- Angel Draev
- Ghazi Mabrouk
- Praachi Kumar
Introductory
Event organizer(s)
Description
Rapid development of digital technologies provides new opportunities for public policy. Technologies such as artificial intelligence, e-government platforms, big data or geospatial analysis tools hold immense potential to facilitate decision-making and provision of public services, enable citizen participation, prevent threats to public security and the rule of law, and advance human rights. At the same time, digital technologies may reinforce inequalities, exacerbate discrimination and infringe on privacy. How can the positive transformative effect of emerging digital technologies be unlocked without compromising human rights?
This introductory course equips the participants with the essential knowledge of the opportunities and the risks that new digital technologies present to human rights and approaches to addressing them. The course consists of four modules. The opening module first introduces the concept of human rights and its foundations in international law. We then examine how human rights manifest themselves in a digital context. The second module explores the impact of emerging digital technologies on human rights. We critically consider the ability of digital innovations to foster as well as compromise human rights, in particular the rights to privacy, freedom of expression, and equality and non-discrimination. In the third module, we get acquainted with the key principles and design strategies for responsible governance of digital technologies. We zoom in on the key regulatory frameworks that support a human-rights-based approach to digital regulation. In the closing, fourth module, we look at some of the best practices in ensuring responsible digital regulation, including policies aimed at digital inclusion and empowerment, awareness raising and education, and capacity building.
With the generous support of the Global Gateway initiative of the European Union, this course is offered for free for selected participants.
This introductory course targets policymakers, government officials and other relevant civil servants from national and regional administrations, officials from international organisations, entrepreneurs, professionals in the digital and other relevant sectors, representatives of civil society organisations, universities, research centres, think-tanks.
Members of the above-mentioned target population are invited to apply for the training if they meet the following criteria:
- Hold an undergraduate degree in a relevant field or have a minimum of three years of experience in the field.
- Possess a fluent level of English.
- Government officials and policymakers from developing countries, particularly women, are encouraged to apply.
- Selection will be conducted by the course organizers, who will consider the above entry requirements along with an analysis of the application questionnaire of each applicant.
Number of available places: 30
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Outline the concept of human rights and its foundations in international law
- Apply the existing legal frameworks to the domain of human rights online
- Define and classify the key opportunities and risks posed by emerging digital technologies to human rights
- Evaluate responsible governance of digital technologies from the human rights angle
- Create policy strategies amplifying digital inclusion, empowerment, and education
The course is divided into four units. The units have been carefully chosen in order to provide an overview of the most important aspects on human rights and digital technologies.
- Unit 1: Fundamental human rights – legal and normative foundations
- Unit 2: Digital technologies and human rights
- Unit 3: Human rights-oriented governance of digital technologies
- Unit 4: Best practices in digital inclusion and empowerment
The course content includes:
- Weekly online lecture (synchronous): [Mondays starting from 14:00 CET]
- Weekly online tutorial session (synchronous): [Thursdays starting from 14:00 CET]
- Weekly required (and optional) readings
- Individual unit exams or quizzes through multiple choice questions based on materials
- Discussion board with reflection and peer learning (asynchronous, mandatory forum)
- Unit exams and individual final assignment.
Participants are required to submit one multiple-choice exam at the end of each module. Each assignment is graded individually on a 1-10 scale.
Upon completion of the course, participants need to submit an individual policy memo.
The final grade for this module is the simple weighted average of all graded components’ grades.
- Unit 1 Exam - 10%
- Unit 2 Exam - 10%
- Unit 3 Exam - 10%
- Unit 4 Exam - 10%
- Individual Policy Reflection Memo (Final Assignment) - 30%
- Forum contributions (x 4 modules) - 20%
- Active Participation (live sessions) - 10%
You will pass the course if the average grade is 70% or higher and if the grade for at least three of the unit exams is 70% or higher.
Participants are expected to attend at least six sessions. For the individual assignment, there is one resit opportunity. You are allowed to take the resit if your assignment grade is below 70% or if your final grade is below 70%. The total successful completion score for certification must be 70% or higher.
Here is the extracted information in bullet points, as requested:
- Module 0
- Registration week
- Key learning outcomes:
- Introduce the participants to the digital environment of the course
- Welcome to the course and the introduction to the platform
- Participant will receive a hands-on introduction to the platform
- Welcome Session: Friday 31/10/2025
- Module 1
- Fundamental human rights – legal and normative foundations
- Key learning outcomes:
- Outline the concept of human rights and its applicability to a digital context
- Define and categorize human rights in accordance with the key international laws and in relevance to emerging technologies
- Differentiate between normative and legal foundations of the concept of universal human rights
- Unit 1 Lecture: Monday 3/11/2025, 14:00 CET
- Unit 1 Tutorial: Thursday 6/11/2025, 14:00 CET
- Module 2
- Digital technologies and human rights
- Key learning outcomes:
- Recognise the opportunities and threats that emerging digital technologies present to human rights
- Analyse different types of risks and their broader implications for human development, in the context of SDGs
- Unit 2 Lecture: Monday 10/11/2025, 14:00 CET
- Unit 2 Tutorial: Thursday 13/11/2025, 14:00 CET
- Module 3
- Human rights-oriented governance of digital technologies
- Key learning outcomes:
- Identify global regulatory frameworks addressing human rights aspects of digital technologies
- Apply the existing legal frameworks to the domain of human rights in a digital context
- Explore mechanisms of human rights protection in the context of digital technology
- Unit 3 Lecture: Monday 17/11/2025, 14:00 CET
- Unit 3 Tutorial: Thursday 20/11/2025, 14:00 CET
- Module 4
- Best practices in digital inclusion and empowerment
- Key learning outcomes:
- Analyse best practices in responsible digital governance and application
- Design creative solutions to safeguarding human rights in the digital domain
- Unit 4 Lecture: Monday 24/11/2025, 14:00 CET
- Unit 4 Tutorial: Thursday 27/11/2025, 14:00 CET
- Question and Answer Individual Policy Reflection Memo (Final Written Assignment): Thursday 27/11/2025, 15:00 CET
- Assignment
- Deadline Individual Policy Reflection Memo (Final Assignment): Thursday 4/12/2025, 14:00 CET
- Grades: Thursday 11/12/2025
- Policy reflection memo (individual final written assignment) resit deadline: Tuesday 16/12/2025, 14:00 CET
- Final grades: Monday 22/12/2025
*Tutorial timings are subject to change.
Registration information
Unless specified otherwise, all ITU Academy training courses are open to all interested professionals, irrespective of their race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, economic status and other diverse backgrounds. We strongly encourage registrations from female participants, and participants from developing countries. This includes least developed countries, small island developing states and landlocked developing countries.