Technology impacts society across all industry sectors and aspects of daily life. Our focus on tech policy prepares students to address issues of government support for innovation and actions to mitigate the negative impacts that technology can make on individuals’ lives like ethics, privacy, cybersecurity, and impact on historically disenfranchised populations.
Academic Overview
David Hoffman previously served as Associate General Counsel, Director of Security Policy, and Global Privacy Officer for Intel Corporation. Hoffman currently chairs the Civil Liberties and Privacy Panel for the Director's Advisory Board for the US National Security Agency.
Related Programs & Courses
The Public Policy Studies major is a perennial top major at Duke University.
MPP (Technology Policy Concentration available) - View concentration requirements
PhD in Public Policy
- American Grand Strategy
- Center for Computational Thinking
- Cyberclub student group
- Cyber Policy and Gender Violence Initiative
- Dewitt Wallace Center for Media and Democracy
- Democracy Lab
- Duke Center for International Development
- Duke Center for Law and Technology
- Duke AI Health
- Duke Law Center for Innovation Policy
- Duke Office of Information Technology
- Kenan Institute of Ethics
- Margolis Center for Health Policy
- Pratt School of Engineering – Master’s in Cybersecurity Engineering Program
- Science and Society
- Triangle Privacy Research Hub
Sample Stories & Research
Research Feature
Gender violence can involve privacy issues online, including cyberstalking, data records, and more. Faculty member David Hoffman is working with Duke students on gender violence prevention research focusing on the needs of survivors and organizations that help survivors of gender violence. The research is working to shed light on systemic issues and potential policy solutions.
John Oliver cites Sanford research
Popular television host John Oliver discussed the issue of data brokers citing research from Sanford Fellow Justin Sherman. Data brokers are companies that collect and sell personal information about individuals, often without their knowledge or consent.
Featured Research Center
Sanford's Tech Policy Initiative and Lab (led by David Hoffman) provides a platform for researchers, faculty, and students to promote timely research and insights; stimulate scholarship in the technology-policy area, and bridge the gap between long-term research and real-world application.
Key Partnerships
Cyber Policy and Gender Violence Initiative
Duke’s Cyber Policy and Gender Violence Initiative seeks to explore and challenge the ways digital systems affect survivors of gender-based violence. Using data-driven and policy approaches, we seek to examine how to mitigate the impact of technologies on the safety of survivors.
Dewitt Wallace Center for Media and Democracy
The DeWitt Wallace Center for Media & Democracy is Duke's journalism and media studies hub. It's located at the Sanford School.
Duke Center for Law and Technology
The Duke Center on Law & Tech prepares students for the growing landscape of technology in the legal profession through collaboration with Duke’s innovative and entrepreneurial initiatives, engagement with entrepreneurs, and opportunities at the intersection of technology and the law.
Duke AI Health
Duke AI Health connects, strengthens, amplifies, and grows streams of theoretical and applied research on artificial intelligence and machine learning at Duke in order to answer the most urgent and difficult challenges in medicine and population health.
Center for Innovation Policy
The Center for Innovation Policy at Duke Law is a forum for independent analysis and balanced discussion of policies for promoting technological innovation that enhances long-term social welfare.
Triangle Privacy Research Hub
TPRH brings together academics, industry leaders, students, and policy advocates in the North Carolina Research Triangle to address some of society’s most pressing issues through the innovative and ethical use of data.
Additional Partnerships
The Duke Center on Law & Tech prepares students for the growing landscape of technology in the legal profession through collaboration with Duke’s innovative and entrepreneurial initiatives, engagement with entrepreneurs, and opportunities at the intersection of technology and the law.
The Duke Program in American Grand Strategy is a flagship interdisciplinary initiative dedicated to better understanding US foreign policy and national security – past, present, and future.
The Center for Computational Thinking (CCT) enables computational education at Duke to ensure that every student, regardless of field of study, is prepared for the digital 21st century.
Duke Cyber's mission is to provide informal interdisciplinary educational development to Duke students on technology topics; to cultivate a network of undergraduate and graduate students through speaker events, competitions, and social events; and to foster a greater understanding of the purpose, roles, and implications of 21st century technology.
Democracy Lab involves students in revitalizing democracy on campus, in Durham, and our nation. Students work in teams to create innovative projects addressing political issues.
The Duke Center for International Development (DCID) promotes sustainable development through its research, education and engagement with students, policy makers, practitioners, development partners, civil society and the private sector.
The Office of Information Technology manages Duke’s central technology infrastructure and provides services and applications to support the educational and research missions of the institution, as well as the university's business functions.
The Kenan Institute for Ethics is an interdisciplinary home for faculty, students, and staff dedicated to understanding and negotiating the moral challenged of our time through the energetic and capacious pursuit of good.
The Duke Cybersecurity Master of Engineering program, is a cutting-edge and fast-growing community of professionals working to solve some of the most complex risks that are impacting organizations globally.
Duke Science & Society embraces and encourages responsible progress in science and technology that benefits humanity.
Let's Connect!
Interested in pursuing a degree with a focus on technology policy? Great! The admissions page for each program has detailed guidelines, including our contact info. Please reach out!
- Read recent stories related to technology policy
- Browse faculty opinion pieces related to technology policy
- Sanford podcasts often feature stories about technology