International Digital Dialogues’ Post

🙏 I'm pleased to announce that my forthcoming peer-reviewed article, "Europe’s Super-rich: Towards Oligarchic Constitutional Order," will soon be published in the Journal of Common Market Studies. Many thanks to its editorial team and the helpful peer reviewers! The article tackles an important yet under-explored issue: the growing influence of Europe’s super-rich on governance, policy-making, and democratic processes. I explore how their wealth shapes institutions, regulatory practices, and discourses in ways that increasingly favor their interests, often at the expense of marginalized groups. This research agenda raises critical questions whether Europe is evolving towards an oligarchic constitutional order and what this means for democracy and human rights. Interestingly, this project began as a rejected ERC Starting Grant proposal—perhaps it was a too bold in its critique of the EU’s apparent oligarchic leanings among other reasons, including that the agenda requires further development (???). However, after further refining the project during a short fellowship with Prof. Ran Hirschl (University of Toronto) and his Comparative Constitutionalism Group during his Alexander von Humboldt-funded stay at the Max Planck Institute in Göttingen in January 2020, I’m excited to see this progress— and perhaps even if I have to personally fund this as one of my medium-term research agendas.

Shaming: confusing European science and knowledge policies with national politics is a huge mistake. Will the next step be burning books in an open fire? Other political means exist, but shooting ourselves in the feet (in science and knowledge) is not the best approach. By the way, a vital aspect to consider is that which politicians are in power does not always correlate with what States are about and what their citizens genuinely feel and believe. And it correlates even less with academia and scientists. https://lnkd.in/dNVTmvUv

I am very happy to share the news that with a generous support by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - German Research Foundation we are launching a research project "SCiDA" (Shaping Competition in the Digital Age). It aims to scrutinise, document and contribute to the functioning of the new ex-ante sui generis approach to regulating competition in digital markets with the focus on three jurisdictions-trendsetters: EU (DMA), UK (DMCCA) and Germany (§19a GWB). When saying "we" – I refer to a fantastic team I have an honour to be part of: Rupprecht Podszun, Jasper van den Boom and Sarah Hinck – furthermore, we'll soon be able to consider our further expansion (watch the space). We are committed to a scrupulous, monotonic, systemic, "invisible" work on this project. But we also intend to complement the research-intense part of our work with commenting on the ongoing developments in the area – and of course we all know how much in going on in all three jurisdictions. To reflect on the latter, we will be publishing regularly on our website https://scidaproject.com/ blogposts, interviews and other "current affairs" materials related to the DMA, DMCCA & § 19a GWB. Nota bene our website: https://scidaproject.com/ To start with, you are welcome to read the first three posts of our blog, 1) talking more about the project; 2) categorising compliance risks and 3) reflecting on the latest DMA stakeholder workshops. Jasper and Sarah have offered a very competent exposition of what was going on in Brussels, maturing it with a more conceptual analysis of the implications and reflecting on further steps. If you already admire Rupprecht's elegant and witty writing style as demonstrated persistently inter alia in his competition blog https://www.d-kart.de/en/, I can assure that you'll enjoy reading these three blogposts too. Needless to say, the best way to be updated on the development of the project is to subscribe to our Newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eP6RuTZZ

Celebrating Democracy through EU-Funded Research 🗳️ The CORDIS Results Pack on new tools and insights to better connect citizens with democracy highlights 15 Horizon-funded projects that engaged in the democratic process by: • offering new tools and methods for increasing democratic involvement, from participatory budgets to deliberative spaces for citizens • exploring different aspects of trust in governance • seeking to quantify the role of the media in helping public discourse of the issues that matter to citizens • investigating how extremists use disinformation campaigns to radicalise and recruit new members, offering strategies to prevent future conflicts • reviewing the risks and benefits offered by internet-voting systems. Learn more about all the projects featured at: https://europa.eu/!RPyM79 🎙️ Alongside this, the #CORDIScovery episode on democracy features three researchers who are working on how trust and distrust are generated and among other how machine learning can determine when disinformation can tip from internet chat into a real-life threat. 💡🇪🇺 Discover how EU-research projects are making a real difference in reinvigorating our democracies at: https://europa.eu/!j6qDTM #InternationalDayofDemocracy #EUResearch #CitizenEngagement Gdańsk University of Technology, EU Science, Research and Innovation, @david-duenas-cid-279ab451 @akademialeonakozminskiego EuComMeet, @demotec-project-eu-297582218 EUMEPLAT Project, Central European University, European Research Council (ERC), @vdeminstitute

