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Two Opportunities for Research on the Platform Economy in sub-Saharan Africa

by Hanna-Sophie Bollmann

Dear Colleagues, I am sending best wishes from the Humboldt Institute in Berlin and ask you to kindly spread two very exciting opportunities within your institutions and networks. - *Virtual Research Sprint on Sustainability and the Platform Economy* Out new research group on <https://www.hiig.de/en/research/sustainability-entrepreneurship-and-global-…>Sustainability, Entrepreneurship and global digital Transformation <https://www.hiig.de/en/research/sustainability-entrepreneurship-and-global-…> is looking for participants for a virtual research sprint (with the opportunity of a closing week in person in Ghana) on sustainability and the platform economy in sub-Saharan Africa. Please find more information below and following this link <https://www.hiig.de/en/research-sprint-sustainable-digital-economies/>. Deadline: April 24, 2022. - *Study on Challenges and Solutions of (De)Regulation for a Socially Just Gig Economy* Furthermore, the research group is commissioning a study on identifying challenges and potential solutions of (de)regulation in order to enable a socially just gig economy, in the local context of sub-Saharan Africa. The offer includes the participation in a multistakeholder Dialogue in Kenya in July 2022. Please find more information below and following this link <https://www.hiig.de/en/call-for-proposals-regulation-of-digital-platforms-i…>. Deadline: April 19, 2022. In the case of any questions please feel free to get in touch with Christian Grauvogel: christian.grauvogel(a)hiig.de Best wishes and have a good start into the week, Hanna Bollmann *MORE INFORMATION:* *Virtual Research Sprint on Sustainability and the Platform Economy* A unique opportunity to shape the platform economy of tomorrow and to join a scientific community Digital platforms have become the defining ecosystems for economic activity in the 21st century. On two-sided markets, they mediate between buyers and sellers of digital work or enable novel business for digital entrepreneurs. At the same time, they amplify existing polarisation of skills and economic resources and call for new regulatory measures in an increasingly uneven digital economy. Both the perks and perils of the digital platform economy are distinctly visible in regions on the economic development pathway, like many economies in sub-Saharan Africa. How can platform work in sub-Saharan Africa be shaped sustainably? What role does fairness play in regulation and the exchange between different interest groups? These are just some of the many pressing questions related to platform economy and regulation, which we will address in an interdisciplinary research sprint with exciting structures for policy impact (both public and private). For our project *Sustainability, Entrepreneurship and Global Digital Transformation* (SET) <https://www.hiig.de/en/research/sustainability-entrepreneurship-and-global-…>, we are now inviting applications from advanced PhD researchers, early post-docs or persons with comparable qualifications with diverse academic backgrounds (economics, law, political science and related fields) to join a Research Sprint on “Sustainable Digital Economies” taking place from 30 May 2022 to 15 July 2022 virtually, with a closing week onsite in Ghana. Main partners of the project are the Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG), the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and the Digital Transformation Centre Ghana. About the research sprint The research sprint will address two central aspects and levels of the digital platform economy: skill polarisation in a future of remote work and local regulation of platform work. The findings and results of the research sprint will be integrated into local activities of the *Sustainability, Entrepreneurship and Global Digital Transformation* (SET) <https://www.hiig.de/en/research/sustainability-entrepreneurship-and-global-…> project in Ghana and Kenya such as a multi-stakeholder dialogue, a large-scale study on skill polarisation in online labour markets and a study on regulation of digital platforms in sub-Saharan Africa. The research sprint will be conducted with two working groups, each of which will focus on one of the two central topics. One of the teams will look into data sets about online labour markets in Ghana and Kenya and will support this data with qualitative research on the workers’ perspective. With the innovative format of a research sprint we want to enable applied research on current societal challenges in the setting of the sub-Saharan digital platform economy. *Goals of the research sprint * - Build an international knowledge community around the topic of platform mediated work - Connect international researchers and foster the impact of their research - Provide up-to-date research and data for policy makers and other stakeholders - Inform discussion with stakeholders - Showcase and foster the local capacity for digital policy making and regulation in the digital economy (ideas from the region for the region) *What we offer * - A unique opportunity to participate in a focused research activity and to conduct cutting-edge interdisciplinary research with outstanding international colleagues - International visibility and collaboration with our partners GIZ and the Digital Transformation Centre in Ghana - Support and guidance from a dedicated team of researchers at the HIIG and beyond - A joint publication or other output format – the format will be determined by the group of participants - You become part of an interdisciplinary community of researchers dedicated to platform governance and benefit from perspective of economics, law, and political sciences *What we expect* - Proven interest in the topic of sustainable digital economies and relevant research experience in one of the mentioned disciplines - Outstanding academic qualifications (PhD in progress/planned or advanced PhD, post-doctoral researcher or comparable qualifications) - Fluency in English - Commitment to take part in recurring virtual sessions. (The estimated amount of time you can ideally dedicate is ten to twenty hours a week, depending on your capacities. The schedule will be developed together with the participants.) - Motivation to produce research outputs within the time of the sprint and to contribute to a joint publication or alternative research output *Things to consider* The sprint is offered virtually. Participants of the research sprint have the opportunity to participate at a closing week and a multi-stakeholder dialogue onsite in Ghana, if they are fully vaccinated, according to the current travel restrictions in Ghana. There is a travel fund that allows us to refund a limited amount of travel expenses. Time Frame: The sprint takes place from 30 May 2022 to 15 July 2022 Financial Issues: Travel costs to non-virtual events can be covered in consultation with HIIG *Application