Northwestern Qatar Professor Eddy Borges-Rey will lead an action research sub-project helping individuals in Qatar and across the region improve their digital citizenship skills and understanding as part of a major research cluster project awarded a $4 million grant from Qatar National Research Fund’s (QNRF) National Priorities Research Programme – Cluster (NPRP-C).
The research cluster, The Future of Digital Citizenship in Qatar: a Social-Technical Framework, aims to foster an interdisciplinary approach to studying digital citizenship in Qatar and contextualize it within the cultural context of the region through a series of six interdisciplinary sub-project projects. These sub-projects cover a wide range of topics, including web-based social media observatories, critical digital literacy, digital wellbeing, security and safety measures, gender equality and social inclusion, and the role of digital citizenship in education.
As one of the sub-projects, the Digital Citizenship Ambassadors sub-project led by Borges-Rey will incorporate findings from the other projects in the cluster, create a baseline conceptual definition of what digital citizenship means, and analyze how it shapes online interactions with topics on health, security, literacy, rights and responsibility, etiquette, and economy. As project lead, he will then produce educational programs to be disseminated by digital citizenship ambassadors across different communities in Qatar through workshops, online education material, interactive tools and websites, and capacity building and enhancement.
"The Digital Citizenship Ambassadors project is an exciting opportunity to empower individuals in Qatar and the wider region with essential digital skills and knowledge,” said Eddy Borges-Rey, associate professor in the Journalism and Strategic Communication Program at Northwestern Qatar. “Through our research, we aim to better understand and shape online interactions in various domains, ultimately fostering a more responsible, inclusive, and connected digital society. With the generous support of the Qatar National Research Fund, we are poised to create educational programs that will equip individuals from diverse communities to become effective advocates of digital citizenship."
The research cluster, The Future of Digital Citizenship in Qatar: a Social-Technical Framework, aims to foster an interdisciplinary approach to studying digital citizenship in Qatar and contextualize it within the cultural context of the region through a series of six interdisciplinary sub-project projects. These sub-projects cover a wide range of topics, including web-based social media observatories, critical digital literacy, digital wellbeing, security and safety measures, gender equality and social inclusion, and the role of digital citizenship in education.
As one of the sub-projects, the Digital Citizenship Ambassadors sub-project led by Borges-Rey will incorporate findings from the other projects in the cluster, create a baseline conceptual definition of what digital citizenship means, and analyze how it shapes online interactions with topics on health, security, literacy, rights and responsibility, etiquette, and economy. As project lead, he will then produce educational programs to be disseminated by digital citizenship ambassadors across different communities in Qatar through workshops, online education material, interactive tools and websites, and capacity building and enhancement.
"The Digital Citizenship Ambassadors project is an exciting opportunity to empower individuals in Qatar and the wider region with essential digital skills and knowledge,” said Eddy Borges-Rey, associate professor in the Journalism and Strategic Communication Program at Northwestern Qatar. “Through our research, we aim to better understand and shape online interactions in various domains, ultimately fostering a more responsible, inclusive, and connected digital society. With the generous support of the Qatar National Research Fund, we are poised to create educational programs that will equip individuals from diverse communities to become effective advocates of digital citizenship."
“Qatar’s visionary 2030 plan for national development explicitly acknowledges the need for educated citizens and professionals concerned with media and communication as part of a quest to create a knowledge-based economy for this country and the region. Through faculty-led projects like this, we are pleased to be in active support of those developments, not just for Qatar, but for the region and the global community as well”
- Marwan M. Kraidy, dean and CEO of Northwestern Qatar
By analyzing online content and interaction, the cluster aims to enhance the civility, inclusiveness, and safety of online dialogue. The project brings together experts from various backgrounds, including linguistics, artificial intelligence, social inclusion, social informatics, HCI, social and cyberpsychology, persuasive technology, and online influence. Academic researchers, practitioners, and policy advisors participating in the project will work together to develop strategies and materials to promote responsible digital citizenship within the Qatari society.
"Qatar’s visionary 2030 plan for national development explicitly acknowledges the need for educated citizens and professionals concerned with media and communication as part of a quest to create a knowledge-based economy for this country and the region,” said Marwan M. Kraidy, dean and CEO of Northwestern Qatar. “Through faculty-led projects like this, we are pleased to be in active support of those developments, not just for Qatar, but for the region and the global community as well.”
Northwestern Qatar faculty, researchers, and students engage in a variety of research and creative scholarship across academic and research disciplines, including advertising and strategic communication, African studies, media and digital literacy, science and technology studies, and several other topics related to the Global South and the region.
"Qatar’s visionary 2030 plan for national development explicitly acknowledges the need for educated citizens and professionals concerned with media and communication as part of a quest to create a knowledge-based economy for this country and the region,” said Marwan M. Kraidy, dean and CEO of Northwestern Qatar. “Through faculty-led projects like this, we are pleased to be in active support of those developments, not just for Qatar, but for the region and the global community as well.”
Northwestern Qatar faculty, researchers, and students engage in a variety of research and creative scholarship across academic and research disciplines, including advertising and strategic communication, African studies, media and digital literacy, science and technology studies, and several other topics related to the Global South and the region.
