Workshops & Sessions

Call for Workshops & Session at DLI 2026

The Deep Learning Indaba (DLI) is the annual gathering of Africa’s machine learning (ML) and AI community, a celebration of learning, research, and collaboration dedicated to strengthening African AI. The 2026 Deep Learning Indaba will take place in Nigeria in August (exact location and dates will be announced soon). 

The Indaba has always been a hub to share ideas, build networks, and foster community-driven discussions around AI in African contexts. It offers a space where we come together to discuss the different and often intricate ways AI interacts with African societies, cultures, values, and ecosystems.

This year, we’re expanding what that space can be. While academic-style workshops remain central, we recognize that ideas can also flourish in many other forms: through dialogue, creativity, and collective reflection. To nurture this spirit, we are introducing new session formats that invite imagination and inclusivity.

We welcome proposals for diverse sessions: workshops, fireside conversations, interactive exhibitions, storytelling spaces, showcases, or any unique formats that move beyond lectures and panels

Let’s explore other unique formats, anchored on abundant African wisdom, lived experiences, and different backgrounds. 

Together let’s reimagine how we interact, share ideas, and discuss the African AI futures we wish to see.

February 10th, 2026

Call for workshops sessions proposals released.

February 26th, 2026

Register now

Information session for prospective workshop organisers.

We are adding an information session for the first time to provide the opportunity to answer questions you may have, resolve confusions or issues, and provide assistance as you shape your proposal. 

March 10th, 2026

Deadline for proposal submission.

March 30th, 2026

Acceptance notifications. 

During DLI 2026.

Exact date announced soon!

Workshops Dates

 

Session Formats

We invite proposals for workshops and other curated sessions to be held during the workshop days of Deep Learning Indaba 2026. We are expanding beyond the traditional “workshop” structure. We invite proposals for a range of session formats designed to accommodate different types of content, audiences, and modes of engagement. The session formats include, but not limited to:

  • Half-day workshops (3 hours)
    This is the conventional workshop style we know and love at the Indaba.

     

  • Deep-dive discussions
    Examples include fireside chats with book authors, conversations with policymakers or practitioners, podcast-style sessions, book launches, or interview-style discussions focused on a single theme or body of work.
    These may also include keynote-style talks, lightning talks, or curated talks focused on specific themes such as funding opportunities, research pathways, lab overviews, or topics targeting students or underrepresented communities.

     

  • Forums and dialogues
    Panel discussions, debates, community roundtables, fishbowl dialogues, breakout-style discussions, or unconference-style sessions that encourage multi-perspective exchange across disciplines (e.g., researchers, policymakers, practitioners, advocates).

     

  • Showcases and interactive exhibitions
    Sessions designed to showcase projects, tools, datasets, artistic exhibitions, or interactive demos. These may involve hands-on interaction, guided exploration, or immersive exhibits highlighting work being done on the African continent.

     

  • Anything else you have in mind
    An important part of what we are doing is creating space for engagement from different audiences, disciplines, and domains — including those who may not usually see themselves represented at the Indaba. For example, if you are working on topics such as AI-assisted surveillance and its impact on communities, and you previously felt that the Indaba was not a space for that kind of work, this is an invitation. If your work sits at the intersection of AI, society, policy, culture, or lived experience, and does not neatly fit into a standard “workshop” format, we encourage you to propose a session and share it with the community.

The formats above are not exhaustive. Proposals are welcome to suggest other formats, provided they clearly describe the structure and goals of the session.

Session Duration

While the types and formats of sessions we invite are intentionally open, we do place clear limits on how long sessions can be. Organisers are encouraged to think carefully about the sessions they propose and to choose a duration that is realistic for the kind of engagement they are designing.

When proposing a session, please consider what can meaningfully be done within the time you are requesting, and how the structure of your session fits within that timeframe. You will be asked to indicate one of the following session length options in your application:

  • 1 hour
    This is suitable for short, focused sessions. For example, a specific discussion or deep-dive, a fireside or interview-style conversation, a focused talk on a particular theme not covered elsewhere in the Indaba, or a small showcase or interactive exhibition.

  • 1 hour, 30 minutes
    This is suitable for medium-length sessions that require more engagement. For example, sessions where organisers would like a bit more time for discussion, Q&A, or interactive elements, or where a topic needs more space to be unpacked without becoming a longer workshop.

