shorten. Photo: University of Canberra.
The University of Canberra has announced a new Graduate Certificate in Law (Data and AI), designed to improve the public service’s data ethics and AI governance capabilities.
The program is to be delivered with Google’s support, with engagement from Google Cloud providing guidance for the curriculum’s design.
Designed for the digital age, the course is delivered online and is to be completed part time over a year in four separate study blocks. Part of the course provides a foundation in Australian data protection and privacy law, administrative law compliance, information governance frameworks and the ethical application of newer technologies.
Sovereign AI development is an important component.
“This course is grounded in real-world application,” UC vice-chancellor and president Bill Shorten said. ”On completion of the graduate certificate, our graduates will be equipped with skills and knowledge they can immediately apply in the workplace.
“Government operations are increasingly driven by data and AI and emerging technologies. Increasingly, public sector professionals need to know how and when to navigate emerging technologies in a complex environment, with ethics and legal knowledge built in by design.
“This course will help them do that, bridging the gap between data, privacy and statutory compliance. With Google.org’s support, our public service is being equipped to apply innovation safely, transparently and ethically.”
The new certificate has been created in response to an emerging need for professionals who can navigate the complex legal, ethical and regulatory challenges that AI in government and decision-making present.
The practical realities of data policy and governance are at the core of the certificate, rather than seeing the issue as purely abstract. Students will work directly with current legislation, case law and case studies and apply that expertise to live challenges in digital transformation.
Google Cloud’s public sector director for ANZ Luch Joveski said: “To build a strong digital future, our public service needs the critical skills to manage transformational technologies. Google is proud to support the University of Canberra on this curriculum and support the APS with the practical expertise and skills needed to use data and AI safely and confidently.”
The course is restricted to APS staff and is designed for flexible and part-time learning arrangements.
“Flexible and part-time learning arrangements, intentionally developed to meet our students where they are and to accommodate their lifestyle and work commitments, is crucial,” vice-chancellor Shorten said. ”In this way, UC is giving them the opportunity to return to study in a way that best suits their needs.
“Those in the public sector can now work towards a new qualification at a pace that matches their lifestyle, because you can, and should, be able to expand your knowledge without sacrificing everything else.”
Graduates of the course will be able to perform complex legal analysis of data governance frameworks, evaluate the challenges of emerging tech governance, apply professional and ethical judgment in data governance and AI practice, and translate legal reasoning for stakeholders in relevant sectors who may not have expertise in the field.
The curriculum aims to balance privacy protection with obligations to transparency, ensuring that while government uses AI, citizens’ data is managed by experts trained to the highest standards of ethics and legal accountability.
“Canberra is the beating heart of the APS and it makes sense that the next generation of data governance specialists, privacy officers, AI governance experts and so many more professions are about to be enhanced right here at UC,” vice-chancellor Shorten said.
More information regarding the curriculum, admission requirements and intake dates can be found here.
