“Data Storage of Content Platforms: Impact on Internet Resilience in Pakistan” by Nowmay Opalinski.

“Data Storage of Content Platforms: Impact on Internet Resilience in Pakistan” by Nowmay Opalinski.

Chinese Internet Research Conference (CIRC)
31 May 2024

Auteur

The conference “Big Tech as an Actor of Global Security and Geopolitical Conflicts” took place on May 2nd and 3rd, 2024, at Université Paris-Panthéon Assas. It was co-organized by the Center for Analysis and Interdisciplinary Media Research (CARIM), the CNRS Internet and Society Center, and the IRSEM.

Topics Covered

Recent advancements in technology prompt us to closely examine the role of big tech companies in global security and geopolitical conflicts. This conference offers an in-depth exploration of this crucial subject, beyond its purely technical aspect.

Objective

Nowmay Opalinski participated in panel #3 titled “Global Geopolitics of Big Tech” (moderated by Zhao Alexandre Huang from Université Paris Nanterre).

During this session, he presented his work within an intervention titled: “Data Storage Practices of Content Distribution Platforms and Unintended Impacts on Internet Resilience in Emerging Countries: The Case of Pakistan.” His presentation focused on the resilience of the Internet network in Pakistan and the impact of digital platforms on its structure.

More broadly, the aim of this conference was to initiate a discussion on the various ways in which digital giants contribute to global security. Nowmay and other researchers aimed to understand how these companies integrate a security perspective into their activities and how they interact with traditional security networks.

 

>> Programme <<

 

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Pr. Frédérick Douzet awarded €2.5 million ERC grant for her research on Geopolitics of Internet data routes

Pr. Frédérick Douzet awarded €2.5 million ERC grant for her research on Geopolitics of Internet data routes

30 March 2023

Scientific Excellence at the University of Paris 8. 

Frédérick Douzet won a prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Fellowship and its €2.5 million grant.

Frédérick Douzet, Professor at the French Institute of Geopolitics at the University of Paris 8 and Director of the GEODE Center (Geopolitics of the Datasphere) has just obtained an ERC grant in the Advanced category for her DATAROUTES project, which aims to map Internet routes and their manipulation for strategic purposes. This research funding program is one of the most prestigious and competitive in the European Union (EU). For the first time, the award recognizes the excellence of research in humanities and social sciences conducted at the University of Paris 8.

 

Frédérick Douzet was delighted at the announcement of the results: “I am very pleased to be awarded this grant. It will enable me to carry out an ambitious research project that is fully in line with the tradition of innovation and experimentation in social sciences at the University of Paris 8. This project tops nearly 10 years of investment in building a challenging interdisciplinary conversation at the French Institute of Geopolitics and the GEODE project, which I lead. I would like to warmly thank my entire team for their unwavering support, but also the many colleagues, friends and staff in the administration of Paris 8 who helped me prepare this great project and train for the interview.”

 

Annick Allaigre, President of the University of Paris 8, welcomes the performance of Frédérick Douzet, who wins the first ERC grant of the University Paris 8 with this project particularly relevant given the international context. This success is the result of her tireless work and ability to lead a first class team. It also reflects the quality of the support provided by the research services for very high-level projects and rewards a resolute policy of support for research.

 

Arnaud Regnauld, Vice-President of Research at the University of Paris 8 adds: “The DATAROUTES project is the continuation of an ambitious scientific dynamic at “Geopolitics of the Datasphere” (GEODE), a project developed by the IFGLab. This ERC grant is a recognition of the work undertaken by Frédérick Douzet and her team and a testament to the excellence and influence of this laboratory in exploratory research at an international scale.” 

