After completing this course, students will:Have absorbed key literature on this subject.Be able to critically reflect on central concepts of the seminar.Present expert knowledge in the social science related to data science to generalists.Conduct scientific research on subject of data ethics and digital regulation, including AI and Blockchain Technology The relevant course literature can be found at the end of the syllabus. It is structured into sections that roughly align with the course units. Students are encouraged to independently engage with the literature and prepare themselves for an active and informed course participation

The seminar will be built on six interactive lectures in order to prepare the student with the right bibliographical and epistemological toolkit for deeper inquiries. The second part of the SE will be conducted in a blocked format at the end of the semester. In the blocked seminar week, students contribute their own research and investigation to the seminar topic in the format of presentations which will form the basis of their seminar paper.

The course will be organized in a blocked format during the week of 26 June 2023. The morning sessions (10.00-12.30) are reserved for content and discussion sessions lead by the lecturer and guest lecturers. The afternoon sessions (14.00-16.00) are dedicated to group research for the flipped classroom and flipped classroom presentations by the student researchers. Friday afternoon will be dedicated to individual consultation with the lecturer for further delineating the seminar paper topic.With the rise of Big Data, Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain technology come a plethora of questions connected to their ethics and regulation. Who owns the data, what can be done with it, who controls the use and misuse of data, what are the ethical implications of automatization, et cetera. This seminar will delve deeper into the question of how the digital domain regulates our daily affairs and how we in turn try to regulate the digital domain. It will embark on questions such as how Big Data has raised novel ethical questions, how data can be viewed from the perspective of science and technology studies, or how data ownership, privacy and digital identity intertwine. The seminar aims to invite the contributions of experienced researchers in the form of an interview and public discussion. For the public discussion, the students are expected to have read the literature and prepare questions.

10.00-12.301. Governance, Big Data, Blockchain, an Introduction2. Big Data Ethics and Governance Questions3. National and Regional Regulation of Data, Privacy and Data Ownershipwith Dr. Oskar Gstrein, Senior Researcher and Programme Director Data Science and Society, University of GroningenAdditional readings:https://automatingsociety.algorithmwatch.org/https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3447158http://epub.oeaw.ac.at/ita/ita-projektberichte/2020-02.pdfhttps://futurezone.at/netzpolitik/der-ams-algorithmus-ist-ein-paradebeispiel-fuer-diskriminierung/400147421Artificial Intelligence: Malicious Use in Peace and War and its Regulation4. Digital Identity and Self-Sovereign Identity5. Artificial Intelligence: Malicious Use in Peace and War and its Regulation with Taís Blauth, PhD cand., University of Groningen26-30 June 2023 – From 14.00-16.00 - Research Workshop and Flipped Classroom Sessions

On Moodle

The SE encompasses two forms of examinations:Presentation: the student will present on a subject of her/his choosing in relation to the seminar theme. The presentation duration shall be approximately 15 minutes excluding Q&A and feedback. Either PowerPoint slides, an elaborate info-graphic, short video, or another visual representation are necessary. After the presentation follows the question and answer session, which is meant for feedback and clarification of the idea.Evaluation Criteria:Format and Formatting Slides clear and structured.Language & RhetoricClear LanguagePersuasiveness and engagementSeminar Paper: on the basis of the presentation, the student will develop a seminar paper in the form of a scientific essay using annotations (MLA style, in-text quotation); total amount 2,500 to 3000 max. excluding bibliography and annexes; use proper primary and secondary sources.Evaluation Criteria:Format and Formatting Cover page with title, author, etc.Organization of paper (sections, chapters, paragraphs)Use of annotation (accuracy, consistency)Language Academic Writing StyleSpelling and GrammarQuality of the Literature Review Discussion of problems in literatureDiscussion of solutions in literatureStructure of the ArgumentCase selection (sufficiently problematic)Case presentation (lucid illustration & elaboration)Persuasiveness of argumentsLogical (overall)Empirical (overall)Solution coherent & convincingOnly insufficient scripts may be resubmitted. Students who fail the presentation exercise will have to do an extra assignment. Full attendance is mandatory. However, if there are extenuating circumstances, students may be permitted to miss a maximum of lectures.

Presentation and seminar paper

Presentation, seminar paper and attendance