January 2025 - netsociety - server-nexa.polito.it

“Digital Sovereignty in the BRICS” book & webinar

by Luca Belli

Dear colleagues, good morning! In case you are realising the DeepSeek success story is just an example of how China has achieved Digital Sovereignty through a very complex set of policies and initiatives, you might be interested in our new book on “Digital Sovereignty in the BRICS countries”, where we analyse how the BRICS members have attempted to build their technological autonomy (sometimes successfully, sometimes failing, sometimes not even realising it) and how they are influencing global digital governance, reshaping digital cooperation in the Global Majority. The volume was produced by the CyberBRICS Project of the Center for Technology and Society at FGV Law School and is available in *open access* on the Cambridge University Press website https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/digital-sovereignty-in-the-brics-count… Also, in case you are interested, this Friday 31 Jan at 12:00 BRT (GMT-3), my co-editor Prof Min Jiang and I will debate some of the arguments of the book together with Dr Susan Aaronson at the Webinar on “Digital Sovereignty in the BRICS Countries” organised by the Digital Trade and Data Governance Hub, at George Washington University https://www.eventbrite.com/e/webinar-48-digital-sovereignty-in-the-brics-co… FYI, in the book we adopted an agnostic approach to study how the BRICS countries are constructing digital sovereignty narratives, policies and actions. We decided to scrutinise the BRICS approaches not only because they offer telling illustrations of how Global South leaders are constructing their digital sovereignty, but also because their approaches are increasingly influencing and shaping the thinking of their regional and international partners, thus having direct or indirect impact. Our findings are particularly relevant for: 1. #GlobalSouth countries, where BRICS strategies are increasingly viewed as models for achieving technological autonomy, fostering innovation, and increasing control (in a good or bad way) on digital/#AI technologies 2. European countries where policymakers are now freaking out realising they are totally dependent on US technology and have clearly failed to prepare for weaponisation of tech on which they rely: Sadly, the lesson is that, when you are digitally colonised you simply lose your freedom to choose, and even if you have very elaborated laws, they are useless if the software and hardware infrastructure you rely upon is controlled by others and can be weaponised against you. 3. Anyone interested in understanding what are the different nuances of digital sovereignty (we identify seven different conceptions including personal, commons-driven, corporate, state and supranational digital sovereignty) and, most importantly, that digital sovereignty does not necessarily mean being isolated in digital autarchy: On the contrary, it frequently means reclaiming agency, self-determination over digital technologies and capacity to understand, develop and regulate effectively such technologies If you do not have time to read the book (I understand people are busy) here is a short blog on “Digital Sovereignty in the BRICS Countries: A Global South Perspective” with some key ideas summarised https://cambridgeblog.org/2024/12/digital-sovereignty-in-the-brics-countrie… Also, here is the Table of Content where all chapters can be freely downloaded separately https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/digital-sovereignty-in-the-brics-count… I would also like to wholeheartedly thank all co-authors (I am sure some are in this list) for their fantastic contributions: Wanshu Cong, Venkatesh Hariharan and Sarayu Natarajan, Vashishtha Doshi and Henrique Estides Delgado, Tales Tomaz, Johannes Thumfart, Enrico Calandro, Stefano Calzati, Olga Bronnikova, Françoise Daucé, Ksenia Ermoshina, Valéry Kossov, Benjamin Loveluck, Francesca Musiani, Bella Ostromooukhova, Perrine Poupin, Anna Zaytseva, Lastly a final gift: if you like reading hard copies of books here is a discount code DSBC2024 (valid until September 2025) to order from the CUP website www.cambridge.org/9781009531122<http://www.cambridge.org/9781009531122> A very happy new year to everyone! Best Luca

Jan. 29, 2025

CfA | Research Sabbaticals (Fellowships) and Working Groups | Center for Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS)

