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CFP: Strategic Narratives of Technology and Africa, 1-2 September 2017, Funchal, Madeira
by Willems,W 08 May '17

08 May '17

*** For detailed submission guidelines and more information, please see the conference website. For queries, please email Cátia Jardim at snta-admin(a)m-iti.org<mailto:snta-admin@m-iti.org> *** ** CFP: Strategic Narratives of Technology and Africa http://snta.m-iti.org/ September 1-2, 2017 Madeira Interactive Technologies Institute, Funchal, Portugal Submission deadline: 12 May 2017 http://snta.m-iti.org/ Thematic Overview In 1884, a group of thirteen European policymakers met to negotiate standards for the "effective occupation" of Africa. At the time of this now-infamous Berlin Conference, about 10 percent of Africa was under European control. By 1914 Europe "controlled" 90 percent of the continent. In 1987, a little over one hundred years after Berlin, a group of technologists from fifteen European countries met on the island of Madeira, and in a highly fractious and politicized meeting set standards to divide time and radio spectrum, narrowly agreeing on the technical specification of the GSM mobile telephone system. At the time less than 1 percent of Africa was covered by phones. By 2014 mobile "penetration" in sub-Saharan Africa was around 80 percent. Africa was never mentioned in the Madeira meeting. Indeed the UK representative described the spread of GSM to people globally, including those who "live in the poorest countries on the planet," as an "unintended consequence." Yet, mobiles have been described as "the new talking drums" (de Bruijn), and a "communication lifeline" (Pew Research Center) that will "pave way for huge opportunities" (Financial Times). Phones have swept through the African continent in the last decade, followed by WhatsApp, fiber, and mobile payment systems. As recently as 2000 Manuel Castells could call Africa "the black hole of the information society," but now the World Bank speaks of the "African digital renaissance," citing a proliferation of tech hubs and locally produced apps. The "Africa Rising" narrative focuses on the peaks of a complex terrain with many remarkable innovations and translations, while at the same time access is almost wholly owned by Mark Zuckerberg and a handful of telcos. In the valleys one government falsely tells its activist citizens that it has cracked WhatsApp's encryption, while another restricts the use of Skype, and around the continent mobile operators extract the most rent possible from their poorest customers, creating new forms of poverty. International funders preach development through entrepreneurship, teach tech innovation based on Silicon Valley models, and support mobile application development for "strengthening social inclusion." Inclusion, though, also means imbrication into a global financial information system that is better known for its shocks than its comforts, with new forms of micro-lending and mobile cash allowing neoliberal financialization of those at the "bottom of the pyramid" and in the most rural areas. The Conference The conference brings scholars, technologists, and cultural producers together on the island of Madeira: a European territory off the coast of Africa, a historical site of mutual entanglement between the Atlantic continents, and a point of departure for European expansion. Here we'll strategize ways to revisit, reframe, and recode the future of technology on and for the continent. What can African theorists, technologists, and cultural producers do to generate alternatives to the influx of neocolonial narratives of tech entrepreneurship? Taking as a given that Africa is "a variegated site of innovation" (Mavhunga), what are key epistemologies and ways of being which are endemic in Africa that should be offered to the world through new systems and processes? Technology is politics by other means (Latour), even if its agency is generally dissimulated. How, then, might we consider anew progressive social and political goals and their conjoining with cultures of technical creativity already embedded in Africa's diverse contexts of life? How might new strategic narratives nurture and promote a vision of the continent as a crucible for radical new socio-technical paradigms? How can an African information economy avoid the dynamics of the resource curse, where connectivity is extractive and exercised upon African citizens rather than by and through them? What can Western technologists do differently, and what are the spaces for collaboration? This conference aims to reinvestigate these relationships and engender dialog between African and Western audiences and participants, who should leave Madeira equipped with new strategies and new collaborative partnerships. We are accepting papers, creative works, and technologies that explore or