documents* - Up-to-date curriculum vitae in English - Motivation letter explaining your interest in the research sprint, your research background, and your expectations, as well as a quick outline of what problem of platform governance you would like to address (1 page in English). Specifically, please indicate which of the two working groups you are interested in: - A) How can platform architecture, e.g. recommendation and reputation mechanisms, be changed to make platform work more inclusive? - B) How can platform workers be helped to find and learn marketable skills to improve their economic outlook? - Optional: one writing or work sample covering the topic (in English or German) In your application, please mention if you plan to take part virtually or physically, so we can plan accordingly. This is not a criterion for the selection process, but an essential information for the organisers of the sprint. Please upload <https://www.hiig.de/en/research/sustainability-entrepreneurship-and-global-…> your application by 24 April 2022. *Study on Challenges and Solutions of (De)Regulation for a Socially Just Gig Economy* Call for Proposals: Regulation of Digital Platforms in sub-Saharan Africa As part of the project’s thematic focus “Digitalisation and Entrepreneurship”, the Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society <https://www.hiig.de/en/> (HIIG) will commission a study to identify challenges and potential solutions of (de)regulation in order to enable a socially just gig economy. The initial perspective on digital platform regulation is broad, potentially covering areas of labour, e-commerce and innovation, and including aspects of market power regulation, workers’ rights or copyright protection. However, the authors may specify the focus of the study in light of the availability of materials and after having received input from a multi-stakeholder dialogue that will be hosted in Kenya in July 2022. About the Project Funded by the Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the *Sustainability, Entrepreneurship and Global Digital Transformation* (SET) <https://www.hiig.de/en/research/sustainability-entrepreneurship-and-global-…> research project has the goal of addressing issues relating to digitalisation, particularly in the Global South. With a focus on the topics of entrepreneurship, platform regulation, and the use of digitalisation for climate resiliency, the project works closely with local stakeholders to build application-oriented expertise and to create an international knowledge community. About the Study Specifically, the study should provide an overview of existing policies and literature on different regulatory approaches to digital platforms in sub-Saharan Africa, with a local focus on Kenya. On this basis, the role that stakeholders from the respective countries play in academic studies and policy initiatives should be identified, as well as the particular challenges for digital platform regulation that sub-Saharan countries are facing. It is intended that the study will be initiated by a six-week research sprint aimed at facilitating applied research on current societal challenges in an international and interdisciplinary setting. Following the research sprint, the authors of the study are invited to present their preliminary findings at the stakeholder dialogue in Kenya. Responses and discussions from the dialogue should be integrated into the study, also highlighting the decisive elements of regional best-practices as guidelines for future regulatory approaches in the platform economy in Kenya and sub-Saharan Africa. The Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society <https://www.hiig.de/en/> (HIIG) kindly requests the submission of a proposal for an academic study with the following goals and objectives: Identify the literature (both academic and policy-related) that assesses digital platform regulation (e.g., with regard to market power concentration, workers’ rights, copyright protection), with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa; Identify policy initiatives on digital platform regulation (e.g., with regard to market power concentration, workers’ rights, copyright protection) in sub-Saharan Africa; Investigate the role of stakeholders from respective countries in sub-Saharan Africa in academic studies and policy initiatives – to what extent have these efforts been driven by local researchers and policy makers? Summarise the review of literature and policy initiatives in terms of countries and regulatory areas (e.g., with regard to market power concentration, workers’ rights, copyright protection); Guide one of the teams during the six-week research sprint in their explorative research. The results can be integrated in the study. Additional effort and time investment in the research sprint can be compensated. Present scope and design of the study at a multi-stakeholder dialogue in Kenya in July 2022 (onsite or online, travel grants are available); Incorporate the feedback from the multi-stakeholder dialogue into the further refinement of the study, with particular consideration of the following two questions: What are the specific challenges for digital platform regulation in the context of countries in sub-Saharan Africa? Using existing literature or policy intervention as examples, what could be done to improve digital platform regulation/ what are best practices? Write a blogpost summarising the results for the HIIG’s Digital Society Blog <https://www.hiig.de/en/blog/> *Eligibility and Requirements* Interested applicants must meet the following criteria: PhD in a relevant discipline (advanced PhD students will be considered given that there is sufficient proof of experience) Excellent writing skills as evidenced by publications in academic journals Proven experience in the field of platform regulation Familiarity with the local context (ideally experience with conducting research in sub-Saharan Africa) Proficiency in the English language Ability to attend the multi-stakeholder dialogue in Kenya in mid-July 2022 (exact date to be confirmed) *General Information * Budget: EUR 16,000 (gross) + possible additional compensation depending on the involvement in the research sprint Scope of the study: maximum 15,000 words Timeframe for conducting the study: June to October 2022 Mid-term report on the current state of research up to September 2022 Final feedback loop after editorial and academic review All interested applicants are invited to submit their proposal (maximum two pages) and a short curriculum vitae with the form below by Tuesday, 19 April 2022. For questions please contact Christian Grauvogel ( christian.grauvogel(a)hiig.de) Applicants will be notified of the outcome of the selection process latest by Monday, 25 April 2022. -- Hanna-Sophie Bollmann Studentische Mitarbeiterin im Bereich Internationales -- 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/> · Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/HIIG.Berlin> 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

