Professor Slava Jankin

Professor Slava Jankin

School of Government
Chair in Data Science and Government
Turing Academic Lead

Contact details

Address
The Institute for Data and AI
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Professor of Data Science and Government in the School of Government and the School of Computer Science at the University of Birmingham. Deputy Director of the Institute for Data and AI (IDAI) and Founding Director of the Centre for Artificial Intelligence in Government (CAIG). As the University's Turing Academic Lead, he coordinates research activities with The Alan Turing Institute and the wider Turing University Network.

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Qualifications

PhD in Political Science, Trinity College Dublin, 2009

Postgraduate Diploma in Statistics, Trinity College Dublin, 2006

BSc Econ with Distinction, Belarus State Economic University, 2002

Biography

Slava Jankin specialises in computational approaches to governance and society, focusing on how artificial intelligence can transform public institutions and address complex societal challenges. His interdisciplinary work combines expertise in political science, artificial intelligence, and environmental policy to develop innovative frameworks for evidence-based policymaking. At Birmingham, he has established new MSc programmes in AI and Government and AI and Sustainable Development, reflecting his commitment to building capacity for digital transformation in the public sector. 

Previously, he founded the Data Science Lab at the Hertie School, Berlin, and held professorships at University College London and the University of Essex. He serves as an expert advisor to the United Nations and European Commission on AI and data science innovation.

Research

Professor Jankin's research advances the application of artificial intelligence in three interconnected areas of governance and society: 

  • His work on digital twins for governance develops innovative frameworks for simulating and improving institutional systems. This research creates sophisticated AI-powered models that enable policymakers to test reforms and predict outcomes, transforming how we understand and enhance governance processes. 
  • Through the Lancet Countdown and CATALYSE initiatives, he leads research on computational approaches to climate change and health, developing novel surveillance systems that leverage digital data to monitor and predict environmental health impacts. This work combines advanced natural language processing with multi-stream data analysis to transform how we understand and respond to climate-related health challenges. 
  • His research on information resilience in super-diverse societies examines how cultural diversity influences information processing and sharing. This work combines neural studies, agent-based modelling, and community co-creation to understand how diversity can enhance societal resilience against misinformation. 

Across these areas, his interdisciplinary approach combines methodological innovation in AI with practical applications in public policy, particularly focusing on how computational methods can enhance institutional effectiveness and evidence-based decision-making.

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Dasandi, N, Jankin, S, Kalatzi Pantera, D & Romanello, M 2025, 'Public engagement with health and climate change around the world: a Google Trends analysis', The Lancet Planetary Health, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. e236-e244. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(25)00029-4

Marques-Cruz, M, Pinto, F, Vieira, RJ, Bognanni, A, Perestrelo, P, Gil-Mata, S, Duarte, VH, Barbosa, JP, Cardoso-Fernandes, A, Martinho-Dias, D, Franco-Pego, F, Germini, F, Arienti, C, Chu, AWL, Riera-Serra, P, Jemioło, P, Rodrigues, PP, Fonseca, JA, Azevedo, LF, Schünemann, HJ, Cruz-Correia, R, Jankin, S & Sousa-Pinto, B 2025, 'Use of artificial intelligence to support the assessment of the methodological quality of systematic reviews', Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, vol. 187, 111944. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2025.111944

Béchara, H, Jankin, S & Arnold, C 2024, 'Perceiving Distances and Construing Targets Based on Communication', Social Cognition, vol. 42, no. 5.

Jankin, S, Baturo, A & Dasandi, N 2024, 'Words to unite nations: The complete United Nations General Debate Corpus, 1946–present', Journal of Peace Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/00223433241275335

Weeks, L, Mikhaylov, SJ, Herzog, A, Fathartaigh, M & Bechara, H 2023, 'It's Only Words? Analysing the Roots of the Irish Party System Using Historical Parliamentary Debates', Parliamentary Affairs, vol. 76, no. 4, pp. 836-856. https://doi.org/10.1093/pa/gsac020

Chelotti, N, Dasandi, N & Jankin, S 2022, 'Do intergovernmental organizations have a socialization effect on member state preferences? Evidence from the UN General Debate', International Studies Quarterly, vol. 66, no. 1, sqab069. https://doi.org/10.1093/isq/sqab069, https://doi.org/10.1093/isq/sqab069

