LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Scholars at the University of Oxford have announced their new project, “Citizenship in a Networked Age.” Funded by Templeton World Charity Foundation, the project will culminate in 2020 in a detailed report of the team’s findings and recommendations, which will explore how humans can uphold ideals of citizenship in an evolving technological landscape.
The announcement took place at Shoreditch Treehouse (London) on 25 March. Attendees—including leading civic leaders, academics, entrepreneurs, journalists, and artists—discussed what “good” citizenship looks like in the 21st century. The event was hosted by Susan MacTavish Best and featured a short film by award-winning journalist Richard Sergay as well as a panel with Andrew Serazin (President, Templeton World Charity Foundation), counter-extremist Fatima Zaman, and Baroness Philippa Stroud (CEO, Legatum Institute).
Andrew Briggs and Dominic Burbidge are leading the research into citizenship in a networked age at Oxford. Their focus is finding spaces where the positive features of social and technological change can be embraced, while also addressing the deep implications for our social obligations and citizenship. To this end, the project aims to draw on the best of scientific insight and spiritual wisdom to improve global quality of life.
The project addresses foundational issues such as how citizens will make moral decisions in a networked age, what their privileges and responsibilities will be, and how AI can contribute to enriched citizenship.
Andrew Briggs, Professor of Nanomaterials at Oxford, said, “Digital networking and machine learning are already changing how we relate to one another and how decisions are taken on our behalf. There is an urgent need to appraise what new kinds of citizenship we will need, based on a deep understanding of what humans are for and how they can best flourish.”
With the support of Templeton World Charity Foundation, the project has brought together nearly 200 esteemed experts from consultation groups in Oxford, Rome, Nairobi, Ayia Napa, and Pasadena (California).
About Templeton World Charity Foundation
Since 1996, Templeton World Charity Foundation has served as a global philanthropic catalyst for discoveries about big questions of the universe in areas at the intersection of science, theology, philosophy, and society. Founded by Sir John Templeton in Nassau (Bahamas), it fosters ambitious thinking and creative communications on diverse topics. Visit https://www.templetonworldcharity.org/
