Digital Humanism
Summer School
Carnegie Mellon University Africa, Kigali, Rwanda
Join leading experts in informatics, social sciences, and humanities to collaborate on pressing issues of digital politics, economy, and technology
About Digital Humanism
Digital Humanism is an interdisciplinary field that explores the intricate relationship between technology and humanity, with the goal of fostering a society where technological advancements serve to enhance human rights, democracy and inclusion. It recognizes the need for an interdisciplinary approach, integrating perspectives from humanities, social sciences, engineering and technology. The aim of this Summer School on Digital Humanism in Africa is to provide a platform to delve into key issues related to the development and governance of technology within the African context. The program will address critical themes such as digital participation, democracy, sovereignty in the digital age, the impact of platforms on the economy, privacy concerns, ethical AI and the creation of fair systems. Globally recognized experts from fields such as computer science, social sciences, law and humanities will lead discussions and interactive sessions. These will examine how Digital Humanism can help shape technology policy and innovation in Africa to promote sdiversity, inclusion and ethical governance. The school – it is an in-person event – is designed in an interactive and interdisciplinary manner, it is open for participants from the different disciplines mentioned (humanities, social, technical and engineering sciences). It is open to students at the PhD and master level as well as interested and qualified persons from industry, institutions and civil society. Building on the success of prior global Digital Humanism initiatives, this Africa-focused edition will provide a unique opportunity to engage with the challenges and opportunities that digital transformation presents to the continent. Participants will gain hands-on experience, engage in policy dialogue and contribute to the growing global conversation on how technology can be aligned with human values. A typical course is broad enough to provide a general introduction to the chosen topic, whilst also students can learn the most relevant contributions in depth. In addition, there is enough room for discussions and presentations of participants' projects.
Organizers & Supporters
Learning Objectives
By the end of this seminar, participants will be able to Maadili which is a Swahili term that translates to morals, ethics or values in English. It refers to principles of behavior that guide what is considered right or wrong within a society or an individual.
Identification of Key Challenges
Identify key challenges and opportunities that digital transformation presents within Africa, understanding both the potential and the risks involved.
Essential Issues Relation
Discuss essential issues relation, including digital participation, ethical AI practices and the creation of equitable systems tailored to an African context.
Development Strategies
Analyze and develop strategies to shape technology policy and foster innovation in Africa, with a focus on promoting diversity, inclusion and ethical governance.
Program Schedule
Morning Lectures
09:00 - 12:00Each morning, participants attend two lectures that lay the foundation for the day's theme.
Afternoon Lectures
13:30 - 16:30These lectures deepen the exploration of the daily theme, leading directly into hands-on project sessions.
Hands-on Project Work
16:30 - 18:00Participants work in groups to apply the day's concepts, focusing on practical Digital Humanism projects tailored to African needs.
Event Calendar
Monday 14TH
Introduction : Foundations of Digital Humanism, Introduction to AI, aligning technology with human values and understanding digital transformation in Africa.
Morning
09:00
T1: Welcome & Introduction to Digital Humanism
with Tim Brown, William, George Metakides, Hannes Werthner
10:30
Introduction AI
with Ricardo Baeza-Yates
Afternoon
13:30
T1: Africa and Challenges of Digital Humanism
with Susan Brokensh, William James Yeku
15:00
T2: Intro to the use cases and project group formation
Organizing Team
CMU
Carine Mukamakuza
Timothy Brown
DIGHUM
Hans Akkermans
George Metakides
Other Members
Thomas McManus
Nancy Biwott
Hannes Werthner
Jeff Kramer
Julia Neidhardt
Instructional Team
The Instructional Team is responsible for the overarching organization of the seminar and ensuring that presentations, activities, and materials support the student achievement of the seminar learning objectives. They will also act as moderators and/or present sessions during the seminar.
George Metakides
George has led R&D policy and funding roles in European institutions, focusing on digitization’s impact, regulatory issues, and global cooperation. Co-founded the Digital Enlightenment Forum and advises international organizations.
Digital Humanism Initiative
Hannes Werthner
He co-founded the Digital Humanism Initiative and is a retired E-Commerce professor at TU Wien. His research includes E-Commerce, E-Tourism, Recommender Systems, and Network Analysis, while fostering new initiatives.
Digital Humanism Initiative
Tim Brown
Tim ’s research seeks to understand so-called challenged networks. Starting from traditional cellular mobile telephone networks we "challenge" this paradigm along several dimensions that allows us to better understand their behavior.