 

Understanding how states and non-state actors shape cyberspace by seeking to control the routes taken by digital data 

The Internet has been able to develop very rapidly in most countries thanks to its highly decentralized nature. Its resilience is based on a multiplicity of different routes that allow data to always bypass a blocking or partial destruction of the network by alternative paths. This model is now being challenged by two major developing dynamics. On the one hand, some states, in the name of national security, seek to re-establish control over borders of what they regard as their national cyberspace, creating fragmentation along state borders. On the other hand, at a higher level of abstraction, another dynamic can be observed. Driven by market forces, this dynamic consists in the concentration of data traffic around a few major data transport players and a few large platforms, such as GAFAMs. Largely invisible, this concentration also leads to a form of fragmentation along commercial lines.

These developments raise major questions in terms of the stability and resilience of the Internet, the free movement of data and human rights. The DATAROUTES project aims to map the paths taken by digital data to understand how and with what consequences the control strategies of actors shape cyberspace, and analyze the major issues in terms of security and public policies for the European Union. 

 

Acknowledging the scientific excellence of the research carried out at the University Paris 8. 

The ERC Advanced Scholarship program is part of the Horizon Europe program. These scholarships reward researchers who are experienced and recognized in their field at the national and international levels. They make it possible to carry out ambitious and innovative high-risk projects that can lead to notable scientific advances. The funded projects each benefit from a maximum budget of 2.5 million euros over five years. Out of 1,650 applications received, the ERC picked 218 winners in the Advanced category this year, i.e., a success rate of 13.2%. With 32 winning projects, France ranks third among the 20 European countries represented, behind Germany and the United Kingdom. 

The DATAROUTES project will allow the recruitment of several doctoral and post-doctoral students and research engineers who will be hosted at the Condorcet Campus, of which Paris 8 University is a member.  

Frédérick Douzet’s work has been recognized by the Institut Universitaire de France (IUF) and is part of the innovative research carried out within the GEODE project, which was labeled in 2020 “Center of Excellence International Relations and Strategy” by the Ministry of the Armed Forces and has received funding from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. This scholarship also rewards the teams of the French Institute of Geopolitics at the University of Paris 8 to which the GEODE center is attached. Finally, it testifies to the vitality and the need for interdisciplinary research in humanities and social sciences undertaken within the University of Paris 8 to advance knowledge.

 

> Download the press release <<

 

 

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The Russia Program, the new university-based analytical center created by the George Washington University in partnership with GEODE

The Russia Program, the new university-based analytical center created by the George Washington University in partnership with GEODE

27 January 2023

We are very pleased to announce the launch of The Russia Program, a university-based analytical center created by the George Washington University in partnership with GEODE in order to provide new ways of studying Russia after February 24, 2022. 

Hosted at the Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at George Washington University, The Russia Program founds a novel research ecosystem that renews our methodological toolkit and creates new knowledge commons designed not only for the scientific community, but also for a broader audience. 

Within this framework, the “New Methodological School” offers seminars and academic courses designed to explore contemporary Russia through innovative methods of data collection and aggregation such as open source intelligence research.



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GEODE is hiring a post-doctoral fellow!

GEODE is hiring a post-doctoral fellow!

January 11, 2023

Post doctoral contract at GEODE Project

Assignment

Attached structure: University of Paris 8 – Laboratory IFGLab, GEODE project (Geopolitics of the datasphere)

Address: 2 rue de la Liberté – 93200 Saint-Denis / 14 cours des Humanité 93330 Aubervilliers

Category: A – Research Engineer Equivalent

Nature of contract: Post-doctoral

Quota: 100%.

Expected duration of the assignments : 1 year

Salary: Between 27 000 and 30 000 euros brut per year depending of the experience

Job description
Description of the employer and of the affiliation structure

The University of Paris 8 is an institution of higher education with 22,500 students, 1,200 research professors and approximately 650 administrative staff. The university carries out training and research missions. Its activities are mainly focused on human and social sciences, arts and digital technology. As far as research is concerned, it has 26 research units and 7 mixed research units.

