From July 22 to 24, the DataScientia 2026 International Academic Symposium, initiated by DataScientia and hosted by the Durban University of Technology, South Africa, was held in Durban, South Africa. Under the theme Diversity-Aware Sovereign AI, this symposium attracted over 170 participants from more than 20 countries worldwide, representing 55 universities and institutions—including Harvard University and Stanford University (USA), Imperial College London (UK), the University of Hamburg (Germany), IMT Atlantique (France), Aarhus University (Denmark), Jilin University (China), the University of Cape Town (South Africa), the University of Ibadan (Nigeria), the Gondar University (Ethiopia), the Mongolian National University, and the Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University—among others. Liang Yanchun, Dean of the School of Computer Science and Executive Director (China) of the International Joint Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence and Society (hereinafter referred to as“the Joint Laboratory”); Li Dalin, Dean of the School of Logistics Management and Engineering and Deputy Director of the Joint Laboratory; and Li Zi, Deputy Director of the Office of International Exchange and Cooperation and Deputy Director of the Joint Laboratory, were invited to attend the symposium.

At the opening ceremony of the symposium , Professor Sunday O. Ojo, Professor of the School of Accounting and Information Systems(University of Technology, Durban) and Chairman of Technology and Joint International of the Symposium; Professor Oludayo Olugbara, Executive Dean of the School of Accounting and Information Systems, Durban University of Technology; and Professor Fausto Giunchiglia , Founder of DataScientia, Member of the European Academy of Sciences, Professor at the University of Trento (Italy), Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Distinguished Professor of ZCST, each delivered a speech. Professor Fausto Giunchiglia remarked: This is the first time in a decade that this symposium is being held in South Africa, outside of Europe. Under the theme 'Sovereign AI with a Sense of Diversity,' this symposium represents an important milestone in promoting inclusive AI development worldwide. While AI technologies are evolving at a rapid pace, mainstream AI systems still exhibit significant gaps in covering local languages, cultures, and regional knowledge. Without proactive guidance, it could not only widen the global digital divide but also exacerbate the risks of cultural erosion and an imbalance in data sovereignty. The DataScientia Initiative consistently upholds the core philosophy of Unity Through Diversity and is committed to building a cross-border, interdisciplinary collaborative network to foster an AI development ecosystem that respects cultural differences and safeguards data sovereignty. The launch of the DataScientia Living Lab in collaboration with Durban University of Technology today represents the practical implementation of this vision across the African continent, enabling local African language systems, cultural wisdom, and knowledge traditions to be deeply integrated into AI research and development, thereby empowering local stakeholders to take genuine control of digital transformation. Our goal goes beyond academic exchange. Through the joint discussions among all participants, we aim to establish long-term working groups and pilot projects, converting the meeting consensus into concrete and sustainable practical outcomes.

During the three-day conference, participants engaged in in-depth exchanges and discussion within three core thematic areas: Frontier Scientific Research in Perceptual Diversity AI -- From the Perspectives of Linguistics and Anthropology, Policy Governance and Regional Implementation Pathways for Sovereign AI --A Perspective from Africa and The DataScientia Global Initiative Actions and Cooperation. Liang Yanchun provided an overview of ZCST’s institutional history, academic scale, and disciplinary development to the attendees. As a special guest, he moderated and participated in the Infrastructure and Compute Control dialogue forum, where he engaged in discussions with scholars from various countries on topics such as open modular models, the autonomous and controllable management of computing resources, and cross-border academic resource sharing. Li Dalin delivered a keynote presentation titled Data Empowerment and Practical Applications: The SmartCampus App, showcasing the SmartCampus platform jointly developed by ZCST and the University of Trento, Italy. Built upon the research achievements of Fausto's team, this platform integrates three core technologies—iLog software-based behavioral perception, personalized knowledge graphs, and vertical federated learning—to provide universities with high-value solutions for precision personalized education and intelligent management, all while rigorously upholding data privacy and ethical standards. Li Zi delivered a keynote speech titled The DataScientia Joint Labs Collaboration Model and Experiences: A Case Study of Zhuhai College of Science and Technology, in which he comprehensively and systematically summarized the university's practical achievements and experiences in establishing international joint laboratories, fostering cross-border scientific research collaboration, localizing curricula and jointly cultivating talent. This presentation received widespread recognition and support from the attending experts and scholars, who expressed their desire to strengthen ties with the university and explore the feasibility of further deepening their collaboration.

This overseas visit further solidifies our university's pivotal position within DataScientia's global scientific research collaboration network, and plays a significant role in encouraging our university to actively respond to the national education digitalization strategy, advance the interdisciplinary integration of artificial intelligence, and enhance both its international academic profile and research influence.

The photo of ZCST delegations and Fauso Giunchiglia

Group photo at the unveiling ceremony

Liang Yanchun delivered the keynote speech

Li Dalin delivered the keynote speech

Li Zi delivered the keynote speech