[DATAGOV Core] Fwd: Data Science Centre Bulletin – 26 February 2026

Thu Feb 26 13:06:00 CET 2026

About some of the activities we should try to participate i see a walk 
in the hyperscale at sloterdijk on mach 6 and the presentation of an AI 
book for politically interested enginiers. To be considered :)

f
-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: 	Data Science Centre Bulletin – 26 February 2026
Date: 	Thu, 26 Feb 2026 11:03:25 +0000
From: 	UvA DSC <dsc at uva.nl>

Dear all,

Welcome to the weekly bulletin of the Data Science Centre. This week, 
our updates seek to rewire potentials and shift perspectives:

  * 📚In our news highlights, learn more about a fascinating new book by
    Daniel Mügge, Regine Paul, and Vali Stan that helps us see why the
    potentially transformative technology of AI is instead following old
    cultural scripts and replicating uneven geopolitical patterns.

  * 📅+ 🏃In our event section, we spotlight upcoming Python and R
    workshops, as well as an “infrastructure walk” organized through the
    Critical Infrastructure Lab around the controversial hyperscale data
    center near Sloterdijk.

  * ❗FINAL CALL to the DSC community: we’re in the process of collecting
    research outputs from across our members, to be included in an
    annual “Highlights” writeup. If you haven’t yet done so, please
    remember to register your research in Pure!
    <https://uba.uva.nl/en/content/a-z/electronic-publishing/electronic-publishing.html>

📚*NEWS AND ARTICLES ON AI & DATA SCIENCE*

*"AI is about politics: we can contest it, shape it, and simply say 
no.”* 
<https://rdt.uva.nl/content/news/2026/02/ai-is-about-politics-we-can-contest-it-shape-it-and-simply-say-no.html>

The real impact of AI is not just about groundbreaking technology – it 
is also about who owns it, what they want to do with it, and who can pay 
for it, argues Daniel Mügge, Professor of Political Arithmetic. Together 
with co-authors Regine Paul and Vali Stan, he published the book /The AI 
Matrix: Profits, Power, Politics/, launched last week. ‘We should not 
think of AI as a kind of technological meteor that has hit planet earth, 
and which we now just have to live with.’

**

**

*📆**DSC AGENDA: UPCOMING EVENTS*

*(newly added or updated events are highlighted)

*

*All of the below events are free & open to everyone (including 
non-members). *Please help us spread the word - we are a welcoming 
community and love to see a mix of both familiar and new faces at our 
events.

*DATE & TIME*

*EVENT*

*LOCATION*

*3, 10, 17 & 31 March*

10:00 – 15:00

*
4-day python workshop for beginners

*

The UvA-HvA Library will be hosting a four-day python workshop in 
collaboration with the VU and AmsterdamUMC, providing an introduction to 
programming with Python. Broaden your skills for analyzing and plotting 
your data!

Click here for more information and registration. 
<https://dsc.uva.nl/content/events/2026/03/introduction-to-programming-with-python.html>

*University Library *Vendelstraat**

*9-12 March*

09:00 – 13:00

*16-17 March*

10:00 – 18:00

*Share your skills: become a certified Carpentry instructor*
**LIMITED SEATS AVAILABLE*

*

Are you passionate about programming or other digital skills, and eager 
to teach others? This training prepares you to teach workshops, using 
evidence-based practices and open source materials.

Grow your expertise in Python, R, Unix shell, git, SQL, OpenRefine or 
spreadsheet software and make an impact by leading workshops for fellow 
researchers.

Click here for more information and registration. 
<https://dsc.uva.nl/content/news/2026/01/become-carpentry-instructor.html>

*University Library*
Vendelstraat**

*14-17 April*
*10:00 – 15:00 *

*Introduction to programming with R*

Save the date for an upcoming 4-day R workshop! More details soon.

*Vrij Universiteit (VU)*
*Amsterdam*

*📅** OTHER AI & DATA SCIENCE EVENTS (newly added events are highlighted)*

/Do you have an event that you’d like to add to our weekly bulletin? Let 
us know about it at //dsc at uva.nl/ <mailto:dsc at uva.nl>//

*DATE *

*EVENT*

*LOCATION*

*5 March*
*12:00 – 18:00 *

*AI-preneurship day

*

TTT-AI invites bachelor, master’s, or PhD students in AI-related fields 
with an interest in turning their research into a start-up. Get inspired 
by experts and successful Lab42 startups, learn how to secure funding, 
turn your research into a “product”, and navigate the world of 
investment <https://ttt-ai.nl/events/ai-preneurship-day>.
**

**

*Lab42, *
Sciencepark 904

*6 March*
*16:00 onwards***

*Data Centre Walking Tour – Sloterdijk hyperscaler

***

Join the Critical Infrastructure Lab for a data centre walk 
<https://files.criticalinfralab.net/apps/forms/s/9Gc5r7TtoJ3ZSDA4GPZxmHM6>of 
the controversial hyperscaler on the Plimsollweg, near Sloterdijk 
station. Infrastructure walks are like guided tours of the city that 
explore the digital public infrastructures that are deployed in public 
spaces. In this case, a so-far empty (but extremely valuable) piece of 
land.

