The College of Engineering at the University of Baghdad, through its Human Rights Unit, organized an online workshop titled “Engineering and Digital Citizenship: Towards an Informed Democratic Society” via Zoom. The session was delivered by the Unit Director, Dr. Israa Abdul Ali Kazem.
The workshop aimed to explore the intersection between engineering disciplines and digital citizenship, highlighting the role of engineers in creating technological environments that uphold human rights and foster civic engagement. It also addressed contemporary concepts of democracy and examined the impact of technology on political participation and freedom of expression in cyberspace.
Following extensive academic discussions on Iraq’s digital challenges, with contributions from scholars and experts in international law, the workshop recommended integrating digital citizenship and human rights concepts into engineering curricula. This initiative seeks to raise students’ awareness of responsible technology use and encourage them to develop tech-based projects that promote digital justice and community involvement. Additional recommendations included holding such workshops regularly, strengthening collaboration between the college and human rights and academic institutions, and offering continuous training programs on international human rights law and cybersecurity.
This workshop contributes to several Sustainable Development Goals, notably Goal 4 (Quality Education), Goal 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions), and Goal 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
