Jason Bonsall - our SSIGIL Cyberambassador - Selected as ISLC Fellow for 2026–2027

As part of the programme, Jason will conduct research within the “Geopolitics, Global Affairs and Human Rights” group, one of five interdisciplinary research tracks developed by the Information Society Law Center (ISLC). The group brings together early-career researchers working on the relationships between artificial intelligence, international relations, internet governance, sovereignty, digital surveillance, disinformation, and human rights. These issues are becoming increasingly significant in light of the growing influence of digital technologies on diplomacy, security, and global governance.

Jason Bonsall is an early-career researcher focusing on the relationship between technology, public policy, and international law. His research interests include satellite internet governance, applications of machine learning in political science, and the decolonial dimensions of digital connectivity. He was a fellow of both editions of the Summer School on Internet Governance and International Law  (SSIGIL) held in Łódź in 2024 and 2025, organised as part of the Internet Society Foundation research project „Global Governance of Low Earth Orbit Satellites”.

As SSIGIL cyberambassador, Jason supports the development of the academic community formed around the summer school and contributes to outreach activities promoting knowledge on internet governance, cybersecurity, and global digital policy.

Jason is also the author of the chapter “How Starlink Has Impacted Connectivity Initiatives in Africa” in the volume Global Governance of Low Earth Orbit Satellites, published by Lodz University Press and edited by Dr Joanna Kulesza, Director of Lodz Cyber Hub, and Dr Berna Akçalı Gür of UNU-CRIS. His chapter analyses competing models for the development of internet infrastructure in Africa and examines the role of low-Earth-orbit satellite constellations in expanding connectivity across the continent.

He is also a co-author of the scholarly article “A Comparison of Machine Learning Algorithms Applied to American Legislature Polarization,” published in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) publication series. The article presents an analysis of political polarization in U.S. state legislatures using machine learning methods.

Jason completed his Master’s degree at the University of Padova, where he defended the thesis “Exploring Community Networks’ Contribution to the Intersectionality of the Internet: Connectivity From a Decolonial Perspective.” The thesis examines the role of community network infrastructures in providing internet access in regions of the Global South and contributes to broader debates on digital sovereignty and inequalities in global internet governance.

About the ISLC Fellowship Programme

The Information Society Law Center – ISLC at the University of Milan is an interdisciplinary research centre dedicated to the legal and societal aspects of emerging technologies. The 2026–2027 fellowship programme brings together researchers from Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Oceania.

The programme is organised around five main research areas:

• Videogames and Law
• Geopolitics, Global Affairs and Human Rights
• AI and Health
• New Technologies and Vulnerable Groups
• The Augmented Jurist

Lodz Cyber Hub warmly congratulates Jason on this distinction and looks forward to following his future research at the intersection of law, technology, and global digital governance.