Billan Omar

Doctoral Research Fellow: Africa AI Ethics

Billan Omar is pursuing a PhD in Social Anthropology at the University of Cape Town. Her research focuses on unpacking the intersections and possibilities of artificial intelligence and reproductive health in Somali and Somali diasporic communities. She obtained an MA in Social Anthropology from the University of Cape Town, with a thesis that focused on the nuances of Somali identity formation in Bellville, South Africa. She holds a BA in Anthropology and International Studies with a concentration in African Studies from Macalester College in Minnesota, USA. While at Macalester, she completed research on Somali American youth and language loss, which received the Nancy Penny Schwartz Undergraduate Essay Award from the Association for Africanist Anthropology. 

Focus:

Africa AI Ethics: Carnegie Corporation of New York + HUMA