April 11, 2022

Call for proposals: Human-Centered AI: a Multidisciplinary Perspective for Policy-Makers, Auditors and Users

by Florian Martin-Bariteau

Dear friends and colleagues, Please find below a call I thought would be of interest to many of you! All the best, Florian Call for proposals Human-Centered AI: a Multidisciplinary Perspective for Policy-Makers, Auditors and Users The HAICU Lab (Human-Centered AI for/by Colleges and Universities Lab), a U7+ initiative comprised of 13 universities from across the globe, is launching a call for proposals to academics from the U7+ Alliance network who wish to contribute their unique and diverse perspectives in a book on the topic of Human-Centered AI (HCAI). HCAI was selected as one of the core areas in which the U7+ wants to have an impact on universities and society. This book should therefore benefit from the support of the U7+, which should have an interest in endorsing and promoting it throughout its network and beyond. The book will be published by Routledge’s Chapman & Hall/CRC Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Series<https://www.routledge.com/Chapman--HallCRC-Artificial-Intelligence-and-Robo…> in 2023. It will be available as an open access publication in 2024. This book aims at providing a more solid understanding of the many meanings and normative components of HCAI, while emphasizing concrete examples and use cases to reveal HCAI practices, challenges, and opportunities across a wide range of sectors. Each section of the book will be supplemented by interviews with key institutional players to enrich the academic perspective of the book and encourage an interactive discussion between the emerging science of HCAI and views from regulators, developers and users in various spheres of activity. Proposals must fit within one of the three sections below: 1) A foundational and definitional section that will contain chapters that discuss and assess the many meanings of HCAI, as well as the main trends and approaches in the study of HCAI. 2) A section that will contain chapters that probe the potential and representations of HCAI among different groups and stakeholders, within various institutions (justice systems, health systems, higher education institutions, banking institutions, etc.) or from a meta-sectoral perspective like international organizations. 3) A section comprised of chapters on lessons learned and promising practices that should inform policy-making and policy innovation. These lessons’ and practices’ application would support the development and implementation of HCAI within the broad AI ecosystem. These chapters should thus have theoretical and practical implications. This call is open to academics from all backgrounds, disciplines and sectors and welcomes a variety of perspectives and contexts from different regions of the world. Contributions must be scholarly informed and robust, yet accessible to a broader and concerned audience (thus, they should not solely target the academic community). Co-authorship (publication of a chapter by authors from various disciplines and contexts) is encouraged. Interested contributors must send their proposed abstract (300 words) by May 31, 2022, and will receive a response in early July. Full texts will then have to be submitted by November 30, 2022. Texts will be peer-reviewed and final approval of submitted texts will depend on this evaluation process. By submitting an abstract, contributors agree to participate in one or two developmental seminars to discuss the content of each chapter and take part in the intellectual journey of the overall project. Manuscripts should be written in English with MS-Word and should be around 5000 words long. The book’s editors will be: * Maria Axente, PwC * Jean-Louis Denis, Université de Montréal * Atsuo Kishimoto, University of Osaka * Catherine Régis, Université of Montréal To submit an abstract or for any question, please write to Frédérique Godin, project manager at the HAICU Lab, at the following email address: frgodin(a)haiculab.org<mailto:frgodin@haiculab.org>. -- Florian Martin-Bariteau, LL.D. Professeur agrégé, Section de common law | Associate Professor, Common Law Section Chaire de recherche de l’Université en technologie et société<https://droittech.uottawa.ca/chaires/cru-technologie-societe> | University Research Chair in Technology and Society<https://techlaw.uottawa.ca/chairs/urc-technology-society> Directeur, Centre de recherche en droit, technologie et société<https://droittech.uottawa.ca/> | Director, Centre for Law, Technology and Society<https://techlaw.uottawa.ca/> Directeur, Initiative IA + Société<http://www.iasociete.ca/> | Director, AI + Society Initiative<http://www.aisociety.ca/> Université d’Ottawa | University of Ottawa 57 Louis Pasteur (FTX 367), Ottawa ON K1N 6N5, Canada Teams<https://teams.microsoft.com/l/chat/0/0?users=fmartinb@uottawa.ca> | f-mb.org<http://f-mb.org/> | @f_mb<https://twitter.com/f_mb>

