A joint initiative of the World Interdisciplinary Network for Institutional Research (WINIR), the Law as Science Project, and INET’s Young Scholars Initiative (YSI)
Rapid technological progress has the power to unlock human potential while simultaneously disrupting social, political, legal, and economic processes. Institutional theorizing and various institutionalist paradigms call for an evaluation of our understanding of the relationship between humans and technology/machines, and raise the question of whether technology can itself be considered an institution.
The Inaugural WINIR Young Scholars Workshop provides a forum for interdisciplinary perspectives that focus on the following aspects, among others: society and institutions; web3 and institutions; technology and trust; sustainability and technology.
Projects based in or relating to the Global South are of particular interest, where the adoption of new technologies, often driven through top-down policy, is characterised as “progress” — without consideration of its impact on socio-economic, cultural, and political systems. Yet given that technological change is linked with questions that are simultaneously political, environmental, socio-economic, and cultural, the adoption of new technologies presents significant challenges regarding ethnicity, gender, class, caste, age, the presence of violence, and the barriers that these pose to voice and representation.
Ph.D. candidates in economics, law, sociology, anthropology, development studies, and other related disciplines were encouraged to apply. The call elicited a high number of quality submissions. Successful applicants have been invited to present their research online to an audience of peers and senior scholars, and receive constructive conceptual and methodological critique.
Organizers: Christina Mosalagae (University of Turin, Italy), Nikhilesh Sinha (Hult International Business School, UK), Vanessa Villanueva Collao (University of Illinois, USA & Roma Tre University, Italy).
Session 1
07:00-09:00 PDT (UTC-7) / 10:00-12:00 EDT (UTC-4) / 14:00-16:00 BST (UTC+1) / 16:00-18:00 IDT (UTC+3) / 22:00-00:00 HKT (UTC+7)
Moderator: Nikhilesh Sinha (Hult International Business School, UK)
Sangita Farzana Gazi (University of Hong Kong, China), “The Tragedy of the Blockchain Commons: Invoking Ostrom’s Design Principles in Achieving Decentralization in Blockchain”
Milena Libralon Kosaki Ponchio (Mackenzie Presbyterian University, Brazil) & Nathalia Penha Cardoso de França (Mackenzie Presbyterian University, Brazil), “Platform Cooperativism in Brazil: From Social Justice to Precarious Work and Vice Versa”
Muhammed Alakitan (University of Cambridge, UK), “Digital Activism in Nigeria”
Anna Elias (Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands), “Pathways of Progress in Platform Work: Perspectives from India”
Discussants: Francesca Gagliardi (University of Hertfordshire, UK), Geoffrey Hodgson (Loughborough University London, UK), Michael Madison (University of Pittsburgh, USA), Eran Fisher (Open University, Israel), Anjanette Raymond (Indiana University, USA), Madelyn Sanfilippo (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA)
Session 2
10:00-12:00 PDT (UTC-7) / 13:00-15:00 EDT (UTC-4) / 17:00-19:00 BST (UTC+1) / 19:00-21:00 IDT (UTC+3) / 00:00-02:00 HKT (UTC+7)
Moderator: Vanessa Villanueva Collao (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA)
Takuma Iwasaki (Stanford University, USA), “Carrots and Red Tape: The Impact of R&D Tax Credits with Heavy Procedural Burdens”
Syed Mohib Ali (University of Siena, Italy) “Digitalization and Development in India: An Overview”
Nai Lee Kalema (UCL, UK), “The World Bank’s Digital ‘Identity for Development Initiative’”
Daniel Affsprung (Arizona State University, USA), “The Eliza Defect: Constructing the Right Knowledge of Artificial Intelligence”
Discussants: Francesca Gagliardi (University of Hertfordshire, UK), Geoffrey Hodgson (Loughborough University London, UK), Michael Madison(University of Pittsburgh, USA), Eran Fisher (Open University, Israel), Anjanette Raymond (Indiana University, USA)
Young Scholars
Daniel Affsprung is a PhD candidate in the history and philosophy of science at Arizona State University (USA). His research focuses on the history shaping modern efforts to automate and predict human behavior. Learn more
Muhammed Alakitan is a PhD candidate in sociology at the University of Cambridge (UK). His research examines the forms of capital built through digital activism by human rights activists and influencers. Learn more
Anna Elias is a PhD candidate in development studies at the International Institute of Social Studies at Erasmus University Rotterdam (Netherlands). She studies the impact that digital platforms have on livelihoods in the informal sector. Learn more
