Please join us for this CIPR Research Lunch, featuring visiting Fullbright Fellow, Dr. Alexei Krivolap. A light lunch will be provided.

Potential of the Internet for Social Change in Former Soviet Countries: Case of Belarus

We know a lot, or at least we think that we know a lot, about Arab Spring, the revolution potential of Twitter, and the power of social media. Sometimes we can even speculate that the Internet’s advancement is directly correlated to democracy. But, social media and IT aren’t always a panacea for social change. Can you imagine a European country where its own “Silicon Valley” exists yet sanctions an official list of prohibited websites? A country where the sum total of cell phone users outnumbers landline telephones but requires you to show your passport before admittance to an Internet cafe? The name of this country is Belarus. Belarus went a long way from the former Soviet Republic to a country in transition before going “back to the USSR.” The Internet allows us to stay connected to the world, of course, when access isn’t shut down.

About the Speaker
Dr. Alexei Krivolap European Humanities University Vilnius, Lithuania Visiting Fulbright Scholar, UWM-Center for Information Policy Research Dr. Krivolap has expertise in the sociology of the Internet and cultural studies, and received his PhD from Russian State University for the Humanities in 2011. He is currently a full-time lecturer at the European Humanities University in Vilnius, Lithuania. He has written and contributed to several publications, is a member of various professional societies including the Association of Internet Researchers, and has received numerous fellowships related to his work on new media and internet technology, most recently a Carnegie Research Fellowship at University of Washington in 2008.

Thursday, October 17, 2013
11:30 – 1:00pm
NWQB 3511
2025 E Newport Ave
Milwaukee, WI 5321