by Nina Hahne

Dear colleagues, The Center for Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS) funds innovative research on the societal opportunities and challenges of digital transformation. We support individual researchers (fellows) and collaborative projects (working groups). Fellowships: Time and Space for Focus and Inspiration A fellowship at CAIS provides the freedom to dedicate yourself to your research and the opportunity to engage with a vibrant interdisciplinary community. Step away from your daily work obligations to gain new perspectives and build connections. As a fellow, you can spend either six or three months in Bochum, Germany. During this time, we will cover your sabbatical leave from work through financial compensation (e.g. for a teaching substitute) or provide grants of up to 2.000 € per month. You can invite guests for collaboration and receive financial support for research expenses. Private offices and meeting rooms with modern facilities offer optimal working conditions. In addition, we will provide a fully furnished apartment free of charge. Find out more: https://www.cais-research.de/en/cais-college/fellowships/ Working Groups: Boost Your Research Collaboration A working group at CAIS enables you to assemble your own team of experts from different locations to collaborate in a stimulating environment. We provide modern meeting facilities and catering for groups of up to ten members. In addition, we will cover travel and accommodation expenses. You can spend up to three weeks in Bochum or get together for several shorter meetings. Find out more: https://www.cais-research.de/en/cais-college/working-groups/ Application The next deadline for applications is 28 February 2025. The earliest possible start date for new fellowships is April 2026. Working groups can currently apply for meetings in 2026. Please use the application forms provided on our website. The funding program is open to excellent scholars and practitioners at all career stages and from all disciplines. Both fundamental research and applied projects are welcome. Questions? Please contact esther.laufer(a)cais-research.de<mailto:esther.laufer@cais-research.de>. Kind regards ---- Dr. Nina Hahne Referentin für Vernetzung und Nachwuchsförderung Center for Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS) gGmbH Konrad-Zuse-Straße 2a, 44801 Bochum Deutschland / Germany email: nina.hahne(a)cais-research.de<mailto:nina.hahne@cais-research.de> Sitz: Bochum - Amtsgericht Bochum HRB 16476 Geschäftsführerin: Prof. Dr. Christiane Eilders Vorsitzende des Aufsichtsrats: Dr. Christina Reinhardt

Jan. 29, 2025

CIS-CNRS book club with Payal Arora, 10 feb. 2025, 16h to 17h (CET), by videoconference

by Melanie Dulong de Rosnay

Dear colleagues of the NoC, The Center for Internet and Society, CNRS, Paris, runs an online monthly book club known as Hypertextes. We will welcome Payal Arora, digital anthropologist at Utrecht University, on Monday, 10 february 2025, from 16h to 17h (CET), for a discussion about her book From Pessimism to Promise. Lessons from the Global South on Designing Inclusive Tech. (MIT Press, 2024) https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262049306/from-pessimism-to-promise/ The session will be in English, and by way of videoconferencing. Ramya Chandrasekhar <https://cis.cnrs.fr/ramya-chandrasekhar/> (CIS-CNRS) and Olivier Alexandre <https://cis.cnrs.fr/olivier-alexandre/> (CIS-CNRS) will be the discussants. Should this session be of interest to you, please register at the link below. Full description: https://cis.cnrs.fr/hypertextes-payal-arora/ <https://cis.cnrs.fr/hypertextes-payal-arora/> Registration: https://evento.renater.fr/survey/hypertextes-7oi2n9xz <https://evento.renater.fr/survey/hypertextes-7oi2n9xz> --- When it comes to tech, the mainstream headlines are bleak: Algorithms control and oppress. AI will destroy democracy and our social fabric, and possibly even drive us to extinction. While legitimate concerns drive these fears, we need to equally account for the fact that tech affords young people something incredibly valuable—a rare space for self-actualization. In /From Pessimism to Promise/, award-winning author Payal Arora explains that outside the West, where most of the world’s youth reside, there is a significantly different outlook on tech: in fact, there is a contagion of optimism toward all things digital. These users, especially those in marginalized contexts, are full of hope for new tech. As AI disrupts sectors across industries, education, and beyond, who better to shine the light forward, Arora argues, than the Global South, the navigator of all manner of forced disruptions, leapfrogging obstructive systems, norms, and practices to rapidly reinvent itself? Drawing on field insights in diverse global contexts such as Brazil, India, and Bangladesh, Arora describes what drives Gen Z to embrace new technologies. /From Pessimism to Promise/ discusses the shift to relationally driven approaches to design; how to create “algorithms of aspiration”; how to reimagine the digital space for sex, pleasure, and care; and what we can learn from feminist digital activists and women’s collectives in the Global South on shared digital provenance and value, as well as Indigenous approaches to sustainability, that challenges sacred ideas on degrowth, the circular economy, and the doughnut economy. Arora also takes heart in the power of numbers, as the users from the majority world infuse algorithms with everyday aspirations, pushing for a new digital order. Timely and urgent/, From Pessimism to Promise/ makes a deeply compelling case that it is not naive to be optimistic about our digital future. On the contrary, it is our moral imperative to design with hope. *Payal Arora <https://www.uu.nl/staff/PArora>* is a digital anthropologist, consultant, TEDx speaker, and author of the award-winning book /The Next Billion Users/. Forbes named her the “next billion champion” and the “right kind of person to reform tech.” She is Professor of Inclusive AI Cultures at Utrecht University and cofounder of FemLab, a feminist future of work initiative. Kind regards, -- Melanie Dulong de Rosnay Research professor, CNRS https://cis.cnrs.fr/en/melanie-dulong-2/ Center for Internet and Society, CNRS Research Unit and Network Director, Research Network on Internet, AI and Society https://cis.cnrs.fr/en/the-cis/

