University of Michigan School of Information PhD student Ghadir Awad has published her first paper as a UMSI student. Through semi-structured interviews – in-person and online – with 19 Palestinian activists in the West Bank, Gaza and 1948 lands, the paper explores internal digital repression in Palestine.

“Digital Repression in Palestine” was published in the May issue of the Proceedings of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems in collaboration with UMSI professor Kentaro Toyama. 

The publication of a PhD student’s first paper is a big milestone in their career, initiating them into the scholarly community as producers of knowledge. UMSI supports their work as part of our mission to share knowledge. 

Awad is a third-year PhD student at UMSI. Before joining UMSI, she lived in Kufur Aqab, a small town between Ramallah and Jerusalem, where she served as a lecturer and project manager at Birzeit University in the West Bank. She holds a Master’s degree in Democracy and Human Rights and a Bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature. 

In 2013, Awad received a Fulbright Scholarship, which enabled her to pursue a Master’s degree in Public Policy at Trinity College in Connecticut. 

“I arrived at UMSI after a long search for the right program to build upon my previous education and experience,” she says. “As a Palestinian, I've experienced firsthand how we rely heavily on the internet and social media to connect with people in Palestine and around the world. While using these tools for activism, I encountered numerous challenges that prompted me to seriously consider studying the effectiveness of digital platforms in combating oppression.” 

Awad says UMSI’s interdisciplinary nature impressed her, as well as its focus on human-centered design and the social impact of technology. 

“I believe this holistic view is crucial for understanding the intricate relationship between technology, information systems, and social change,” she says. 

Awad’s research focuses on how oppressed communities utilize low-tech methods as tools for liberation and identity preservation. She is currently working on a paper that explores the “innovative electronic communication methods Gazans developed during the communication blackout following the October 7 attacks.” 

Awad’s advisor is UMSI professor Kentaro Toyama. 

“I am particularly grateful to be advised by Toyama,” she says. “His guidance is pivotal in my academic development and provides opportunities for further growth and learning. I look forward to continuing to flourish under his mentorship.”

Read “Digital Repression in Palestine” on the Proceedings of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems and see the abstract below: 

While Israeli suppression of Palestinian voices is well-understood, much less is known about the Palestinian authorities’ repression of Palestinians – the very people they are supposed to represent. This paper investigates digital repression by Hamas and the Palestinian Authority through semi-structured interviews – in-person and online – with 19 Palestinian activists who post on social media. Many of our findings echo those from other repressive contexts, but the unusual Palestinian context also gives rise to several unique elements. For example, Palestinian authorities, while incorporating some high-tech methods, appear to rely primarily on a low-tech, labor-intensive apparatus to monitor, intimidate, and censor their targets, some of which involves highly personalized forms of repression. We also heard credible accusations of Palestinian authorities’ collaboration with Iranian and Israeli governments, the latter typically viewed as an adversary by Palestinians. We consider the implications of these findings and offer recommendations both for activists and social media platforms.

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Learn more about Ghadir Awad’s research by visiting her UMSI profile. 

Apply to UMSI’s PhD in Information. 

— Noor Hindi, UMSI public relations specialist