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A Nigerian researcher, Dr Otuu Obinna Ogbonnia, has won the gold medal at the 2026 Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI) PhD Graduates Research Competition held in Barcelona, Spain.
Dr Ogbonnia, who represented Swansea University in the United Kingdom, secured first place with his research on Conflict Sensitive Design (CSD), a framework aimed at improving the design of human-computer interaction and artificial intelligence systems in complex social environments.
The competition attracted PhD graduates and researchers from 77 universities worldwide. Participants progressed through multiple stages of evaluation, with Dr Ogbonnia advancing from an initial field of 77 contestants to a final round involving three researchers before emerging as the overall winner.
The result was announced during the CHI 2026 conference at the Barcelona International Convention Centre (CCIB), attended by thousands of researchers, academics, technology professionals and industry stakeholders.
According to information released at the event, Dr Ogbonnia is the first African researcher to receive the ACM CHI Graduate Gold Medal. The achievement follows another recognition in 2025 when he received the Best ACM CHI Research Paper Award, which is presented to a small percentage of papers submitted to the conference.
His Conflict Sensitive Design framework focuses on developing technology systems that account for social realities, particularly in communities affected by conflict and other societal challenges. The research explores ways technology can be designed to support inclusiveness, fairness and positive social outcomes alongside technical performance.
The ACM CHI conference is regarded as one of the leading global forums for research in human-computer interaction, bringing together experts from academia, industry and government to discuss advances in technology and digital innovation.