In the digital era, information has become both a powerful tool and a battleground for shaping global perceptions of history, politics, and culture. This article explores the role of Wikipedia and other digital platforms in disseminating knowledge while highlighting the risks of bias and misinformation, particularly in politically sensitive topics. The South Caucasus, with its intricate historical and political dynamics, serves as a focal point for examining how controversial issues such as "Western Azerbaijan" and "Western Armenia" are portrayed on Wikipedia. Through an interview with Hazal Çagan Elbir , a Eurasia Research Center analyst, the article delves into the challenges of double standards in information dissemination, the impact of digital narratives on international understanding, and the strategies to combat misinformation. The discussion emphasizes the necessity of collaboration among universities, research institutions, and governments to promote critical thinking, ensure access to accurate historical data, and establish alternative knowledge-sharing platforms. The article also critically assesses Wikipedia's editorial practices and the influence of "digital mercenaries" in shaping narratives, which can lead to systematic disinformation and polarization. It underscores the need for heightened vigilance, academic rigor, and international cooperation to counterbalance these trends and protect the integrity of historical and political discourse in the digital age. https://lnkd.in/e2sJT84u .................................................. https://lnkd.in/eRUBvwVV

Looking for a book recommendation? 📚 From our library to yours, we’d like to highlight "The Liberal Internet in the Postliberal Era" by Johannes Thumfart, Senior Researcher at the Research Group on Law, Science, Technology & Society (LSTS) of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. This book offers a timely exploration of digital sovereignty and internet governance in a postliberal context. Could this help shape your next research study or debate? ➡️ Access it through your library or order a copy here: https://lnkd.in/eNmdMyuC ➡️ No access? Download a copy for internal research purposes: https://lnkd.in/eJfbqnaX #BookRecommendation #DigitalSovereignty #InternetGovernance #AcademicResearch #LSTS #VUB

Our Ph.D. students, Violeta Camarasa San Juan and Mengzhe Feng, recently published a new research article in Mass Communication and Society to discuss the instrumentalization of fake news and fake news laws.   The debate around disinformation has shifted to the political instrumentalization of the term fake news, a growing global trend affecting both democratic and less-democratic countries. While researchers have paid much attention to the consequences of disinformation or how fake news allegations could harm journalism and democracies, few have examined how the term may be instrumentalized to restrict press and political freedoms in non-Western contexts under an authoritarian turn. Through a quantitative content analysis, this paper explores how the term fake news is used in Hong Kong’s newspapers with diverse political inclinations. The paper goes on to analyze how the discursive uses of the term may be connected to the framing of fake news as an existential threat and to the legitimization or critique of fake news laws. The findings show that uses of the term as an attack to adverse media outlets and political opponents are most frequent in state-owned newspapers. State-owned newspapers are also most likely to frame fake news as an existential security issue and legislation as a solution.   Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gx5RjFQQ

🌐 𝘛𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘮 ⤵️ During the 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘁 conference on 28–29 October 2024, leading experts gathered at the European University Institute to address digital authoritarianism's rising threat to democracy and human rights. Organised by Professors Patryk Pawlak and Stephanie Hofmann, the event showcased collaborative efforts across disciplines—as well as among policymakers, scholars, and civil society—to protect Open Internet principles. As highlighted by Věra Jourová, Vice President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency, in her opening remarks, research plays a vital role in addressing these challenges. 🔗 Discover more about the conference and #GIFI agenda here: https://loom.ly/56zoYeU

📣 Just published! The new eight foresight policy briefs tackle key aspects for the preparation of the next European Framework Programme for #research and #innovation 🔬 ✔ The future of intellectual property, the role of Big Tech, and the science-policy interface ✔ The future of natural resources use and the growing demand for green skills ✔ The future of social confrontations, strengthening civic resilience, and the complexities of economic and criminal activity  These scenarios offer a basis for political debate and policy recommendations for EU R&I decision-makers.  Discover the eight briefs 👉 https://europa.eu/!g8JNbD Iliana Ivanova Joanna Drake  #HorizonEU

I wish you success! The creation of effective public policy requires several key elements. A scientific perspective from the outset is highly desirable. Political systems worldwide could benefit from incorporating a scientific approach to enhance informed decision-making processes that impact citizens globally.