January 2026 - Air-L - lists.aoir.org

UKRI is inviting AI researchers to the UK | The University of Manchester
by Kitty Lo 23 Jan '26

23 Jan '26

A major new opportunity has just launched for world‑class AI talent based outside the UK! UKRI are seeking to attract exceptional Artificial Intelligence (AI) researchers currently based outside of the UK to build new AI research capability in UK Universities. This fellowship provides: * Funding to relocate to the UK * Support to establish a high‑calibre research team * Resources to pursue transformational, high‑impact AI research If anyone in your network knows outstanding AI researchers who may be interested in relocating to the UK — or if that might even be you — please encourage them to submit an Expression of Interest to Digital Futures - The University of Manchester via this link: https://forms.gle/ZUMJKCbxFJJGidr8A EoI Deadline: 6 February 2026 at 17:00 GMT More details of the scheme can be found here: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/turing-ai-global-fellowships/ For further details or queries, reach out to Digital Futures at: digitalfutures(a)manchester.ac.uk<mailto:digitalfutures@manchester.ac.uk> To stay up to date with Digital Futures' opportunities and news, please sign up to our newsletter here: https://tinyurl.com/digitalfuturesuom Kind regards, Kitty kitty.lo(a)manchester.ac.uk | Communications and Engagement Coordinator | Research Platforms Team - Digital Futures | The University of Manchester | Pronouns (She/her) Christie Building | The University of Manchester | Oxford Road | M13 9PL Sign up to the Digital Futures newsletter here - https://tinyurl.com/digitalfuturesuom

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hypestudies 🔮 cooperate with Techpolicy.press 🚀
by Jascha Bareis 23 Jan '26

23 Jan '26

Dear list members, *Hypestudies.org is excited to announce a 2026 cooperation with Techpolicy.press*: a year-long exploration of how hype shapes technology, society, and power. The first three pieces are now online and accessible under: https://www.techpolicy.press/category/the-hype-studies-series/ Tech, Venture Capital and the Hype of War <https://www.techpolicy.press/tech-venture-capital-and-the-hype-of-war> Why Tech Hype Is Rising and What Venture Capital Has to Do with It <https://www.techpolicy.press/why-tech-hype-is-rising-and-what-venture-capit…> Expanding Hype Literacy to Protect Democracy <https://www.techpolicy.press/expanding-hype-literacy-to-protect-democracy> We are fostering translations with great partners like la Jacobina Brazil (Portuguese), El Salto (Spanish), Jacobin (German), and hum/dev (Polish), to reach audiences beyond English speaking world. *Why Hype Studies?* Technology hype is a powerful force that influences everything from investment decisions to military strategy, from labor practices to democratic processes. Understanding how hype operates is crucial for anyone trying to make sense of our tech-driven world –specially in a context of the virulent AI hype, post-truth regimes and geopolitical turmoil. This series brings together diverse perspectives from scholars, activists, and researchers across multiple disciplines to interrogate hype from every angle: its role in finance, warfare, democracy, regulation, labor exploitation, and more. With best regards and stay tuned The Hypestudies team

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EDMO BELUX 2.0 Call for Contributions
by Nadia Tjahja 23 Jan '26