Nathalia Penha Cardoso de França is a PhD candidate in political and economic law at the Mackenzie Presbyterian University (Brazil). Her research focuses on work precarization and social justice. Learn more
Sangita Farzana Gazi is a PhD candidate in financial law and regulation at Hong Kong University (China). She studies the impacts of blockchain, fintech, and other emerging technologies on regulation. Learn more
Syed Mohib Ali is a PhD candidate in economics at the University of Siena (Italy). His research deals with demand-led growth and economic history. Learn more
Takuma Iwasaki is an JSD candidate at the Stanford Law School (USA). His research focuses on innovation policy, policy impact evaluation, and the law and economics of antitrust and regulation. Learn more
Nai Lee Kalema is a PhD candidate at the Institute of Innovation and Public Purpose at University College London (UK). She studies the institutional and societal implications of public-sector digital transformation. Learn more
Milena Libralon Kosaki Ponchio is a PhD candidate in political and economic law at the Mackenzie Presbyterian University (Brazil). Her research focuses on the globalization of precarious work from a comparative perspective. Learn more
Discussants
Eran Fisher is Associate Professor of Sociology and Communication at the Open University of Israel (Israel). His research focuses on technology discourse, algorithmic epistemology, and unionization in high-tech sectors. Homepage
Francesca Gagliardi is Reader in Institutional Economics at the University of Hertfordshire Business School (UK). Her research focuses on entrepreneurship, cooperatives, institutional complementarities, and finance and development. She is a co-founder of WINIR and the current WINIR Treasurer. Homepage
Geoffrey Hodgson is Emeritus Professor in Management at Loughborough University London (UK). His research interests include institutional and evolutionary economics, economic history, and social theory. He is a co-founder of WINIR and previously served as WINIR Secretary. Homepage
Michael Madison is Professor of Law at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law (USA). His research focuses on copyright and intellectual property, innovation policy, and higher education. He is a co-founder of the Workshop on Governing Knowledge Commons. Homepage
Anjanette Raymond is Associate Professor of Business Law and Ethics at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business (USA). Her research interests include secured transactions, internet law, cloud computing, and big data. Homepage
Madelyn Sanfilippo is Assistant Professor of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (USA). Her research focuses on privacy, platforms, and the governance of sociotechnical systems. She is a co-director of the Workshop on Governing Knowledge Commons. Homepage
Conveners
Christina R. Mosalagae is a PhD candidate in law and institutions at the University of Torino (Italy). Her research interests include law and political economy, monetary economics, and law and finance. She is a coordinator of the INET YSI Finance, Law and Economics Workshop Group. Email | Homepage
Nikhilesh Sinha is Professor of Economics & Finance at Hult International Business School (UK). His research spans urban economics, institutional economics, law and economics, and social business models. He is the WINIR Young Scholars Coordinator. Email | Homepage
Vanessa Villanueva Collao is an JSD candidate at the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign’s College of Law (USA) and a research fellow at Roma Tre University (Italy). Her research interests lie at the intersection of law and technology with a focus on corporate law and corporate governance. She is a coordinator of the Law as Science Project. Email | Homepage
Relevant Links
WINIR Young Scholars (WYS) aims to identify and promote the next generation of institutional scholars from diverse geographies, sociocultural contexts and disciplines. To this end, WINIR is proud to initiate a collaboration with the Law as Science Project and INET’s Young Scholars Initiative.
The Law as Science Project is an academic initiative constituted of U.S. law school doctoral candidates from the Berkeley, Chicago, Cornell, Illinois, Indiana, and Virginia who share an interest in exploring research methodologies for legal scholarship.
The Young Scholars Initiative (YSI) is a community of over 20,000 students, young professionals, and researchers from across the globe pursuing new and critical ways of thinking about the economy. Within this community, the Finance, Law and Economics Working Group bridges disciplinary and methodological silos to broaden our understanding of the structural issues in financial, legal, and economic systems.