**

RSVP for details <https://www.criticalinfralab.net/upcoming/?id=1634>

*10 March*
*20:00 – 22:00*

*Synthetic Genders: How Generative AI Reimagines Gender in Visual Culture

*

How does Generative AI reshape visual ideas of gender? Three talks 
explore sexualized and emotional coding in AI characters, the 
reproduction of gendered art-historical styles, and AI analyses of 
gender in visual art and movies 
<https://spui25.nl/programma/synthetic-genders-how-generative-ai-reimagines-gender-in-visual-culture>. 

*SPUI25*

*13 March*
*09:00 – 14:30*

*Science Sisters Meet Seminar Series: *
*Prof. Natali Helberger

*

/The Science Sisters (SciSis) are a peer network of early career women 
working in academia. They are launching a regular seminar series, SciSis 
Meet. /

The March seminar will welcome Prof. Natali Helberger, Professor of 
Information Law at the UvA. 
<https://ias.uva.nl/content/events/2026/03/scisis-meet-natali-helberger.html>She 
is the founder and Principal Investigator of ‘Information and 
Communication in the DataSociety’, an interdisciplinary research 
initiative into the way AI and algorithms affect the role, impact and 
regulation of data-driven communication and information platforms.

*Sweelinck Room*
Oude Turfmarkt 145-147

*19 March*
*15:30 – 16:30*

*RICDE Lecture Series: Dr. Tamarinde Haven*

Dr. Haven will discuss her VENI project 
<https://www.nwo.nl/en/projects/viveni231g056>about best practices in 
mixed-methods research.

**

RSVP by emailing the RICDE team. <mailto:secretariaat-pow-fmg at uva.nl>

*REC C0.02, *
Roeterseiland Campus

*20 March*
*15:00 – 17:00***

*Making Impact with Data: Amsterdam People Analytics Centre

***

Explore how people analytics can move beyond reporting and dashboards to 
shape decisions and drive real impact 
<https://www.linkedin.com/posts/amsterdam-people-analytics-centre_peopleanalytics-futureofwork-aiinhr-activity-7430206023266676737-Imne>with 
panelist Jan Laurijssen. A future-of-work consultant at SD Worx and 
researcher at the University of Antwerp, he translates complex trends, 
especially AI’s impact on work and HR, into practical, evidence-based 
insights.

*Amsterdam Business School, *Roeterseiland Campus – Building M, Room M1.01**

*29-30 June*
*09:00 – 19:30 ***

*ICAI Summer School 2026*
**Registrations Open****

Stop by Lab42 this summer for a two-day event focused on learning, 
connecting, and growing in the field of artificial intelligence 
<https://icai.ai/event/icai-summer-school-2026/>. “The ICAI Summer 
School 2026 is your chance to sharpen your technical skills and explore 
the future of responsible AI.”

*Lab42*
Sciencepark 904**

*
ONLINE BI-WEEKLY READING GROUP @ CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE LAB*

The Critical Infrastructure Lab’s /‘Root & Router Society Reading 
Group’/ continues in February and March with facilitated discussions on 
Extraction by Thea Riofrancos and /Cybernetic Circulation Complex /by 
Nick Dyer-Witheford & Alessandra Mularoni.

These take place bi-weekly via Zoom. No prior registration is needed. 
Click here for the full schedule and more information.** 
<https://www.criticalinfralab.net/2025/11/18/open-reading-group/>**

*READER CONTRIBUTIONS*

Do you have something you want to feature in our next bulletin? Let us 
know at dsc at uva.nl <mailto:dsc at uva.nl>!

*GET INVOLVED + CONNECT WITH US*

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    <https://dsc.uva.nl/events/events.html>from the Data Science Centre
  * Data Science Centre Member spotlights
    <https://dsc.uva.nl/community/dsc-member-spotlight/dsc-member-spotlight-list.html>
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    <https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/uva-auas-library>
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**

Best regards,

Data Science Centre

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DSC website <https://dsc.uva.nl/>