demonstrate alternative socio-technical strategies. Contributions should be grounded in analysis and move toward synthesis: We hope to paint the "art of the [radical] possible" and generate new threads and pathways for the development of fresh technologies. We hope that this focus on the possible near future will differentiate this event from many generative but more phantasmal Afro-futurist speculations. Creative works and technologies eligible for consideration may include, but are not limited to: software, technical systems ("low" or "hi"), images, objects, demos, film/video, poetry, performances, interventions, illustration, and more. Works will be selected by jury for an exhibition in Funchal, the capital city of Madeira, at the galleries of the Colégio dos Jesuitas, a re-purposed 16th century Jesuit compound. Example themes include: *Alternative globalist or transnational technologies *African technical epistemologies *Activist or political new media *Re-coding remittances *Technologies of migration and diaspora *Technology and race *Decolonizing ICT4D, Tech4D, and M4D *Postcolonial computing *Markets, math, and statistics of domination *Histories of Africa and global production *Non-western (or syncretic) applied science *Anti-extractive technical and financial systems *Artist's critical interventions into technology and technical practice *Guidelines for Paper Submission* Abstracts of 1,000 - 1,200 words will be accepted for review. These may include any additional materials, such as images or tables. The text of your abstract must be anonymized for double blind peer review. Each abstract will be read by at least three reviewers. After a period of three weeks, authors will be notified of rejection, acceptance, or request for revision. The ensuing abstract revision period will be three weeks. Full papers must be no more than ten pages (2600 words), exclusive of notes and bibliography. Each paper will be read by at least three reviewers. After a period of three weeks, authors will be notified of acceptance or request for revision. This revision period will also be three weeks. Please use the Chicago Manual of Style, latest edition, for matters of style, capitalization, spelling, and hyphenation. Citations should be Chicago style [Notes and Bibliography]. The Manual can be found here: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. Guidelines for Creative Work and Technology Submission Creative Work and Tech Submission Deadline: May 12 We will accept works including (but not limited to) software, technical systems ("low" or "hi"), images, objects, demos, film/video, poetry, performances, interventions, illustration, and more. Submissions should include a description of the project of 500 words or fewer and this supplementary submission form, saved as PDF. As appropriate, your submission may include an additional PDF of images or plans, or a URL to a website or video (under 3 minutes) documentation. The text of your abstract or project description must be anonymized for double blind peer review. Each description will be read by at least three reviewers. Note that the conference cannot offer funding to help produce projects or to transport them. We will have exhibition space and staff to assist with installation; the conference program will include exhibition tours and demonstration periods, and we will publish online documentation of the exhibitions. Submission Submissions will be done using the /Open Conference System. /You will need to create an account with this conference before submitting your materials.//Please follow this link to initiate the process: http://snta.m-iti.org/index.php/snta/snta/user/account The submission for both papers and creative works submission is May 12, 2017. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Wendy Willems (PhD) Assistant Professor Room TW3.7.01G Department of Media and Communications London School of Economics and Political Science Houghton Street London WC2A 2AE United Kingdom P: +44 20 7852 3738 E: w.willems(a)lse.ac.uk<mailto:w.willems@lse.ac.uk> T: @WendyWillems_<https://twitter.com/WendyWillems_> W: http://www.lse.ac.uk/media@lse/WhosWho/AcademicStaff/WendyWillems.aspx Selected recent publications: Everyday Media Culture in Africa: Audiences and Users<https://www.routledge.com/Everyday-Media-Culture-in-Africa-Audiences-and-Us…> Blog series on digital media and politics in Zambia<http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/africaatlse/tag/social-media-and-politics/> Beyond normative dewesternization: examining media culture from the vantage point of the Global South<https://www.academia.edu/attachments/37611693/download_file?st=MTQ2MzY2ODI0…> Provincializing hegemonic histories of media and communication studies: towards a genealogy of epistemic resistance in Africa<http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/comt.12043/abstract>