April 8, 2022

Call for Participation | Workshop: "Power, Control, and Cyber Governance: Discourse from the East and the West" | 12.-13.07.2022

by nina.hahne＠cais.nrw

Dear colleagues, Please share this invitation with doctoral students who might be interested in the upcoming workshop on Power, Control, and Cyber Governance: Discourse from the East and the West. The workshop is jointly hosted by The Center for Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS), International Communication Section, International Association of Media and Communication Research (INC, IAMCR), and the School of Communication, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU). Kind regards Nina Hahne *** East and West Workshop 2022 (CAIS/virtual; 12-13 July 2022) Power, Control, and Cyber Governance: Discourse from the East and the West Recent years have seen continuous reconfiguration of power relationship among governments, market, and the public in response to digital technologies. Digital platforms have shown increasing power in shaping social order and everyday routines, outshining traditional institutions in practically every aspect (van Dijk, 2019). Superpowers have been engaging in a new round of confrontations. For example, in the U.S., President Biden initiated the agenda to secure the free market for middle classes at home (the Economist, 2022), whereas in China, a series of political policies were issued to structure and limit the emerging platforms in the name of national interests (Cyberspace Ministry, 2019). It is a global trend for states to be increasingly reliant on instant data generated by the digital platforms for decision making (Srneick, 2019), while trying to insert greater control over digital space. Contrary to the technological positive imagination (see: Curran, 2012), the trend represents an ongoing negotiation between the political, economic, and various other societal forces. The study context brings opportunities for this workshop to explore the internet order brought by the political, economic, and social negotiations from a global perspective. Themed on power, control, and cyber governance, we do not merely assume a top-down and economic determinism of the internet and the society. Instead, we welcome studies that record the process of the changes and challenges from macro, mezzo, and micro levels. The workshop will engage conversations around three thematic tracks, including: 1. Global Perspective of Power, Control, and Internet Governance We encourage projects and research at the international level and/or with comparative perspectives. Track Leader: Prof. Ji Deqiang, Communication University of China, and/or Prof. Dr. Karen Arriaza Ibarra (Universidad Complutense de Madrid) 2. Regional Perspective of Power, Control, and Internet Governance Studies from regional level ranging from greater China, ASIEAN to EUROPEAN regions are welcome. Track Leader: Center for Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS) 3. Local Perspective of Power, Control, and Internet Governance Local studies and stories about how the internet enables and constraints the existing power structure are welcome. Track Leader: Prof. Steve Guo, School of Communication, Hong Kong Baptist University, and Dr. Luqiu Rose, School of Communication, Hong Kong Baptist University Submission Information In line with CAIS mission of nurturing young scholars, we require applicants for the workshop to be current Ph.D students preferably in ABD status (or at an advanced level of their Ph.D program). Applicants should submit a project abstract of roughly 500-750 words in English in pdf. format. The deadline for submission is 17 April 2022. If accepted, complete papers within 8,000 words in text are due by 12 June 2022. Please submit your abstract to Angela Dan Wang (angela(a)hkbu.edu.hk <mailto:angela@hkbu.edu.hk> ) with indication of the track information at the title. Resulting publications Online Media and Global Communication has agreed to publish a respective special issue from the best work among the workshop, and another linked workshop at CAIS after a referee process. An international workshop jointly hosted by The Center for Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS), International Communication Section, International Association of Media and Communication Research (INC, IAMCR), and the School of Communication, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) https://www.cais.nrw/phdnet/east-and-west-workshop-2022/ ------ Dr. Nina Hahne Referentin Vernetzung und Nachwuchsförderung (Inter)national Networks, PhDnet@CAIS Center for Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS) GmbH Universitätsstraße 104, 44799 Bochum Deutschland / Germany <http://www.cais.nrw/> www.cais.nrw Sitz: Bochum - Amtsgericht Bochum HRB 16476 Geschäftsführer: Prof. Dr. Michael Baurmann, Tim Pfenner

April 1, 2022

safe the date: invitation spatial AI ecologies

by Wandl-Vogt, Eveline

hi @ all, it is my pleasure to take your attention to our free, online learning journey SPATIAL AI ECOLOGIES 2.+9.4.2022 10-13am CET an intervention funded by the projects ALOGRITHM INTENVARIUM / city of vienna PROVIDEDH / FWF https://www.eventbrite.de/e/spatial-ai-ecologies-workshop-tickets-307861591… [https://img.evbuc.com/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.evbuc.com%2Fimages%2F255200389%2F21…]<https://www.eventbrite.de/e/spatial-ai-ecologies-workshop-tickets-307861591…> Spatial AI Ecologies - Workshop Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite<https://www.eventbrite.de/e/spatial-ai-ecologies-workshop-tickets-307861591…> www.eventbrite.de Eventbrite - Firas Safieddine presents Spatial AI Ecologies - Workshop - Saturday, 2 April 2022 - Find event and ticket information. workshop syllabus: https://docs.google.com/document/d/18Ct4FT66qwD8I-q_UjqmpeeM7HaAJHpOk5CIVMt… looking forward 2 this creative workathon. let me know in case of any uncertainties. stay healthy and take care! deligthed to gain new skills, deepen experience and make new friends: eveline #AI #architecture #design #space #creative_tech #emerging_tech #algorithms #education #lifelonglearning #participatory_methods @homeoffice *** evelne wandl-vogt. neurodivergent foundress + coordinator: exploration space @ österreichische akademie der wissenschaften (ÖAW) | 1040 wien. AT | wohllebengasse 12-14/2 | foundress + senior director: knowledge for humanity (k4h+) - research institute @ ars electronica affiliate: metaLAB (at) harvard @ berkman klein center for internet and society @ harvard university https://www.oeaw.ac.at/acdh/team/current-team/eveline-wandl-vogt/ | https://ars.electronica.art/futurelab/initiative/ars-electronica-research-i… https://metalabharvard.github.io/people/eveline linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evelinewandlvogt/ | twitter: @caissarl