Jan. 24, 2025

Invitation to the international conference GenAI in Higher Education: New Perspectives for Research and Teaching

by GenAI Conference DELab UW

Dear Members of the Academic Community, DELab UW, on behalf of the Rector of the University of Warsaw, prof. Alojzy Nowak, is pleased to invite you to participate in the international conference GenAI in Higher Education: New Perspectives for Research and Teaching, which will take place on 29-30 May 2025 at the University of Warsaw in Poland. This interdisciplinary conference will bring together students, academics, administrators, practitioners, and business leaders to explore the transformative impact of generative AI on research and education. As the first conference of its kind, this unique event will provide an unparalleled platform for collaboration, fostering connections between researchers and professionals to exchange knowledge, experiences, and innovative ideas in this dynamic field. Key highlights of the program include: - Thought-provoking keynote speeches. - Presentations with technology leaders. - Academic sessions. - Workshops focused on practical applications of generative AI in education and research. - Networking opportunities. We encourage you to submit proposals for presentations and thematic sessions. The deadline for abstract submissions is 23 February 2025. Detailed information about the program, registration, and submission guidelines can be found on our website: https://delab.uw.edu.pl/ai-conference-2025 and in the attachment below. Please feel free to share this invitation with colleagues and members of your institution who may be interested in attending. Join us in exploring the impact of generative AI on research and education and contributing to insightful discussions! Kind regards, Conference Committee

Jan. 23, 2025

New Project "Impact AI" | Vacant positions!

by NoC ＠HIIG

Dear NoC-Network, In the context of our newest project at the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG), we would like to share the following vacant positions with you. How can artificial intelligence solve societal and ecological challenges? We are actively looking for three motivated people to join the research project ‘Impact AI: Evaluation of the societal impact of AI systems for sustainability and the public interest’. In 15 case studies, our research team is developing a transdisciplinary method for auditing AI projects together with partners such as Greenpeace and Gemeinwohl-Ökonomie e.V. (Economy for the Common Good). The goal is to assess the opportunities and limitations of AI systems for societal transformation and ecological sustainability. Details on the positions can be found in the respective links below. For an overview of the positions, click here <https://www.hiig.de/offene-stellen/>! *Postdoctoral researcher (m/f/d)* Field of expertise: Computer science, data science or related field Duration of employment: Fixed-term, 5 years Scope: Full-time (min. 70%, if part-time) Compensation: TV-L 13/14 (dependent on qualification) For more details & how to apply, click here <https://www.hiig.de/stellenausschreibung-impact-ai-postdoc/>! *Researcher/PhD-candidate (m/f/d)* Field of expertise: E.g. political science, sociology, or science and technology studies Duration of employment: Fixed-term, 3 years, optional extension Scope: 65% (part-time) Compensation: TVL 13 For more details & how to apply, click here <https://www.hiig.de/stellenausschreibung-impact-ai-wimi-doc/>! *Student assistant (m/f/d)* Requirements: Enrolled in a German University (of Applied Sciences) Interests: Artificial Intelligence and sustainability Scope: 15-20 hours per week ('working student') Compensation: based on TV-Stud For more details & how to apply, click here <https://www.hiig.de/stellenausschreibung-impact-ai-studentische-hilfskraft/> ! Feel free to share this with your network and/or individuals you consider fitting for the positions. Thank you & kind regards! -- Alexander von Humboldt Institut für Internet und Gesellschaft gGmbH Französische Straße 9 · 10117 Berlin T +49 30 200 760 82 · F +49 30 206 089 60 · www.hiig.de <http://www.hiig.de> · Twitter <https://twitter.com/hiig_berlin> · Instagram <https://www.instagram.com/hiigberlin/> · LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/school/hiigberlin/> Gesellschaftssitz Berlin | Amtsgericht Berlin Charlottenburg | HRB 140911B | USt-ID DE 291 151 171 Forschungsdirektorium: Prof. Dr. Jeanette Hofmann (Geschäftsführung) · Prof. Dr. Björn Scheuermann · Prof. Dr. Dr. Thomas Schildhauer · Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schulz | Geschäftsführung: Dr. Karina Preiß

Jan. 13, 2025

NoC 2024 Progress Report: Highlights and Insights

by Guio Espanol, Armando

Dear All, We are pleased to share the NoC 2024 Progress Report, which highlights some of the work advanced by Centers and the Secretariat’s main projects in the previous year. Access the report by clicking on or copying and pasting this link: https://networkofcenters.net/more/noc-2024-progress-report The report has also been shared on LinkedIn, which can be found here<https://www.linkedin.com/posts/networkofcenters_2024progressreport-noc-acti…>. We look forward to continuing our excellent collaboration in 2025! Best regards, Armando — On behalf of the NoC Secretariat. [cid:2dee6e4a-e6c5-43a3-9ce0-752f2c3564d0]

Jan. 10, 2025