Robin Talbot

As Ditchley’s Database Administrator, Robin works closely with the Data Scientist and Chief Technology Officer to develop, optimise, and extract data-driven insights from the Foundation’s Salesforce CRM. Concurrently, as Internship Programme Manager, he leverages his understanding of Ditchley’s digital infrastructure alongside his own first-hand experience of the internship programme to identify, mentor, and cultivate emerging talent, co-delivering a suite of annual internship programmes.

Academically, Robin’s interests centre on geopolitical grand strategy, anchored by an undergraduate dissertation examining Chinese soft power projection across Central Asia along the Belt and Road Initiative. He is particularly drawn to discussions exploring the intersection of technology and global affairs – including the nexus between technology and geopolitical competition, narrative warfare, the global credibility gap, and social contract theory. Additionally, he maintains a long-standing interest in conflict studies, having authored articles on the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Myanmar coup d’état, and the Tigray war.

When logged out of Salesforce, Robin is a keen hiker, pianist, and amateur ecologist who enjoys spending as much time as is reasonable – and frequently a little more – getting lost in local woodlands.