March 28, 2022

News from IPR: Message Tracing Subverts Encryption in India / Gender Equality in the Platform Economy

by Hanna-Sophie Bollmann

Dear NoC colleagues, The Internet Policy Review has some exciting new publications. Divyank Katira and Gurshabad Grover from the Centre for Internet and Society (India) wrote an Op-Ed about how message tracing subverts encryption in India <https://policyreview.info/articles/news/how-message-tracing-regulations-sub…> . And if you are reading already, make sure to look into last week's special issue on gender equality in the platform economy <https://policyreview.info/articles/analysis/gender-platform-economy>. We wish you a good week and send all the best from Berlin! -- Hanna-Sophie Bollmann Studentische Mitarbeiterin im Bereich Internationales -- 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/> · Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/HIIG.Berlin> 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

March 28, 2022

Invitation | PhDnet-Workshop "Design Thinking" | April 05, 2022

by nina.hahne＠cais.nrw

Dear colleagues, Please share this invitation with doctoral students who might be interested in our workshop on Design Thinking for academic purposes. Kind regards Nina Hahne --------- Invitation: Online-Workshop Design Thinking Are you doing a PhD and have always wanted to learn Design Thinking? Then join our virtual PhDnet@CAIS workshop on April 05 (10 am 2 pm CEST) with Samuel Simon and find out how you can apply it to your own academic work. For more information and registration visit: <https://www.cais.nrw/workshop-design-thinking_en/> https://www.cais.nrw/workshop-design-thinking_en/ Program: The innovation method Design Thinking, as established by the Hasso Plattner Institute and consulting agencies like IDEO and others, is increasingly applied in various business settings. Why not as well in academia? For scientists in digitization research, design thinking can support both as a structural approach at the beginning of research work as well as an inspiring mindset to tackle challenges with new perspectives. Adapting Design Thinking methods for scientific contexts also offers rich impulses for agile work and efficient evaluation possibilities of any phase in your process. In the workshop you will learn to use natural moments of uncertainty productively and creatively to your advantage. We will start the workshop with a short overview of the different phases of the Design Thinking process and a classification that shows us that the method does not necessarily focus on thinking and has little to do with what we understand as design. In short, practical work units, we experiment with the interdisciplinary application of the different phases in the group. In doing so, we tap into design-oriented methods of research work, idea generation and problem definition, and learn how, among other things, to bring the various prototyping and testing methods into the scientific process. Together, we locate design thinking within the big innovation buzzword cloud, while creating systemically meaningful and applicable connections to familiar work and research methods. Please register via e-mail to: <mailto:phdnet@cais.nrw> phdnet(a)cais.nrw ------ Dr. Nina Hahne Referentin Vernetzung und Nachwuchsförderung (Inter)national Networks, PhDnet@CAIS Center for Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS) GmbH Universitätsstraße 104, 44799 Bochum Deutschland / Germany <http://www.cais.nrw/> www.cais.nrw Sitz: Bochum - Amtsgericht Bochum HRB 16476 Geschäftsführer: Prof. Dr. Michael Baurmann, Tim Pfenner

March 10, 2022

Call for Applications: Transatlantic Digital Debates Fellowship

by Hanna-Sophie Bollmann

Dear All, Our Network member Global Public Policy Institute is calling for Applications for their Transatlantic Digital Debate Fellowship. You can find more information enclosed and email amkraley(a)gmail.com in the event of any questions. The deadline is 20th March. Best wishes from Berlin, Hanna -- Hanna-Sophie Bollmann Studentische Mitarbeiterin im Bereich Internationales -- 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/> · Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/HIIG.Berlin> 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

