Stephen Thorpe Recognised for International Work Shaping the Future

Last Thursday Stephen Thorpe, Co-Director of our AUT Computer and Information Sciences Research Centre, was recognised for his enduring commitment to international standards for a better New Zealand at a recognition luncheon at Government House in Wellington. Hosted by Her Excellency The Right Honourable Dame Cindy Kiro, Governor-General of New Zealand, the Hon Cameron Brewer, Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, and Standards New Zealand: this event recognised the contribution of committee experts to standards in Aotearoa New Zealand.

This invitation provided a wonderful moment to reflect on the journey that began for Stephen over twelve years ago when he became involved with the ISO/IEC Joint Technical Committee 1 (JTC 1), Subcommittee 40 (SC 40). This standards committee focuses on the standardisation of IT governance and IT service management. Early recognition was that as data systems had become more distributed and complex, standardisation offered an important mechanism for ensuring risk management, controlling data movement, and securing intellectual property in organisations. Along with AUT colleagues Brian Cusack and Alan-Litchfield, the Special Committee 40 has published some 33 standards in that time, and there are 8 in development. In the Working Group 1 of SC 40, Stephen’s focus has been on developing standards on the governance of IT and preparing for the impact of agentic AI and challenges to data sovereignty. These standards provide guidance on the nature and mechanisms of IT governance and management together with the relationships between them in the wider context of managing IT within an organisation.

Through international committee involvement, Stephen has represented AUT and New Zealand and helped facilitate the global conversation in areas important to our computing expertise. Participating in international standards committees is not just an academic exercise; it is an economic imperative for New Zealand. Our involvement influences the conversation in the interests of our nation's future prosperity and export earning potential in the IT sector. Because all participating countries in the development of an ISO standard receive one vote, New Zealand holds the exact same voting power as larger global players, ensuring our unique perspective is voiced and considered.

As we look toward the future, particularly with the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence and related emerging technologies, the need for robust international standards and governance has never been more pressing. The more we hand over decision-making to AI, the more governance we need to embed to ensure a fair, ethical, robust and just application of technologies' potential.

If you have some passion for your own expertise, we need more academics and other experts to step up. Joining a New Zealand standards mirror committee offers a gateway to forward the collective work of governance, software systems, and engineering, while simultaneously ensuring these global frameworks are suitable for Aotearoa New Zealand. If you want to make a structural impact on the global stage, Stephen highly encourages you to get involved in the work of international standardisation.

_{Stephen Thorpe and Malcolm MacMillan - Standards New Zealand}

_{Stephen Thorpe and Governor General Her Excellency Dame Cindy Kiro}