The 2009 Giganet scholarship award, intended to promote participation and scholarly work in Internet governance, has been awarded to Dr. Robert Bodle for his paper, Social Media and Global Internet Governance: Innovations and Limitations, which will be presented by him at the 2009 Giganet Symposium.  The Internet Governance Project, which gives the award, would like to thank all applicants and congratulates them on their contributions.

Bodle's paper explores and assesses the potential for democratic participation in Internet governance using social media sites and services. Comparing actual uses of social media by the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) and the Dynamic Coalition on Internet Rights and Principles (IRP), in which Bodle is actively involved, his paper blends scholarship and practical application to help identify best practices and provide future recommendations.

The fourth Giganet Annual Symposium will be held at the Sharm el Sheikh International Congress Center on Saturday, November 14, the day before the 2009 Internet Governance Forum starts.  Attendance is open to anyone, and remote participation will also be available.  Registration is required and you can read the full program agenda here. This years program includes conceptual and empirical papers from top and emerging scholars in the field and an exciting keynote, “Beyond Denial: Introducing the Next Generation of Internet Controls,” by Ronald J. Deibert and Rafal Rohozinski.