Learning from the Global Majority: A new global AI governance

Date: Monday, July 14, 2025
Time: 09:30 AM – 14:00 PM
Location: FARI Auditorium, Cantersteen 16, 1000 Brussels

This workshop brings together leading voices from the European Union and Global Majority countries to explore collaborative pathways for the responsible development of artificial intelligence (AI). In a rapidly evolving global AI landscape, the event focuses on three interlinked priorities: capacity, safety, and sustainability. Held at FARI – AI for the Common Good Institute Brussels, the workshop will offer a vibrant setting in the heart of Brussels for in-person knowledge exchange, policy debate, and partnership building. It aims to promote AI innovation that not only aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) but also addresses the needs and realities of diverse global populations.

Co-organised by Vrije Universiteit Brussel’s Law, Science, Technology and Society (LSTS) research group, the United Nations University Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS) and Operating Unit on Policy-Driven Electronic Governance (UNU-eGov), the UNU AI Network, Stellenbosch University, Humane-AI.Asia, Colnodo, and LAPIN, the event is part of the United Nations University’s 50th-anniversary celebrations. As emerging AI trends reshape the global balance—such as Brazil and Colombia’s investment in green data centers, South Africa’s focus on social equity, and Vietnam’s plan to develop an AI-centric district - this workshop offers an opportunity for the EU to learn from Global Majority countries and reimagine its role in fostering inclusive and sustainable AI governance.

Event Overview

Featuring a diverse set of international speakers from across the Global Majority, including Colnodo (Colombia), Stellenbosch University (South Africa), and Humane-AI.Asia (Vietnam), along with experts from Global Majority institutions based in Europe, such as LAPIN (Brazil), the workshop will critically examine whether current governance models foster genuine inclusion or reproduce existing power asymmetries. Hosted at FARI and supported by VUB and UNU-CRIS, the event reinforces the strong and growing collaboration between VUB-LSTS and UNU-CRIS, helping to position Brussels as a key hub for interdisciplinary research on global AI governance, aiming to lay groundwork for stronger, more equitable partnerships in the future of AI policy.

Speakers

• Minh Tran is the Founder & CEO of Humane-AI Asia, a pioneering firm in Vietnam specializing in responsible and ethical AI. She has advised major clients such as FPT Software, one of the largest technology companies in Southeast Asia, on implementing responsible AI practices through the ISO 42001 AI Management System. Previously a policy and international development consultant at Deloitte Japan, she is currently developing practical frameworks for responsible AI adoption tailored to small and medium enterprises in developing countries, grounded in real-world cases and applied research.

Having lived, studied, and worked in Japan for 15 years, Minh holds degrees in Law and Business Administration from Hitotsubashi University, a Master’s in Accounting and Auditing from Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo, and is currently a lawyer trainee in Vietnam.

• Soumaya Ben Dhaou is a Research Specialist at the United Nations University Operating Unit on Policy-Driven Electronic Governance (UNU-EGOV), where she leads the research line on digital transformation, innovation, and emerging technologies. Her work focuses on the impact of technologies such as AI, blockchain, IoT, and data analytics on digital governance, smart cities, and public services, with a strong emphasis on sustainable and inclusive development. Soumaya coordinates global research initiatives, including a major survey on the responsible use of AI in cities with UN-HABITAT and IDRC. She also leads collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), notably through U4SSC working groups. In addition to advising governments and institutions worldwide, she is an invited professor at the University of Minho and a visiting professor at South Mediterranean University. Soumaya holds dual PhDs in Information Systems and Digital Governance from institutions in Canada and France, reflecting her deep academic and practical expertise.

• José Renato Laranjeira de Pereira is a co-founder of the Brazilian think tank Laboratory of Public Policy and Internet – LAPIN and a PhD Researcher at the University of Bonn’s Sustainable AI Lab. He investigates the environmental sustainability of artificial intelligence and its impacts in Indigenous communities in Brazil. José Renato has also been a UNESCO consultant for the 2024 Brazilian Presidency of the G20 within the Digital Economy Working Group, with a focus on information integrity and AI. In 2021, he was awarded the Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung’s German Chancellor Fellowship to research the AI Act’s provisions on transparency and sustainability as a Visiting Researcher at the European Parliament. José Renato is a Full Member of the Brazilian Federal Administration’s Central Committee on Data Governance and a former member of the multistakeholder groups that reviewed the Brazilian AI Strategy.

• Julián Casasbuenas G. is the Director of Colnodo, a Colombian non-profit and member of the APC network, with over 25 years of experience in environmental and ICT fields. A chemical engineer by training, Julián leads Colnodo's efforts to promote inclusive digital development through strategic programmes in e-government, e-democracy, ICT policy, and digital citizenship. Under his leadership, Colnodo integrates cross-cutting priorities such as free and open-source software, gender equity, and sustainable development. Julián is a member of the APC Council and Executive Board and previously served as its chair. He was also a member of the IGF Multistakeholder Advisory Group (2016–2018) and remains active in Colombia’s IGF initiative. His extensive engagement includes participation in global forums such as IGF, ISOC conferences, LACIGF, ICANN, and RightsCon. Julián also leads advocacy efforts for community networks in Colombia, working with civil society and government to support digital inclusion in underserved communities.

• Sunday O. Oladejo is currently a lecturer at the School for Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa, where he also serves as the Chair of the Standard Bank Lab for Recommender Systems. He was a postdoctoral research fellow at the same School from 2021 to 2022. He obtained a B.Eng in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the Federal University of Technology Akure, Nigeria; an M.Eng in Communication Engineering from the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria; an MBA in Strategic and Project Management from the École Supérieure de Gestion, Paris, France; and a Ph.D. in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. From 2007 to 2017, he worked as a Senior Core Network Engineer with Glo-Mobile, Nigeria. His research interests include artificial intelligence, metaheuristics, machine learning, optimization, computational thinking, data science, and analytics.

• Cong Yao is a doctoral researcher at the Law, Science, Technology and Society (LSTS) research group and a member of the Health and Aging Law Lab (HALL) at Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Paul Quinn, he began his PhD in October 2022. His research focuses on the legal and ethical implications of extended reality (XR) technologies in contexts such as rehabilitation, workplace safety, and communication for individuals with speech impairments, as part of the EU-funded SUN project. He is also involved in the ARC II project, supporting GDPR awareness and compliance among SMEs. Cong holds an LL.M. in Law and Digital Technologies from Leiden University, where he explored intermediary liability and counterterrorism online. He also earned a Juris Master’s degree in China, focusing on biometric data protection and comparative data privacy law. His research interests include health data, sensitive data, human rights, and emerging digital technologies.

• Claudia Pablo Lorenzo – European Commission (DG INTPA)

Why Attend?

• Connect with experts from the EU and the Global Majority
• Explore key priorities: capacity, safety, and sustainability
• Learn from inclusive AI initiatives around the world
• Build meaningful international partnerships
• Help shape a more equitable approach to global AI governance

Who should attend?

• Policymakers, researchers, civil society leaders, and innovators committed to responsible and inclusive AI.