March 2017 - netsociety - server-nexa.polito.it

Solidarity with CEU

by Eva Bognar

Dear friends and colleagues, As you may be aware, the Hungarian government is trying to force the closure of Central European University, home institution of our Center for Media, Data and Society. CEU is reaching out to friends and colleagues around the world for support to face down this threat. I am writing to ask you to send a letter of solidarity with CEU to the Hungarian authorities. CEU has set up a webpage https://www.ceu.edu/istandwithceu that includes a draft letter and contact information for emailing letters to the Hungarian government. We would also welcome institutional letters of support or public statements, in addition to your individual letters. We need your help in promoting this issue and sharing it with your friends, colleagues and networks around the world. There can be no doubt this is a politically motivated attack on civil society, free expression, critical thinking, and academic freedom. CEU's President and Rector has publicly stated the proposed legislation from the Hungarian government, which would make it impossible for us to exist, amounts to "political vandalism." We have never been more proud to be a part of CEU and your expressions of solidarity and support would mean a lot to us. Many thanks, Eva Bognar More information: CEU official response: https://www.ceu.edu/node/17832 NY Times article: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/29/world/europe/hungary-george-soros-univer… Foreign Policy: http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/03/30/stand-up-for-free-speech-hungary-viktor… US State Department`s response: https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2017/03/269343.htm#.WN5L8Lh0hL0.twitter EVA BOGNAR Senior Program Officer CMDS - Center for Media, Data and Society, School of Public Policy Central European University Nador u. 9 | 1051 Budapest, Hungary Phone: + 36.1.327.3000<tel:%2B%2036.1.327.3000> / 2609 bognare(a)spp.ceu.edu | www.cmds.ceu.hu<http://www.cmds.ceu.hu/>

March 31, 2017

DATA FOR CLIMATE ACTION — An open innovation challenge to unlock new data sources and harness data science for climate action

by Jonggun Lee

Dear all, United Nations Global Pulse (http://unglobalpulse.org/) an innovation initiative of the United Nations on Big Data and Data Revolution, has launched the Data for Climate Action challenge: a call to researchers and innovators around the world to put their skills to use to help achieve the Goal 13 (combat climate change and its impacts) of the Global Goals. Learn more and apply to participate by 10 April 2017 at http://www.dataforclimateaction.org. Press release available at http://bit.ly/2njpSa2 1. WHAT IS DATA FOR CLIMATE ACTION? Big data is transforming business and society. Imagine if we could apply it to address one of the world’s most pressing challenges—climate change. Data for Climate Action is an open innovation challenge to unlock new data sources and harness data science for climate action. The challenge will provide a platform for teams of researchers to work with companies willing to grant access to selected datasets for analysis, with the goal of generating insights relevant to climate mitigation, adaptation, and resilience. The challenge aims to demonstrate how data-driven innovation could transform how society approaches climate change, mobilizing both business leaders and the data science community to participate. 2. WHAT IS THE TIMELINE OF THE CHALLENGE? In March 2017, UN Global Pulse launched a public call for proposals, inviting researchers and teams to apply to participate in the challenge. This application period ends on April 10th! The challenge will then follow this approximate timeline: • Spring – Summer 2017: Research period • Fall 2017: Evaluation period and announcement of selected projects 3. HOW WILL SUBMISSIONS BE EVALUATED? Data for Climate Action is inviting prominent individuals with expertise in climate change and/or data science from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to serve as members of the Challenge’s review committees. Submissions will be evaluated on the following basis: • Preliminary review of research proposals to assess quality, clarity, credibility and potential impact. • Final review of completed research projects to assess scientific rigor and potential real-world impact, and to ensure that the research is ethical and privacy compliant. 4. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATION? The projects developed through the challenge will add to the growing body of examples that reveal the shared value of big data and public-private cooperation for climate action and sustainable development. Selected projects will be featured and publicized. When possible and practicable, the Challenge will also aim to connect research teams with relevant field practitioners at UN agencies and within national governments in order to facilitate pilot projects and operational solutions. 5. HOW CAN BIG DATA CONTRIBUTE TO CLIMATE ACTION? Big data can complement traditional sources of climate data in two ways: Monitoring and impact evaluation. Big data can reveal the effectiveness of current efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change, and the impacts that climate change is already having on communities. For example: aggregated mobile data has been used to understand the effects of flooding on mobility patterns, yielding insights that could improve disaster relief management and infrastructure planning. Development of new solutions. Big data can generate insights to help identify novel approaches to climate mitigation and adaptation. For example: aggregated mobile data has been used to measure urban traffic congestion. Transportation companies and policymakers can use such insights to improve fleet management and transit planning, reducing emissions while better serving their communities. With best regards, Jonggun -- Jong Gun Lee Data Scientist Research Lead Pulse Lab Jakarta Wisma Nusantara Jl. MH. Thamrin No. 59 Jakarta 10350 - Indonesia Phone: +62-(0)21-3983-8473 Email: jonggun.lee(a)un.or.id http://unglobalpulse.org/jakarta Twitter and Facebook: @pulselabjakarta

