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Job Advert: LINK Associate Professor (Closing Date: 31 July 2023)

The LINK Centre seeks to make an appointment at the rank of Associate Professor in the Wits School of Literature, Language and Media (SLLM), Faculty of Humanities.

Research Techniques for Computer Science, Information Systems and Cybersecurity

A research methods book authored by LINK Research Associate Uche M. Mbanaso, LINK Director Lucienne Abrahams, and Kennedy Chinedu Okafor.

gloknos Symposium: The Right to Science and Africa

Online symposium by the Cambridge-Harvard Right to Science Study Group at gloknos, with speakers from Harvard, Oxford, the UNESCO Chair of Cultural Rights (University of Copenhagen), and UNESCO's Inclusion, Rights and Intercultural Dialogue Section.

Working Paper: Digital Customs Transformation

A paper by LINK's Luci Abrahams and Marke Burke and tralac's Trudy Hartzenberg, entitled "Digital Customs Transformation for Effective Trade Facilitation and Revenue Collection", prepared for the UJ SARChI Chair in Industrial Development.

Africa 2.0: Russell Southwood in Conversation with Luci Abrahams

Video featuring Russell Southwood, author of Africa 2.0 – Inside a Continent’s Communications Revolution, in conversation with LINK Director Luci Abrahams.

Digital diplomacy: Pillay Article for defenceWeb

"Digital Diplomacy: The Geo-Politics of ‘Tech’ and Emerging Technologies" -- an article for defenceWeb by LINK Research Associate Dr. Kiru Pillay.

Tribute to “Prof Barry” Dwolatzky, the Wits Gentle Software Giant

LINK Director Lucienne Abrahams pays tribute to Wits Emeritus Professor Barry Dwolatzky, founder of the Joburg Centre for Software Engineering (JCSE) and the Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct, who passed away on 16 May 2023.

AJIC Issue 30

This issue of the LINK Centre journal includes articles on YouTube micro-celebrities, a word embedding trained on news data, machine-learning predictions of low academic performance, ICTs and women’s empowerment, and assessment of website quality.

SADC Digital Geopolitics: SAIIA Report Launch (30 Nov. 2022)

South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) panel discussion, including LINK Sessional Lecturer Melody Musoni, to launch a policy report entitled "SADC Futures of Digital Geopolitics: Towards African Digital Sovereignty".

mAkE Consortium Meeting (24-25 Nov. 2022)

A Cape Town meeting of the African European Maker Innovation Ecosystemn (mAkE) consortium, funded by EU Horizon 2020. LINK participates in the work of consortium member Open AIR (Open African Innovation Research).

Africa Makerspace Gathering (21-23 Nov. 2022)

The annual continental meeting of African makerspaces, convened in Cape Town by the Africa Makerspace Network (AMN). LINK's Chris Armstrong is participating in the meeting on behalf of the Open African Innovation Research (Open AIR) network.

AJIC Issue 29

Issue 29 of the LINK Centre journal includes articles on digital vaccination records, permissionless blockchain systems, copyright flexibilities for combatting COVID, maker communities, and public-speaking anxiety.

Coded History: Memoir by Wits Emeritus Prof. Barry Dwolatzky

Book published in Nov. 2022 by the Wits Director of Innovation Strategy, who led establishment of the Wits Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct and Joburg Centre for Software Engineering (JCSE).

Teaching AI Ethics: Stellenbosch Data School Colloquium (10 Aug. 2022)

Colloquium on "Teaching AI Ethics" by Prof. Bettina Berendt, Department of Computer Science, KU Leuven, Belgium.

Magoro Presentation (4 Aug. 2022): Building Resilient Digital Communities

A Wits Tayarisha talk by LINK PhD candidate Kgopotso Ditshego Magoro, discussing her action research with the Community Computer Solar Lab and the Mamaila Community Network.

Wits Methods Seminar: How Do We Study the Digital World? (10 May 2022)

A "Methods From/In the South" Seminar featuring presentations by Labohang Masango (Anthropology), Iginio Gagliardone (Media Studies), and Keith Breckenridge (WISER).

LINK–MICTSETA Research Chair

The LINK-MICTSETA Research Chair, funded by South Africa's Media, Information and Communication Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority (MICTSETA), is supporting five Wits students.