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Job vacancy for a 'Digital Geographer' at the Oxford Internet Institute
by Mark Graham 08 May '17

08 May '17

Researcher in Digital Geography <https://www.recruit.ox.ac.uk/pls/hrisliverecruit/erq_jobspec_details_form.j…> Oxford Internet Institute, 1 St Giles, Oxford Grade 7: £31,076 – £38,183 p.a. (pro rata for part-time) The Oxford Internet Institute is a leading centre for research into individual, collective and institutional behaviour on the Internet. We are looking for a Researcher to work with Professor Mark Graham on a two-year project to better understand the geographies of the Internet. Our existing research has uncovered highly uneven digital geographies: with some parts of the world far more like to produce, and be represented by, digital content than others. We seek to hire a Researcher to continue some of this research, to ask what has changed, and to ask new questions about digital inequalities at not just the global, but also the local scale. We plan to ask and answer questions such as: what are the contemporary geographies of the production and consumption of digital knowledge-based economic activities?; what are the geographies of digital representations (such as content in Wikipedia or Google)?; how likely is digital content to be locally or non-locally produced?; and do digital representations produce or reproduce social and economic inequalities and divisions in our urban environments. If we accept that our cities are made up of digital as well as physical raw materials – we need to better understand who owns, controls, shapes, can access, and can remake the digital layers of place. We plan on answering the above questions using methods from computational social science and GIS: scraping, mapping, and statistically analysing a diverse range of datasets. The position is suited to candidates who have recently completed a doctorate in Quantitative Geography, GIScience, Computer Science, Economics, Sociology or other relevant discipline (i.e. postdocs), but we also welcome applications from qualified individuals without a doctorate (e.g. candidates with industry experience). Programming skills, and experience with GIS are required. The successful candidate will ultimately work with Professor Graham to produce a full-length monograph on the topic. Based at the Oxford Internet Institute, this position is available immediately for 24 months in the first instance, with the possibility of renewal thereafter, funding permitting. This job advertisement is for a full-time researcher, but part-time applications of more than 22.5 hours a week will also be considered. *Recruitment link and further details about the position:* https://www.recruit.ox.ac.uk/pls/hrisliverecruit/erq_jobspec_details_form.j… *Other relevant links:* http://www.markgraham.space/blog/2017/5/5/work-with-me-at-oxford-im-hiring-… http://www.markgraham.space/internet-information-geography/ http://geography.oii.ox.ac.uk/ http://geonet.oii.ox.ac.uk/mapping/ http://cii.oii.ox.ac.uk/ /apologies for cross-posting ------------------------------------------ Mark Graham Professor of Internet Geography Oxford Internet Institute University of Oxford Faculty Fellow The Alan Turing Institute Research Affiliate School of Geography and the Environment University of Oxford markgraham.space | @geoplace <http://twitter.com/geoplace> <http://twitter.com/geoplace>

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13th IFIP TC9 Human Choice and Computers Conference
by Charles M. Ess 07 May '17

