Walid Al-Saqaf

Walid Al-Saqaf is a software developer and postdoctoral researcher at the department of media studies of Stockholm University. His research revolves around the study of ICT use during times of conflict, with Twitter’s use in Egypt, Kenya, Serbia and South Africa as case studies.

Apart from his academic work, Walid is a strong advocate for a globally accessible and open Internet that netizens can use to promote democratisation and free speech. As a Yemeni citizen, he helped establish Yemen’s Internet Society Chapter and was elected in 2015 to the board of trustees of the Internet Society (ISOC), a global cause-driven organisation with over 60 thousand members from over 50 countries that works to keep the Internet open, transparent and defined by users.

Walid is also engaged in several initiatives to promote innovation and creativity in technology among the Yemeni youth such as TEDxSanaa and Sana’a Hub of the Global Shapers programme of the World Economic Forum.

Find Walid’s full profile here: http://www.su.se/profiles/walsa-1.228225