Guest post by Jonas Norén

Knowledge graphs are webs of interconnected information built using nodes (entities like people, places, concepts) and edges (their relationships). They excel at revealing complex relationships and networks, adapting as new data is added and enabling sophisticated connectivity queries for large, complex networks. These digital relationship maps have become essential across many sectors—e.g social platforms suggest connections, researchers trace funding networks, and AI systems rely on them for contextual understanding.

The MERL Tech Initiative and the Sandbox working group at the NLP-CoP are hosting an online event on knowledge graphs, featuring three experts sharing real-world applications within MERL. 

Join us on August 26 to discover practical uses across different fields. 

Understanding Graph Technology by Nicolas Dickinson

Communication centers on relationships. When we tell stories, name things, or create organizations, we map connections to make sense of the world. This human need to trace relationships has evolved into a powerful analytical tool. Nicolas Dickinson will introduce knowledge graph concepts and show how they’re integrated into everyday systems. From historical archives helping researchers trace centuries-old connections, to news networks revealing information patterns, to search engines—knowledge graphs work behind the scenes. You’ll see how these relationship maps power forensic investigations, enable advanced database searches, and help AI understand context. After Nick’s presentation, you’ll recognize knowledge graphs in action and consider new possibilities for your own work.

Cities as Connected Systems by Shruti Syal

Cities are like living organisms – complex webs of social, physical, and digital connections where resilience emerges from how components work together. Understanding cities means mapping their boundaries, key elements, and interconnected influences. Shruti Syal will share two real-world examples from her urban resilience research, showing how she defines analysis scope and maps crucial connections. She’ll demonstrate how network maps transform abstract urban systems into visual formats that city planners and practitioners can use. Using KUMU, an accessible network mapping tool, Shruti will show how knowledge graphs help researchers study cities as complex systems while supporting transparency, integrating with government data tools, and updating easily as cities evolve. These visual maps are intuitive enough for public engagement, turning citizens into collaborators in understanding their urban environments.

Building Networks for Social Change by Mario Marais

Whether launching an initiative, starting an NGO, or building a business, success requires understanding the system you’re entering. As a “Social Capitalist,” our third presenter – Mario Marais – recognizes that networks enabling growth and change must be thoroughly researched and mapped at every level—from societal trends to individual relationships. This presentation reveals the process of identifying key people and organizations, visualizing their relationships, and understanding value exchanges that drive outcomes. Through conversations and research, you’ll see how relationship mapping uncovers perspectives and dependencies shaping any system. Preliminary results will demonstrate how knowledge graphs clarify business value propositions and reveal the multiple relationship layers that nonprofits depend on to create meaningful change.

Get to know our speakers

Nicolas Dickinson has worked on water, sanitation and hygiene since 2004, supporting professional communities, systems change, and participatory research methodologies. From 2010, he improved regional and national monitoring systems in African countries through work with IRCWASH, UNICEF, WHO, SWA and the AU. Today, he supports UN teams on global monitoring tools and contributes to open source software and data standards. In the Netherlands, he models heat pump impacts on energy grids using sensor data.

Shruti Syal is Assistant Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University with degrees from McGill (Biology), The Energy and Resources Institute (Environmental Studies), and University of Illinois (PhD Regional Planning). Following projects in urban conservation, water quality, waste management, and regional analysis across India, Oman, Canada, and the U.S., she found her niche in systems research, integrating Complex Adaptive Systems, Social-Ecological Systems Framework, and Social Network Analysis to provide resilience tools for cities.

Mario Marais was appointed as Physical Chemist at South Africa’s CSIR in 1983, later working on micro-sensor and RFID development, technology management and futures research. Since 1994, he focused on ICT4D strategy and from 2000 researched IT and Internet access sustainability to enhance quality of life and grow businesses. His PhD in Informatics from University of Pretoria examined social capital’s role in supporting rural entrepreneur sustainability.