CMU-Africa Rwanda
Ricardo Baeza-Yates
Ricardo Baeza-Yates is a professor of the practice and the director of research at Northeastern University's Institute for Experiential Artificial Intelligence, based in Silicon Valley.
Northeastern University
Julia Neidhardt
Julia’s research is in recommender systems and AI, and how to use machine learning / LLMs in recommender systems
Digital Humanism Initiative
Carine Mukamakuza
Carine is a lecturer, researcher, and entrepreneur. Her research focuses on digital healthcare solutions, business intelligence, data science (specifically machine learning, where she has centered her attention on recommender systems), online social network behavior, and personalization.
CMU-Africa Rwanda
Jeff Kramer
Jeff Kramer is Emeritus Professor of Distributed Computing at Imperial College London. Interested in value based requirements engineering for responsible systems development.
Imperial College London UK
Hans Akkermans
His current research interests focus on the interdisciplinary research, education and community service program W4RA (Web alliance for Regreening in Africa).
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Netherlands/UDS, Ghana
Susan Brokensha
An applied linguist at the University of the Free State, South Africa and co-convenor of the ethics and governance group located in the Interdisciplinary Centre for Digital Futures (ICDF) at the university.
University of the Free State South Africa
Dr. Melissa Omino
Her range of expertise includes the legal frameworks within the sphere of Artificial Intelligence, Data Protection, and Digital Rights at the Centre for Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law (CIPIT)
Strathmore University, Nairobi, Kenya
Nancy Biwott
Nancy Biwott is a seasoned diversity and inclusion professional with a passion for social justice. She has worked in various organizations in roles touching on conflict transformation, inclusion, and sustainable business. She has facilitated numerous trainings on the same in the various Kenyan Counties and across various African countries.
CMU-Africa Rwanda
Experts Team
Each member of the Expert Team offers knowledge and perspective in a specific area of interest during the Summer School. They will be involved in presentations, discussions, and/or project advising in their area of expertise during the seminar.
Rodney Genga
Research interests also include capacity building in Africa via skills development training in innovation, manufacturing and microscopy.
University of the Witwatersrand South Africa
Thomas McManus
Thomas has taught at both graduate and undergraduate levels at several higher education institutions across the globe. As the founding director of three different teaching and learning centers, he has worked with professionals from diverse fields, ranging from humanities and social sciences to STEM and healthcare.
CMU-Africa Rwanda
Nicolas Christin
The researcher focuses on computer and information systems security at the intersection of systems, networks and policy, with recent work in security analytics, online crime modeling and the human aspects of computer security, alongside interests in field measurements and mathematical modeling.
School of Computer Science, Engineering & Public Policy CMU-Pittsburgh USA
Abebe Geletu
His current research focus includes systems optimization for sustainable resources utilization in Africa, multidisciplinary research and development for addressing engineering problems, AI and Data-driven approaches for complex problems.
AIMS Rwanda
Eduan Kotzé
Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Computer Science and Informatics at the University of the Free State.
University of the Free State South Africa
Ebikisei Stanley Udisi
Ubuntu and Digital Humanism: Implications for the Digital Age: The paper examines combining Ubuntu's communal ethics with digital humanism's human-centered design to foster inclusive online communities, address ethical issues, and promote sustainable development and social equity in the digital age.
University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, Nigeria
James Yékú
Associate Professor of African and African-American studies at the University of Kansas, specializing in African literary and cultural studies and digital humanities research
University of Kansas USA
George Metakides
Refer to The Instructional Team
Digital Humanism Initiative
Hannes Werthner
Refer to The Instructional Team
Digital Humanism Initiative
Jeff Kramer
Refer to The Instructional Team
Imperial College London
Hans Akkermans
Refer to The Instructional Team
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Netherlands/UDS, Ghana
Application Process
Join our Digital Maadili Summer Program through a simple three-step process designed to identify committed candidates who will benefit from and contribute to the program.
Registration Fee
Registration Fee: $400, we offer scholarships and tuition fee waivers.
Application Deadline
Apply for Digital Maadili Summer Program with a simple form.
Deadline for Applications: 25th of April 2025
Selection Process
In our selection process where we identify candidates who demonstrate interest in Digital Humanism and commitment to applying these principles in African contexts.
Notification Date: 16th of May 2025