Geopolitics of the Datasphere (GEODE) is a multidisciplinary research and education project at the University Paris 8 dedicated to the strategic challenges of the digital revolution. It gathers researchers in geopolitics, geography, law, mathematics, computer science, history, sociology and philosophy from the University Paris 8, INRIA, The Ecole Normale Supérieure (ENS), the University of Paris Cité, the University of Bretagne Occidentale, the University of Savoie, the Saint-Cyr French Army Academy. Its goals are to enhance the understanding of the Datasphere as a new strategic environment, build capacity by training the next generation of academics and professionals, conduct critical applied research to inform the strategies and policies elaborated by governments, companies and institutions, and promote the norms building process to reduce conflicts, mitigate risks, and facilitate international cooperation to preserve the security and stability of the digital space.

www.geode.science

Tasks of the post

Research activities, tasks and expected results

  • Name of the project : GEODE project (Geopolitics of the datasphere)
  • Research activities / Content of the research project :

The post-doctoral fellow must be involved in at least one of the three research themes of the GEODE project:

  • Cyber Policy and Digital Affairs
  • Cartography of the Datasphere
  • Cyber Warfare and Digital Operations
  • Tasks to be performed

Research, collection and analysis of data

Participation in conferences and scientific events in France and abroad

Publication of scientific articles and publications for the general public

Participation in the organisation of events to promote the research of all GEODE teams (seminars, colloquium, conference, team travel)

  • Expected results

To be determined according to the research project with the laboratory director at the beginning of the contract.

  • Provisional timetable

To be determined according to the research project with the laboratory director at the beginning of the contract.

Internal and external links

www.geode.science

Conditions of service and, where appropriate, particular hardship attached to the post

All travels related to the job will be paid by the laboratory.

Expected knowledge and skills
Expected training and experience
  • PhD (or end of PhD) in Geopolitics, Law or Political Science on the strategic issues of the digital revolution

NB: the PhD must have been obtained less than 2 years ago in a different research lab

  • The post-doctoral fellow must be involved in at least one of the three research themes of the GEODE project:
    • Cyber Policy and Digital Affairs
    • Cartography of the Datasphere
    • Cyber Warfare and Digital Operations
Expected skills
  • Good team-work abilities and interest in collaborating in an international/multidisciplinary environment
  • Analytical and synthesis skills
  • Excellent knowledge of cyberspace issues
  • Excellent speaking and writing skills in English
  • Reactivity
  • Commitment
  • Spirit of initiative
  • Autonomy
  • Good organizational skills
Contact person and affiliation form

To apply, please send, before February 15, 2023 :

  • a CV
  • a letter of motivation
  • a written proposition of a post-doctoral thesis (3 to 5 pages)
  • the list of the GEODE researchers that could be relevant for the desired topic of research

Contacts :

Administrative contact: Appoline Roy (appoline.roy@geode.science)

Research contact: Frédérick Douzet, Director of GEODE (fdouzet@gmail.com)

 

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REPORT – The discreet action of Russian channels in Western conspiracy circles

REPORT – The discreet action of Russian channels in Western conspiracy circles

GEODE Report
November 16, 2022

This research note extends the analysis of content sharing between Telegram channels presented in our previous study. We show that by increasing the depth of a query generated by the Telegram analysis tool developed by GEODE, we can better understand the integration of pro-Russian channels into Western conspiracy sphere. We can also refine our understanding of the content and internal structures of different conspiracy communities.

Download the report

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UGI 2022 – Communication from Margot François

UGI 2022 – Communication from Margot François

UGI 2022
22 August 2022

Communication

The Centennial Congress of the International Geographical Union (IGU) took place from July 18 to 22, 2022 in Paris.

During this event Margot François gave a communication : 

Session “Political Geographies of Data” – M.François Border vs security? Nationalist discourses on cybersecurity and the “bordering” of cyberspace.

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UGI 2022 – Communication from Alix Desforges

UGI 2022 – Communication from Alix Desforges

UGI 2022
22 August 2022

The Centennial Congress of the International Geographical Union (IGU) took place from July 18 to 22, 2022 in Paris.

During this event Alix Desforges gave a communication : 

Session Political Geographies of Data – A.Desforges Digital sovereignty in France : a binary debate far from the political objectives. 

She also co-chaired the session Cartography of the Datasphere with Frédérick Douzet.

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