07 May '17

Dear AoIR-ists, with the usual apologies for inadvertent duplications and cross-postings - please distribute to potentially interested persons and communities - 13th IFIP TC9 Human Choice and Computers Conference: ”This Changes Everything” – in conjunction with the World Computer Congress, 17th-21st September 2018, Poznan, Poland. Conference Chairs: David Kreps, Kai Kimppa, Louise Leenen, Charles Ess <http://www.hcc13.net> Conference Theme - Track Chairs: David Kreps and Charles Ess This Changes Everything. Many of us likely associate this phrase with Steve Jobs’ introduction of the iPhone in 2007. But there are clearly other candidates for the ”This,” e.g., the oncoming bioinformatics redesign of species or the fourth industrial revolution of artificially intelligent robots. But ”This” is also, without question, the greatest challenge of our age: climate change. Accordingly, the 13th Human Choice and Computers conference centers on the question: ICT and Climate Change - What Can We Do? The Conference invites both academics and practitioners in the field of ICTs and Society to take stock of their engagements, review their focus, and assess what and how each and every one of us might be able to contribute to the transformations needed (and already beginning) in local, regional, national and international contexts, towards becoming the diverse, environmentally and socially conscious, and thriving communities. We welcome submissions that speak directly and less directly to the conference theme. “This Changes Everything” implicates both climate change and the interrelated global challenges most central to the Working Groups of TC9 and its National Society representatives, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Submissions are also welcome, not just to the General Conference Track on change, but to the other foci of the Track Themes. (For complete track descriptions, please see the extended CFP on the conference website, <http://www.hcc13.net>.) Track themes: * Societal implications, effects and impacts of artificial intelligence - Track Chairs: Diane Whitehouse and Christopher Zielinski (WG9.2) * Including critical issues beyond the ICT context in codes of conduct/ethics - Track Chairs: Kai Kimppa and Penny Duquenoy (SIG9.2.2) * Our digital lives - Track Chairs: Petros Chamakiotis and Brad McKenna (WG9.5) * This changed everything - Track Chair: Christopher Leslie (WG9.7) * Gender in ICT - Track Chairs: Sisse Finken, Christina Mörtberg and Johanna Sefyrin (WG9.8) * ICT and sustainability - Track Chairs: Thomas Lennerfors and Per Fors (WG9.9) * Climate risk, cyber-security, and the dark web - Track Chair: Louise Leenen (WG9.10) * Privacy, data protection, and automation - Track Chair: Taro Komukai (Japan National Representative) * ICT and an inclusive society - Track Chairs: Hossana Twinomurinzi and Jackie Phahlamohlaka (South Africa National Representative) Submissions Full papers are invited that address the Conference Theme, or any of the above Track Themes. All papers will be subject to double-blind review. Authors of accepted papers will be invited to revise their work in keeping with reviewers’ comments prior to formatting, and inclusion in the Programme and Proceedings. Travel, accommodation and all other details will be posted when available at http://www.hcc13.net/ Submissions will be through Springer OCS Website, with proceedings published in the AICT Springer Book series immediately prior to the conference. Important Dates Full paper deadline 15th January 2018 Reviews and revisions during February, March and April, 2018. Final Papers by 30th April, 2018. Many thanks, - charles ess -- Professor in Media Studies Department of Media and Communication University of Oslo <http://www.hf.uio.no/imk/english/people/aca/charlees/index.html> Editor, The Journal of Media Innovations <https://www.journals.uio.no/index.php/TJMI/> Postboks 1093 Blindern 0317 Oslo, Norway c.m.ess(a)media.uio.no

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WEBCAST FRIDAY: 2017 Global Digital Futures Forum: A Fragmented Internet?
by Joly MacFie 07 May '17

07 May '17

Looking forward to another full-day deep dive into Internet Policy courtesy of SIPA. The venue is again the "neo-Renaissance palazzo" Italian Academy. I believe some seats may still be available if you RSVP <https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2017-global-digital-futures-policy-forum-a-fra…> immediately joly posted: "On Friday May 5 2017 the Columbia School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) Tech and Policy Initiative will host the 2017 Global Digital Futures Policy Forum. The event, now in it's 3rd year, will have the theme 'A Fragmented Internet?' Topics inc" [image: Livestream] <https://livestream.com/internetsociety/gdf17>On *Friday May 5 2017* the *Columbia School of International and Public Affair*s <https://sipa.columbia.edu/> (SIPA) *Tech and Policy Initiative <https://sipa.columbia.edu/techpolicy/home>* will host the *2017 Global Digital Futures Policy Forum <https://sipa.columbia.edu/experience-sipa/events/conferences/global-digital…>*. The event, now in its 3rd year, will have the theme '*A Fragmented Internet?' *Topics include industrial vs commercial uses of the internet, digital trade, trust and assurance, global platforms and international development, conflict and democracy and financial systemic risks. Speakers include: *Eric Schmidt* (Alphabet Inc.), *Laura DeNardis* (American University), *Andrea Glorioso* (EU Delegation to the US), *Eli Noam* (Columbia Business School), and *Paul Twomey* (ArgoPacific, Former ICANN CEO). The event will be webcast live on the *Internet Society Livestream Channel <https://livestream.com/internetsociety/gdf17>*. *What: 2017 Global Digital Futures Forum: A Fragmented Internet? <https://sipa.columbia.edu/experience-sipa/events/conferences/global-digital…> Where: Columbia University, NYC When: Friday May 5 2017 0900-18:30 EDT | 13:00-22:30 UTC Agenda: http://bit.ly/gdf17agenda <http://bit.ly/gdf17agenda> Webcast: https://livestream.com/internetsociety/gdf17 <https://livestream.com/internetsociety/gdf17> Twitter: #gdf17 - https://twitter.com/hashtag/gdf17 <https://twitter.com/hashtag/gdf17>* Comment <http://isoc-ny.org/p2/9170#respond> See all comments <http://isoc-ny.org/p2/9170#comments> *Permalink* http://isoc-ny.org/p2/9170

