GLODEM proudly presents the first seminar of the Spring 2022 AI & CSS Seminar Series, with Gökhan Dikmener’s talk on 24 March.

GLODEM AI & CSS Seminar Series brings together practitioners working on AI usage in various fields and scholars specializing in computational social sciences. The seminar series is moderated by MA-CSSL, which is an interdisciplinary research laboratory at Koç University, established with the purpose of conducting cutting-edge research on the applications of computational methods to social science questions.

Date: 24 March 2022 – Thursday

Time: 17:30 – 19:00

Speaker: Gökhan Dikmener, Technical Specialist, UNDP IICPSD

Moderator: Merih Angin, Koç University

Zoom registration link: (advance registration required)

https://kocun.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEsc-CuqTksGNIG3JBz1eK47v0F4wO4nvJE

Title: Data Science for SDGs

Abstract: The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity. Frontier technologies such as AI, Machine Learning, Big Data, and GIS offer innovative solutions for major challenges to humanity such as poverty, global warming, and others. This seminar will speak about how rapid technological advancement and decreasing cost of computing power can help developing countries to “catch up” and benefit from those technologies to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs.

Short Speaker Bio: Gökhan Dikmener works as a Technical Specialist for UNDP Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development (IICPSD). His work focuses on generating ideas and guiding the Center in transforming markets to integrate people and achieve sustainable development. He leads the center’s initiatives on inclusive digital transformation and skills development such as Skills for an Inclusive Future and SDG AI Lab.

He is an economist and software engineer by training. He has international advisory, policy formulation and research experience on private sector engagement in development. His expertise and research interests include areas such as inclusive digital transformation, skills development, and frontier technologies such as AI, ML and GIS for sustainable development. He holds an MA in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and an MS in Software Engineering from Boğaziçi University.

The event will be held in English via Zoom.