ABSTRACT

Social inequalities -- structured and recurrent patterns of unequal distribution of wealth, opportunities, and rewards -- are on the rise, and quick-fix, top-down approaches are failing. Structural inequality is one of the important manifestations of social inequalities in which institutions, policies, and societies create systems of privilege that are structural barriers to equality and inclusiveness. Structural inequalities emerge and evolve in complex multi-dimensional social networks. With the rise of artificial intelligence and algorithms in decision-making processes, such inequalities are being reinforced and exacerbated in a non-linear, complex manner that is difficult to comprehend and tackle. To address and mitigate such timely issues, we need a complexity science approach and interdisciplinary teams more than ever.


BIO

Fariba Karimi is a data scientist who develops mathematical and computational models to study inequalities in socio-technical networks and algorithms. She is currently a full professor of Data Science at the faculty of Computer Science and Biomedical Engineers at the Graz University of Technology.

Fariba Karimi received her doctorate from the University of Umea in 2015. She then spent four years researching at the computational social science department at Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences in Cologne, Germany. Since March 2021, she has been the group lead of the “Network Inequality” group at Complexity Science Hub Institute in Vienna. Before joining TU Graz, she also served as a tenure track professor at the Department of Computer Science at Vienna University of Technology. In 2023, she received the prestigious Young Scientist Award from the German Physical Society for her contribution in modeling minorities and inequalities in networks.