Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, and Theoretical and Computational Thinking
Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods have become powerful tools for addressing societal challenges in almost all areas of life. This development is fuelled by improved connectivity, increased computational power, and data access. Applications are expected to play an essential role in achieving many of the Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) by tackling problems in a multitude of areas, like climate change, food security, education, public health, access to energy and clean water, and, social justice to name a few.
While the SDGs and many connected societal challenges are global, the capacity for utilising AI methods and research in AI and Data Science still needs to be improved in Africa. The goal of the Cluster is to strengthen the capabilities for research and postgraduate training in these areas at key universities in Africa and initiate research projects in areas of global relevance.
In November 2023, a kick-off for the Cluster was hosted at Uppsala University with participants from all seven of the African Partner universities and one European university. The programme included research presentations, a PhD-student track, as well as a fruitful brainstorming session for Cluster research which saw nine discrete projects formulated.
The Cluster has organised four online Masterclasses, simultaneously broadcast to all eleven campuses and reaching a total of more than 400 students on topics from sports analytics to bias in data science.
Francesco Petruccione, Stellenbosch University and David J.T. Sumpter, Uppsala University, lead the cluster, which is provided coordinating support by Kajsa Hallberg Adu from the Forum for Africa Studies.