Dear colleagues,
My name is Flavia Lucenti, and I am currently a Postdoctoral Researcher in Political Science at LUISS University, engaged in the EU Horizon-funded project REMIT (Reignite Multilateralism via Technology). The project explores the governance of strategic technologies and their implications for global cooperation. More information is available at www.remit-research.eu.
I am writing to invite expressions of interest for a joint application to the ENGAGE Research Label Call 2025 (ENGAGE Call 2025). The initiative supports small-scale, time-limited collaborative research projects among ENGAGE partner institutions.
I am currently developing a proposal tentatively titled:
“Digital Boundary-Making: The Role of Technology in Redefining Democratic Inclusion”
This project investigates the impact of digital technologies—such as AI-driven surveillance, digital ID systems, data governance frameworks, and online regulation—on political regime types. Through qualitative discourse analysis across a range of case studies (including the EU, China, the United States, and India), the project seeks to understand how these technologies shape practices of inclusion and exclusion in both democratic and authoritarian settings. A central focus is the gender dimension, in alignment with UN SDG 5: Gender Equality.
Rather than framing these technologies simply as threats or enhancements to democracy, we conceptualize them as instruments that states use to actively reshape the boundaries of political legitimacy and participation. The project introduces the concept of “digital boundary-making” to explore how public narratives and discursive framing intersect with institutional design and technological application—particularly in relation to women and gender minorities.
I am already in contact with Prof. Maryam Vaziri from Llull University and I am now looking for a third institutional partner to meet the eligibility requirements of the ENGAGE call and to enrich the project’s interdisciplinary and international scope.
Our objective is to co-develop the proposal, with the intention of organising joint workshops across our institutions to facilitate exchange and collaborative publication.
If this research direction aligns with your interests or those of your department, I would be delighted to discuss the possibility of collaboration further. Please feel free to contact me at flucenti@luiss.it.
Thank you for your time and consideration
Flavia