For a long time, Informatics has been viewed as a foremost technical scientific discipline; an idea aptly captured by the name “Computer Science”. For a long time, this view might have been justified. We are now witnessing how ICT technologies have become mainstream along with a full-scale fundamental impact on society at large. In the […]
Thesis defence Anna Bon Maastricht 15 December 2020 – a promotion in Corona times The Pro-Rector, Prof. Dr. Christine Neuhold chairs the public defence, and opens the reunion at 13h. After Anna’s presentation of 15 minutes, the opposition is opened. Prof. Wiebe Bijker, emeritus professor of Technology and Society at Maastricht University. Prof. Dr. Wiebe […]
“Sustainability assessment and ethical considerations are not commonly included as subtasks in the development of digital systems and services and receive less attention in the design process than business and technical aspects. When developing digital systems/services or platforms for people in resource-constrained environments, it is important to take a wider scope and include more aspects […]
Shuqi Yan did her master research project on an “AI for Sustainable Development in Africa” project. Machine learning for the interpretation of land use and object recognition on satellite images is a technique which is already widely used, given the large availability of open access satellite imaging and the popularity of data science and artificial […]
Siying Zhang’s master research was about how to design a participatory Covid-19 app. The events of this year 2020, have more than ever demonstrated the link between social networks and the spread of infectious diseases. No one can deny that opportunities are offered by the digitized society to prevent and control a contagious virus. However, […]
Since 2011 researchers from the W4RA team (VU Network Institute, Computer Science Department, Centre for International Cooperation and AI-tech company Bolesian) have worked with farmer organizations in Mali to help improve the efficience of the seed value chain, to the benefit of local smallholder farmers, to help increase food security in this country. The seed value chain […]
Last year we did research and wrote a book about the Amsterdam Digital Divide, with great contributions from five of my master students Information Science. Yet, the need for Digital Inclusion has never been so pressing as in these times of Corona, in which many, especially elderly and vulnerable people are separated from their families […]
WebSci’20 Workshop: Digital (In)Equality, Digital Inclusion, Digital Humanism Read the ACM WebSci’20 DigDivDigHum Workshop Final Proceedings: [PDF]. Or download the full companion proceedings from the WebSci’20 website. The full recorded video presentations of the DigDivDigHum workshop are now available. The WebSci’20 main conference proceedings can be accessed at the official site. From its inception, the […]
“The Digital Divide is commonly associated with those parts of the world, where access to Internet and Web is poor or lacking. However, even in places such as the city of Amsterdam, where Internet infrastructure and access are commonplace, a Digital Divide exists. A significant part of the population (1 out of 5) is currently […]
