- Air-L - lists.aoir.org

[AoIR HQ] Membership Dues Increase 15 February 2026; Lock In Savings Now!
by AoIR Association Coordinator 27 Jan '26

27 Jan '26

Dear AoIR Community, As a growing organization, AoIR is dedicated to continuing to supporting its global membership community: hosting our annual conference in new locations; supporting students and early-career scholars through workshops and travel grants; expanding offerings throughout the year through in-person and virtual events; offering points of connection through our mailing list to researchers at all career stages doing cutting-edge internet research and sharing opportunities, and more. If you've benefited from AoIR – for example, through using this listserv – now is the time to become a member! Members get additional benefits, such as a free account on our Mastodon server, networking opportunities, new virtual talks and workshops, and, of course, discounted registration for the annual conference, with more in the works! The cost of running the Association has increased, while our dues have remained the same for many years. After conducting a study of peer organizations, AoIR’s Exec Committee has unanimously voted to increase member dues. Even after this change, AoIR's member dues are still well below those of comparable international associations. *Where do your dues go? *AoIR has welcomed two professional staff, provides robust conference travel support for graduate students, extends media services (including this long-running listserv and a new social media server aoir.social). And of course, we run our annual conference, annual Flashpoint events, and plan to expand our offerings with members-only virtual talks, lectures and workshops. Your dues help make this possible. *As of 15 February 2025,* the new annual member dues schedule is: - $65 for regular member - $40 for student member - $15 for all non-OECD members - $1500 for lifetime members – protected from any future raising of dues *(Re)Introducing Institutional Membership* Are you a member of a department, faculty or institute with many current or potential AoIR members? Save up to 20% with our institutional membership models, as follows: Tier 1: - 5 regular members - 10 student members - $600 (non-package price: $725) Tier 2: - 10 regular members - 20 student members - $1100 (non-package price: $1450) These package prices are available starting today. Need more memberships for your particular case? Please contact Emerson Johnston at ac(a)aoir.org for bespoke membership packages. *The rate increases for individual memberships will go into effect on February 15, 2026. *If you’ve been a listserv member for a long time but haven’t joined the org, consider doing so now. If you're renewing your membership, you can do so now at the older rate and save! And if you choose lifetime membership, you will never pay an annual fee again and will enjoy the member rate on conference and other events into the future. Join now and save! <https://members.aoir.org/> Best, Emerson *(she/her)* AoIR Communications and Membership Coordinator ac(a)aoir.org *Looking for Michelle? *After nine years, Michelle has officially stepped down from her position at AOIR. I'm Emerson, and I'll be stepping in to continue her work. As I'm sure anyone familiar with Michelle knows, I have big shoes to fill, and I appreciate your patience as I get up to speed!

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Proposal for panel
by Antonino Sciotto 27 Jan '26

27 Jan '26

Hello, everyone! I am writing to gauge interest in creating a panel on Internet nostalgia, digital preservation, and the archiving of online histories from a political perspective. I would be interested in creating a panel where we could compare different perspectives focusing on the consultation of materials on obsolete media and the ways in which various social actors (groups, associations, museums) make these materials available, seeking to make the user experience as similar as possible to the original one, through software archiving and emulators. I am, of course, open to new proposals and to discussing them with anyone who is interested. If anyone is interested in participating or helping to organise this panel, please contact me at antonino.sciotto(a)uniupo.it.

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Explore how Software Defined Radios expose & detect radio‑frequency vulnerabilities across 5G, autonomous systems & critical infrastructure
by Kitty Lo 27 Jan '26

27 Jan '26

Digital Trust and Security seminar: Dr Carolyn Swinney (Executive Fellow, University of Essex) Date & time: 18 March 26 – 1-3PM Location: Manchester, UK This talk explores how Software Defined Radios (SDRs) can reveal hidden vulnerabilities, disrupt insecure links, and provide early warning of suspicious Radio Frequency activity. You’ll see practical demonstrations using low‑cost, accessible tools, along with real examples from Global Navigation Satellite Systems to drone and keyless‑entry attacks. Join us to understand how SDRs, combined with modern analytics, can detect, classify, and help defend against emerging RF‑based threats. Free Registration: https://tinyurl.com/3vyp2r8j 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) 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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Two UPenn Postdoctoral Openings for Information Ecosystem Studies
by Engler, Alex C. 27 Jan '26

