Date: 11th – 13th of June 2025
Place: Paris, France
ERUA and Paris 8 University are thrilled to announce an ERUA Media, Culture & Communication Summer School (EMCCSS) – Internet Politics through a Critical Lens. The summer school will take place at Paris 8 University between 11th and the 13th of June, 2025.
This doctoral school project aims to bring together approximately 25 PhD students from ERUA partner institutions and several researchers around a unifying theme: critical approaches to Internet policy.
The project introduces an innovative format – that of a “paper conference,” inspired by the Privacy Law Scholars Conference. Aside from a few plenary presentations by invited scholars, panels will be structured as discussions of papers submitted in advance by participants. Each paper will be assigned a discussant and circulated among all participants. The goal is to foster constructive feedback and help improve publication prospects. This format encourages in-depth discussions and contributes to the educational objective of training doctoral students in academic writing.
The chosen theme is interdisciplinary and relevant to many fields represented in ERUA institutions: communication and information sciences, law, political science, geopolitics, science and technology studies, computer science, and digital humanities.
Participants will be drawn from across the ERUA network. Beyond offering strong support for doctoral students’ writing and publication skills, the summer school also aims to stimulate exchange and collaboration, including among faculty members of the conference’s scientific committee.
The discussions are expected to generate ideas for future projects, either within the ERUA network or through bilateral partnerships (e.g., PHC programs) or larger European initiatives (e.g., Horizon Europe, COST).
Activities
There will be five total sessions: one in the morning and one in the afternoon on June 11 and 12, and one final session on the morning of June 13. Four papers will be discussed each morning (30 minutes per paper), and five in the afternoon, with a break in the mid-afternoon.
A keynote presentation is scheduled for June 11th and 12th. On June 13th, a roundtable will be held with invited labs, associations, and institutions (AFNIC has already shown interest in participating).
A cultural visit is planned for the afternoon of June 13th: a guided tour titled “The World According to AI”, held at the Jeu de Paume.
AFNIC – the association managing France’s national domain names (.fr) – may be involved in the event and take part in one of the plenary roundtables.
The project’s main innovation lies in its “paper conference” format, where sessions revolve around the discussion of working papers focused on ongoing research. This structure enables participants to receive relevant feedback for future publications, offering a dynamic and participatory alternative to traditional conference models.
Project Coordinators: Jacob Matthews and Julien Rossi
Submission Guidelines and Deadline:
Researchers are invited to submit their papers by sending an email no later than May 16 to both Matthews Jacob (jacob.matthews@univ-paris8.fr) and Julien Rossi (julien.rossi04@univ-paris8.fr).
🔔 Selected participants will receive confirmation of acceptance by May 19, 2025.
Join us for a unique academic experience that combines critical thinking, collaborative learning, and intercultural exchange — all through a new participatory format designed to empower the next generation of researchers!
