Louise Marie Hurel's Visiting Fellowship
In October, Louise Marie Hurel joined us for a Visiting Fellowship at The Hague Program on International Cyber Security at Leiden University's The Hague Campus. We sat down with her to hear about her fellowship experience.
Why were you interested in coming here?
When I joined the Media and Communications Department at LSE, I sought to explore the nexus between security, technology, and society from a different theoretical and departmental perspective – rethinking and exposing myself to new interdisciplinary crossings that could place me (and my work) in a space of ‘staying with trouble’ as feminist scholar Donna Haraway puts it. In other words, it would position my research within a broader landscape beyond the familiarities of what I had been exposed to until then in International Relations scholarship. However, as I approach the end of the PhD, I saw the fellowship as an opportunity to be in a place that is focusing on cybersecurity from an interdisciplinary perspective, allowing me to exchange ideas with colleagues that are thinking about similar (cyber)security problems as I am.
In addition to that, I have long been collaborating with different initiatives and scholars involved in the Programme which includes but is not restricted to participation in previous editions of the Annual Conference, publications and workshops. I should also note that the Programme has been a great supporter of new and upcoming scholars ¬– something that certainly should not be taken for granted – and played a role in my own career when my co-authored paper with Luisa Lobato was awarded during the first Annual Conference. These and other positive examples have allowed me to experience fruitful exchanges with a stellar group of scholars. The fellowship provided me with the opportunity for a structured and sustained engagement directed towards my PhD research and personal projects.
What did you work on during the fellowship?
Throughout the month of October 2022, I focused on advancing with my PhD research on incident response and contributing to the Programme’s cybersecurity bibliography by adding references to non-western/Global South scholars. It was also a period of finalizing the organization of the first Latin American Cybersecurity Research Symposium and the launch of a personal project, the Latin American Cybersecurity Research Network (LA/CS Net) – both of which were held in late October as a side event to the Organisation of American States’ Cyber Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) working group meeting in Mexico. During the fellowship, I also participated in the event “From Internet Governance to Digital Political Economy” organized by Georgia Tech’s Internet Governance Project (IGP) in the Hague.
What's next for you?
The fellowship has been an incredibly productive and rewarding time. Knowing that many of us are constantly pressed with deadlines and with writing goals, the opportunity to undertake a fellowship in the Programme and in a city such as the Hague is indeed a privilege. I would highly encourage both established and young scholars to apply.
I will now continue with my initiatives and the PhD – focusing on wrapping up my analyses and concentrating on the writing process after a refreshing and stimulating period in the Hague.
Are you also interested to join our Visiting Fellowship Program? Applications are welcomed, reviewed and awarded year-round. Check out the Fellowships section for more information and the application process.
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