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Strengthening democracy through open education
by Patrick Blessinger 07 May '17

07 May '17

Dear Colleagues, New article in UWN. Please share, if you like: *Strengthening democracy through open education:* http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20170502124125567 Dr. Patrick W. Blessinger <http://www.patrickblessinger.com/> http://www.stjohns.edu/academics/bio/patrick-blessinger-edd

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Re: [Air-L] [CITAMS] % Canadians 65+ online
by Barry Wellman 07 May '17

07 May '17

I really appreciate your thoughfulness in swifly providing this. How are you? And Ben? Barry Wellman A vision is just a vision if it's only in your head Step by step, link by link, putting it together Streisand/Sondheim _______________________________________________________________________ NetLab Network FRSC INSNA Founder http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman twitter: @barrywellman NETWORKED: The New Social Operating System Lee Rainie & Barry Wellman http://amzn.to/zXZg39 _______________________________________________________________________ On Sat, 6 May 2017, Peter Timusk wrote: > Date: Sat, 6 May 2017 17:35:59 -0400 > From: Peter Timusk <ptimusk(a)sympatico.ca> > To: 'Barry Wellman' <wellman(a)chass.utoronto.ca>, 'aoir list' <air-l(a)aoir.org>, > 'communication information media section asa' <citams(a)list.citams.org> > Subject: RE: [CITAMS] % Canadians 65+ online > > Not sure we have much more current but check our paper. > > Online activities of Canadian boomers and seniors > > http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-008-x/2009002/article/10910-eng.htm > > > Peter Timusk > I do not speak for my employer or associations that I belong to, or > volunteer with unless otherwise noted. > > -----Original Message----- > From: CITAMS [mailto:citams-bounces@list.citams.org] On Behalf Of Barry > Wellman > Sent: Saturday, May 6, 2017 2:35 PM > To: aoir list; communication information media section asa > Subject: [CITAMS] % Canadians 65+ online > > Anyway have these numbers, both currently and over time? > > Barry Wellman > > A vision is just a vision if it's only in your head > Step by step, link by link, putting it together > Streisand/Sondheim > _______________________________________________________________________ > NetLab Network FRSC INSNA Founder > http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman twitter: @barrywellman > NETWORKED: The New Social Operating System Lee Rainie & Barry Wellman > http://amzn.to/zXZg39 > _______________________________________________________________________ > > > _______________________________________________ > CITAMS mailing list > CITAMS(a)list.citams.org > http://list.citams.org/mailman/listinfo/citams_list.citams.org > > >

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Re: [Air-L] [CITAMS] % Canadians 65+ online
by Barry Wellman 06 May '17

06 May '17

thanks, I have that, but it is nearly a decade out of date. Not your fault, but with digital data, that's huuuge. We all know what Harper did to StatCan, alas! Barry Wellman A vision is just a vision if it's only in your head Step by step, link by link, putting it together Streisand/Sondheim _______________________________________________________________________ NetLab Network FRSC INSNA Founder http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman twitter: @barrywellman NETWORKED: The New Social Operating System Lee Rainie & Barry Wellman http://amzn.to/zXZg39 _______________________________________________________________________ On Sat, 6 May 2017, Peter Timusk wrote: > Date: Sat, 6 May 2017 17:35:59 -0400 > From: Peter Timusk <ptimusk(a)sympatico.ca> > To: 'Barry Wellman' <wellman(a)chass.utoronto.ca>, 'aoir list' <air-l(a)aoir.org>, > 'communication information media section asa' <citams(a)list.citams.org> > Subject: RE: [CITAMS] % Canadians 65+ online > > Not sure we have much more current but check our paper. > > Online activities of Canadian boomers and seniors > > http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-008-x/2009002/article/10910-eng.htm > > > Peter Timusk > I do not speak for my employer or associations that I belong to, or > volunteer with unless otherwise noted. > > -----Original Message----- > From: CITAMS [mailto:citams-bounces@list.citams.org] On Behalf Of Barry > Wellman > Sent: Saturday, May 6, 2017 2:35 PM > To: aoir list; communication information media section asa > Subject: [CITAMS] % Canadians 65+ online > > Anyway have these numbers, both currently and over time? > > Barry Wellman > > A vision is just a vision if it's only in your head > Step by step, link by link, putting it together > Streisand/Sondheim > _______________________________________________________________________ > NetLab Network FRSC INSNA Founder > http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman twitter: @barrywellman > NETWORKED: The New Social Operating System Lee Rainie & Barry Wellman > http://amzn.to/zXZg39 > _______________________________________________________________________ > > > _______________________________________________ > CITAMS mailing list > CITAMS(a)list.citams.org > http://list.citams.org/mailman/listinfo/citams_list.citams.org > > >

