This seminar course explores India’s emergence as a key actor in the global politics of data governance. Focusing on digital infrastructures, platform regulation, and competing governance models, the course examines how data has become central to state power, economic development, and geopolitical strategy. Through a comparative perspective on India and the European Union, the course highlights contemporary debates on digital sovereignty, cross-border data flows, platform governance, and AI regulation.

Module 1: India’s Digital State and Data Infrastructures: 

Digital Public Infrastructure (Aadhaar, UPI and India Stack), Welfare delivery and biometric identification, data infrastructures, and political economy of data

Module 2: Regulation and Platform Governance: 

Data protection and platform governance, rights and duties of data principles, regulatory obligations for Big Tech and social media platforms, AI governance frameworks and emerging guidelines

Module 3: Comparing India and the EU

Global data governance regimes, normative versus developmental governance models, convergence and divergence in approaches to digital sovereignty, differing positions on cross-border data flows and data localisation

*students need to confirm individually with their programme coordinator that the successful completion of this seminar can be recognised with ECTS in the framework of their specific degree*

Means of assessment: The participating students will deliver a presentation during class

⁠Assessment: Pass/Fail

Teaching hours: 28 Semester Weekly Hours split into 3.5 days (day 1: Course introduction, 2 x 90 Minutes; day 2:  Module 1, 4 x 90 Minutes; day 3: Module 2, 4 x 90 Minutes; day 4 Module 3, 4 x 90 Minutes[1]

⁠Teaching times: 

Saturday, 10 October 2026, 9:30-12:30 (always CEST)

Saturday, 17 October 2026, 9:30-16:00

Saturday, 24 October 2026, 9:30-16:00
Saturday, 31 October 2026, 9:30-16:00

[1] 2 Semester Weekly Hours = 90 Minutes x 14 weeks per semester

Open