Kursinformation

Internet, social media, mobiles, and other recent digital technology advances such as artificial intelligence have unleashed powerful forces that shape and reshape local, national, and international life. The interests of many stakeholders (state and non-state actors) are impacted by the generalization of information communications technology (ICT) and the emergence of an information society. The impact of the Internet is growing in breadth and depth, transforming traditional industries, reshaping government interactions, and increasing opportunities for social inclusion. Topics like privacy protection and cybersecurity are increasingly the focus of global policymaking.

Yet, no one organisation is responsible for the ownership, development, or regulation of the Internet, with the ability to govern or regulate the outcomes of these conflicting forces. Hence, Internet governance (IG) has become one of the most important policy areas of our time. The term may be loosely defined as the various sets of norms (legal and non-legal) that determine how the Internet and its related applications function. Although how we manage the internet will define much of our society, the growing relevance of the internet is not yet supported by effective and inclusive IG. 

Meanwhile, there is also increasing friction between free services and privacy, data protection and security, sovereignty, and globalisation. New factors, such as technological innovations and non-traditional security threats, including digital affairs, pose security challenges to international actors. Unlike traditional security studies considering ‘security’ contextually given as the military threats of nation-states, new security theories take a more critical stance towards the presumptive ‘realities’ of security in today’s world. Ontologically, they share a more reflective understanding of security that fits to the rapidly changing global environment.