March 2, 2022

CfP Weizenbaum Conference 2022

by Kiyan Farmand

[cid:image001.png@01D81D0E.951AD160]<https://www.weizenbaum-conference.de/> [cid:image002.png@01D81D0E.951AD160] Call for Papers & Projects \ Weizenbaum Conference 2022 The Weizenbaum Institute for the Networked Society<https://www.weizenbaum-institut.de/en/> is organizing its 2022 annual conference on the subject of "Practicing Sovereignty. Interventions for open digital futures" and invites interested scholars and artists to submit papers and abstracts for presentations and workshops. The conference will take place at the venue "Alte Münze" in Berlin on Thursday, 9 June and Friday, 10 June 2022. The premises of how ICT impacts societies worldwide have changed. Instead of further indulging in collective imaginaries of better, digitally mediated futures, today's narratives are dominated by worrying aspects of the digital transformation. Issues such as the increasing vulnerability and manipulation of individuals, the violation of fundamental rights through mass surveillance, and the digitally mediated undermining of democratic institutions and practices have become more and more threatening to an open and free society. Against this backdrop, the notion of "digital sovereignty" is currently witnessing an increasing interest. Being hotly debated for its implied potentials, but also for its shortcomings, the term denotes diverse concepts that negotiate competences, duties, and rights in the digital age. Questions of trust, confidence, and competence - intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic - contextualize digital sovereignty in a fundamental re-consideration of what has been known as democratic principles, civil rights, and national identities. The international conference and exhibition will investigate new opportunities for digital participation and policymaking and discuss alternative technological and social practices from various fields and disciplines. We frame digital sovereignty as a right to be claimed and a process constantly in the making, as a condition of the ability to critically partake in the digital transformation. The conference will provide a transdisciplinary platform for scholars, artists, activists, and human rights advocates who develop transformative practices spaces to foster digital involvement. Grassroots initiatives, community projects, and participatory practices in design, art and activism appear as collective counter strategies and bottom-up interventions that challenge the normalization of inequalities and insecurities and push back against threats to an open society. They lay the groundwork for new forms of agency, paving novel ways of practicing sovereignty - both in the sense of collective activities as well as in terms of public education and experimentation. To investigate the notion of digital sovereignty while respecting the plurality of its forms and approaches, the conference and exhibition offer four different tracks with shifting focuses: \ Digital sovereignty: terms, concepts, limitations \ Datafication and democracy \ Digital literacies and inequalities \ Digital sovereignty and scientific autonomy Digital sovereignty: terms, concepts, limitations As a central concept in current policy discourses, digital sovereignty addresses various challenges posed by the digital transformation. This track will address theoretical approaches in the current discourses on regulatory, technological, and civil society perspectives on digital sovereignty, and discuss approaches that are being negotiated. They range from a territorial viewpoint for digitally sovereign entities to an individual perspective of self-determination in everyday life and touch upon questions of autonomy, control, and authority. Contributions may include but are not limited to: \ Different (digital) ontologies and corresponding notions of sovereignty \ Relations between sovereignty and the digital \ Conceptual elements of how to analyze (digital) sovereignty \ Shifting power systems through the digital transformation of societies \ Public reflections of sovereign powers \ Alternative sovereignty concepts for democratic value Datafication and democracy How can we reimagine the politics of data? Automated decision-making, predictive policing, social scoring - computational datafication and automation are changing structures and procedures not only of private corporations but also of governments and public institutions. At the same time, people\s everyday lives become datafied lives. Digital means and tools empower them to demand access to government information (freedom of information, open government) and to actively partake in political decision-making. But they also burden citizens with responsibility: It is often up to the individual to resist and protest the collection and exploitation of their personal data by private corporations and intelligence agencies. With these new challenges and possibilities, liberal democracies seem to be at a crossroads: Are people becoming a mere datapoint in an opaque machinery of computation whose results and decisions we can neither comprehend nor challenge? Or can we, by new means of engagement and by redefining technical infrastructures as public infrastructures, strengthen democracy and advance social progress? Contributions may include but are not limited to: \ Changing structures in governments and public institutions through datafication \ Open government, open data, open source \ Public interest design \ Surveillance capitalism: data extractivism and the quantification of the individual \ Automated decision making vs. digitally aided sovereignty \ Ownership of digital infrastructure: private property and the public sphere Digital literacies and inequalities How can we grasp and trace the interrelations between social inequalities and digital divides? How can we develop new strategies for socio-technical public education that ensure equitable and democratic engagements with regulatory debates around technologies? Through the lens of a so called "third level digital