After a first stay as Visiting Fellow at the Programme for the Study of International Governance from September 2012 to September 2013, Dr Jérôme Duberry is back to the Graduate Institute, where he is Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Trade and Economic Integration (CTEI). His research deals with the influence of ICTs on global governance. Portrait of a former alumnus (2005).
What are your current research areas?
My research activities revolve around the contemporary transformations of international affairs in a process of adaptation to the emergence of new digital technologies, actors, and decision-making processes. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) enable traditionally marginalised actors, such as non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and developing countries, to gain increased access to information, set the agenda, and develop innovative forms of organisation.
An increasing number of scholars analyse the influence of ICTs on international affairs and more specifically Internet governance. However, few have examined the impact of ICTs on global governance. One of my current research objectives is therefore to better understand the impact ICTs have on multi-stakeholder decision-making processes and outline recommendations for future online governance arrangements. I am particularly interested in innovative public and private governance systems, and how Internet and social media influence processes of decision.
As behavioural economics scholars argue, cognitive biases influence our decision-making processes. Since the use of ICTs implies a different context for the decision to be made (characterised by temporal, spatial and social distancing), we can only expect the final decision to be influenced by different cognitive biases. At a time when an increasing number of international institutions offer online solutions for their members to share information and vote remotely, it becomes crucial to determine if ICTs offer the same conditions for a decision to be made as in person.
At next year’s Pan-European Conference on International Relations, organised by the European International Studies Association (EISA), I will chair a section with five roundtables on this topic, specifically on “Global Governance in the Age of Internet”. The call for papers is open until February 2017. Feel free to contact me if you are interested.
Why did you decide to join the CTEI?
I undertake collaborative research with Professor Pauwelyn and Post-doc Researcher Ayelet Berman on the SNIS project “Rethinking Stakeholder Participation in Global Governance”, which examines to what extent institutional reforms and participation mechanism increase the input of external stakeholder in formal and informal governance arrangements. My contribution focuses on the technological aspect of these reforms. I analyse the impact of the Internet and digital technologies on the governance of financial and health-related international Institutions, and more precisely on the participation of state and non-state actors in these global multi-stakeholder processes.
What are your hopes for your research stay at the Institute?
“Creativity is just connecting things”, to quote Steve Jobs. I lead my efforts in bridging the gap between digital technologies and international affairs, working with academic researchers and innovative practitioners to grasp the power of digital technologies in international affairs. I wish to acquire additional scientific knowledge and develop innovative research on the nexus of governance and digital technologies, while at the same time share my interest for technologies in the field of international affairs with colleagues at the Institute.