Date and time: Wednesday 10 December 2025, 15:00-16:00 CET
Speaker: Dr. Kasun De Zoysa, University of Colombo
Title: Digital Futures in the Global South: Challenges and Opportunities
Where: Digital Futures hub, Osquars Backe 5, floor 2 at KTH main campus OR Zoom
Directions: https://www.digitalfutures.kth.se/contact/how-to-get-here/
OR
Zoom: https://kth-se.zoom.us/j/69560887455
Host: Markus Flierl
Bio: Dr. Kasun De Zoysa is Professor in Computer Science, the Deputy Director of University of Colombo School of Computing and Coordinator of the Digital Forensic Center at the University of Colombo. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Stockholm University, Sweden and possesses over twenty five years of experience spanning academia, industry, cybersecurity initiatives and international research collaborations.
Dr. De Zoysa has provided advisory and consultancy services to leading financial institutions and government agencies in the areas of information security, digital forensics, and technology risk management in Sri Lanka. He has led numerous national and international collaborations, contributing significantly to advancing digital security and innovation.
Abstract: Digital Futures in the Global South presents both complex challenges and remarkable opportunities for technical innovation. In environments often constrained by limited resources, heterogeneous infrastructure, and fragmented systems, researchers and engineers are reimagining how digital platforms can be built to be scalable, resilient, and inclusive.
This talk explores the technical dimensions of shaping digital futures in developing contexts, covering collaborative research, interoperable public systems and open source innovation. Drawing from experience at the University of Colombo School of Computing and ongoing collaborations with KTH and Uppsala University, it highlights how joint research between the Global North and South can lead to co-created solutions that are not only technically robust but also socially relevant. Such collaborations provide mutual benefits: real world testbeds and diversity of challenges for the North, and advanced tools and research ecosystems for the South together advancing the global digital future.
