On Our Terms

Autonomy in the Digital Age

Surrounded by dependencies

A small group of tech executives has never held more influence over our economies, our politics, and our daily lives. Behind every free app and seamless platform lies an economic model built on capturing your attention and monetizing your behavior. And as the lines between Big Tech and political power blur, the stakes are getting harder to ignore.

This is true in society at large, but it's also true in education. The platforms and tools we use to teach and learn are not neutral. They shape what happens in the classroom, what students engage with, and what gets left out. They tie us, often invisibly, to data economies, environmental costs, and geopolitical dependencies we rarely get to choose.

None of these are inevitable, and we can opt for change on our terms.

What to expect

Through short presentations and an open panel discussion, we'll dig into:

• What digital autonomy means and why it’s becoming urgent
• How money and power flow through the platform economy, and what that means forpeople affected by these platforms
• How tech companies shape not just technologies, but politics, culture, and education
• What it would mean to build digital systems around public values instead of private profit

About the series

Autonomy in the Digital Age is a three-part event series organized by The Hague University of Applied Sciences, exploring digital autonomy from three angles: the problem and its urgency (session 1), the concrete alternatives that already exist (session 2), and the laws and politics shaping what's possible (session 3). Each event stands alone, but together they build toward a fuller picture.

Registration

Free entry for students, staff, and anyone interested, as always. Please register in advance:

Sign up

Picture:
© Rose Willis & Kathryn Conrad / betterimagesofai.org