Call for Applications: Master's Fellowship in AI Governance and Harm Mapping
The African Hub on AI Safety, Peace and Security at UCT is seeking a Master's student to research how AI-related harms manifest across African contexts and identify the governance gaps that leave them unaddressed. Using "harmscapes" thinking — which treats harm as layered and structural rather than a series of isolated incidents — the research will help shape a scalable, context-sensitive AI safety risk framework for resource-constrained African settings.
Details:
- Supervisors: Dr. Annette Hübschle and Prof. Jonathan Shock (UCT)
- Duration: Full-time, 2 years (2026–2028)
- Funding: ~R150,000/year (R300,000 total) — covers tuition, living costs, and research support (travel, fieldwork, data tools, conferences)
- Programme: Subject to admission into a Master's programme at UCT (LLM, MPhil, MSc, or equivalent)
- Ideal background: Law, governance, public policy, criminology, or related social science, with interest in AI governance and structural harm analysis
How to apply: Send a motivation letter, CV (max 4 pages, with referees), and full transcripts to Nwabisa Thwani (nwabisa.thwani@uct.ac.za), cc Dr. Hübschle (a.hubschle@uct.ac.za), subject line "AI Safety Hub Master's Student Fellowship Application – Harm Framework." Applications reviewed on a rolling basis.
Full call for applications (including minimum/desirable requirements) attached below.
Call for Applications: Master's Fellowship in AI Governance and Harm Mapping