Dr. Aim Sinpeng
Congratulations to UBC Political Science PhD alumna Dr. Aim Sinpeng who was awarded the Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA). This award is the highest level fellowship awarded to early career researchers in Australia.
Dr. Sinpeng’s project, “Cyber Repression and Political Protests in Thailand,” investigates the impact of digital repressive technologies on activism in autocracies through a case study of online opposition movements in Thailand. The project advances a new conceptual framework for the analysis of networked counterpublics, which outlines the conditions under which social media aids or contains digital dissidents. Expected outcomes include a comprehensive study of interactions between the Thai State and Free Youth Movement and a series of conceptual tools to assess strategies for collective action in digitally repressive environments. It will also provide a roadmap to assist civil society and policymakers in building resilience against cyber repression and reclaiming online spaces for progressive change.
Dr. Aim Sinpeng is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Government and International Relations, a Co-Founder of the Sydney Cyber Security Network and a Thailand Coordinator for the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre at the University of Sydney. She completed her PhD at the University of British Columbia.
