Dr. Yousif Hassan

Biography

Yousif Hassan is an Assistant Professor at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and the School of Information at the University of Michigan. His research primarily focuses on the social, economic, and political implications of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, natural language processing, and blockchain technologies. He places particular emphasis on technoscientific innovation and the digital economy while exploring the intersections of social justice and technology innovation policy. Recently, his investigations have centered on the development of AI innovation ecosystems across multiple African countries, particularly regarding AI, data governance, and sociotechnical knowledge production practices. Yousif has served as an Illinois Distinguished Fellow at the School of Information Sciences and is also a faculty affiliate with the Center for African Studies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He has held the position of research fellow at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Before academia, he built his career in software engineering, managerial roles within multinational corporations, and co-founded a tech company focused on AI and blockchain technology. Yousif's academic interests include decolonial and postcolonial computing, critical data studies, and the political economy of technoscience.

Research Interests