Walid Al-Saqaf
Real name
Member for
10 years 5 months
First name
Walid
Last name
Al-Saqaf
Organization
Individual
Country
Yemen
Website
What is your relationship to GISWatch?
I have written for GISWatch every year since 2014 and have developed a very good relationship with APC over the years. I find my work around online human rights and freedom of expression quite relevant and aligned with the work that GISWatch is involved in. I also volunteer my time to provide consultations to the non-profit Yemeni NGO YODET (http://yodet.org).
Author Profile
I am a senior lecturer in journalism and media technology at Södertörn University in Stockholm and a dual Swedish-Yemeni national with an experience in journalism spanning over 10 years during which I wrote for The Yemen Times, The Wall Street Journal, Gulf News among others. I started my academic career with a B.Sc. in computer engineering and later pursued my master and doctoral studies in media and communication. I am a member of the Board of Trustees of the Internet Society (ISOC) and also chair the Middle East Strategic Working Group of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). I also happen to be a software developer who created software tools such as Alkasir and Mecodify and I actively advocate for using technology to advance professional journalism, democratization and free speech.