Launch of South Africa's Cyber Security Digital Alliance (CSDA)

A new South African industry body, the Cyber Security Digital Alliance (CSDA), held its inaugural launch event In December 2021 at the Carlton Centre in Johannesburg.

LINK Policy Brief: Spectrum Regulation, South Africa 2021

By Ewan Sutherland and Luci Abrahams, prepared in May 2021 for the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC): Macro-dynamics Working Group.

Digital Transformation and Cybersecurity in the BRICS Countries

The video recording is available for this May 2021 webinar convened by Brazil's Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) Law School, with LINK Director Luci Abrahams among the speakers.

2021 JCSE-IITPSA ICT Skills Survey (Until 31 July)

This important survey will help South African stakeholders better understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ICT skills needs.

Media Law Handbook for Southern Africa (2nd Edition)

LINK Visiting Adjunct Prof. Justine Limpitlaw's guide to media law in Southern Africa is available in a revised second edition, published in 2021 by Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung.

Institutionalisation and Informal Innovation in SA Maker Communities

Presentation by LINK Research Associate Dr. Chris Armstrong to the Feb. 2021 QUT "Remaking the Maker Movement" workshop, discussing research conducted under the auspices of the Open AIR network.

Limpitlaw Participates in Ethiopia's Media Law Reform

LINK Honorary Adjunct Prof. Justine Limpitlaw is among the international experts contributing to the media law reform process in Ethiopia.

Tribute to Dr. Praneel Ruplal

The LINK Centre's tribute to Praneel Haricharan Ruplal, who passed away in late 2020 after a distinguished professional and academic career that included Wits Master's and PhD degrees, short course teaching, and external examining for the MA ICTPR degree.

AJIC Issue 26 (Dec. 2020): Collaborative Innovation in African Settings

This latest issue of the LINK Centre journal AJIC, the Thematic Issue: Collaborative Innovation in African Settings, has articles on AI, Indigenous data sovereignty, mobile tech start-ups, tech hubs, makerspaces, and social entrepreneurs.

Electronic Communications Law Digest (December 2020)

The final 2020 digest of South African legal notices, regulatory processes, laws, regulations and position papers in the communications sector, by LINK Visiting Adjunct Professor Justine Limpitlaw.

Innovation Entanglement at Three SA Tech Hubs

A Dec. 2020 article by LINK Director Dr. Luci Abrahams, published in Issue 26 of The African Journal of Information and Communication (AJIC), drawing on tech hubs research conducted for the Open African Innovation Research (Open AIR) network.

Internet Balloon Deployment Seeks to Address Kenya's Digital Divide

An article by LINK Centre Visiting Adjunct Prof. Nixon Muganda, entitled "Kenya’s Internet Balloons Could Help to Bridge the Digital Divide" in The Conversation (16 July 2020).

SA Education's Mass Connectivity Imperative

An op-ed by Wits Emeritus Professor Barry Dwolatzky and Mark Harris of Altron Nexus, entitled "SA Education: A National Reset Is Needed and Mass Internet Access Is the Only Way Forward", in Daily Maverick (2 July 2020).

Diagnosing and Mastering the Digital Economy: Experiences and Challenges

A video presentation to World Bank staff and alumni by retired LINK Centre Visiting Associate Professor Nagy K. Hanna.

AJIC Issue 25 (published 30 June 2020)

This issue of the LINK Centre's peer-reviewed open access journal, The African Journal of Information and Communication (AJIC), includes items on digital terrorism, SMS fraud, cybersecurity standards, machine learning, and mHealth.

African Media Freedom: Free Online Course

This free 7-week online Wits course on the edX platform, Media Freedom and Freedom of Expression in Africa, is dedicated to the late activist Jeanette Minnie. The 2020 offering ran from 15 June to 3 August.

Webinar (4 June 2020): Press Freedom and Freedom of Expression

A free fraycollege webinar, with Paula Fray, Justine Limpitlaw, Zoe Titus and Pierre Minnie, honouring the life and work of South African press freedom activist Jeanette Minnie.

Certificate in Telecoms Policy, Regulation and Management (TPRM)

This LINK Centre course, consisting of three one-week modules, has been running for more than 20 years. The 2020 offering wrapped up in October. Registration is open for 2021.

Certificate in Broadcasting and Digital Media Policy-Regulatory Trends

Register now for the 2021 offering of this course (dates to be announced). The course covers policy-regulatory trends in broadcasting and media at both Southern African and global levels.