23 Jan '26

Dear colleagues, EDMO BELUX 2.0 is pleased to announce a call for contributions to its final conference. Based in Belgium and Luxembourg, we take the opportunity to reflect how our efforts across fact-checking, media literacy, research investigations to monitor and respond to disinformation raise resilience in democratic societies. In particular we seek to contribute policy evidence of societal threats and responses to disinformation. This conference welcomes fact-checkers, media professionals, media literacy practitioners, educators, disinformation analysts and researchers, policy makers and other stakeholders involved in the mitigation of disinformation, especially in Luxembourg and Belgium. The main sessions of the conference will take place in English, while parallel sessions can be organised in French or English. We welcome proposals for standalone papers and studies, themed panels, and hands-on workshops, along the lines of our EDMO pillars on fact-checking, media literacy, and research investigations. Contributions that speak to the Belgian and Luxembourgish contexts, as well as EU policy implementation, are especially welcomed. EDMO BELUX 2.0<https://belux.edmo.eu/> is a multidisciplinary hub that unites fact-checkers, disinformation analysts, media literacy organizations, and academics. Together, we strive to counteract the spread of disinformation, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of information in our communities. We support a wide and diverse community dedicated to safeguarding democratic processes in Belgium and Luxembourg. EDMO BELUX 2.0 is a co-financed Digital Europe project, under Grant Agreement number 101158785. This EDMO BELUX 2.0 final conference is organized jointly with the Brussels Institute for Advanced Studies and is part of BrIAS 2025-2026 programming on Democratic Governance: Challenges and Innovations<https://brias.be/index.php/current-programme/>. More information is available here: https://belux.edmo.eu/event/edmo-belux-2-0-final-conference-countering-disi… Kind regards, Nadia Tjahja, PhD Vrije Universiteit Brussel | Brussels School of Governance | Adjunct Professor & Postdoctoral Researcher https://brussels-school.be/research/digitalisation-democracy-and-innovation United Nations University – CRIS | Co-Coordinator of the Digital Governance Cluster www.cris.unu.edu<http://www.cris.unu.edu/> YOUthDIG Coordinator, European Dialogue on Internet Governance (EuroDIG)<https://www.eurodig.org/> Commissioning Editor, Policy & Internet Journal (P&I<https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19442866>)

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UKRI is inviting AI researchers to the UK | The University of Manchester
by Kitty Lo 23 Jan '26

23 Jan '26

A major new opportunity has just launched for world‑class AI talent based outside the UK! UKRI are seeking to attract exceptional Artificial Intelligence (AI) researchers currently based outside of the UK to build new AI research capability in UK Universities. This fellowship provides: * Funding to relocate to the UK * Support to establish a high‑calibre research team * Resources to pursue transformational, high‑impact AI research If anyone in your network knows outstanding AI researchers who may be interested in relocating to the UK — or if that might even be you — please encourage them to submit an Expression of Interest to Digital Futures - The University of Manchester<https://www.digitalfutures.manchester.ac.uk/> via this link: https://forms.gle/ZUMJKCbxFJJGidr8A EoI Deadline: 6 February 2026 at 17:00 GMT More details of the scheme can be found here: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/turing-ai-global-fellowships/ For further details or queries, reach out to Digital Futures at: digitalfutures(a)manchester.ac.uk<mailto:digitalfutures@manchester.ac.uk> To stay up to date with Digital Futures' opportunities and news, please sign up to our newsletter here: https://tinyurl.com/digitalfuturesuom Kind regards, Kitty kitty.lo(a)manchester.ac.uk<mailto:kitty.lo@manchester.ac.uk> | Communications and Engagement Coordinator | Research Platforms Team - Digital Futures<http://www.digitalfutures.manchester.ac.uk/> | The University of Manchester | Pronouns (She/her) Sign up to the Digital Futures newsletter here - https://tinyurl.com/digitalfuturesuom

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New book: The Sage Handbook of Chinese Digital Media and Communication
by Jian Xu 23 Jan '26

23 Jan '26

Dear colleagues, We are pleased to share that The Sage Handbook of Chinese Digital Media and Communication, co-edited by Jian Xu (Deakin University), Shaohua Guo (Carleton College) and Weiyu Zhang (National University of Singapore), has now been published. https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/the-sage-handbook-of-chinese-digital-media… The handbook is the first comprehensive reference work dedicated to the fast-evolving field of digital media and communication in China. Marking three decades since China’s official connection to the internet, this landmark volume with 37 chapters brings together leading scholars from across the globe to examine the profound transformations digital technologies have brought to Chinese society, politics, culture, and economy. Spanning activism, governance, labor, industry, everyday life, and research methods, the handbook offers a critical and interdisciplinary survey of the field. It explores how the internet and digital media have reshaped political participation, civil society, and national identity; how state regulation and surveillance intersect with innovation and platformization; and how digital labor, fandom, gaming, and e-commerce are redefining cultural production, consumption and economy. It also reflects on the lived experiences of users, from parenting and diaspora to queer communities and mobile rituals. Structured across five thematic parts, the volume not only maps the current landscape of Chinese digital media and communication but also interrogates the knowledge production that has shaped the field. It invites dialogue with global digital media scholarship and offers a timely reflection on the past, present, and future of China’s digital transformation. Part 1: Activism, Civil Society and Politics Part 2: Technology, Regulation and Governance Part 3: Platform, Labor and Industry Part 4: User, Culture and Everyday Life Part 5: Method, Approach and Reflections Best regards Jian, Shaohua and Weiyu Important Notice: The contents of this email are intended solely for the named addressee and are confidential; any unauthorised use, reproduction or storage of the contents is expressly prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please delete it and any attachments immediately and advise the sender by return email or telephone. Deakin University does not warrant that this email and any attachments are error or virus free.