27 Jan '26

Dear friends and colleagues — We have two Knight Postdoctoral Fellow openings to join our growing community of empirical researchers of the information ecosystem at UPenn! We would be sincerely grateful for your help in sharing these postings widely! The new postdoctoral posting is supervised by Poli Sci Prof Daniel Hopkins and Annenberg Prof Yphtach Lelkish, and is focused on the impact of emerging technologies and communication media on citizens’ political attitudes and behaviors. Apply by 2/13 - more details: https://infodem.upenn.edu/sas-postdoc/ We're also still accepting (rolling) applications for our Wharton Knight Postdoctoral Fellow with Professors Duncan Watts, Pinar Yildirim, and Dean Knox for scholars interested in media bias, censorship, and advertising: https://infodem.upenn.edu/wharton-postdoc/ Best, Alex Alex C. Engler Executive Director Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy<https://infodem.upenn.edu/> The University of Pennsylvania Amy Gutmann Hall #506 acengler(a)upenn.edu<mailto:acengler@upenn.edu>

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New open access book: Understanding China Through Digital Anthropology (UCL Press)
by Fox, Alison 27 Jan '26

27 Jan '26

*** We apologise for any cross-posting*** UCL Press is delighted to announce the publication of a new open access book that may be of interest to list Understanding China Through Digital Anthropology edited by Daniel Miller and Xinyuan Wang. Download it free: https://uclpress.co.uk/book/understanding-china-through-digital-anthropolog… ******************************************* Understanding China Through Digital Anthropology Edited by Daniel Miller and Xinyuan Wang Free download: https://uclpress.co.uk/book/understanding-china-through-digital-anthropolog… ******************************************* Understanding China Through Digital Anthropology questions our understanding of digital technologies by demonstrating fundamental differences in the meaning of both technology and the digital between China and the West. This follows from a longstanding historical divergence in the meaning of and attitude to the relationship between technology and humanity. The book also challenges our understanding of China through a series of case studies that range from the creation of algorithms, the normative basis of social media and the impact of digital communication on diverse fields including economic practices, gender, media, health and education. These further demonstrate the value of long-term ethnographic studies that situate people’s online activities in their everyday offline lives. These case studies are testimony to the continued heterogeneity of China in covering sophisticated urban IT professionals, Tibetan villagers and grassroots women struggling to make a living. All of this contributes to a new understanding of a contemporary China that has been transformed by the sheer scale and dynamism manifested in the deployment of digital technologies. The book also includes an extensive summary of work undertaken by scholars inside China on digital anthropology and previously only available in Chinese. Free download: https://uclpress.co.uk/book/understanding-china-through-digital-anthropolog… ---------------------- uclpress.co.uk | @uclpress

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Today, Online Book Talk, Silicon Elsewhere: Nairobi, Global China and Techno-Capital
by Rafael Do Nascimento Grohmann 27 Jan '26

27 Jan '26

Hi there, Starting soon: today at 10am ET, we’re hosting an online book talk with Andrea Pollio on Silicon Elsewhere: Nairobi, Global China, and the Promise of Techno-Capitalism. Join us here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Wkm6eWTj2c Description Heralded as Africa's "Silicon Savannah"—a cradle of innovation—Nairobi has become a technology and innovation capital for Kenya and for the continent at large. With a national strategy that has prioritized digital technology for the last two decades, many Chinese digital champions, smaller startups, and investors have since chosen Nairobi as their African landing pad. Mapping the interface between Nairobi's innovation scene and China's digital presence there, Silicon Elsewhere tells a unique story of ingenuity and adaptation, failure and speculation, and hopefulness and pragmatism. Andrea Pollio's ethnography draws on interviews with cautious venture capitalists, renegade entrepreneurs, dedicated bureaucrats, and ambitious data scientists to explore the competing meanings of contemporary techno-capital. Moving between leafy coworking spaces and the temperature-controlled rooms of brand-new data centers, Pollio locates Nairobi among the experimental capitals, not peripheries, of technological change in the early twenty-first century best, Rafael -- dr. Rafael Grohmann Assistant Professor of Media Studies Department of Arts, Culture and Media<https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/acm/rafael-grohmann> Faculty of Information<https://ischool.utoronto.ca/profile/rafael-grohmann/> University of Toronto Leader, DigiLabour<https://digilabour.com.br/> Research Associate, University of Oxford<https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/people/profiles/rafael-grohmann/> Founding Editor, Platforms & Society<https://journals.sagepub.com/home/PNS> Principal Investigator, Worker-Owned Intersectional Platforms (WOIP)<https://digilabour.com.br/worker-owned-intersectional-platforms-woip/> Co-Lead, Creative Labour and Critical Futures (CLCF)<https://criticaldigitalmethods.ca/creative-labour-critical-futures/> Researcher, AI Policy Observatory for the World of Work<https://www.essex.ac.uk/research-projects/ai-policy-observatory-for-the-wor…> Senior Fellow, Massey College<https://www.masseycollege.ca/> Faculty Affiliate, Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society<https://srinstitute.utoronto.ca/> <https://srinstitute.utoronto.ca/>

