A new Project: a collaboration between Northumbira University and Connecting in Times of Duress (LU)

Dr. Bruce Mutsvairo (Northumbria University), Dr. Jo Briggs (Northumbria University) and Prof Mirjam de Bruijn (Leiden University) recently acquired funding from the Empathy and Trust In Communicating Online (EMoTICON)’s network bidding scheme. EMOTICON is fronted by the UK’s Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). Titled ‘Mobile Media, Digital Civic Engagement and Diasporic Voices:  
A case study of Zimbabwean immigrants in the UK,’ the project probes whether the use of smartphone dissent networks has enhanced or inhibited civic engagement among UK-based Zimbabwean immigrants. As part of the explorative research exercise, Prof de Bruijn will travel to Northumbria University, UK in April 2016 to lead a blogging workshop to be attended by members of the Zimbabwean community in the North-East of England. Dr Mutsvairo’s PhD at Leiden University was supervised by Prof. de Bruijn and Prof. Menno de Jong of UT. He is also an associate research of  CTD.  EMoTICON Network was founded by Professor Mike Wilson of Loughborough University and Dr Aisha Walker of the University of Leeds. The network’s funded projects include:

•   A Shared Space and a Space for Sharing, Professor Peter Bath – University of Sheffield

•   Loneliness in the Digital Age, Professor Mike Wilson – Loughborough University

•   The Trust Map, Dr Karen Salt – University of Aberdeen

•   Challenging Online Fear and Othering, Professor Shaun Lawson – University of Lincoln

•   A Taxonomy of UK Crowdfunding and Examination of the Potential of Trust and Empathy in Project Success, Dr Jo Briggs – Northumbria University