Semarang, June 10, 2025 — The Department of Communication Studies, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), Diponegoro University, once again held an International Short Course entitled “The Adoption of a Responsible AI in the Global South: Practices, Ethics, and Policies.” This annual program, now in its fourth year, is part of UNDIP’s commitment to strengthen global academic networks and promote  campus internationalization.

The event was officially opened by the Dean of FISIP UNDIP, Dr. Drs. Teguh Yuwono, M.Pol.Admin. In his remarks, he emphasized the importance of this international academic forum for the development of knowledge and global collaboration.

“This short course program is a crucial momentum for FISIP UNDIP to continue supporting the university’s internationalization. Through this forum, which features international speakers and participants from various countries, we hope to create an exchange that enrich the knowledge and strengthen UNDIP’s position in the global academic arena,” said Dr. Teguh Yuwono.

This year, the short course featured nine international and national speakers from various countries, including South Africa, Malaysia, Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, and Indonesia. The speakers will present cutting-edge topics exploring the practices, ethics, and policies of adopting artificial intelligence (AI) technology in Global South countries.

The program received high enthusiasm from international participants. More than 80 applicants from 13 countries applied for the program, and after a selection process, 54 participants were officially selected to be part of the 2025 short course. Participants came from diverse backgrounds, ranging from undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, lecturers, and professionals.

The countries of origin of this year’s participants included the United States, Australia, India, Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Pakistan, Egypt, Nigeria, the Philippines, Tanzania, the United Kingdom, South Korea, and Indonesia. This affirms the reputation of the UNDIP Department of Communication Studies short course as an international academic forum.

The topic of AI was chosen because of its increasingly crucial relevance in various aspects of life, including politics, economics, culture, and media. Issues such as algorithmic bias, digital colonialism, misinformation, regulation, and the ethical implications of AI are highlighted. In the context of the Global South, AI offers not only significant opportunities but also significant challenges, including technological gaps, unequal access, and the risk of data exploitation.

The organizing committee, Kholidil Amin, emphasized that this program is expected to provide a forum for academics, practitioners, and policymakers to discuss and find collective solutions to develop more inclusive and responsible AI.

“Through this program, we want to encourage discussions that focus not only on AI technology, but also on the accompanying social, ethical, and policy dimensions. Global South countries have unique challenges and contexts, so a critical perspective is essential,” he said.

This series of short courses explores the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) from a social, political, cultural, and ethical perspective in Global South countries. Topics covered include methodological approaches to examine the role of social media in democracy, algorithmic bias and digital colonialism, misinformation and deepfakes in Southeast Asia, and the role of algorithms in online activism. Furthermore, discussions focused on inclusive AI-based innovation for equitable development, differences in AI regulations across countries, the use of AI in political communication, the phenomenon of AI-based influencers that influence beauty standards and body perception, and the impact of AI on science, communication technology, and religious practices in the digital age.

This short course aligns with UNDIP’s internationalization strategy, which seeks to strengthen global networks through inclusive academic programs focused on global issues. The presence of international speakers and participants from various countries demonstrates the academic world’s confidence in UNDIP as a center for progressive knowledge exchange.

With a rich series of discussions and cross-border participation, this short course is expected to generate innovative ideas and fruitful research collaborations, while strengthening UNDIP’s role in shaping the future of ethical, inclusive, and sustainable AI technology.***