Students Awarded Scholarships to Attend IAPP Europe Data Protection Congress

Samantha Peacock ’27 and Ana Wacker ’27 were recently awarded scholarships to attend the International Association of Privacy Professionals' (IAPP) Europe Data Protection Congress in Brussels. The event brought together professionals from across the world in data protection, AI governance, and cybersecurity law to discuss the field’s most pressing issues.  

After hearing about the conference from their professor, Kirk Herath, both Peacock and Wacker applied for the scholarships to cover their conference fees. Wacker worked in data analytics prior to law school, so the conference was another opportunity to enhance her learning. For Peacock, the conference was an opportunity to build on an interest in international data privacy that she found in a class during the Oxford Summer Law Program. She was interested in learning more about the wide-reaching impact of the field. 

“I think what interests me the most is just realizing how data privacy applies to so many different sectors,” Peacock said. “You've got healthcare and finance, of course, but it also extends to things like sports and art. There are data privacy concerns with just about everything you do.”  

Over the course of the conference, Peacock and Wacker attended sessions on AI, regulation, digital sovereignty, and data retention ethics. They also had a chance to see European Union (EU) data professionals react to EU’s Omnibus Law, which was leaked the first day of the conference. 

“Attending the conference during the EU’s Omnibus leak brought to life some conversations about national sovereignty, overregulation, and slow innovation that European countries are trying to tackle,” said Wacker. “Watching these conversations play out through a privacy lens shed some light to the international and interconnected nature of the privacy sector.” 

Thanks to their experience, Peacock and Wacker solidified their want to pursue legal careers in data privacy and cybersecurity. They also will be taking certification exams through IAPP, so they can continue to be connected to the organization and stay informed on topics in this rapidly progressing field.