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Priya Lakhani joins UK’s Council for Science and Technology
Indian-origin Priya Lakhani will advise the UK Prime Minister on science and technology policy.
Priya Lakhani / LinkedIn/ Priya Lakhani
Priya Lakhani, founder and CEO of CENTURY Tech, was appointed to the UK’s Council for Science and Technology (CST) on Feb. 3.
The UK CST is an independent advisory body that provides strategic advice to the Prime Minister and Cabinet on science and technology policy. The body plays a key role in shaping policies that drive economic growth, improve public services, and maintain the UK’s global leadership in science and technology.
Originally a barrister, East African-Indian Lakhani took an entrepreneurial leap in 2008 by founding a fresh cooking-sauce business, which not only achieved commercial success but also had a profound social impact. Through its charitable foundation, her venture provided millions of meals and thousands of vaccinations to underprivileged communities in India and Africa and contributed to the establishment of schools in disadvantaged regions.
Her entrepreneurial acumen was quickly recognized, earning her the title of Business Entrepreneur of the Year from the Chancellor in 2009. In 2014, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her contributions to business and social impact.
As the founder and CEO of CENTURY Tech, she has developed AI-driven learning tools used across schools, colleges, universities, and corporate training programs worldwide. Recognizing the ethical considerations surrounding AI in education, she co-founded the Institute for Ethical AI in Education in 2018, an initiative dedicated to ensuring that artificial intelligence benefits learners responsibly and equitably.
Her expertise in AI and data has been instrumental in government advisory roles. She previously served as a business advisor to the UK’s coalition government and was appointed to the UK’s AI Council in 2019. Her new role on the CST further solidifies her influence in shaping the UK’s science and technology policies.
The CST appointed eight distinguished new members, including Lakhani, with expertise in AI, data, chemical engineering, and venture capital.
Government chief scientific adviser and CST co-chair, Professor Dame Angela McLean, praised the new appointees, “I look forward to collaborating across a wide range of topics to further embed specialist knowledge of the UK’s strength in science and technology into the heart of government decision-making.”
“The eight new members bring extraordinary breadth and depth of experience, from AI and data to chemical engineering and venture capital. I am confident that new members will further invigorate the Council and its ability to provide robust advice on the government’s high-level priorities for science and technology,” he said.
The other 7 new members of CST include
- Mark Enzer OBE is a strategic advisor at Mott MacDonald. He is a visiting professor at the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London.
- Professor Dame Lynn Gladden DBE is shell professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Cambridge and former executive chair of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.
- Avid Larizadeh Duggan OBE is a senior managing director of Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, Teachers’ Venture Growth. She is a non-executive director on the board of Barclays Bank UK.
- Professor (Emeritus) Nick McKeown is a senior fellow at Intel Corporation, Professor (Emeritus) of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Stanford University, and visiting Professor of Engineering and Senior Research Fellow at Oxford University.
- Professor Sir Nigel Richard Shadbolt is Professor of Computer Science at the University of Oxford and Principal of Jesus College, Oxford. He is co-founder and chair of the Open Data Institute.
- Richard Slater is chief R&D officer for Unilever. He was previously senior vice president of R&D at GSK Consumer Healthcare. He is a non-executive director at Future Origins.
- Paul Taylor CBE is director of Morgan Stanley International, chair of Interrupt Labs Ltd, and chair of Beyond Blue. He is a non-executive director on the Defence Technology and Innovation Board at the Ministry of Defence.
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