By Alex Sotropa, alumnus of SEEDIG Youth School – Class of 2020
Internet governance has always been a vague but intriguing concept tackled by various entities from the public and private sector. In this picture, SEEDIG always stood up as an opportunity to have a first glance at this new field. Thus, SEEDIG Youth School is a good opportunity for young professional and students to have their first contact with people active in this field. The learning experience is diverse and it covers the main issues relevant for Internet governance. In my view, the most important aspect is the power of diversity.
Internet governance requires a multidisciplinary approach and an in-depth understanding of the local particularities of each jurisdiction. Having a legal background, very soon I was intrigued by the legal challenges triggered by the technical infrastructure and the ecosystems developed around it. Since the Internet allowed various initiatives, the regulatory framework has been heavily challenged. Data protection, consumer protection and other specific regulations are relevant for business or non-business projects. Thus, diversity in terms of legal expertise is a crucial step in approaching Internet governance from a regulatory angle.
SEEDIG has also showed me the power of cultural diversity. This project gathered wonderful people from the region having very diverse backgrounds. While experts involved in Internet governance have a global mindset, they should never neglect the local particularities. This is relevant since each jurisdiction has a set of cultural specificities which will be reflected in the local political and legal landscape. SEEDIG Youth School offered me the opportunity to gain some insights on the common points of this region.
Definitely, I recommend SEEDIG Youth School for the complex learning experience in the field of Internet governance. I look forward to the next opportunities in this field and I am very grateful for being included in the SEEDIG community!
Alex is currently undergoing his PhD studies as an external candidate at Maastricht University, Faculty of Law. Also, he is working as a lawyer based in Bucharest. His areas of expertise cover competition law and consumer protection with a focus on digital markets. Alex has also been involved in volunteering activities and is now part of the Leaders for Justice programme.