Strengthening Swiss–South African Collaboration on Human Trust in Generative AI
Last week, we welcomed a delegation of academic experts from South Africa to Switzerland for a four-day exchange focused on research, collaboration and the responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI).
The delegation brought together Prof. Dr. Marié Hattingh, Senior Lecturer at the University of Pretoria (UP); Dr. Rouxan Fouche, Lecturer of Computer Science and Informatics at the University of the Free State (UFS); and Dr. Wynand Nel, Senior Lecturer at Akademia. The visit was funded by Swiss TPH.
Human Trust in Generative AI
The visit formed part of our ongoing collaboration within the Swiss Leading House Africa sponsored research project: “Human Trust in Generative AI: Building Future Competencies in Switzerland and South Africa.” The project examines how students perceive the trustworthiness of GenAI and how these perceptions shape their use of AI in higher education. A particular focus is on strengthening GenAI literacy and developing calibrated trust, with the aim of supporting responsible use of AI and creating sustainable opportunities for academic collaboration between Switzerland and South Africa.
Our approach:
- A survey in Switzerland and South Africa on what drives students’ perceptions of GenAI trustworthiness
- An interactive workshop built on those findings, piloted in existing modules in both countries
- Evaluation, and in the long term an intercultural remote learning unit in the curriculum
During the visit we held workshops to define and refine the questionnaire instruments and to plan the next steps.
Prof. Dr. Marié Hattingh, Dr. Rouxan Fouche and Dr. Wynand Nel’s 4 Day Swiss Itinerary
The visit began on Saturday, 19 September, with a shared lunch in Basel, followed by a tour of the city and an informal BBQ.
On Sunday, 20 September, the delegation spent the day exploring the Dreiländereck region and Badenweiler in Germany.
The program became more focused on academic and professional exchange on Monday, 21 September. The morning was dedicated to a visit to the Dreispitz Basel campus, including a tour of the building and discussions about potential areas for future collaboration.
In the afternoon, the delegation travelled to Olten, where they met with colleagues over coffee before visiting Omnilab. The visit provided an opportunity to learn more of ontology-based cyber-physical systems. The day concluded with a shared dinner in Olten, continuing the discussions in an informal atmosphere.
Tuesday, 22 September, focused particularly on the joint research project Human Trust in Generative AI: Building Future Competencies in Switzerland and South Africa.
The morning included a GenAI workshop, with work on the project questionnaire, as well as a Meet and Greet and shared lunch with colleagues from the Center for Digital Trust.
The afternoon continued with the presentation of the Swiss-Africa Cybersecurity Community (SwissAfricaCySec) and SwissAfricaPayCyber, followed by further project work on the planning of the GenAI intervention. The program concluded with discussions and planning around the 2027 Society 5.0 Conference that will be held in Basel, Switzerland, and hosted by the FHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland.
A Beneficial Collaboration Between Switzerland and South Africa
We would like to sincerely thank Prof. Dr. Marié Hattingh, Dr. Rouxan Fouche, and Dr. Wynand Nel for their visit, their valuable contributions and the inspiring exchange throughout the program. An additional thanks goes to the Swiss Leading House Africa, mandated by SERI and hosted by Swiss TPH, for supporting Swiss and sub-Saharan African research cooperation.