Hi there, I'm Kai Xiang!
(You can call me Kai or Kai Xiang!)
I am a storyteller, researcher and journalist, passionate about digital rights, tech policy, and countering online harms. My research and work thus far has focused on information policy, internet studies, and digital strategy.
I was a Chevening and Cambridge Trust Scholar, a Communications Officer at the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, and a co-founder of the Singapore Internet Watch.
🏳️🌈✊Making a personal difference and striving towards better institutions and governance are the main drivers of my work. I excel at developing persuasive and innovative content, extracting insights from data and analytics, and building effective digital strategies.
Examples of my work include:
Singapore Internet Watch: a group focusing on research at the intersection of Singapore's internet and society. A key example of our research is the POFMA'ed Dataset, which tracks every electronic communication subject to Singapore’s law against "fake news."
Singapore Samizdat: my newsletter of stories on the media and politics of Singapore — conveyed through data journalism, interactive media and visual storytelling.
Flashpoints: an educational and interactive narrative game developed with the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism - The Hague that places readers in the perspective of key actors as they navigate important dilemmas in the field of counter-terrorism.
Work: My background is in peace and security, journalism, and public speaking.
Most recently: I was the Communications Officer of the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT), where I led the organisation's public engagement and digital strategy.
Previously: my experiences include a brief stint in the Yahoo Singapore newsroom, interning at the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC), and organising and representing various debate societies.
I also give talks and workshops on developing communication strategies, personal branding and digital competencies.
Education: My educational background focuses on media studies, sociology, and political science.
I graduated at the top of my cohort from the University of Cambridge, with a MPhil in Sociology of Media and Culture, as a Chevening and Cambridge Trust Scholar. My dissertation focuses on data governance and civic engagement in Singapore, and was awarded the Hart-Marshall Arts and Humanities Prize.
I completed my bachelor's degree in Political Science at Leiden University, and completed my diploma in Creative Writing for TV and New Media (specialising in journalism and documentary filmmaking) at Singapore Polytechnic.
Research interests: My research focuses on issues at the intersection of data and society.
I created and maintain the POFMA’ed Dataset, a dataset of every electronic communication subject to Singapore’s law against ‘fake news’. Check out this overview of POFMA and how it has been used in Singapore. I also co-founded the Singapore Internet Watch.
In my spare time: I produce content (🎮 games and interactive media, 🖨️ procedural generation, and 📝 journalism).
I produce a monthly newsletter on Singapore's media and politics: Singapore Samizdat.
Examples of my content include Twitter bots (@SGForumBot) and alternate history games (Choose Your Own Singapore).