Announcing Kenya’s Inaugural Cohort of Responsible Computing Challenge Awardees

Mozilla’s expansion of the Responsible Computing Challenge in East Africa is ready for take-off. Eight universities embedding ethical studies in their computer science curricula will receive a cumulative sum of USD $200,000 in grants.

 

(KENYA | JUNE 6, 2023) -- Developing ethical technologies needs to start in lecture halls for the ripple effects to trickle down to the products we use. And today, a set of eight universities in Kenya will receive USD $25,000 each in grants to develop and teach their respective ethics-based computer science curricula.

As AI systems and emerging technologies continue to influence important decision-making roles in a multitude of industries, the need for ethical consideration has never been so urgent and paramount — yet also under-resourced. The Responsible Computing Challenge (RCC) strives to nurture an ecosystem of ethical technologists, as the initiative stretches out its reach from the U.S. to institutions of higher learning in Kenya.

The eight universities will be the first group of grantees in the country since Mozilla announced that the initiative would expand to Kenya and India with support from USAID.

Says Dr. Chao Mbogho, RCC Fellow, Kenya, who was hired by Mozilla to support the inaugural RCC work in the country: “The eight awardees have proposed projects that will embed ethics and holistic thinking into their Computer Science curricula, for the increased benefit of their students and society at large. Students who engage with these curricula will inculcate responsible thinking in their innovations as they join the workforce as developers and entrepreneurs.”

The eight awardees have proposed projects that will embed ethics and holistic thinking into their Computer Science curricula, for the increased benefit of their students and society at large.RCC Fellow

DR. CHAO MBOGHO, RCC FELLOW

 

Over 30 applications were submitted and reviewed by a judging committee of five industry captains in the country with expertise in cybersecurity engineering, data science, public policy, and machine learning. Students from the selected programs will join an expansive community of over 15,000 students based in the U.S. who have participated in the new curricula aided by the RCC.

In a span of five years, RCC has awarded a total of $3.5 million to 19 universities across the U.S. supporting the conceptualization, piloting, and scaling of ethics curricula in computer science training.

 

Awardees:

Dedan Kimathi University of Technology | Dr. George Musumba

Mainstreaming Ethics Risk in Computer Programming. Integrating ethics and responsible computing in the teaching of Object Oriented Programming among second-year computing students, with students implementing the ethical principles in an end-of-course project.

 

The University of Nairobi | Dr. Elisha Abade

BESTe-CS: Blending Ethics, Society and Technology through Computer Science. Infusion of real-life societal effects of technology into two courses, introduction to Computers and data structures and algorithms, in collaborative teaching between the Department of Computing and the Department of Philosophy.

 

Meru University | Dr. Mary Mwadulo
Student Team Dynamics. Designing a framework for creating effective teams within the research methodology class.

 

Kirinyaga University | Dr. Kennedy Malanga

Responsible Computing Animated. Designing and using animation videos to teach responsible computing among first-year students.

 

University of Embu | Dr. Victoria Mukami
Innovative, multidisciplinary, and ethically informed student projects through critical and design thinking. Using design thinking approaches to incorporate ethics in system analysis and design courses among second-year students.

 

Riara University | Prof. Felix Musau

RAPID Computing Using Problem-Based Learning Approach. Using a multi-disciplinary approach to implement Responsibility, Accountability, Professionalism, Integrity, Diversity & Inclusivity in the teaching of introduction to computer systems to first-year students.

 

Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology | Dr. Eunice Njeri

Teaching Responsible Computing Using Robotics. Implementation of responsible computing using design thinking and architecture skills in the building of robots among fourth-year students.

 

Kisii University | Dr. Fredrick Awuor

Ethical AI. Redesigning an undergraduate AI course by integrating ethics principles and implementing it through a co-teaching approach with industry practitioners.

 

For more information visit: https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/blog/announcing-kenyas-inaugural-cohort-of-responsible-computing-challenge-awardees/