Internet Society sponsors 20 Ambassadors to participate in IGF meetings
[Bali, Indonesia] — The Internet Society announced today that it will sponsor 20 young professionals to attend the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Bali, Indonesia, on 22-25 October 2013. The IGF is a multistakeholder forum for policy dialogue on Internet governance issues, and brings together intergovernmental organizations, civil society, the private sector, and the technical and academic community. This year’s IGF theme is “Building Bridges: Enhancing Multistakeholder Cooperation for Growth and Sustainable Development.”
The Internet Society’s IGF Ambassadors Programme is designed to foster participation in multistakeholder processes for a healthy and sustainable Internet ecosystem. Next generation Internet leaders have the opportunity to participate in IGF meetings and lend their unique local and regional experiences to the discussions. First-time Ambassadors are paired with a mentor to help them prepare for the meeting, as well as to serve as an onsite contact. Following IGF, the Ambassadors return to their own communities and apply and share their IGF experiences.
“We are proud of these 20 Ambassadors who will represent the Internet Society at IGF,” said Toral Cowieson, Senior Director of Internet Leadership for the Internet Society. “Identified from an applicant pool of more than 200 highly qualified individuals, the 2013 Ambassadors will provide important regional perspectives to the dialogue on advancing the open and multistakeholder governance process. In addition, they will gain new insights and connections to enhance their work at other local, regional, and international meetings.”
First-time Internet Society Ambassadors to the IGF:
Alejandro Acosta (Venezuela) is currently Technology Support Manager at British Telecom (BT). He is a member of LACNIC’s Electoral Commission and President of LAC-TF, the IPv6 Task Force. He also is Professor of TCP/IP at the Nueva Esparta University, a course for 9th semester students and a member of LACNIC and IETF.
Andrés Azpúrua (Venezuela) is the Director/Co-Founder at Venezuela Inteligente, an organization that develops and facilitates technology tools for civic engagement. He completed his Diploma in Leadership and Public Policy at IESA, UCAB, Fundación Futuro Presente in Caracas, Venezuela. Andrés is an Internet Freedom Fellow with interests in the areas of human rights, access and diversity, and IG4D (Internet Governance for Development).
Cecilia Bermudez (Venezuela) currently works as a Teaching Assistant in the School of Systems Engineering at the Universidad de los Andes in Merida, Venezuela. Cecilia is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Systems Engineering at the Unidad Educativa Colegio María Inmaculada. Her topics of interest are access and diversity, critical Internet resources, and security and privacy.
Fawaz Bokhari (Pakistan) from Lahore is an Assistant Professor at the Punjab University College of Information Technology (P.U.C.I.T). His research interests include computer networks and distributed and cloud computing. He is working on designing efficient communication protocols (transport and network layer) for data centers and also teaches an introductory level cloud computing course to graduate students.
Nicolas Caballero (Paraguay) is the Vice President of Omnia S.A. He completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science at the Universidad Autónoma de Asunción, Paraguay, specializing in Networking and the Internet. He is currently the Paraguay representative to the ICANN Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC). Mr. Caballero is interested in the areas of access and diversity, critical Internet resources, openness and security, and IG4D.
Oswaldo Cali (Venezuela) is a lawyer specializing in human rights, and is currently an Officer of the Promotion, Defense, and Public Action Program. His work is predominantly in the field of freedom of expression, and he carries out studies of legislation and policies in Venezuela and participates in related national and international campaigns. He graduated from the Universidad Metropolitana in Caracas, Venezuela, with an Abogado (Juris Doctor equivalent).
Raitme Citterio (Venezuela) is a computer engineer and graduate from UCLA-University Lisandro Alvarado. His specialty is management and development of knowledge and learning communities online. As a consultant in the area of e-Learning, he works on issues of regional leadership and building capacity for the region. He is a member of the Royal Venezuela Graduates of training program in the Latin America-Caribbean international cooperation programs of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Teuku Geumpana (Indonesia) is employed by the BINUS International, School of Computer Science as a Program Coordinator. He holds a Bachelors of Information Technology degree from the International Islamic University of Malaysia. He was also awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to complete his Masters in Management Information Systems at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He is presently conducting academic research in the areas of software engineering, cloud computing, distributed systems, and wireless mobile application.
Argyro Karanasiou (Greece) is a Lecturer in Law and a Research Fellow at the Center for Intellectual Property, Policy and Management (CIPPM), Bournemouth University. She is currently at the end of her PhD studies at the Center of International Governance (CfIG) in the University of Leeds. Her doctoral research focuses on the intersection of new technologies and human rights, predominantly freedom of speech. She is a member of the Open Right’s Group Academic Network, the Global Internet Governance Academic Network, and the Society of Legal Scholars.
