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At RMS, we always encourage our students to find their voices, challenge the status quo, and make a tangible impact on the world around them. Today, we are incredibly proud to spotlight an alumna who is doing exactly that on a global stage: Cosima Wiltshire.
Currently a penultimate-year BSc Politics and International Relations student at UCL, Cosima has rapidly become a prominent and vital voice in the world of international tech policy, digital safety, and youth advocacy. From the classrooms of RMS to the halls of Westminster, the United Nations, and beyond, Cosima’s journey is nothing short of inspiring.
Where it All Began: Foundations at RMS
Those who knew Cosima during her time at RMS won’t be surprised by her incredible trajectory. Passionate about the intersection of community, communication, and digital spaces, Cosima served as Head of the Digital Leaders, a keen debater, and a Prefect within the Marketing and PR team.
After studying Politics, Geography, and Economics at A-Level, Cosima began dipping her toes into the real political world during Year 12. She spent time advising on the UK’s landmark Online Safety Act and collaborating with Meta via the UK Safer Internet Centre to champion youth safety. These formative experiences ignited a passion for ensuring that tech governance isn’t just decided for young people, but with them.
From Lecture Halls to Global Stages
After arriving at UCL, Cosima briefly “laid low” to adjust to university life – though in true RMS fashion, “laying low” didn’t last long! She was soon elected President of the UCL Government and Politics Society.
While attending high-level evidence sessions in London after her university lectures, Cosima noticed a glaring gap: the people most affected by digital policies, or ‘young digital natives’, rarely had a seat at the decision-making table. She set out to change that.
In February last year, Cosima was appointed as an ambassador to the Global Online Safety Regulators Network, where she began consulting for the Australian government on cross-border regulatory efforts. Her expertise soon took her to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva to tackle technology-facilitated gender-based violence and human trafficking. Today, she also balances her studies with her role as a Research Fellow at UCL’s Digital Speech Lab and a consultant for UNICEF, focusing on foresight-led policy research for children’s rights in a digital world.
Redefining Youth Advocacy with FlippGen
In August, Cosima’s trailblazing work caught the attention of FlippGen, the UK’s leading youth-led digital wellbeing movement. Headhunted to join their executive team, Cosima now serves as FlippGen’s Director of Strategy and Public Affairs.
Through FlippGen, Cosima has taken youth advocacy to unprecedented heights:
- Industry Partnerships: Collaborated with Pinterest and the Bett Show to force the tech industry to actively listen to youth perspectives.
- In the Media: Featured as the youngest-ever guest on Deloitte’s flagship podcast, The Green Room, discussing how industries can better support youth and democracy.
- Advising the Highest Levels of Government: Consulted with the House of Lords, MPs, and even the Prime Minister to advocate for nuanced, effective policy solutions rather than blunt social media bans for under-16s.
- Directing the AI Agenda: Represented youth interests at Wilton Park alongside the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) to help shape the government’s AI regulatory agenda.
Bringing the Youth Voice to Parliament
One of Cosima’s proudest achievements to date took place just this past April, when she hosted a groundbreaking youth-led workshop. Bringing together children from across the UK, the workshop allowed young people to map out their genuine experiences online and articulate the digital future they want to see.
Securing high-profile backing from UNICEF, 5Rights, Lush, and DSIT, Cosima compiled these insights into a comprehensive policy paper. Just this week, Cosima presented this paper directly to Parliament, giving lawmakers a direct roadmap for tech regulation rooted in real youth experiences.
Reflecting on her journey, Cosima shares:
“Turns out, I could get quite far on my own, but coming together with other young people and organisations has been incredibly fruitful. Almost every opportunity has been born out of connections and networks I have built over the past few years, as most – like the UN – aren’t directly open to students. Now, my own organisation puts young people on those parliamentary roundtables, letting them directly shape government and corporate policy decisions that impact them.”
What’s Next?
Before she heads into her final year at UCL, Cosima isn’t slowing down. She is currently balancing her research projects, expanding FlippGen’s public affairs reach, and working with a systems-change focused philanthropy to explore how strategic funding can drive long-term flourishing for young people. Looking ahead, she aims to transition formally into tech policy and compliance after graduation.
Cosima’s journey is a powerful reminder of what happens when passion meets perseverance. She is not just preparing for the future; she is actively writing the rules for it. The entire RMS community walks taller knowing she is out there changing the world.
Congratulations, Cosima! We cannot wait to see what you achieve next.
To learn more about Cosima’s recent work, you can listen to her episode on Deloitte’s The Green Room Podcast, read FlippGen’s insights in The Report, or connect with her via LinkedIn.