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AoIR 2026 - Fishbowl on Ai and Global Antiblackness
by André Brock 22 Jan '26

22 Jan '26

Hello, everyone! I’m writing to gauge interest in a panel on the above topic for the upcoming conference. Is there anyone on the list interested in either participating or helping to organize this fishbowl style event? If so, please contact me at Andre.brock(a)lmc.gtech.edu; I’d love to hear your suggestions on participation, possible attendees, and facilitator questions for the event. A. I'd love to connect. Click https://cal.com/docdre/30min to schedule a meeting with me! André Brock Associate Professor Department of Literature, Media, and Communication Georgia Institute of Technology Twitter: @DocDre Distributed Blackness: African American Cybercultures https://opensquare.nyupress.org/books/9781479811908/

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WEBCAST JAN 23 – Into the Next Digital Generation: Lessons from Yesterday, Predictions for Tomorrow
by Joly MacFie 22 Jan '26

22 Jan '26

Co-Moderators and Respondents: Rosa Morales – Esq. Lorenzo Pupillo – Centre for European Policy Studies 11:45 Media Industry Structure: An Iron Law of Oligopoly? Ben Compaine – Director of Fellows Program, CITI Jason Adam Buckweitz – Executive Director, CITI, and Adjunct Assistant Professor, Columbia Business School Robert Frieden – Pioneers Chair and Professor of Telecommunications and Law, Penn State University Co-Moderators and Respondents: Kenneth Carter – CEO and Founder, Ozeki Heather Hudson – Professor and fmr. Director ISER, University of Alaska Anchorage 12:45 Lunch Koos Bekker – Chairman, Naspers 2:00 Content Media: 3 Generations of Past Trouble, and Into the Next Eli Noam – CITI Esther Dyson – Investor, Journalist, Author, Philanthropist Howard Homonoff – Senior U.S. Media & Industry Advisor, Grant Thornton Advisors LLC Joost van Dreunen – Asst. Professor, NYU Stern School of Business Stanley Pierre-Louis – President & CEO, Entertainment Software Association Co-Moderators and Respondents: Darcy Gerbarg – Pioneer Digital Artist Corey Spencer – Asst. Director, CITI 3:00 Communications Finance: The Past and Future of Media and IT Investments Doug Conn – fmr Executive Director, SMBC Nikko Securities Tom Aust – fmr VP-Senior Analyst, State Street Blair Levin – Policy Advisor, New Street Research James Alleman – Professor Emeritus, University of Colorado, Boulder Co-Moderators and Respondents: Leon Perlman – fmr head, Digital Financial Services Observatory, CITI Harold Vogel – CEO, Vogel Capital Management Bruce Lincoln – Sr. Fellow, CITI, and co-founder, Silicon Harlem 4:00 Coffee Break 4:15 America and the World: Digital Thought Leadership in the 21st Century Reed Hundt – fmr Chairman, FCC Joseph Stiglitz – University Professor, Columbia University Lawrence Lessig – Furman Professor of Law, Harvard Law School Leonard Waverman – fmr Dean, DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University Martha Garcia-Murillo – Dean, College of Information Science & Technology, University of Nebraska Omaha Co-Moderators: William Drake – Director of International Studies, Columbia Institute for Tele-Information Jonathan Liebenau – Professor of Technology Management, London School of Economics -- -------------------------------------- Joly MacFie +12185659365 -------------------------------------- -

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DEADLINE EXTENDED: CFP - Turning Points in Media Studies: The Long 1990s in Global Internet Histories
by Zimanyi, Eszter 22 Jan '26