Campion, A, Gasco-Hernandez, M, Jankin Mikhaylov, S & Esteve, M 2022, 'Overcoming the challenges of collaboratively adopting artificial intelligence in the public sector', Social Science Computer Review, vol. 40, no. 2, pp. 462-477. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894439320979953

Dasandi, N, Graham, H, Hudson, D, Jankin, S, Vanheerde-hudson, J & Watts, N 2022, 'Positive, global, and health or environment framing bolsters public support for climate policies', Communications Earth and Environment, vol. 3, no. 1, 239. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-022-00571-x

Van daalen, KR, Romanello, M, Rocklöv, J, Semenza, JC, Tonne, C, Markandya, A, Dasandi, N, Jankin, S, Achebak, H, Ballester, J, Bechara, H, Callaghan, MW, Chambers, J, Dasgupta, S, Drummond, P, Farooq, Z, Gasparyan, O, Gonzalez-Reviriego, N, Hamilton, I, Hänninen, R, Kazmierczak, A, Kendrovski, V, Kennard, H, Kiesewetter, G, Lloyd, SJ, Lotto batista, M, Martinez-Urtaza, J, Milà, C, Minx, JC, Nieuwenhuijsen, M, Palamarchuk, J, Quijal-Zamorano, M, Robinson, EJZ, Scamman, D, Schmoll, O, Sewe, MO, Sjödin, H, Sofiev, M, Solaraju-Murali, B, Springmann, M, Triñanes, J, Anto, JM, Nilsson, M & Lowe, R 2022, 'The 2022 Europe report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: towards a climate resilient future', The Lancet Public Health, vol. 7, no. 11, pp. e942-e965. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(22)00197-9

Müller-Hansen, F, Lee, YT, Callaghan, M, Jankin, S & Minx, JC 2022, 'The German coal debate on Twitter: reactions to a corporate policy process', Energy Policy, vol. 169, 113178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2022.113178

Comment/debate

van Daalen, KR, Kriit, HK, Chen-Xu, J, Semenza, JC, Nilsson, M, Dasandi, N, Jankin, S, Markandya, A, Antó, JM, Rocklöv, J & Tonne, C 2025, 'Europe's climate leadership in an ‘America first’ era', The Lancet Regional Health - Europe, vol. 51, 101257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanepe.2025.101257

Conference contribution

Lancet Countdown in Europe consortium 2023, Towards a climate-resilient healthy future: the Lancet Countdown in Europe . in EGU General Assembly 2023., EGU23-13565, European Geosciences Union, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 24/04/23. https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-13565

Review article

van Daalen, KR, Tonne, C, Semenza, JC, Rocklöv, J, Markandya, A, Dasandi, N, Jankin, S, Achebak, H, Ballester, J, Bechara, H, Beck, TM, Callaghan, MW, Carvalho, BM, Chambers, J, Pradas, MC, Courtenay, O, Dasgupta, S, Eckelman, MJ, Farooq, Z, Fransson, P, Gallo, E, Gasparyan, O, Gonzalez-Reviriego, N, Hamilton, I, Hänninen, R, Hatfield, C, He, K, Kazmierczak, A, Kendrovski, V, Kennard, H, Kiesewetter, G, Kouznetsov, R, Kriit, HK, Llabrés-Brustenga, A, Lloyd, SJ, Batista, ML, Maia, C, Martinez-Urtaza, J, Mi, Z, Milà, C, Minx, JC, Nieuwenhuijsen, M, Palamarchuk, J, Pantera, DK, Quijal-Zamorano, M, Rafaj, P, Robinson, EJZ, Sánchez-Valdivia, N, Scamman, D, Schmoll, O, Sewe, MO, Sherman, JD, Singh, P, Sirotkina, E, Sjödin, H, Sofiev, M, Solaraju-Murali, B, Springmann, M, Treskova, M, Triñanes, J, Vanuytrecht, E, Wagner, F, Walawender, M, Warnecke, L, Zhang, R, Romanello, M, Antó, JM, Nilsson, M & Lowe, R 2024, 'The 2024 Europe report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: unprecedented warming demands unprecedented action', The Lancet. Public health, vol. 9, no. 7, pp. e495-e522. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(24)00055-0

