MESCyT, UASD, and UNESCO launch national program on Digital Citizenship

Santo Domingo.- The Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (MESCyT), in collaboration with the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD) and UNESCO, will host the keynote conference “Digital Citizenship: Meaning and Scope” on September 2–3, 2025. The event launches the national program “Building Critical and Participatory Citizenship from the Academy,” which seeks to strengthen responsible and ethical digital practices in the country.

The opening session will take place on September 2 at the UASD headquarters in Santo Domingo, followed by a second session on September 3 at the Santiago campus. MESCyT Minister Dr. Franklin García Fermín highlighted that the initiative is aligned with President Luis Abinader’s policies on digital transformation, framed within the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy and the 2030 Digital Agenda. “We promote a cybercitizenship that fosters transparency, participation, and inclusion in Dominican digital spaces,” he stated.

The conference will feature Dr. Roxana Morduchowicz, UNESCO Senior Advisor on Digital Citizenship, who will address the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in education. She will explain how tools like ChatGPT can be integrated into teaching to encourage critical and creative thinking, while also raising awareness of ethical challenges such as misinformation, deepfakes, and algorithmic bias. The program is supported by UASD’s Vice Rectorate for Outreach and UNESCO’s Latin American Network for Digital Citizenship, alongside several divisions of MESCyT. Its main objectives are to place digital citizenship on the national agenda and to equip teachers and students with the skills needed to use technology thoughtfully, critically, and responsibly.