Other News from Participating Centers

A Calm Sea? New Book about Feminist Activism in Latin America

Foto: KKAre youth feminisms in Latin America in retreat, or are they simply transforming? This question runs through the collective volume co-edited by Camila Ponce Lara. The book brings together ten research studies on activist experiences in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico.

Résultats du concours de bourses du CRDP (Hiver 2026)

Nous avons le plaisir, suite aux délibérations du comité d’évaluation du concours de bourses du CRDP (Hiver 2026), de vous présenter les résultats du concours.
 
Bourse d’excellence au Doctorat (10 000$)
Iris Richer
(Droit, Laval, sous la direction de Véronique Guèvremont)

Digital Rights Amid a Regional War: March 24, 2026

Beirut, March 24, 2026 — Israel’s war on Lebanon continues to escalate, intensifying its targets on critical infrastructure like connecting routes and bridges, and digital aggressions continue reaching residents. Meanwhile, GCC countries remain heavily impacted by the US–Israeli war on Iran, with its effects increasingly visible on the digital front.

Below are the latest updates on the state of digital rights during the regional war.

Some GCC states attempt to build alternative routes for data

Policy Innovation Lab joins global network for international collaboration on emerging technologies

Stellenbosch University’s Policy Innovation Lab has joined the Global Network of Internet & Society Centers (NoC), coordinated by the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University. This makes SU one of only three members from Africa, and the only South African university represented in the network, says Prof Willem Fourie, head of the Policy Innovation Lab.

KI-Tool OneTutor in der Hochschullehre: Studie belegt hohe Akzeptanz als Lernunterstützung

Das KI-Tool OneTutor wurde im Sommersemester 2025 in 84 Lehrveranstaltungen an zehn bayerischen Hochschulen eingesetzt und begleitend vom bidt empirisch untersucht. Die Studienergebnisse basieren auf Befragungen von bis zu rund 1.000 Studierenden und 31 Dozierenden sowie auf Nutzungsdaten aus dem System.

SZ Digitalgipfel 2026: Europas digitale Zukunft zwischen KI, Sicherheit und Souveränität

Den Auftakt zum SZ Digitalgipfel machte Bundesdigitalminister Dr. Karsten Wildberger mit einer Keynote zur Staatsmodernisierung im digitalen Zeitalter. Er betonte, dass leistungsfähige Infrastruktur und eine moderne Verwaltung zentrale Voraussetzungen für Wettbewerbsfähigkeit seien. Dabei sei ein wichtiger Schritt die Entwicklung einheitlicher Standards für digitale Verwaltungsstrukturen – etwa durch eine souveräne Cloud-Infrastruktur, über die künftig Bürger-Apps, digitale Verwaltungsservices und KI-Anwendungen laufen sollen.

Der Klimawandel gefährdet Dungkäfer im Amazonas

Dungkäfer beseitigen in Wäldern den Kot von Wildtieren und hemmen damit die Ausbreitung von Parasiten. Den Dung arbeiten sie in den Boden ein und liefern somit Nährstoffe an Pflanzen. Diese Aufgabe erfüllen sie sowohl in europäischen Wirtschaftswäldern als auch im Amazonas. Steigende Temperaturen könnten jedoch zu einem Rückgang der Artenvielfalt und der Populationsgrößen von Dungkäfern führen.

Open Data Day essay #5: ‘Decisions under the public eye: a promising set of open data’

The Dutch Open Government Act (Wet open overheid) has the potential to act as a game changer, as it will require governments to disclose these administrative decisions proactively to everyone.
The post Open Data Day essay #5: ‘Decisions under the public eye: a promising set of open data’ first appeared on Open Knowledge Blog.

Open Data Day essay #4: ‘Open access and open data alone are not enough’

The Barcelona Declaration on Open Research Information was launched in 2024 as an initiative to encourage research institutions and research funders to actively contribute to the open availability of research information.
The post Open Data Day essay #4: ‘Open access and open data alone are not enough’ first appeared on Open Knowledge Blog.

Open Data Day essay #3: ‘Datagraver’

The best way to promote a more transparent government is by showing the value and importance of the data that is already open and available.
The post Open Data Day essay #3: ‘Datagraver’ first appeared on Open Knowledge Blog.