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CFP: CHI’26 Workshop CHIdeology: Disentangling the fragmented politics, values and imaginaries of Human-Computer Interaction through ideologies
by Jesse Haapoja 27 Jan '26

27 Jan '26

Dear colleague, Technology continually carries fragments of politics—design choices and values shaping outcomes. In these turbulent times, this workshop explores how broader ideologies—coherent worldviews underpinning political and technological systems—influence and connect work in HCI. We aim to foster explicit discussion of ideology’s role in shaping research agendas, values, and assumptions through a hands-on half-day workshop. We invite up to 20 scholars at any career stage to submit a 2–3 page position paper (ACM single-column or DIS2026 pictorial format) engaging with any of the following: - how they define or interpret “ideology”; - examples of ideology in HCI research or practice; - or political/methodological suggestions for making ideology visible. Deadline: 5 February 2026 AoE Nonverbal or pictorial contributions are welcome, as submissions will serve as materials for the workshop activities. Papers will be reviewed for relevance, originality, and potential to advance the conversation. Selection will balance diversity in background, seniority, geography, and perspective, if oversubscribed. Selected contributions will be published on arXiv with author’s consent. One author per submission must attend, either in person at the conference or during the pre-workshop online event. For more details and submission instructions, visit: *https://ideologies.digital <https://ideologies.digital/>* On behalf of my collaborators Felix A. Epp, Matti Nelimarkka, Pedro Ferreira, Os Keyes and Shaowen Bardzell, a warm welcome, Jesse Haapoja

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Correction: Deadline in 5 days: ICA 2026 pre-conference “Whose Protest Counts?”
by Jun Liu 26 Jan '26

26 Jan '26

In response to strong interest and numerous inquiries, we are pleased to extend the deadline for the ICA 2026 preconference ?Whose Protest Counts? Power and Exclusion in Online Activism? til 31 January 2026. The pre-conference will be held on 4 June (instead of 3 June as stated in the earlier email—apologies for the confusion) at the conference venue. We seek original, rigorous, and innovative contributions that critically examine the dynamics, opportunities, and inequalities shaping digital activism in contemporary contexts. Submissions may adopt theoretical frameworks or be grounded in empirical investigations, addressing questions of participation, visibility, and influence in networked movements. We particularly welcome work that: * Explores lesser-studied activist movements, platforms, or issues. * Investigates how platform design, governance, and algorithmic systems affect the reach and impact of activist communication. * Engages with activism involving minority groups, contentious actors, or communities in the Global South. * Brings forward perspectives and contributions from practitioners, activists, and affected communities. Abstract submission deadline: 31 January 2026 Submit abstracts (400-600 words, excl. references) to: activism.preconf(a)gmail.com<mailto:activism.preconf@gmail.com<mailto:activism.preconf@gmail.com%3cmailto:activism.preconf@gmail.com>>. Include: author names, affiliations, contact info, and a brief note on how your paper addresses the CFP Timeline Acceptance notification: 28 February 2026 Registration (50 USD): by 31 March 2026 Preconference date: 4 June 2026. Best, Jun, on behalf of the organizing committee

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AIces 2026: early registration February 3
by David Silva - IRDTA 26 Jan '26

