Q&A with our Data Privacy Manager, Jeffrey Wong: On staying intellectually curious and humble

At IDP we are incredibly proud of our diversity. We have experts and teams from all over the world, bringing their in-depth knowledge and unique experiences to the IDP family. Our multiculturalism is one of the reasons that make us the global leader in student recruitment, student marketing and data insights.  

In this Q&A we talk to Jeffrey Wong, IDP Connect’s Data Privacy Manager, about his childhood dreams, his role at IDP and what higher education means to him. Originally from Hong Kong, Jeffrey joined IDP in 2022 and is based in our London offices where he supports IDP to act as a responsible user of personal data.  

I was quite interested in astronomy and space exploration. I was particularly fascinated by the space missions in the news, and I thought of becoming an astronaut or astronomer. I’m generally inspired by sci-fi. The film, 2001 - A Space Odyssey, had a big impact on me growing up. It illustrates the connection between space exploration and risk management in the digital space. Now I get to focus on the risks and opportunities of the digital space.

It is important to be intellectually curious and humble. Acknowledging the knowledge gap drives me to keep learning.  

Cultivating good privacy culture is a continuous learning process for an organisation. While I provide advice and conduct reviews, I also encourage IDP team members to challenge my views. I believe that a more participatory approach will create better outcomes.

Higher education institutions are invaluable contributors to our society. Academic research drives breakthroughs in knowledge pursuit.

At a personal level, higher education has brought me to many corners of the world, exposing me to many interesting smaller cities. For example, I had an internship in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, which focused on Romanesque heritage tourism and regional development. Another earlier internship experience in Taiwan introduced me to public policy studies relating to Indigenous Taiwanese, before it gained wider public attention today.

IDP has broadened my horizons. As IDP operates in many jurisdictions, I have been monitoring regulatory developments more broadly. In addition, as the business grows, I also have the opportunity to gain exposure to other areas of digital regulations, e.g. online safety and AI governance.

Dynamic and innovative.  

I’ve learnt about the importance of alignment across teams. As a multi-national market leader, it is important for colleagues to take holistic and long-term views. When I work on managing the privacy risks of IDP, I always consider the processes adjacent to privacy and seek advice from other subject-matter experts. Being deliberate and collaborative is the key to success.

Discover the stories of some of our other IDP experts. Hear from James Smurthwaite, our Content Director for Hotcourses International, and My Nguyen, our Senior Country Marketing Executive for Hotcourses Vietnam.  

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