Open Data Day essay #2: ‘From OPEN to FAIR’

Today, we understand that openness alone is not enough to generate lasting and structural impact. Open without structure is like a library without a catalogue.
The post Open Data Day essay #2: ‘From OPEN to FAIR’ first appeared on Open Knowledge Blog.

Open Data Day essay #1: ‘Data is a goldmine, if you share it’

Although there are many examples of how open data reuse generates societal value, this potential is sometimes forgotten in political debates on open governance.
The post Open Data Day essay #1: ‘Data is a goldmine, if you share it’ first appeared on Open Knowledge Blog.

Digital Tribulations 13: The Reality of Digital Human Rights in Colombia

Interview with Pilar Sáenz from Fundación Karisma.
The introduction of Digital Tribulations, a series of intellectual interviews on the developments of digital sovereignty in Latin America, can be read here.

Auf dem Weg zum Quanteninternet

Quantenkommunikation gilt als zentrale Säule moderner IT-Sicherheitsforschung. Sie schafft die Grundlage für sichere digitale Infrastrukturen, den Schutz sensibler Daten und die technologische Souveränität Deutschlands. Die im Juli 2025 vom Bundeskabinett beschlossene Hightech Agenda Deutschland benennt Quantentechnologien, insbesondere die Quantenkommunikation, als eine der Schlüsseltechnologien der Zukunft.

Teaching Robots a Delicate Touch: Serkan Ergun’s research in tactile perception

aau/MüllerAt the intersection of proximity sensing and tactile perception, Serkan Ergun at the University of Klagenfurt is researching novel near-field sensing technologies for robotics. The aim is to equip machines with precise awareness of their immediate surroundings — a key prerequisite for safe, adaptive interaction between humans and robots in dynamic environments.

Advancing AI in Uzbekistan’s private sector: The role of AI sandboxes

A new joint report explores how AI regulatory sandboxes can provide a controlled environment to support Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in safely adopting AI technologies.

The United Nations Development Program (UNPD) in Uzbekistan, in a joint effort with StratejAI, and the Datasphere Initiative, has released a new report on the state of AI development in the country. The publication maps practical pathways for responsible AI development in Uzbekistan’s economy, focusing heavily on the implementation of AI sandboxes.

[Opinion] Can Lebanon Survive the Digital War?

Lebanon is not just facing a direct military escalation. It is living through an Israeli-led digital war which is reshaping how people are communicating, what they are thinking and believing in, and how they make decisions during moments of crisis. 

One of the most common threats we’ve observed lately as part of the digital war is the intensification of hate speech against displaced people, a sectarian narrative reminiscent of memories from the civil war that we thought was long-gone.

Sprunghaft mehr Leuchtkraft: Neues Verfahren zur Stapelung von Farbstoffen

In der Natur ist eine gewisse Größe oft die Voraussetzung dafür, dass Biomoleküle ihre speziellen Funktionen ausüben können. Damit zum Beispiel Proteine oder die DNA ihre lebenswichtigen Aufgaben erfüllen können, müssen sie in einer präzisen Faltung vorliegen – und dafür ist eine bestimmte Mindestlänge erforderlich.
Den schrittweisen Aufbau von Proteinen und Nukleinsäuren mit definierter Länge und Komposition kann die Chemie im Labor mittels Festphasensynthese längst bewältigen.

BoJoClub Klagenfurt Celovec | launch on April 28, 2026

BoJoClub Klagenfurt CelovecLaunch on April 28, 2026 at the University Library Klagenfurt
language: mainly English, contributions in German are welcome!
Participation is open to all interested parties free of charge. You are warmly invited to join in!
 
In-person meeting: 28.4.2026 | 12 noon – 2 pm | Unversity Library (L.o.o3)
12 noon | presentation of the BoJoClub Klagenfurt/Celovec (concept, aims, research project) by Mercedes de Luis Andrés

book flea market of the University Library | April 23 & 24, 2026

To coincide with the Long Night of Research, the University Library is once again hosting its well-known and well-stocked book flea market in the assembly hall of the AAU:
Thursday, 23 April: 10.00 am – 5.00 pm
Friday, 24 April: 10.00 am – 11.00 pm
1/2 kilo of media = 1 euro
 
As well as academic literature, specialist and non-fiction books, illustrated volumes, you will also find literature for young readers and works of fiction well worth reading!
We look forward to seeing you there!