  • 3 hours
    This is suitable for longer sessions where organisers want to explore a theme or topic across multiple dimensions, perspectives, or activities. This duration corresponds to a typical half-day workshop.

Submission Instructions

Proposals must be submitted via OpenReview: https://openreview.net/group?id=deeplearningindaba.com/DLI/2026/Call_for_Workshops

Please note that an OpenReview profile is required to make a submission. New OpenReview profiles may require a moderation period. We strongly encourage organisers to create or update their OpenReview profiles well in advance of the submission deadline. If you have any issues here contact us with the contact information at the end.

Submissions must be complete and follow the required proposal structure. Incomplete submissions will not be reviewed.

What the submission process entails:

As part of the submission process, you will be asked to answer a set of questions about your proposed session, including the title, session format, session length, target audience, and a short description of the session. You will also be required to upload a proposal PDF as part of your submission.

The proposal PDF is the most important part of the submission. While we do not provide a fixed template for how proposals should be written, we encourage organisers to structure their proposals in a way that clearly addresses the selection criteria and factors outlined above. This is the primary guideline we use when reviewing proposals, regardless of the format or style you choose.

While proposals may vary in structure, we typically expect them to cover the following elements:

  • Title and Abstract
    A clear title and a concise summary of the session’s focus and scope.
  • Goals and Objectives
    What the session aims to achieve, how it contributes to African AI and the broader ML/AI ecosystem, and the expected outcomes for participants.
  • Session Format and Length
    The chosen session format and duration, along with motivation for why this format and length are appropriate for the session’s goals.
  • Organising Team
    Names, affiliations, roles, relevant expertise, diversity and any prior experience running similar sessions. This should also explain why this team is well-positioned to deliver the proposed session.
  • Tentative Agenda or Session Structure
    An outline of how the session will run, including the planned flow and approximate timings.
  • Speakers or Participants Information
    Information about invited or planned speakers or participants (confirmed or tentative), and their relevance to the session topic.
  • Target Audience and Engagement Information
    Who the session is intended for, and how participants will be engaged.

These elements are provided as guidance rather than a strict template. Organisers are free to structure their proposals in ways that best reflect their session ideas, as long as the proposal clearly addresses the selection criteria and demonstrates thoughtful planning.

Review Criteria

How do we select sessions, especially given that we are explicitly incorporating more session formats beyond traditional workshops?

This is not an easy decision — particularly as this is the first time we are doing this in such an intentional way within the Indaba Workshops programme. In the spirit of transparency, we outline below the key factors that will guide how proposals will be generally reviewed.

Relevance to Indaba themes

Question being asked:
How well does the proposal align with the Deep Learning Indaba theme?

The theme of Deep Learning Indaba 2026 is “Sovereign Intelligence: Africa’s Path in a Frontier AI World”. What does this mean to you? How does your session fit — directly or indirectly — with the theme? While proposals do not need to explicitly centre on the theme, they should bring something of relevance and value to the Indaba audience and community.

What reviewers look for:

  • Alignment with Indaba themes
  • Engagement with current challenges, trends, or innovations
  • Explicit relevance to African contexts
Originality / novelty

This is one of the most important criteria. A core motivation for introducing diverse session formats is to move away from conventional ways of engaging audiences and expressing ideas. We strongly encourage organisers to think creatively about their sessions.

Lean into your field, your community, and your lived experience, and aim to bring something new to the Indaba community. While you may be tempted to propose a standard half-day workshop, we encourage you to dig deeper and explore more innovative approaches.

Question being asked:
Does the session introduce something meaningfully new?

Reviewers assess:

  • Intellectual excitement of the topic
  • Whether the session breaks new ground or simply reiterates familiar debates
  • Whether recurring sessions have evolved, rather than being repeated
  • Degree of overlap with common or existing workshop formats
Appropriateness of audience<br />

Question being asked:
Is the content well matched to the intended audience?

Reviewers look for:

  • A clearly defined target audience
  • Appropriate depth (e.g. beginner, intermediate, advanced)
  • Internal consistency between stated goals and content depth

Proposals that are framed as being “for everyone” without clear audience definition are likely to score poorly here. We encourage organisers to be specific about who the session is for and what participants are expected to gain.

    Impact on the African AI/ML community

    Question being asked:
    Why does this matter beyond the event itself?

    Reviewers consider:

    • Contribution to African AI/ML ecosystems
    • Potential long-term or downstream benefits
    • Whether organisers and speakers are meaningfully connected to the Indaba community
    Format and delivery mode

    Question being asked:
     Is the chosen format intentional and well justified?