26 Jan '26

****************************************************** 1st INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL ON THE COGNITIVE, ETHICAL AND SOCIETAL DIMENSIONS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AIces 2026 Porto – Maia, Portugal March 30 – April 2, 2026 https://aices.irdta.eu/2026/ ****************************************************** Co-organized by: University of Maia Institute for Research Development, Training and Advice – IRDTA Luxembourg/London ****************************************************** Early registration: February 3, 2026 ****************************************************** SCOPE: AIces 2026 will be the first in a series of research training events aiming at updating participants on the most recent multidisciplinary discussions about the foundations, meaning, challenges and risks of AI. The event will have a global scope along 3 thematic lines: cognition, ethics, and society. It will cover current debates about: AI and philosophy of mind; cognitive architectures; machine learning and cognitive development; large language models and visual information; robotics and embodied cognition; neuroscience-inspired AI; algorithmic bias and fairness; transparency and explainability; accountability and responsibility; privacy and surveillance; autonomy and control; AI impact on human values and social inequalities; the future of work and automation; governance, regulation and public policies; AI, human rights and democracy; AI and global development; information and AI education. The event will consist of 10 courses, 2 keynote lectures, 3 symposia collecting short contributions from participants, and 2 individual presentations on debated topics. Renowned academics and industry pioneers will lecture and share their views with the audience. The organizers are convinced that outstanding speakers will attract the brightest and most motivated students. Face to face interaction and networking will be main ingredients of the event. It will be also possible to fully participate in vivo remotely. ADDRESSED TO: Graduate students, postgraduate students and industry practitioners will be typical profiles of participants. However, there are no formal pre-requisites for attendance in terms of academic degrees, so people less or more advanced in their career will be welcome as well. Since there will be a variety of levels, specific knowledge background may be assumed for some of the courses. Overall, AIces 2026 is addressed to students, researchers and practitioners who want to keep themselves updated about recent developments and future trends. All will surely find it fruitful to listen to and discuss with major researchers, industry leaders and innovators. VENUE: AIces 2026 will take place in Porto, the second largest city in Portugal, recognized by UNESCO in 1996 as a World Heritage Site. The venue will be: University of Maia Avenida Carlos de Oliveira Campos - Castêlo da Maia 4475-690 Maia Porto, Portugal https://www.umaia.pt/en STRUCTURE: 2 courses will run in parallel during the whole event. Participants will be able to freely choose the courses they wish to attend as well as to move from one to another. Full live online participation will be possible. The organizers highlight, however, the importance of face to face interaction and networking in this kind of research training event. All lectures will be videorecorded. Participants will be able to watch them again for 45 days after the event. KEYNOTE SPEAKERS: David Danks (University of Virginia), Trustworthy AI in an Untrustworthy World Ming Lin (University of Maryland), Socially Responsible and Trustworthy AI PROFESSORS AND COURSES: Ricardo Baeza-Yates (KTH Royal Institute of Technology & Pompeu Fabra University), [introductory] Introduction to Responsible AI Susan Brennan (Stony Brook University), [introductory/advanced] Where Are the Humans in Human-Centered AI? Thomas Breuel (Nvidia Research), [introductory] Facts and Rules in LLMs Carlos Castillo (Pompeu Fabra University), [introductory] Algorithmic Fairness in High-Risk AI Applications Alan Dix (Cardiff Metropolitan University), [introductory] AI for Social Justice Elia Formisano (Maastricht University), [introductory/intermediate] Auditory Cognition in Humans and Machines Marijn Janssen (Delft University of Technology), [introductory/advanced] Data and AI Governance - From Control to Trust Christian Lebiere (Carnegie Mellon University), [intermediate] Computational Cognitive Models of Human-AI Teaming Paul Smolensky (Johns Hopkins University), [intermediate/advanced] Symbol Processing in Transformers and Other Neural Networks Savannah Thais (City University of New York), [intermediate/advanced] Measurement for Safer AI SYMPOSIA: A symposium will collect 10-minute voluntary presentations on any of the 3 thematic areas of the event: cognition, ethics, and society. A 1-page abstract containing the title, authors, and summary of the presentation must be sent to david(a)irdta.eu mailto:david@irdta.eu by February 28, 2026. Only registered participants can contribute to symposia. INDIVIDUAL PRESENTATIONS ON DEBATED TOPICS: 50-minute individual presentations will be scheduled for any of the 3 thematic areas of the school: cognition, ethics, and society. A 2-page expression of interest including the topic to be debated must be sent to david(a)irdta.eu mailto:david@irdta.eu by December 30, 2025. Only registered participants are eligible for individual presentations. SPONSORS: Companies/institutions/organizations willing to be sponsors of the event can download the sponsorship leaflet from https://aices.irdta.eu/2026/sponsors/ ORGANIZING COMMITTEE: Samuel Anjos (Maia, social networks) Osheen Jain (London, communications) José Paulo Marques dos Santos (Maia, local chair) Carlos Martín-Vide (Tarragona, program chair) Santiago Montes (Tarragona, webpage) Sara Morales (Luxembourg) José Luís Reis (Maia) Luís Paulo Reis (Porto) David Silva (London, organization chair) REGISTRATION: It has to be done at https://aices.irdta.eu/2026/registration/ The selection of 6 courses requested in the registration template is only tentative and non-binding. For logistical reasons, it will be helpful to have an estimation of the respective demand for each course. Since the capacity of the venue is limited, registration requests will be processed on a first come first served basis. The registration period will be closed and the on-line registration tool disabled when the capacity of the venue will have got exhausted. It is highly recommended to register prior to the event. FEES: Fees comprise access to all program activities and lunches. There are several early registration deadlines. Fees depend on the registration deadline. The fees for on site and for online participation are the same. ACCOMMODATION: Accommodation suggestions will be available in due time at https://aices.irdta.eu/2026/accommodation/ CERTIFICATE: A certificate of successful participation in the event will be delivered indicating the number of hours of academic activities. This should be sufficient for those participants who plan to request ECTS recognition from their home university. QUESTIONS AND FURTHER INFORMATION: david(a)irdta.eu mailto:david@irdta.eu ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: Universidade da Maia Universidade do Porto Universitat Rovira i Virgili Institute for Research Development, Training and Advice – IRDTA, Luxembourg/London