March 31, 2017

South School of Internet Governance @ FGV

by Luca Belli

Dear colleagues,(apologies for cross-posting) FYI, next week FGV’s Rio de Janeiro Law School will host the South School of Internet Governance. The initiative stems from a partnership between FGV’s Center for Technology and Society (CTS) and the Centro de Capacitación en Alta Tecnología (CCAT - LAT). The central theme of the 2017 SSIG will be “Sustainable Internet Governance”. The event will offer remote participation, with video streaming in Portuguese, Spanish and English, via Facebook Live. Here is the press release with more info (feel free to share) http://tinyurl.com/mh56ofm<http://fgvnoticias.fgv.br/en/news/fgv-hosts-international-conference-intern…> More info regarding the SSIG 2017 here http://www.gobernanzainternet.org/ssig2017/en/ Below some stats about the SSIG 2017 fellows and faculty members Best regards, Luca ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SSIG 2017 fellowship and faculty: Applications received 712 Selected Fellows (with scholarship): 185 Fellows come from the following countries: Argentina Bolivia Brasil Chile Colombia Costa Rica Cuba Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador España Guatemala Haiti Honduras Mexico Nicaragua Panama Paraguay PERU U.S. Uruguay Venezuela Gender balance among fellows: 51 % female 49 % male Stakeholder categories represented: government, civil society, academy, technical community, business. ------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Luca Belli, PhD Senior Researcher, Center for Technology & Society, FGV Rio de Janeiro Chercheur Associé, Centre de Droit Public Comparé, Université Paris 2 Head of Internet Governance @ FGV internet-governance.fgv.br<http://internet-governance.fgv.br> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

March 30, 2017

TILT invites applications for Assistant Professorship in EU Health Law

by C.R. Nauta

Dear members of the Network of Centers, TILT invites applications for an assistant professorship (UD) in the field of EU health law, with focus on regulating health technologies (broadly defined). Healthcare, which has traditionally been a protected and tightly-regulated arena of action, is increasingly challenged by the development of new technologies that may or may not be inherent to the practice of medicine and biomedical research. Given the continual permeation of emergent technologies into healthcare, researchers and policy makers are not always able to foresee or oversee the potential implications and anticipate the regulatory measures necessary to governing the use of these technologies in the everyday practices of patients, care professionals and biomedical/health researchers. As part of a growing research program on the regulation and governance of health technologies, we are looking for legal scholars specialized in EU health law, who have solid knowledge of the law (in the books) as well as broader interest in issues of technological governance. Candidates should have demonstrable knowledge of current regulatory developments at the EU level that influence the practice of medicine and/or medical research in member states, as well as a solid basis in health law in one or more national legal systems. Knowledge of Dutch health law is considered to be an advantage. Deadline: 15 April 2017 More information: http://bit.ly/2nr4Zg5 Best regards, Renske Nauta Renske Nauta Management Assistant Tilburg University Law School TILT - Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology and Society Room M 721 P.O. Box 90153 5000 LE Tilburg University Office hours: Mo. & Thu. 8.30-17.00 hrs. Tel.: + (31) 13 466 8720 c.r.nauta(a)tilburguniversity.edu<mailto:c.r.nauta@tilburguniversity.edu> www.tilburguniversity.edu<http://www.tilburguniversity.edu/> www.tilt.nl<http://www.tilt.nl/> [Universiteit van Tilburg]<http://www.tilburguniversity.edu/>