22 Jan '26

Dear AoIR community, Please see below for updated submission info for the Center for Advanced Research in Global Communication's open access edited volume on The Long 1990s in Global Internet Histories. The volume will be published through Manifold and we are interested in a number of critical creative modalities. Best wishes, Eszter DEADLINE EXTENDED Call for Papers: The Long 1990s in Global Internet Histories Turning Points in Media Studies is an anthology series examining critical moments that shaped the development of media in various parts of the world, the circumstances and histories leading to these moments, and their impact on media development in subsequent periods. This volume, titled ‘The Long 1990s in Global Internet Histories,’ emerges from internal workshops at the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Advanced Research in Global Communication. The workshops reconsidered the coordinates and foundations of the Internet’s development and expansion across the world. These conversations culminated in a satellite event at the annual conference of the Association of Internet Researchers in October 2023. Building on the insights shared by our symposium presenters, this edited collection steers clear of Anglophone, north-Atlantic media histories. Instead, it returns to ‘the long 1990s’, a period defined by major political-economic, social, and cultural transformations across Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East, to offer a global perspective on the history of the Internet. We explore the unruliness and abundance of media cultures that emerged out of the political-economic churn of the decades spanning 1980s, 1990s and the early 2000s to consider multiple ways of being and doing things on the Internet. Assembling an otherwise overlooked range of archives, material cultures and experiences, this volume reimagines the trajectories of Internet’s development and proliferation across multiple analog and digital media. We are interested in critical academic essays and reflections as well as experimental and multimodal work on the Internet’s layered proliferation across the Global South. We ask: what new histories of the Internet emerge into view if we think from the moment of ‘reform’ and ‘economic liberalization’ in varied regional contexts? In what ways would our understanding of Internet histories and digital futures shift if we were to draw insights from media histories, practices, and environments from varied Global South contexts that do not, or will not, follow an easily comprehensible, linear path toward a seemingly inevitable digital horizon? How does a return to the long 1990s, however belatedly, recast Internet histories and re-imagine digital futures? Thematic Concerns Drawing inspiration from our collective conversations over the past three years, we particularly encourage contributions engaging with three conceptual threads: * Belatedness: Following Ali Behdad, we invite essays that theorize “lateness” not as lag or deficit but as a productive, generative condition—one that allows us to rethink Internet and media histories outside the framework of ‘catching up’. Belatedness enables us to revisit the 1990s and trouble the temporal frameworks of economic liberalization, economic reform, and neoliberal modernity. * Unruly Milieus: We seek accounts of messy, heterogeneous media environments that refuse neat categorizations. Rather than simply positing a national account of the Internet, we ask how networked cultures emerge through the technical and material interactions of satellites, digital infrastructure, and other informal circulations. * Abundance: We seek critical inquiries on the abundance of media forms and cultural production from non-Western and diasporic communities that highlight gender, labour and class relations. We invite reflections on how media technologies, practices, and personalities from this era – from FM radio and cable television to SD cards, cybercafés, and pirate film cultures – challenge teleological narratives of inevitable digitalization. Formats and Interventions Turning Points in Media Studies is supported by Manifold @Penn, an intuitive, collaborative, open-source platform for scholarly publishing. Manifold transforms scholarly publications into live digital works through rich media support and iterative texts. We welcome interdisciplinary and multimodal contributions, including but not limited to: Scholarly essays Photo-essays and visual interventions Critical explorations of early internet archives and objects Creative nonfiction, diaries, and fieldnotes Artwork or multimedia reflections, including audio-centered practices Submission Guidelines Please submit the following materials by March 1, 2026 via the form linked below Title of the piece Type of Contribution Abstract (250–300 words) Author name, institutional affiliation, and email address Submission form: http://bit.ly/3LAq6Ku Selected contributors will be invited to submit full drafts (for written pieces, maximum 3,500 words including endnotes and works cited) by May 15, 2026. Submissions should follow APA 9th edition formatting and use endnotes rather than footnotes. Please note that no payment from authors will be required to publish in this open-access volume. If you have any further questions, email us at: cargc.turningpoints(a)gmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------ Eszter Zimanyi, Ph.D. Research Director Center for Advanced Research in Global Communication Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania Pronouns: she/her http://www.eszterzimanyi.com

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Three weeks to submit to ICA 2026 Pre-Conference "Rethinking Global Discourses of Racial Inequality"
by yossi david 22 Jan '26

