Tsinghua Southeast Asia Centre, UID Bali, and the Faculty of Humanities Udayana University prepare for an international conference on local wisdom and AI

• Posted by: Admin
• Jumat, 13 Maret 2026
• Has been read 5 time(s)

The Tsinghua Southeast Asia Centre UID Bali Campus, in collaboration with the Faculty of Humanities Udayana University, will host an international conference titled “Reimagining Intelligence: Indigenous Wisdom and the Future of Inclusive AI” on September 4, 2026. This conference continues the collaboration between the two institutions in exploring the relationship between indigenous wisdom and the development of artificial intelligence. The event will also be part of the series of celebrations for the University of Udayana’s anniversary and the Faculty of Cultural Sciences’ anniversary, both of which are observed in late September.

As an initial step in conference preparations, the Kick-Off Event for the 2nd International Conference on Indigenous Wisdom in the Contemporary World (CIWCW 2026) was held on Friday, March 13, 2026, at the Tsinghua Southeast Asia Centre on the UID Bali Campus. The event took place in a hybrid format at the UID Bali Campus Auditorium, Kura-Kura Special Economic Zone (SEZ), Serangan, and via the Zoom platform. This kick-off event was attended by 113 participants in person and 128 participants joining online.

Speaking on behalf of the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities Udayana University, Prof. Dr. I Nyoman Darma Putra, M.Litt., who is also a member of the conference’s Steering Committee, explained that the decision to hold this second conference was a response to participants’ enthusiasm for the previous event. He noted that the success of last year’s conference encouraged many stakeholders to ensure the forum is held annually on an ongoing basis. According to him, the theme linking local wisdom with artificial intelligence holds high relevance amid the tide of globalization and rapid technological advancements. In his remarks, Michael Tuori, Academic Director of the Tsinghua Southeast Asia Center, emphasized the importance of global dialogue regarding the relationship between AI technology and traditional community knowledge. He stated that this forum aims to bring together academics, local knowledge holders, policymakers, and technology practitioners to discuss how local wisdom can enrich the development of technology that is more ethical, inclusive, and sustainable.

This kick-off event also featured a number of speakers from Indonesia and abroad, including Prof. Thea Pitman from the University of Leeds, Karlina Octaviany from the GIZ Fair Forward program, Prof. I Ketut Ardhana from Udayana University, and Dr. Dewa Made Sri Arsa from the AI Center at Udayana University. In addition to panel discussions and Q&A sessions, the event officially launched the Call for Papers and Call for Partners, followed by a research matchmaking session to foster research collaboration ahead of the main conference this coming September.