Abstract: In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on creating more inclusive environments, with increasing recognition of technology's role in enhancing inclusion. This keynote session aims to explore how Data Science and ICT can contribute to the creation of inclusive environments for all, focusing on equity, efficiency, and equality. By addressing the barriers faced by persons with disabilities, we seek to foster a deeper understanding of the meaningful discourse required to realize inclusive technological solutions.

Speaker’s Bio: Ms. Noriko Hatanaka is an international disability rights activist and a dedicated advocate for addressing social and economic disparities faced by persons with disabilities on a global scale. Currently pursuing a Master of Social Policy at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, she aims to become an equity-focused policymaker.

Noriko graduated from Sophia University in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, where she earned a Master of Science in Mathematics in 2003. With a strong background in finance and IT, she brings 17 years of professional experience from a Japanese Cooperative bank in Tokyo, Japan, specializing in market risk measurement, forex interbank dealing, market trade management, and enterprise systems planning. Her passion for disability activism stems from her personal connections; she has an aunt with severe cerebral palsy, and her grandmother is an activist for social welfare in Japan and a co-founder of the Nara Tanpopo-no-ye Foundation. She has been involved in supporting disability activism in Japan since childhood.

In pursuit of her advocacy, Noriko came to the United States in 2020 to attend the social work program at the Brown School. Last summer, she obtained a Master of Social Work (International Social and Economic Development) and completed an internship at the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, focusing on disability rights. She returned to the Brown School in January 2023 with a determination to create equitable policies.

Recently, Noriko interned at Children's Emergency Relief International (CERI), where she assisted the government of Sri Lanka in aligning its child protection policies and systems with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. She envisions the new field of disability rights expanding and attracting more advocates in the future.

Abstract: The convergence of data science, ICT and the other technologies of the Fourth/Fifth Industrial Revolution is transforming our world at a level and pace never seen before. It is changing our lives - the ways we learn and work, the ways we communicate and interact, the ways we live. As with all technological change, their impact on our societies will be shaped by our policy choices and how we use and manage the technologies. In this talk, I will discuss some policy questions on ICT and e-governance, ethics, privacy and inclusivity, towards ensuring that new technologies will improve, and not threaten, people’s well-being.

Speaker’s Bio: Fidel Nemenzo is Professor of Mathematics and was Chancellor of the University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD) from March 2020 to March 2023, after serving as Vice Chancellor for Research and Development for six years. He studied in UP Diliman and Sophia University in Tokyo, where he obtained his Master of Science and Doctor of Science degrees. His research interests are in number theory and algebraic coding theory. Before becoming university Chancellor, he headed the UP Science and Society Program and was Convenor of the university's Data Science for Public Policy Program.

Prof Nemenzo also served as President of both the Southeast Asian Mathematical Society (SEAMS) and the Mathematical Society of the Philippines.