The AI and Data Science for Social Impact initiative, led by APRU in partnership with data.org as part of its Asia Pacific Capacity Accelerator Network (CAN), empowers educators, students, and social impact organizations (SIOs) across Southeast Asia to harness data and AI for inclusive growth.

Through workshops, collaborative projects with SIOs under the Social Impact Data Science Accelerator (SIDSA), experiential learning initiatives including a Tech Policy Hackathon, and the development of open-source papers and training materials, the initiative addresses critical gaps in data literacy and social impact education.

Launched by APRU in 2024 and funded by Mastercard, this two-year collaboration is building a regional network of purpose-driven data practitioners to tackle pressing challenges in health, climate resilience, financial inclusion, and more.

Below are key projects and outputs currently in various phases of development through this partnership.