Romanello, M, Walawender, M, Hsu, SC, Moskeland, A, Palmeiro-Silva, Y, Scamman, D, Ali, Z, Ameli, N, Angelova, D, Ayeb-Karlsson, S, Basart, S, Beagley, J, Beggs, PJ, Blanco-Villafuerte, L, Cai, W, Callaghan, M, Campbell-Lendrum, D, Chambers, JD, Chicmana-Zapata, V, Chu, L, Cross, TJ, van Daalen, KR, Dalin, C, Dasandi, N, Dasgupta, S, Davies, M, Dubrow, R, Eckelman, MJ, Ford, JD, Freyberg, C, Gasparyan, O, Gordon-Strachan, G, Grubb, M, Gunther, SH, Hamilton, I, Hang, Y, Hänninen, R, Hartinger, S, He, K, Heidecke, J, Hess, JJ, Jamart, L, Jankin, S, Jatkar, H, Jay, O, Kelman, I, Kennard, H, Kiesewetter, G, Kinney, P, Kniveton, D, Kouznetsov, R, Lampard, P, Lee, JKW, Lemke, B, Li, B, Liu, Y, Liu, Z, Llabrés-Brustenga, A, Lott, M, Lowe, R, Martinez-Urtaza, J, Maslin, M, McAllister, L, McMichael, C, Mi, Z, Milner, J, Minor, K, Minx, JC, Mohajeri, N, Momen, NC, Moradi-Lakeh, M, Morrisey, K, Munzert, S, Murray, KA, Obradovich, N, O'Hare, MB, Oliveira, C, Oreszczyn, T, Otto, M, Owfi, F, Pearman, OL, Pega, F, Perishing, AJ, Pinho-Gomes, AC, Ponmattam, J, Rabbaniha, M, Rickman, J, Robinson, E, Rocklöv, J, Rojas-Rueda, D, Salas, RN, Semenza, JC, Sherman, JD, Shumake-Guillemot, J, Singh, P, Sjödin, H, Slater, J, Sofiev, M, Sorensen, C, Springmann, M, Stalhandske, Z, Stowell, JD, Tabatabaei, M, Taylor, J, Tong, D, Tonne, C, Treskova, M, Trinanes, JA, Uppstu, A, Wagner, F, Warnecke, L, Whitcombe, H, Xian, P, Zavaleta-Cortijo, C, Zhang, C, Zhang, R, Zhang, S, Zhang, Y, Zhu, Q, Gong, P, Montgomery, H & Costello, A 2024, 'The 2024 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: facing record-breaking threats from delayed action', The Lancet, vol. 404, no. 10465, pp. 1847-1896. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01822-1

Romanello, M, Di Napoli, C, Drummond, P, Green, C, Kennard, H, Lampard, P, Scamman, D, Arnell, N, Ayeb-Karlsson, S, Ford, LB, Belesova, K, Bowen, K, Cai, W, Callaghan, M, Campbell-Lendrum, D, Chambers, J, van Daalen, KR, Dalin, C, Dasandi, N, Dasgupta, S, Davies, M, Dominguez-Salas, P, Dubrow, R, Ebi, KL, Eckelman, M, Ekins, P, Escobar, LE, Georgeson, L, Graham, H, Gunther, SH, Hamilton, I, Hang, Y, Hänninen, R, Hartinger, S, He, K, Hess, JJ, Hsu, S-C, Jankin, S, Jamart, L, Jay, O, Kelman, I, Kiesewetter, G, Kinney, P, Kjellstrom, T, Kniveton, D, Lee, JKW, Lemke, B, Liu, Y, Liu, Z, Lott, M, Batista, ML, Lowe, R, MacGuire, F, Sewe, MO, Martinez-Urtaza, J, Maslin, M, McAllister, L, McGushin, A, McMichael, C, Mi, Z, Milner, J, Minor, K, Minx, JC, Mohajeri, N, Moradi-Lakeh, M, Morrissey, K, Munzert, S, Murray, KA, Neville, T, Nilsson, M, Obradovich, N, O'Hare, MB, Oreszczyn, T, Otto, M, Owfi, F, Pearman, O, Rabbaniha, M, Robinson, EJZ, Rocklöv, J, Salas, RN, Semenza, JC, Sherman, JD, Shi, L, Shumake-Guillemot, J, Silbert, G, Sofiev, M, Springmann, M, Stowell, J, Tabatabaei, M, Taylor, J, Triñanes, J, Wagner, F, Wilkinson, P, Winning, M, Yglesias-González, M, Zhang, S, Gong, P, Montgomery, H & Costello, A 2022, 'The 2022 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: health at the mercy of fossil fuels', The Lancet, vol. 400, no. 10363, pp. 1619-1654. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(22)01540-9

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