Certificate in Applications of Dynamic Software for Secondary Mathematics Teachers

The inaugural delivery of this Certificate course took place the week of 16 to 20 March 2020 in Saldanha Bay, Western Cape Province.

Publication of AJIC Issue 24 of 2019

Issue 24 of the LINK Centre's open access journal, The African Journal of Information and Communication (AJIC), is now online.

Dec. 2019 LINK Master's Student Graduations

LINK Master's students Ntombi Makwetu and Pule Mofokeng were awarded their degrees at a December 2019 Wits graduation ceremony.

Certificate in Postal Policy and Regulation for the Digital Era

This inaugural offering of this course ran in Oct. 2019, with participants from Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. You can register now for the Oct. 2020 offering.

Breaking the Impasse: Copyright Indaba at Wits (2 Dec. 2019)

Experts and creators discuss provisions of South Africa's Copyright Amendment Bill. Open to the public via RSVP.

Media Freedom and Freedom of Expression in Africa: Jeanette Minnie Course (4 Oct. 2019)

The second offering of this free online course, in honour of the life and work of activist Jeanette Minnie, runs from 4 Oct. to 15 Nov. 2019.

Certificate in Postal Policy and Regulation for the Digital Era (1 Oct. 2019)

The inaugural offering of this course runs 1 to 11 Oct. 2019, with participants from Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Ewan Sutherland Lecture on Cybersecurity (20 Aug. 2019)

In the LINK Centre Annual Lecture 2019, Visiting Adjunct Professor Ewan Sutherland speaks on Global Cybersecurity Developments.

Mbanaso - Personal Data Privacy and Security

LINK Visiting Senior Lecturer Dr Uche Mbanaso's presentation to the DIRISA National Data Workshop, Pretoria, 19 June 2018.

Limpitlaw - Internet Regulation in Africa

LINK Visiting Adjunct Prof Justine Limpitaw's presentation to the DIRISA National Data Workshop, Pretoria, 19 June 2018.

Armstrong - Africa Open Science Hardware (AfricaOSH)

LINK Visiting Fellow Dr Chris Armstrong was part of the Open AIR panel at the Africa Open Science Hardware (AfricaOSH) Summit in Kumasi, Ghana, 13 April 2018.

Wits Seminar (8 May 2018) on South African Copyright Amendment Bill

Facilitated by Denise Nicholson of Wits, this seminar will feature Prof Sean Flynn (American University), Tusi Fokane (independent consultant, Johannesburg), and Dr Tobias Schonwetter (UCT).

Digital Transformation and the IT Team

Starts 7 Nov. 2018: A free online course that explores what digital transformation truly means, how it impacts organisations, and how it changes the role of the IT team. Enrolment is still open.

Hanna - A Role for the State in the Digital Age

A 2018 article by LINK Centre Visiting Associate Prof. Nagy K. Hanna, published in the Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, that looks at state contributions to creation of digital economies.

Certificate in Frontiers in Digital Government

Register now for this groundbreaking course, beginning 6 May 2019, which draws on experiences and cases from across Africa. There are two in-class contact weeks, in May 2019 and June 2019.

ISACA South Africa's 2018 Conference

ISACA South Africa 2018 Annual Conference, on the theme of "The Future is Now!" on 27-28 August at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.

Capacity-building for Namibia's Communications Regulator (11 to 14 Sept. 2017)

Capacity-building for the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN), facilitated by LINK Director Dr Lucienne Abrahams, to strengthen "Policy, Regulation & Governance for the Digital Economy".

Wits Fak'ugesi Digital Innovation Festival 2017 (6 to 16 Sept. 2017)

The groundbreaking annual festival (6 to 16 Sept. 2017) hosted by the Wits Tshimologong Precinct in Braamfontein, Joburg.

Tshimologong Digital Seminar (29 Aug. 2017): Cybersecurity and Technopolitics

A public seminar, at the Wits Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct, led by speakers Ewan Sutherland (LINK) and Iginio Gagliardone (Wits Media Studies).

CXO (C-suite) Masterclass (15 Aug. 2017): Disruptive Forces of Technology in Business

Complimentary Masterclass providing C-suite executives with an introduction to the "Disruptive Forces of Technology in Business" course.

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