The International Telecommunication Union Academy, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme Digital team, has opened applications for the second edition of its online instructor-led course titled “Data Governance for Inclusive Digital and Artificial Intelligence Futures,” offering selected participants free access to a structured programme designed to build practical skills in designing data governance frameworks for secure, rights-based, and inclusive digital transformation. The course runs from June 23 to July 21, 2026, and applications are open until May 31, 2026, through the ITU Academy portal at academy.itu.int.
The course is designed for professionals, policymakers, and practitioners who are working at the intersection of digital policy and inclusive development, and who need a working understanding of how data governance frameworks can be constructed to protect rights, promote equity, and ensure that digital and artificial intelligence transformation does not deepen existing inequalities. As artificial intelligence systems increasingly rely on large volumes of data to function, the governance structures that determine how that data is collected, used, shared, and protected have become a central concern for governments, international organisations, and civil society across both developing and developed economies.
The second edition of the course builds on the foundation established in its first run, with an instructor-led format that offers a more structured and interactive learning experience than self-paced alternatives, giving participants access to expert guidance and peer engagement throughout the four-week programme. The free-of-cost model for selected applicants reflects the broader mission of the International Telecommunication Union and the United Nations Development Programme to make capacity-building in digital governance accessible to practitioners from lower-income countries and institutions that may not otherwise have the resources to access high-quality training in this space.
The programme is supported by Global Partners Digital, funded by the European Union, and organised by the International Telecommunication Union alongside United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation and United Nations agencies, giving it a multilateral institutional grounding that reflects the genuinely cross-border nature of data governance as a policy challenge. Interested applicants can register and access further details at academy.itu.int, with the May 31 deadline leaving a narrow window for those wishing to apply for one of the available free places.
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