Kampala Geopolitics Conference

Geopolitics of the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Summary

Previous industrial revolutions affected balance of power and caused geopolitical disruptions of gigantic proportions. The discovery of gun powder, for instance, strengthened the military might of European countries
that enabled a new type of warfare previously unknown to the world. But the geopolitical disruptions by the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) are unmatched. Boundaries of all sorts have been blurred by a non-transparent plethora of actors, including large technology firms, sub and non-state actors, digitally mobilised communities and even influential or vocal individuals. And in this new age of Big Data, Blockchain and the Internet of Things, fundamental questions around data ownership and usage require answers that speak to the complexity of the controversies.

In the political sphere, questions around statehood and control might arise as the 4IR advances. Will power be
transferred to those in possession of data? Will data revolutionise warfare? Is a different kind of arms race looming? And which control mechanisms are necessary to contain it? Will the traditional Westphalian state hold up against the exclaimed “platform planet”? Or could a “cloud state” compete for political and civic space with traditional power holders?

Conference

Details

  • Session Type: Panel Conversation
  • Time: 2:00 pm

Meet the Panelists

Robert Kirunda

Robert Kirunda

Founding Partner, Kirunda & Wasike Advocates

Robert Kirunda is the founding partner at Kirunda & Wasike Advocates. He lectures at Makerere University and has worked with JN Kirkland and Associates, Makerere University Business School and Shonubi,... Read more
Rémy Rioux

Rémy Rioux

Director, French Agency for Development

Sebastian Weise

Sebastian Weise

Policy Advisor on Innovation, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung

Pascal Boniface

Pascal Boniface

President, Institut de Relations Internationales et Stratégiques

Alice Namuli Blazevic

Alice Namuli Blazevic

Head of technology and innovation, Katende, Ssempebwa & Co Advocates

Alice Namuli Blazevic is head of technology and innovation at Katende, Ssempebwa & Co Advocates, specialising in technology and law, particularly in artificial intelligence, blockchain, crypto currencies, and cyber security. She is an... Read more
Alan Kasujja

Alan Kasujja

Presenter, BBC World Service

Alan Kasujja is a presenter of the BBC World Service flagship global news programme Newsday. He has also presented other programmes including Outlook, Focus on Africa, Outside Source and World Have Your... Read more