2025-08-07 –, NAIROBI (🗣️ ar, es, fr, sw)
Language: English
🎥 Session recording: https://youtu.be/WaWk6hNGRrk?list=PLhV3K_DS5YfJtMBKTkOdmzfP3ENS24BJ-&t=6717 🎥
In a rapidly evolving digital world- and looking ahead- the Wikimedia movement cannot operate in isolation from other key actors that contribute to the work we do. As we continue to grow and adapt, the question of digital participation including how we adapt, respond and shape technological change is central to our long term sustainability and impact.
As we celebrate 20 years of Wikimania - and an even longer existence as a global community and movement - the evidence of our growth is manifest in many areas : from the expansion of Wikimedia projects and a steadily growing contributor base, to our increasing presence in advocacy and thematic spaces among others. We appreciate that our growth has not happened in isolation. At key moments, we have taken advantage of the opportunities offered by technological change, and at times, taken necessary and measured risks.
In a rapidly evolving digital world- and looking ahead- the Wikimedia movement cannot operate in isolation from other key actors that contribute to the work we do. As we continue to grow and adapt, the question of digital participation including how we adapt, respond and shape technological change is central to our long term sustainability and impact.
For this reason, we would like to explore some questions together with educational practitioners, researchers, technology experts and other interested parties . This panel will explore how open knowledge communities—such as Wikimedia and mission-aligned partners —may navigate a fast-changing technological landscape while staying true to their core values. From shifting infrastructure needs and emerging tools, to regional disparities in access and participation as well as digital capacity, we would like to examine how new technologies are transforming the ways people engage with information.
We would also like to reflect on the risks of relying on commercial platforms when it comes to hosting or accessing knowledge. In contrast, we want to explore the opportunities for building and strengthening more equitable, community-driven, non-commercial alternatives while learning from other communities. By learning from others, this discussion can give valuable insights into support of open knowledge systems and how to ensure that they remain adaptable, inclusive, and resilient in the face of change.
- What other themes or topics does your session fit into? Please choose from the list of tags below.
- How does your session relate to the event theme: Wikimania@20: Inclusivity. Impact. Sustainability?
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- How do you plan to deliver this session? You will be asked to confirm this closer to the date in case of changes to the format.
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Onsite in Nairobi
- Should your session be selected for the program, do you agree to release your session and supporting materials on-wiki and on the eventyay platform under CC BY-SA 4.0?
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I agree
- What is the experience level needed for the audience for your session?
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Everyone can participate in this session
Dr. Joyce Nakatumba-Nabende holds a PhD in Computer Science from Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands, a Master of Science in Computer Science from Makerere University, Uganda and a Bachelor of Computer Science from Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda. She is a senior lecturer in the Department of Computer Science, School of Computing and Informatics Technology, College of Computing and Information Sciences. She is the current head of the Makerere Artificial Lab under the department of Computer Science. Her major research interests are in the areas of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Natural Language processing and Business Process Management. She contributes to building the capacity of African data scientists and ensures diversity and gender equity in her research.
Currently, she is a member of the Educational Advisory Committee of the Association for Computing Machinery, a board Member Data Science Africa, a member of the Responsible Artificial Intelligence (RAIN) Africa Network, a founding Member of the Open for Good Alliance Inclusive AI Commons with Localized Data by FAIR Forward and GIZ and a research scientist as part of the ARUA – The Guild Cluster of Research Excellence Addressing Global and African Challenges through Methods from Artificial Intelligence, Data Science and Theoretical and Computational Thinking.
Prof Vukosi Marivate is a Professor of Computer Science and holds the ABSA UP Chair of Data Science at the University of Pretoria. He specialises in developing Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods to extract insights from data, with a particular focus on the intersection of ML/AI and Natural Language Processing (NLP). His research is dedicated to improving the methods, tools and availability of data for local or low-resource languages. As the leader of the Data Science for Social Impact research group in the Computer Science department, Vukosi is interested in using data science to solve social challenges. He has worked on projects related to science, energy, public safety, and utilities, among others. Prof Marivate is a co-founder of Lelapa AI, an African startup focused on AI for Africans by Africans. Vukosi is a chief investigator on the Masakhane Research Foundation, which aims to develop NLP technologies for African languages. Vukosi is also a co-founder of the Deep Learning Indaba, the leading grassroots Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence conference on the African continent that aims to empower and support African researchers and practitioners in the field.
Selena Deckelmann is the Chief Product and Technology Officer at the Wikimedia Foundation.
Dr Job Mwaura is an accomplished Research Associate at the Wits Centre for Journalism at the University of the Witwatersrand and a sought-after UXR Consultant for leading tech companies. He also holds several affiliations including an affiliate Faculty member at Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University in the United States and an Adjunct Executive Research Fellow at Strathmore Institute for Public Policy and Governance (SIPPG) at Strathmore University in Kenya. With a strong academic background, he previously held the position of Research Fellow at the South African Research Chair in Science Communication within the Department of Journalism at Stellenbosch University and a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Cape Town in the Institute for Humanities in Africa (HUMA) in 2022. He is currently serving as a member of the Executive Committee of the prestigious Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR) (2021-2025).