Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions

Understanding the past. Analyzing the present. Training for the future. The Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions at @ubcSPPGA. Led by @HeidiTworek.

[Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @UBCDemocracy]

Follow us on Bluesky for more up-to-date posting! https://t.co/FbbMxMQCFH

[Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @UBCDemocracy]

Exciting news! 🎉 CSDI Director Dr. @HeidiTworek has been appointed Associate Editor of the journal Business History! Her expertise in global history, media, and platform governance will bring innovative perspectives to this leading publication.

Read more:https://t.co/L9BKyI1woM

[Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @UBCDemocracy]

🌍 2024 saw half the world’s population voting. What did we learn about tech’s role in elections?

Our final piece in the @CIGIonline series explores key trends, from AI in campaigns to platform regulations, and what lies ahead for democracy.

📖 Read now: https://t.co/MGP2uoqaDB

[Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @UBCDemocracy]

Join us! https://t.co/rqePRXhQ39

[Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @UBCDemocracy]

Season’s Greetings from all of us at CSDI! ❄️🎄
Thank you for supporting our work this year. Wishing you joy this holiday season and a New Year filled with peace and progress.

[Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @UBCDemocracy]

We are excited to welcome Olivia to the CSDI! A Bachelor of International Relations student at UBC, she has worked for Health Canada on federal policy making and national health. Olivia is excited to explore the best project management strategies tailored for the Centre's needs.

[Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @UBCDemocracy]

We are excited to welcome Connor to the CSDI! A Master's student @ubcSPPGA with a degree from @uvic in History and Professional Communication, he has worked in public health communication and researching digital information systems, including with the BC CDC and PHABC.

[Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @UBCDemocracy]

New job! This Fellow will contribute to a multi-year research project on online health communication. Suitable candidates will hold a PhD in communication, political science, psychology, public policy, history, public health, or related field. Learn more: https://t.co/RLVwwIlHRS

[Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @UBCDemocracy]

Read John Osae-Kwapong's piece in the latest article in our @CIGIonline Tech in Elections series. https://t.co/X8rhtxUUp9

[Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @UBCDemocracy]

🇬🇭 How will technology impact Ghana's December 7 election? CIGI highlights the dual role of tech in politics: a platform for disinformation and a tool to counter it. Public digital literacy will be key for fighting fake news and empowering the public. https://t.co/zZUFr9ZLVb

[Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @UBCDemocracy]

“Disinformation thrives in an information vacuum,” said CSDI Director @HeidiTworek at the @VIPSSummit. She urged “pre-bunking” falsehoods, improving media literacy, and regulating platforms to protect democracy.

Learn more: https://t.co/v6pbNrccR7

[Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @UBCDemocracy]

What can history teach us about the power of media and tech?

In the latest @_policyprompt episode for @CIGIonline, CSDI Director @HeidiTworek explores how early 20th-century communications shaped global politics—and what it means for today’s digital challenges.

🎧Listen now:

[Som Tsoi @SomTsoi]

Episode 6 is out now, featuring a conversation with historian @HeidiTworek.

@VassB and @PaulRSamson discuss undersea cables, read old German cartoons (memes) to each other and try to connect to 100-year-old wireless technology.

Listen here: https://t.co/q1tacJAN3e

[Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @UBCDemocracy]

We’re proud of her remarkable achievements and contributions to democratic institutions and media studies.

Read: https://t.co/gbxy44XH0A

[Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @UBCDemocracy]

🎉Congratulations to CSDI Director Dr. @HeidiTworek on her induction into the Royal Society of Canada (@src_rsc) as a 2024 Member of the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists!

Watch: https://t.co/TGy39LZgXz

[Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @UBCDemocracy]

Recognized for her groundbreaking research in communications history and media policy, Dr. Tworek joins an esteemed group of scholars, artists, and scientists shaping Canada’s future.

[Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @UBCDemocracy]

With President-elect Trump returning to the White House, what’s next for US tech policy? From content moderation to AI and antitrust, the impact could be major.

Read more on the potential direction of tech policy under Trump via @techpolicypress:
https://t.co/svm7HknC7f

[Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @UBCDemocracy]

🇺🇸🗳️On the eve of the US election, the threat of social media-fueled violence looms. Dean Jackson examines risks we may face in the days ahead and asks if platforms learned from Jan 6, 2021.

Read his analysis in our @CIGIonline Tech in Election series:

[CIGI @CIGIonline]

CIGI contributor Dean Jackson, formerly a consultant to the US House Select Committee that investigated the January 6, insurrection, takes a sobering look at the risks of renewed violence in the post-election period:.

Read here:
https://t.co/j6Bor5XmtU

[Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @UBCDemocracy]

We are excited to welcome Mark to the CSDI! A sociology PhD candidate @UBC, he researches climate discourse shifts at UN COP meetings and Canada's fossil fuel influence. At the Centre, he will research climate related mis/disinformation and harassment on social media in Canada.

[Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @UBCDemocracy]

📭While Rowland Hill’s 1837 Post Office Reform is credited with influencing Britain’s Postage Act of 1839, it was driven by capitalist and colonial interests. Charli Muller delves into the use of the logic of terra nullius in these reforms. https://t.co/XWy2ocJ8N7

[Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @UBCDemocracy]

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📬Leonard Laborie and Heidi Tworek discuss postal traffic’s impact on global history. From unopened 18th-century letters to the founding of the Universal Postal Union, the article illustrates how postal networks are a key factor in global history. https://t.co/L7sU6rEPT7

[Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @UBCDemocracy]

📮How did postal reforms shape empires? Rocio Moreno-Cabanillas discusses Spain and Portugal’s 18th-century restructuring of mail services, and how this effort to reinforce state control over colonies resulted in negative side effects. https://t.co/dxrW12NjTb