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By Kyana Taban MPP'26
My path into tech policy wasn’t linear. I studied Political Science and International Relations in undergrad, convinced that my career would center on diplomacy, human rights, or global development. Technology was never part of the plan. But the turning point came after graduation, when I went into teaching and began working closely with middle school children and the tools shaping their learning environments.
What I witnessed in classrooms complicated the idea that “more technology equals better learning.” Chromebooks and online learning platforms are supposed to be great equalizers, but on the ground, I saw a different reality. Yes, technology expanded online access and supported differentiated instruction. But it also fractured students’ attention and created new channels for online bullying. The gap between the promise of EdTech and the lived experiences of the children using it was impossible to ignore, and it planted the first seed of my interest in the intersection of tech and vulnerable populations.
When I started my graduate school journey, I was searching for a space where my background in political systems and my experience with children could intersect with the growing influence of digital technologies. I was so delighted to discover that the Duke Sanford MPP program had a tech policy concentration, and I dove right in. Tech policy became that vital space for me.
At Duke, I joined the Technology Policy Club and soon found myself stepping into leadership roles. Last year, I served as the FemTech Lead and served as the visionary of the Power Summit, an annual graduate-level conference focused on women and technology. Designing and managing the summit was one of the strongest affirmations of my path so far! It showed me how technology can empower others through expanding digital access and improving government services, but also how it can expose users to unprecedented forms of harm. Digital devices can facilitate stalking and domestic violence, and digital platforms help deepfake and nonconsensual sexual imagery spread with alarming ease. The summit made me understand the policymaking gaps and real-world interventions that could meaningfully protect users.
As co-president of the Tech Policy Club, I have been really enjoying watching the club grow across the different graduate schools. It has been so fulfilling to see students outside of Sanford come to all our events. I have also been guiding our new FemTech Lead in creating the 2026 Power Shift Summit.
In my Master's Project, I work with the World Bank to examine responsible AI in digital public infrastructure, returning to the global lens that first drew me to international relations. This work, focused on supporting people in low- and middle-income countries, has brought my journey full circle. Whether in classrooms, women’s safety spaces, or emerging digital ecosystems in the Global South, the driving question remains the same: how can we design and govern technology so that it protects, empowers, and uplifts those who are most vulnerable? I hope to continue exploring that question in the tech policy space going forward!
Kyana Taban is a tech policy enthusiast and Duke MPP student exploring how digital systems shape vulnerable communities. She has experience in education, research, and public-sector people intelligence. She now co-presides over Duke’s Tech Policy Club and works with the World Bank on responsible AI. In her free time, you can catch her going out with her friends, experimenting in the kitchen, or heading to an early morning spin class.