22 Jan '26

We invite submissions for the in-person pre-conference titled, “Rethinking Global Discourses of Racial Inequality,” at ICA 2026, jointly organized by the Language & Social Interaction (LSI), Intercultural Communication (ICC), and Ethnicity & Race in Communication (ERIC) divisions. This pre-conference responds to the current global moment, marked by intersecting discourses of racism, resistance, justice, and empowerment. Across societies, renewed attention to racial inequalities has sparked calls to reimagine the conceptual and methodological tools we use to study how race is constituted, normalized, and contested in communication practices. Our aim is to create an interdisciplinary and supportive space where all participants (particularly students and early-career scholars) can share their work, receive constructive feedback, and build networks for collaboration across divisions and disciplines. By bringing together scholars from LSI, ICC, and ERIC, we seek to advance cross-divisional dialogue and develop innovative approaches to understanding and transforming global discourses of race and inequality. Topics of Interest We welcome submissions that address, but are not limited to, the following areas: * Interactional and discursive constructions of race, racism, and racial difference * Cross-cultural and intercultural dimensions of racism, privilege, and power * Global and transnational perspectives on racial inequality and justice * Communication practices of resistance, solidarity, and empowerment * Methodological innovations for studying race, discourse, and inequality * Racialization in digital, mediated, and algorithmic spaces * Intersectional analyses of race, ethnicity, language, and culture Submission Guidelines Abstract length: 300–500 words (excluding references) Format: Include title, author(s), affiliation(s), and contact information. Eligibility: We particularly encourage submissions from graduate students and early-career scholars. Submit abstracts to: https://forms.gle/5gBryK9Vp6nC7BHJ7 <https://forms.gle/5gBryK9Vp6nC7BHJ7>. Timeline: Deadline for abstract submission: February 15, 2026 Acceptance notifications: March 15, 2026 Deadline for registration (Registration fee: 85 USD): 15 April 2026 (includes snacks + lunch) Preconference: 4 June 2026 For any inquiries, please email: Natasha.Shrikant(a)colorado.edu <mailto:Natasha.Shrikant@colorado.edu> Pre-Conference Format The pre-conference will feature interactive paper sessions, mentored feedback, and roundtable discussions to facilitate meaningful engagement among participants and mentors. Our goal is to provide a collegial environment that encourages intellectual exchange, collaboration, and mentorship. Location: Conference Hotel, Cape Town Organizing Committee Natasha Shrikant Natasha.Shrikant(a)colorado.edu (Chair, Language & Social Interaction) Godfried Asante gasante(a)sdsu.edu (Chair, Intercultural Communication Division) Yossi David davidyossi4(a)gmail.com (Chair, Ethnicity & Race in Communication) -- *Yossi David, Ph.D.* Senior Lecturer The Lab for Media and Social BIAS Research The Department of Communication Studies The Data Science Research Center (DSRC) Chair, Ethnicity and Race in Communication (ERIC), International Communication Association (ICA) davidyossi4(a)gmail.com Pronouns: he/him/his Homepage <https://www.davidyossi.com>- academia.edu <https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/YossiDavid> - researchgate <https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yossi_David2> - ORCiD <https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8020-0317> “Failures must be faced and almost welcomed; failures are experiments that can be invaluable steps toward success” (Bernd Heinrich)

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Research Position - Global Education & NGOs (ERC Project)
by Pedro Jacobetty 22 Jan '26

22 Jan '26

Dear colleagues, We are seeking applicants for a three-year research position in the ERC project EmergEd at the University of Potsdam, starting February 14, 2026. This is an excellent opportunity to join an interdisciplinary team investigating the global role of NGOs in education, using innovative methods such as social network analysis and natural language processing . We welcome applications from motivated candidates with backgrounds in political science, education, sociology, computer science, or related fields. The position offers flexible working conditions within a family-friendly university environment. For further information, please contact Prof. Dr. Nina Kolleck. Full details: https://www.uni-potsdam.de/fileadmin/projects/verwaltung/docs/Dezernat3/Aus… Best regards, Pedro -- Pedro Jacobetty Research Associate, Department of educational science EmergEd project University of Potsdam Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, Raum 2.72 14476 Potsdam, OT Golm Germany pedro.jacobetty(a)uni-potsdam.de Tel.: +49 331 9772702

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