Sarah Kiden (Uganda) currently works as a Web & e-Learning Administrator at the Uganda Christian University. She holds an MSc in Information Systems from the Uganda Martyrs University and completed her BSc studies in Information Technology at the Uganda Christian University. She is a DiploFoundation Fellow, ICANN47 Fellow and has served on the Nominating Committee (Nomcom) of the Internet Governance Caucus. Sarah was one of the co-organizers of the TedxKiraTownWomen event in Uganda in 2012.
Mwendwa Kivuva (Kenya) is an ICT Administrator at the University of Nairobi. He is a member of the Kenya and East African IGF Steering Committee, and a regular participant in the Kenya ICT Action Network group (KICTAnet), Kenya Internet Governance Forums, and the Kenya Network Information Center (KENIC). He is an ICANN47 Fellow and an AFRINIC16 Fellow. His interests are IG4D, ICT policy, and human rights on the Internet.
May-Ann Lim (Singapore) currently works as the Research Director at TRPC. Her career has spanned a number of regional and global institutions, including the World Bank, the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, and the Singapore Internet Project. Her interests include telecommunication networks and ICT policy, new media and communications, technology developments and applications, mobile platforms, disaster relief and development work in universal education, and access to finance.
Sheba Mohammid (Trinidad & Tobago) is a multidisciplinary Internet professional with a background that includes experience working in digital inclusion, ICT policy and strategy, sustainable development, Internet governance, e-Learning and behavioral science of cyberspace. She is a Commonwealth Fellow and an African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Fellow to the IGF. Sheba is the Director of Policy and Implementation at the Global Social Media Impact Study, European Research Council.
Sergey Ovcharenko (Russian Federation) is a Trainee Researcher at the Joint Supercomputer Center of the Russian Academy of Science. He is also the Director for .SU Domain Development at the Foundation for Internet Development in Moscow. He holds a BSc in Applied Physics and Mathematics and an MSc in Mathematical and Information Technology from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. His work experience is in the areas of ccTLD management, embedded systems development, and network security research.
Filiz Yilmaz (Turkey) is an Internet Governance and Policy Consultant. She has extensive experience in the Internet industry in roles specific to resource management, policy, engagement, participation, and strategic communications. She is the former Senior Director of Participation and Engagement at ICANN, and is currently the Programme Committee Chair at RIPE NCC. She is also a Founding Member of the Internet Society Turkey Chapter.
Returning Internet Society Ambassadors to the IGF are:
Anupam Agrawal (India) is a Presales and Enterprise Solutions Lead for Tata Consultancy Services. He is a Chartered Accountant (CA) and also holds a number of industry certifications in areas such as IT auditing and business performance management. He is currently pursuing a qualification in Cyber Crime Investigation at the Asian School of Cyber Laws. He is also an inductee of the Information Technology Committee of Bengal Chamber of Commerce.
Nabil Benamar (Morocco) works as a Professor of Computer Science at the Moulay Ismail University. He holds a Master’s degree in Computer Networks and a PhD in Computer Science from the Moulay Ismail University. Dr. Benamar has extensive experience in IPv6, DNS, security and privacy, open source culture, and networking.
Natalia Enciso (Paraguay) is an Attorney-at-Law and a Professor at the Universidad Autónoma de Asunción (UAA). Her work is concentrated in the areas of online trust and identity, e-Commerce, e-Government, data protection, and mediation. Natalia is especially interested in human rights and exploring how proposed legislations such as SOPA, PIPA, and CISPA relate to censorship and freedom of expression.
Roxana Radu (Romania) is a PhD candidate in International Relations/Political Science at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland. Previously, she worked as a Programme Coordinator and Researcher with the Center for Media and Communication Studies (CMCS) at the Central European University. Roxana is interested in new media regulation, social uses of new technologies, and civil society empowerment.
Cintra Sooknanan (Trinidad & Tobago) is an Attorney-at-Law. She holds a BSc in Computing and a LLB from the University of London, and a LLM from Staffordshire University. Cintra has a long involvement with ICT non-profits and has served as the Director of the Trinidad & Tobago Computer Society. She is the Chair of the Internet Society Trinidad & Tobago Chapter and Vice-Chair of the new gTLD Working Group at ICANN.
More information about the Internet Society’s engagement in the IGF and its IGF Ambassadors Programme is available at www.internetsociety.org/igf/2013-igf-mini-site and www.internetsociety.org/igfambassadors.
About the Internet Society
The Internet Society is the trusted independent source for Internet information and thought leadership from around the world. With its principled vision and substantial technological foundation, the Internet Society promotes open dialogue on Internet policy, technology, and future development among users, companies, governments, and other organizations. Working with its members and Chapters around the world, the Internet Society enables the continued evolution and growth of the Internet for everyone. For more information, visit www.internetsociety.org.
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