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DigiMig Webinar Series "Digital Inclusion and Migration"
by Cigdem Bozdag 26 Jan '26

26 Jan '26

Register for (one of the) DigiMig Webinars on “Digital Inclusion and Migration” now! The DigiMig Webinar Series aims to create a space for exchange and reflection on how digital technologies shape experiences of migration, belonging, and participation. By bringing together research from different disciplines and countries, the series highlights diverse perspectives on digital inclusion — from education and labour integration to gender and ageing. The series are a part of the NWO VIDI-funded DigiMig project, carried out at the University of Groningen. More information about the project and the webinar series can be found on the project website: www.digimig.nl <http://www.digimig.nl/> Programme Nov 6th, 2025 - 15:00-16:00 (CET) (past webinar, recording will be available soon) Maria José Brites, Lusófona University; Terasa Sofia Castro, Lusófona University Digital wellbeing in schools: the example of Information and Communication Clubs February 5th, 2026 - 16:00-17:00 (CET) (Online) Panayiota Tsatsou, Birmingham City University Exploring digital inclusion, vulnerability and migration: A social lab framework March 20th, 2026 - 09:00-10:00 (CET) (Online) Earvin Charles B. Cabalquinto, Monash University Networked Mobility Divide among Older Migrants and their Fragmented Social Networks April 9th, 2026 - 16:00-17:00 (CET) (Online) Giacomo Solano, Radboud University Digitalisation and social and labour market inclusion of female refugees in the Netherlands May 6th, 2026 - 16:00-17:00 (CET) (Online) Noemi Mena Montes, Radboud University Mind the Digital Gap: From Digital Inequality to Digital Equity in Migration & Media June 25th, 2026 - 16:00-17:00 (CET) (Online) Claudia Minchilli, University of Groningen The Myth of Digital Diaspora. An intersectional approach to the study of diasporic digital networking September 15th, 2026 - 14:00-15:00 (CET) (Online) Annamaria Neag. University of Groningen; Cigdem Bozdag, University of Groningen; Koen Leurs, Utrecht University Inclusive media education for diverse societies Please register for the webinars to receive the Zoom links: https://bit.ly/49XmvP9 <https://bit.ly/49XmvP9> The recordings of the webinars will be available on the project website. Please follow the website or subscribe our email list for project updates: https://bit.ly/4bRO1Qw <https://bit.ly/4bRO1Qw> Dr. Çiğdem Bozdağ (she/her) Associate professor | Research Centre for Media and Journalism Studies | University of Groningen | Oude Kijk in 't Jatstraat 26, Room 1315.0483, 9712 EK Groningen, The Netherlands | Vice Chair | ECREA Diaspora, Media and Migration Section PI | NWO Vidi project DigiMig <https://digimig.nl/en/homepage-eng/>

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