divide" - a concept that addresses the capacity to achieve adequate outcomes and benefits from our digital actions - we can look beyond simplistic conceptions of access to technologies and information. This track will discuss digital literacies in a broader, socio-cultural sense as a creative, performative, and inherently political everyday practice and thus use digitality as a lens to discuss intersectional inequalities. With this, it will examine both the causes and consequences of power, privilege, and oppression in the digital realm, and feature theories, practices and tactics for addressing and countering the increasing amount of digital inequalities and disparities on a global level. Contributions may include but are not limited to: \ Digitalization and gender and intersectionality \ Gender-equitable design of digital or socio-technical systems \ In/visibility of oppressive forces in digital algorithms and products \ New strategies for socio-technical public education and public pedagogy \ Art, technology and exploit: exposing power inequalities through artistic practice \ Digital activism as digital empowerment of groups and individuals Digital sovereignty and scientific autonomy The digital transformation of scientific work comes with promises of faster collaboration, increased rigour and broader access to knowledge. At the heart of these scientific imaginaries are new digital infrastructures that connect researchers, organizations, and artifacts. However, today an increasing number of these infrastructures are developed and controlled by a handful of powerful technology firms and publishing companies. This development poses a threat to scientific autonomy, as such crucial infrastructures are shaped by the data imperative and extractive logics of platform capitalism rather than the needs of the scientific community. To contribute to the project of digital sovereignty, science needs to reclaim its autonomy in digitally networked environments first. The goal of this conference track is to bring together critical perspectives and generative proposals on the crisis of scientific autonomy in the digital condition. Contributions may include but are not limited to: \ Data repositories and preprint servers \ Tracking technologies and academic surveillance \ Predatory publishing \ Open science and open education \ Distributed trust technologies in science \ Digital metrics and evaluation tools Call for Papers This call for papers, projects and workshops invites scholars, artists, designers, activists, and civil society initiatives to submit papers and workshops to one of the four tracks. Inter- and transdisciplinary work is particularly encouraged. We are looking forward to many inspiring contributions! Submission Categories Papers Paper length should be between 2,500 and 3,000 words (including notes, excluding references) and follow the Word template<https://cloud.weizenbaum-institut.de/s/zCrzTEoSaeZKZx8> formatting. When using LaTeX, please adapt the formatting of the Word template. Please upload the paper in PDF format. As the paper will be reviewed in a double-blind process, please anonymize any information which could point to your authorship (including information in references and notes). Papers accepted in the review or revision process will be published as part of the conference proceedings. In addition, selected submissions will be given the opportunity to be published in a special issue of the Weizenbaum Journal of the Digital Society<https://ojs.weizenbaum-institut.de/index.php/wjds/index> that will focus on the conference topics. Authors are expected to hold a 20-minute presentation of their submitted papers. Proposals for work-shops and project presentation The conference will provide space for workshops and project presentations in fields of scientific research and also for artistic research and projects, activism/hacktivism, design, or other interactive or participatory formats. Please submit a project proposal as PDF (max. 3 pages) including a description (max. 1,000 words) and, if applicable, images. If the proposal includes video or audio material, please provide within the pdf hyperlinks to a video/ audio hosting platform where the work can be accessed (e.g., Vimeo or platforms of educational institutions). The review process will be single-blind and include suggestions for revision considering the conditions of the conference site and schedule. The description will be published in the conference proceedings (a selection of descriptions also in the Weizenbaum Journal<https://ojs.weizenbaum-institut.de/index.php/wjds/index>, s. above), combined with images and potential documentation material (depending on the individual project and to be discussed with the contributor). Procedures Step 1 Please submit a paper or abstract for workshop and project presentation by 15 February 2022 via Easy Chair<https://easychair.org/account/signin?l=t8m54s1csna8E0QoJ6qJg5>. The paper or abstract should indicate the conference track. Step 2 Submissions will be reviewed, and decisions of acceptance will be issued by 15 March 2022. Peer review of papers (double-blind) and abstract for workshop and project presentation (single-blind). Decisions of acceptance or revision will be issued by 15 March 2022. Step 3 After the potential revision the papers will be published in the conference proceedings. The conference proceedings will be published open access by the Weizenbaum Institute (providing DOIs). In addition, selected submissions will be given the opportunity to be published in a special issue of the Weizenbaum Journal of the Digital Society<https://ojs.weizenbaum-institut.de/index.php/wjds/index> that will focus on the conference topics. Important Dates \ Deadline for submission: 15 February 2022 \ Notification for acceptance: 15 March 2022 \ Conference: 9/10 June 2022 Contact Information Mail conference(a)weizenbaum-institut.de<mailto:conference@weizenbaum-institut.de> URL https://www.weizenbaum-conference.de/ https://www.weizenbaum-institut.de/ [cid:image003.jpg@01D81D0E.951AD160]