March 27, 2017

Final Call for Applications: Visiting Postdoctoral Fellowships “Algorithmed Public Spheres” (Hamburg)

by Cornelius Puschmann

Dear colleagues, Apologies for cross-posting. Find below a reminder for a current call for visiting fellows open at my institute until *April 1st*. Please share! All best, Cornelius *** Visiting Postdoctoral Fellowships “Algorithmed Public Spheres” (Deadline: April 1st) *** This call is also available on our website: http://tiny.cc/apsfellows SUMMARY: The Hans Bredow Institute for Media Research in Hamburg, Germany, invites applications for international postdoctoral research fellows who will conduct innovative research on the social and cultural impact of algorithms during stays of 3-12 months in Hamburg in the academic year 2017/2018. DESCRIPTION: The Hans Bredow Institute for Media Research is a publicly funded research institute that focuses on the study of mediated public communication. Its research encompasses both broadcast and digital communication from an interdisciplinary and comparative perspective. The postdoctoral research network Algorithmed Public Spheres was established to study the relevance of algorithms for the constitution of the public sphere. We emphasize in particular the importance of algorithms for filtering, ranking and selecting media content and for structuring digital communication. In contrast to the use of data mining in areas such as healthcare, credit scoring and general business analytics, where such techniques have a long tradition, the impact of algorithms on the public sphere poses novel challenges. How are communication, media, and public discourse impacted by transferring the dominant logics of consumption from other industries to news, information, and political deliberation, implemented in social media platforms, search engines, and on news websites? Research in this area could include: - Measurement of algorithmic bias and discrimination - Feedback effects in recommender systems - Assessment of potential filter bubbles - Algorithms in news production, distribution and consumption processes - User interaction with and rationalization of algorithms We invite applications for international postdoctoral research fellows from fields including, but not restricted to, computer and information science, communication and media studies, law, sociology and philosophy, who will conduct innovative research on the social and cultural impact of algorithms during stays of 3-12 months in Hamburg in the academic year 2017/2018. We particularly welcome cross-cutting research proposals that integrate technical and social perspectives and result in concrete outcomes, for example in the form of peer-reviewed research articles or proposals for externally funded projects. Up to two funded fellowships will be awarded as result of this call. The fellowships cover airfare and a contribution to the accommodation and subsistence in Hamburg. In specific cases, we may offer a temporary employment contract instead of a scholarship. To apply, please send a cover letter (one page), a project proposal (up to three pages) and your CV (up to four pages), including a list of your most relevant publications (maximum of five), to Cornelius Puschmann ( c.puschmann(a)hans-bredow-institut.de) Please note that applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered. IMPORTANT DATES: Application deadline: April 1, 2017 Announcement of 2017/2018 Fellows: May 1, 2017 -- Dr. Cornelius Puschmann Research Associate Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society Französische Straße 9 10117 Berlin, Germany www.hiig.de Senior Researcher Hans Bredow Institute for Media Research Rothenbaumchaussee 36 20148 Hamburg, Germany www.hans-bredow-institut.de p: +49 40 450 217 55 e: cornelius.puschmann(a)hiig.de w: cbpuschmann.net *Recent paper:* Puschmann, C., & Scheffler, T. (2016). Topic modeling for media and communication research: A short primer (*HIIG Discussion Paper Series* No. 2016–5). Berlin. Retrieved from http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2836478

March 23, 2017

Geneva Internet L@w Summer School 2017 / Geneva Internet L@w Research Colloquium 2017