    Reviewers assess:

    • Suitability of the proposed format for the session’s goals
    • Presence of community-building and community-engagement strategies
    Interactivity and engagement

    Question being asked:
    Will participants actively engage, or mostly listen?

    Reviewers look for:

    • Elements that facilitate engagement at different levels
    • Whether interactivity meaningfully supports learning and exchange

    As a general guide, passive, lecture-style proposals tend to score poorly here. We encourage organisers to think about how to actively involve participants.

     

    Clarity and structure of the proposal

    This is very important, as it signals that organisers have thought through the actual implementation of their session.

    Question being asked:
     Can reviewers clearly understand what will happen?

    Reviewers assess:

    • Logical structure
    • Clear objectives
    • A clear (even if tentative) agenda
    • Clear expected outcomes

    It is okay if some details are still work in progress — what matters is that the proposal demonstrates thoughtful planning.

    Experience of the organising team

    Organiser experience plays a significant role in how proposals are assessed.

    Question being asked:
     Can this team realistically deliver the proposed session?

    Reviewers evaluate:

    • Relevant expertise
    • Prior experience running similar sessions
    • Evidence of commitment and execution reliability

    We encourage proposals to have more than one organiser (even for shorter sessions), as this reduces the risk of sessions not running due to last-minute issues (e.g. an organiser not being able to attend the Indaba physically for unprecedented reasons). More broadly, organiser distribution and redundancy are considered as proxies for execution reliability.

    Diversity of organisers and speakers

    Question being asked:
     Whose voices are represented?

    Reviewers assess diversity across:

    • Backgrounds, disciplines, and lived experience
    • Geography
    • Gender
    • Inclusion of underrepresented groups

    Diversity and inclusion are considered across both organisers and speakers.

    Feasibility and logistics

    Question being asked:
     Is the proposed session realistically executable?

    Reviewers look for:

    • Logistical realism
    • Confirmed or clearly indicated tentative speakers
    • Funding clarity (where relevant)
    • Risk assessment and ethical considerations, if applicable

    FAQs & Other Information

    Information Session

    An information session for everyone applying will be held on 26th February 2026. This session will provide an overview of the call, explain the different session formats, and offer an opportunity to ask questions. Register for the information session here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Ug20ORMXQWq76rULn1wsvQ

      Registration, Funding, and Ticket Allocation

      Details regarding registration, funding, and ticket allocation for organisers and speakers will be shared after acceptance notifications. Please note that acceptance of a proposal does not automatically imply travel or accommodation funding. Additionally, we strongly encourage organizing team members to also apply for tickets through the Deep Learning Indaba application, as this can maximize chances of securing tickets for all team members.

      Please note for first-time attendees or organisers: the Deep Learning Indaba operates on an allocation and ticketing system, not a simple “register” or “payment” model typical of many conferences. Learn more about the Indaba here: https://deeplearningindaba.com/2026/ 

      What should I expect after my proposal has been accepted?

      Once your proposal has been accepted, here is an overview of what will be expected of your organizing team:

      1. Finalize Details: You will confirm the schedule, speakers, and any special requirements.
      2. Ticket Allocation: After the standard Indaba attendance notifications have been released, we will ask you to confirm how your organiser and speaker tickets will be allocated. There will be a last call after which no last-minute changes will be accepted.
      3. Logistical Coordination: The Indaba organisers will coordinate on AV equipment or other venue needs. All session attendance will be physical; we will not be able to support virtual or hybrid formats.
      4. Final Program: Your workshop details (agenda, speakers, etc.) will be featured on the Deep Learning Indaba 2026 website and promotional materials. There will be a communicated deadline to finalize your website and session details. Failure to adhere to this deadline would lead to removing your session.
      5. Workshop Website: We require accepted workshops to create webpages with the details of their workshops which we will also link to from the DLI 2026 website.

       

      I am new to this concept of different session formats

      Not to worry. We will help you. Here are examples we suggest you look at – these are places that have diversified engagement modes with unconventional, community-driven session formats. Taking a look at their different formats and what they did could get your creative juices flowing

      For more ideas of session formats, check out step 3 of this RightsCon 2026 call for proposals. 

      Contact Information

      For questions or assistance, please contact the Workshop & Sessions Chairs at: workshops@deeplearningindaba.com. 

      Organisers

      • Raesetje Sefala 
      • Chris Emezue