Where there is repression, the opportunity for resistance can often be found.

This tension forms the backdrop to a series of new projects being funded by the Independent Social Research Foundation.

This latest round of ISRF funding will support researchers looking at how power manifests in politics, finance, technology and popular culture. 

The five researchers awarded Early Career Fellowships are working to understand this dynamic from the global to the local level. 

In doing so, their research contributes to the ISRF’s mission to advance the social sciences through the promotion of new modes of inquiry.

AI-Driven Authoritarianism in the Middle East: Transformations in Repression and Resistance

Artificial intelligence has already transformed society – and not always for the better, especially where authoritarian governments are concerned. 

For repressive regimes, AI enhances surveillance and policing capabilities, including the use of facial recognition tools. 

However, it can also play a role in the digital activism that emerges in response. 

Arash Beidollahkhani looks at the implications of these technologies being introduced in Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

Although focused on the Middle East, Beidollahkhani’s research reveals the broader implications of AI for governance, human rights and democratic movements in an increasingly digitised world.

Extremely Pop: Radical Politics and Everyday Fascism in Italian Pop Culture

For Silvia Binenti, the extreme has gone mainstream, and elements of “everyday fascism” are clearly visible in contemporary consumer culture.

In Italy, fashion brands are endorsed by the radical right, providing clothing to “non-compliant and casual-chic” men sharing their values. 

These far-right styles can often be seen on the terraces at football matches, although their political nature is not always fully acknowledged.

Binenti aims to explore the “pop-fascist” sensibility in order to better understand the radicalism of the current moment.

African Polity Against Empire 

Jake Subryan Richards argues that modern nations are ill-equipped to deal with today’s most pressing issues. So what’s the alternative?

Unexpectedly, the answer may lie in a political community established in Africa almost 200 years ago. 

Abeokuta, now a city in modern Nigeria, offers a unique case study for a legal order and economy outside a traditional state model.

As part of his project, Richards considers whether something similar might be “recoverable in our present”.

Mapping Elite Academic Economics Networks in the International Monetary Fund

This project will trace the academic traditions which shape the policies of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Devika Dutt is mapping the professional networks underpinning the work of the IMF, a specialised agency of the United Nations. 

She will examine key IMF personnel, the economic training they received and the connections this education has created.

Dutt argues that understanding these networks is essential to understanding the role the IMF plays, especially in developing countries.

Transition Pathways in the Periphery

What role do multinational firms play in states transitioning from fossil fuel to renewable energy systems?

Imogen Liu investigates how these companies influence policy and how their power “reflects deep-seated inequalities within global capitalism”.

Her case studies focus on Serbia and Indonesia, two resource-rich developing countries shaped by the rivalry between the US and China.

By looking at these “peripheral states,” Liu will illuminate the inequalities that underpin environmental and energy politics. 

Early Career Fellowships

Early Career Fellowships support independent-minded researchers who have received a PhD in the last 10 years, with career breaks taken into account. 

Researchers from across Europe are eligible to apply for these awards, which provide a year’s relief from teaching and academic administration.

Applications for Early Career Fellowships are currently closed. Subscribe to the ISRF newsletter for details of all upcoming grants and competitions.