by Jacques de Werra

Dear Colleagues: This is to inform you that the University of Geneva organizes the 4th edition of the Geneva Internet L@w Summer School<https://www.genevasummerschools.ch/programme/courses-2017/internet-law> from June 19 to June 30, 2017 (apologies for cross-posting). The Geneva Internet l@w summer school offers a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the framework of an Internet law clinic and to discuss cutting edge Internet law and policy issues with academics (including researchers participating in the Geneva Internet L@w Research Colloquium<http://www.unige.ch/droit/pi/research-projects/research-colloquium/>, see below), practitioners, representatives of global policy makers, international organizations and leading institutions, including (for this year again) the Berkman Klein Center<https://cyber.harvard.edu/>, the International Telecommunication Union<http://www.itu.int/en/Pages/default.aspx> (ITU), the World Intellectual Property Organization<http://www.wipo.int/portal/en/> (WIPO), and the Geneva Internet Platform<http://giplatform.org/> (GIP), as well as from other prestigious academic or governmental institutions and global internet companies (Google and eBay). Additionally, this is to inform you about the second edition of the Geneva Internet L@w Research Colloquium<http://www.unige.ch/droit/actus/old2016/Internet-Law-Research-Colloquium.ht…> which will take place on 23 June 2017. The colloquium is organized by the University of Geneva, in collaboration with the Berkman Klein Center<https://cyber.harvard.edu/>, the CRIDES Center for Economic Law and Society at the Catholic University of Louvain (UCL)<https://www.uclouvain.be/en-crides.html>, the Digital Asia Hub<http://www.digitalasiahub.org/>, the Geneva Internet Platform<https://www.giplatform.org/>, the Institute for Technology and Society of Rio<https://itsrio.org/en/en-home/>, and Renmin University of China<http://www.ruc.edu.cn/en>. The colloquium, held in the framework of the 4th edition of the Geneva Internet L@w Summer School, provides researchers working in Internet law the opportunity to present their work-in-progress to a global panel of Internet law experts (coming from all the partner institutions involved in the colloquium), engage with one another in an informal setting, have in-depth discussions and exchanges, and receive helpful feedback and advice (see the testimonials for the first colloquium: https://www.unige.ch/droit/pi/summer-school/internet-law/internet-lw-summer…) We very much look forward to receiving applications from students and from researchers interested in stimulating discussions with international experts and colleagues. Please note that the deadline for applications is May 1st, 2017 for the summer school, and April 14, 2017 for the research colloquium. Please visit the following website to apply for the summer school and to obtain further information on how to apply for the research colloquium: https://genevasummerschools.ch/programme/courses-2017/internet-law. We would be most grateful if you could circulate this information around you. Please feel free to contact us at internetlaw(a)unige.ch<mailto:internetlaw@unige.ch> if you need any additional information regarding the above. Thank you Best regards Jacques de Werra (for the organizers of the summer school & the research colloquium)

March 14, 2017

'Big Data from the South/desde el Sur': deadline extension and special issue

by Balazs Bodo

APOLOGIES FOR CROSS-POSTING -----Original Message----- From: Stefania Milan [mailto:s.milan@uva.nl] Sent: Thursday, March 2, 2017 8:29 AM Dear all/estimad@s The deadline for ‘Big Data from the South/desde el Sur’ has been extended to March 15th. Please submit in either English or Spain to iamcr2017(a)data-activism.net. Please note that we have been invited to submit a special issue proposal for a peer-reviewed, international and indexed journal based on papers from the event :-) We look forward to your papers! We are happy to consider as many "Souths" as you imagine, perceive and study them! Best, Stefania and Emiliano [Español abajo] Deadline for abstract: March 15 Big Data from the South: From media to mediations, from datafication to data activism Organizers: Stefania Milan (University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands & University of Oslo, Norway) & Emiliano Treré (Scuola Normale Superiore, Italy). Critical scholarship has exposed how big data brings along new and opaque regimes of population management, control, and discrimination. Building on this scholarship, this pre-conference engages in a dialogue with traditions that critique the dominance of Western approaches to datafication that do not recognize the diversity of the Global South. Moving from datafication to data activism, this event will examine the diverse ways through which citizens and the organized civil society in the Global South engage in bottom-up data practices for social change as well as resistance to “dark” uses of big data that increase oppression and inequality. Location: Cartagena, Colombia Date and Time: July 15, 2017, 10am-6pm http://cartagena2017.iamcr.org/big-data-from-the-south-from-media-to-mediat… ------- Big Data desde el sur: de los medios a las mediaciones, de la dataficación al activismo de datos http://cartagena2017.iamcr.org/big-data-from-the-south-from-media-to-mediat… Organizadores: Stefania Milan (University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands & University of Oslo, Norway), Emiliano Treré (Scuola Normale Superiore, Italy). Fecha y Hora: Julio 15, 2017 de 10am – 6pm Descripción de la conferencia: La crítica académica ha hecho evidente cómo el big data implica nuevos y opacos regímenes de gestión demográfica, control y discriminación. Con base en estas elaboraciones, la pre-conferencia se involucra en un diálogo con las tradiciones críticas al dominio de las perspectivas occidentales sobre la dataficación, que no reconocen la diversidad del Sur Global. Trasladándose de la dataficación al activismo de datos, este evento examinará las maneras diversas en que los ciudadanos y la sociedad civil organizada en el Sur Global se involucran en prácticas de datos horizontales en pro del cambio social, así como en resistencias frente a usos “oscuros” de los big data que aumentan la opresión y la desigualdad.

March 2, 2017