About the Workshop
The Convergence of Technology and Epistemology
The intersection of Digital Humanities (DH) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming knowledge production within African Studies. This technological shift offers unprecedented opportunities for innovative analysis, dynamic visualization, and the democratization of diverse narratives. However, this potential is inextricably linked to pressing challenges regarding equitable access, the representation of African languages, and the ethics of digital sovereignty.
"Charting New Territory" is a dedicated scoping workshop designed to navigate this evolving terrain. We are convening international experts to move beyond describing current conditions and instead actively chart future pathways for the ethical, equitable development of DH and AI in African contexts.
Beyond the Hype: Addressing Structural Inequalities
While Large Language Models (LLMs) and digitization efforts hold immense promise, their implementation often outpaces the necessary ethical frameworks. Digitization is inherently political; decisions about what is archived, how it is cataloged, and who controls access often reinforce existing global hierarchies.
This workshop addresses the urgent need to prevent the exclusion of African voices and the reproduction of colonial biases in algorithmic systems. We recognize that Northern institutions often control the digital infrastructure and historical materials of the Global South. As such, our focus is on countering "techno-solutionism" by balancing computational innovation with critical humanistic inquiry and robust preservation protocols for born-digital records.
Workshop Format: A Working Meeting
Unlike a traditional academic conference, this event prioritizes discussion over presentation. It is designed as a high-intensity scoping workshop employing an "assessment-to-action" methodology.
Over the course of three days, participants will engage in facilitated discussions, collaborative exercises, and structured deliberation across three core work streams:
Methodological Integration & Digital Preservation
Focuses on adapting AI for African linguistic contexts and defining sustainable preservation protocols. Participants will move from mapping current barriers to developing technical standards that bridge computational methods with local infrastructure needs.
Fostering Equitable Collaboration
Centers African epistemologies to redesign research partnerships and resource distribution. This stream aims to create concrete mechanisms for North-South and South-South collaboration that dismantle power imbalances and promote genuine reciprocity.
Ethical Frameworks & Digital Sovereignty
Develops guidelines for data governance and responsible AI implementation. The focus shifts from passive consultation to active co-creation, establishing standards that protect digital sovereignty and ensure equitable knowledge dissemination.
Key Outcome: The Position Paper
The primary goal of this workshop is to produce a co-authored Position Paper.
Synthesizing the insights from our daily sessions, this document will serve as a foundational blueprint for the field. It will provide actionable recommendations for research funders, academic institutions, technology developers, and policymakers.
By defining sustainable funding models, ethical protocols, and decolonized curricula, we aim to consolidate this emerging field and guide the next decade of DH and AI research in African Studies.
Co-Organizers
Frédérick Madore
Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient
Frédérick Madore is a Research Fellow at the Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient (ZMO) in Berlin, where his work combines African history with digital humanities and AI. He leads the "Islam West Africa Collection" (IWAC), an open-access database that uses AI-assisted workflows to process and visualise over 14,500 archival items related to Muslim societies in Francophone West Africa. By combining extensive fieldwork with computational analysis, his research focuses on integrating digital tools with traditional archival methods to improve accessibility and analysis in West African contexts.
Research Regions
Vincent Hiribarren
King's College London
Vincent Hiribarren is a historian of West Africa and has worked on several digitisation programmes on the African continent. He has recently created an undergraduate module on Digital History and is interested in the relationship between African Studies, Digital Humanities and AI.
Research Regions
Student Assistants
Calum Houston
Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient
Calum Houston is a researcher and humanitarian practitioner whose work combines academic inquiry and field-based engagement across the Middle East. His interests center on conflict studies and the lived realities of political change, with a particular focus on The Levant and the broader MENA region. He is driven by a broader interest in how communities navigate crisis, displacement, and the politics of humanitarian response.
Research Regions
Eline Marie Langbo Holm
Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient
Eline Marie Holm is a Master of International Affairs candidate at the Hertie School in Berlin, specialising in International Security. Her research interests lie at the intersection of diplomacy, intercultural knowledge, and digital transformation, with experience at her Student Assistant job at Zentrum Moderner Orient (ZMO), where she published on ethical AI in Islamic Law from a cross-cultural perspective. Eline is passionate about intercultural dialogue and the role of intellectual culture in shaping international relations and foreign policy.
Research Regions
Funding
This scoping workshop is made possible by the generous support of the Volkswagen Foundation.