Paul Murphy, a PhD researcher at the CONNECT Centre, Trinity College Dublin, recently attended the second edition of AfricaDigitalEdu at the Université Virtuelle Cote d’Ivoire (UVCI), where he presented on the panel titled “Private-Public Partnerships for Innovation in Higher Education.”
His talk, “Global Ireland’s 2025 Strategy in Africa: Policy Innovations, Governance, and Education in Artificial Intelligence,” emphasised the critical role CONNECT plays in strengthening connections between Ireland and Africa through digital transformation and AI policy innovations.
Murphy’s presentation focused on CONNECT’s role in shaping AI policy in Africa. He highlighted his involvement in global initiatives such as the Datasphere Initiative African Forum, which promotes cross-border collaboration on data regulation in sectors like health, finance, and climate change. These efforts are key to building regulatory capacity across the continent, ensuring that AI development is based on high-quality data across virtual universities. He stressed that AI requires data creation practices using Open Science to represent local linguistic and cultural realities to address societal needs and reduce inequality.
Claudia Bailey from Smart Docklands contributed to the presentation, highlighting key CONNECT-led programmes such as the Academy of the Near Future and the expl[ai]n workshop series. These initiatives educate public sector staff on AI governance and its applications, supporting rapid urban growth by promoting sustainable and inclusive development through AI-driven solutions.
Murphy was also invited to visit UVCI’s Point of Digital Presence in the village of Dingouin, underscoring the significance of Ireland’s Strategy for Africa 2025 as a foundation for comprehensive bilateral and regional engagement, especially in response to Smart Africa’s ongoing digital revolution in both urban and rural areas. This built on his attendance at the first edition held at the Université Numérique Cheikh Hamidou Kane, where he presented on the need for international harmonisation of standards, using the Canadian Commission for UNESCO’s recommendations that Open Science for and with communities, should be a key component in the territorial development of virtual universities.
In conclusion, President Jean-Marie DIPAMA of Université Virtuelle Burkina Faso announced that AfricaDigitalEdu will be hosted in 2025 to continue exploring the frontiers of human development. CONNECT looks forward to the opportunity to continue sharing best practices on how public-private partnerships in Ireland support educational innovation in AI and the territorialisation of digital technologies.
CONNECT is the world leading Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Future Networks and Communications. CONNECT is funded under the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centres Programme and is co-funded under the European Regional Development Fund. We engage with over 35 companies including large multinationals, SMEs and start-ups. CONNECT brings together world-class expertise from ten Irish academic institutes to create a one-stop-shop for telecommunications research, development and innovation.
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