Feb. 8, 2022

Fellowship vacancies at the University of Ottawa

by Florian Martin-Bariteau

Dear friends, We currently have six vacancies at the University of Ottawa and really appreciate if you could share this in your networks! The AI + Society Initiative<http://aisociety.ca/> is seeking: * a Scotiabank Postdoctoral Fellow in AI and Regulation to pursue an innovative research program focused on shaping the regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) in a global context. https://techlaw.uottawa.ca/aisociety/scotiabank-postdoc-ai-regulation-2022 * a Scotiabank Postdoctoral Fellow in AI and Inclusion to pursue an innovative research program focused on reimagining how to design ethical and inclusive artificial intelligence (AI) systems. https://techlaw.uottawa.ca/aisociety/scotiabank-postdoc-ai-inclusion-2022 * an Alex Trebek Postdoctoral Fellow in AI and Environment to pursue an innovative research program focused on the social science aspects of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applied to environmental sustainability. https://techlaw.uottawa.ca/aisociety/alextrebek-postdoc-environment-2022 * an Alex Trebek/CIHR Fellow in IA and Healthcare to pursue an innovative research program focused on the legal and ethical aspects of health-related artificial intelligence (AI). https://techlaw.uottawa.ca/aisociety/alextrebek-postdoc-cihr-fellowship-hea… In addition, I am also seeking : * an engaged and enthusiastic Research Fellow/Coordinator in technology, policy and society to collaborate with me and pursue a research program to make contributions to technology law, policy and ethics, with a focus on cybersecurity, cyberjustice and algorithmic systems : https://techlaw.uottawa.ca/opportunities/research-fellow-coordinator-techno… * an inspiring and energetic Administrative Coordination Assistant to provide general administrative, operational, and coordination support to the director of the University of Ottawa Centre for Law, Technology and Society, the AI + Society Initiative and the University Research Chair in Technology and Society, as well as some special projects, events and major initiatives : https://techlaw.uottawa.ca/opportunities/administrative-assistant-nr3-2022 Thank you again for sharing! And don’t hesitate to refer great candidates! All the best, Florian -- Florian Martin-Bariteau, LL.D. Professeur agrégé, Section de common law | Associate Professor, Common Law Section Chaire de recherche de l’Université en technologie et société<https://droittech.uottawa.ca/chaires/cru-technologie-societe> | University Research Chair in Technology and Society<https://techlaw.uottawa.ca/chairs/urc-technology-society> Directeur, Centre de recherche en droit, technologie et société<https://droittech.uottawa.ca/> | Director, Centre for Law, Technology and Society<https://techlaw.uottawa.ca/> Directeur, Initiative IA + Société<http://www.iasociete.ca/> | Director, AI + Society Initiative<http://www.aisociety.ca/> Université d’Ottawa | University of Ottawa 57 Louis Pasteur (FTX 367), Ottawa ON K1N 6N5, Canada Teams<https://teams.microsoft.com/l/chat/0/0?users=fmartinb@uottawa.ca> | f-mb.org<http://f-mb.org/> | @f_mb<https://twitter.com/f_mb>

Feb. 2, 2022

Invitation | Workshop: Cultural Heritage Institutions from a Commons Perspective | 01.03.2022

by nina.hahne＠cais.nrw

Dear colleagues, CAIS cordially invites PhD students from all disciplines to participate in our upcoming workshop "Cultural Heritage Institutions from a Commons Perspective". The workshop will be held virtually on March 01 from 4-7 pm (CET). It is organized by Dr. Jörg Lehmann (University of Tuebingen), who is currently Fellow at our institution: <https://www.cais.nrw/en/fellows_en/fellow_lehmann_2021/> https://www.cais.nrw/en/fellows_en/fellow_lehmann_2021/ Please share this invitation with potential participants. Workshop: Cultural Heritage Institutions from a Commons Perspective Cultural Heritage Institutions have started digitizing their assets about twenty years ago. Since then, a range of legal problems accompanying digitization efforts have been identified, and usage scenarios have changed a lot. The cultural legitimacy of private corporations making use of these resources is challenged. This workshop takes an understanding of cultural heritage as a cultural commons as its starting point, presents the results of the ongoing research project entitled The Tragedy of the Cultural Commons focusing on cultural heritage institutions, identifies and discusses relevant legal questions that need to be addressed, and takes further research into perspective. Key Learnings: * Gain insight in current legal debates on copyrights, intellectual property rights, intangible cultural heritage, and regulations pertaining to access to cultural heritage * Deepened understanding of the recently developed cultural commons framework and the application of a systematic analytic approach to an existing research field * Comprehension of the interaction between legal norms and societal as well as technical developments * Getting an idea about how scientific debates are driven by new terms and concepts presented in the academic arena Confirmed Participants: <http://www.brettfrischmann.com/> Brett Frischmann, Charles Widger Endowed University Professor in Law, Business and Economics, Villanova University, Pennsylvania, USA. <https://michaelmadison.net/> Michael J. Madison, Professor of Law and Faculty Director of the Future Law Project at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. <https://madelynsanfilippo.com/> Madelyn Rose Sanfilippo, Assistant Professor, School of Information Sciences, University of Illinois, Illinois, USA. To register, contact Dr. Jörg Lehmann ( <mailto:joerg.lehmann@romanistik.uni-tuebingen.de> joerg.lehmann(a)romanistik.uni-tuebingen.de) For more information visit: <https://www.cais.nrw/veranstaltungen-2/workshop-cultural-heritage-instituti ons/> https://www.cais.nrw/veranstaltungen-2/workshop-cultural-heritage-institutio ns/ Kind regards, Nina ------ Dr. Nina Hahne Referentin Vernetzung und Nachwuchsförderung (Inter)national Networks, PhDnet@CAIS Center for Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS) GmbH Universitätsstraße 104, 44799 Bochum Deutschland / Germany Telefon: 0234 / 54495451 <http://www.cais.nrw/> www.cais.nrw Sitz: Bochum - Amtsgericht Bochum HRB 16476 Geschäftsführer: Prof. Dr. Michael Baurmann, Tim Pfenner

Feb. 2, 2022