Inaugural DigiPol Fellow Prof. Guy Berger

Posted on: 13 February 2024 in Posts

In November 2023, we were delighted to inaugurate our first DigiPol Fellow, Prof. Guy Berger during his visit with us.

Guy Berger is currently professor emeritus at Rhodes University, South Africa and Distinguished Fellow, Research ICT Africa (RIA). He was previously a senior director at UNESCO overseeing the organisation's work to promote press freedom (on- and offline); the UN Plan of Action on Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity (including training of judges and security forces); gender equality in and through media; internet governance and disinformation; and journalism education along with media and information literacy.

During his visit, Prof. Berger led a helpful question and answer session for academic staff and students interested in developing impact for their work by working with UNESCO: ‘Working with UNESCO: What academics should know’ which provided helpful advice about how to get UNESCO interested and engaged in your research, particularly in the area of freedom of expression. The event was well attended by researchers across the faculty, including many early career and postgraduate researchers. During his visit he met with various colleagues on a one-to-one basis to discuss potential collaborations and he also delivered a DigiPol research seminar: ‘A tsunami brewing: media capture and media coercion’ which addresses the implications of generative AI and targeted disinformation online for the global information ecosystem. We very much look forward to continuing our collaborations with Prof. Berger.