On Saturday, 6 January 2024, the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies will launch the fifth round of its International Winter School program, addressing the theme of “Social Media, Surveillance, and Societies of Control.”

This round, extending over 6 days, will explore the interaction between social media, surveillance, and control by governments and corporations and the vulnerability of popular culture to manipulation and control through social media, by five public lectures and two roundtables. Live Arabic translation will be available for the lectures, which will be given in English. These lectures will be given by renowned and specialized scholars in the study of social media and surveillance, notably, David Lyon, Marc Owen Jones, Rebecca L Stein, Ahmed Al-Rawi and Taha Yasseri.

In addition, 19 PhD student and early career researcher will present their research papers in dedicated sessions, focusing on different aspects of social media and surveillance in different regions and examining it in relation to a variety of social and political issues. The research projects reflect on data collected in the United States, Egypt, Iran, India, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, and Nigeria. Moreover, the program includes two workshops on social media research tools and methods.

While the lectures and roundtables will be open to the public, the participating researchers will present their research projects in closed sessions, and attendance require prior registration. Students, scholars, and researchers specialized and interested in different social sciences and humanities, as well as related computer science and engineering disciplines, are welcome to submit their online registration form until 3 January 2024, (The registration is now closed). 

* For more information, please see the Winter School public lectures and roundtables timetable and Booklet .