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THE CENTER FOR CYBER, LAW AND POLICY: CALL FOR PROPOSALS
by Ayelet Baram-Tsabari 06 May '17

06 May '17

Dear all, This may be of interest Best Ayelet Baram-Tsabari Ayelet Associate Professor of Science Education & Communication Faculty of Education in Science and Technology Tel: 04-8295484 \ Mobile: 0544-347314 ayelet(a)technion.ac.il \ ayeletlab.net.technion.ac.il

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% Canadians 65+ online
by Barry Wellman 06 May '17

06 May '17

Anyway have these numbers, both currently and over time? Barry Wellman A vision is just a vision if it's only in your head Step by step, link by link, putting it together Streisand/Sondheim _______________________________________________________________________ NetLab Network FRSC INSNA Founder http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman twitter: @barrywellman NETWORKED: The New Social Operating System Lee Rainie & Barry Wellman http://amzn.to/zXZg39 _______________________________________________________________________

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Re: [Air-L] Announcing AoIR's 2017-19 Executive Committee
by Michael T Zimmer 06 May '17

06 May '17

Congratulations to Lynn, Daren, Kelly, Kate, Crystal, Luca, and Jack! Along with Axel & Jenny, the Association is in good hands. Michael -- Michael Zimmer, PhD Associate Professor, School of Information Studies Director, Center for Information Policy Research University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee e: zimmerm(a)uwm.edu w: www.michaelzimmer.org > On May 5, 2017, at 11:32 AM, Association of Internet Researchers <admin(a)members.aoir.org> wrote: > > AoIR Executive Committee Election Results > > 2017-2019 AoIR Executive Committee > We are excited to announce the results of our recent election for the AoIR Executive Committee. But first, some thank yous and some information about the election. > > AoIR would like to thank our election monitors, Cornelius Puschmann and Michael Zimmer, who, in accordance with the terms of our Bylaws certified the results. And of course thank you to everyone who ran for office and everyone who voted. > We had more voters than ever. We received 202 ballots! > > The new Executive Committee will officially take office in October at the Association General Meeting. We hope you'll join us in Tartu to meet with them and provide your input regarding the future direction of the Association. > > Here is your 2017-2019 Executive Committee: > > > • President (elected as Vice President in the 2015 Election): Axel Bruns, Queensland University of Technology > • Vice President (becomes President in two years): Lynn Schofield Clark, University of Denver > • Immediate Past President (elected as Vice President in the 2013 Election): Jenny Stromer-Galley, Syracuse University > • Secretary: Daren Brabham, University of Southern California > • Treasurer: Kelly Quinn, University of Illinois at Chicago > • Graduate Student Representative: Kate Miltner, University of Southern California > • Open Seats: 1) Crystal Abidin, National University of Singapore/Jönköping University; 2) Luca Rossi, IT University of Copenhagen; 3) Jack Linchuan Qiu, Chinese University of Hong Kong > > Thanks again to everyone who participated in the election. AoIR is excited about our future with such capable hands at the helm. > > > > Facebook • Twitter > Unsubscribe >

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