Hello! I’m Irene.
I am a Senior Researcher at The Citizen Lab, an interdisciplinary research lab focused on digital technology and human rights, located at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto. In this role, I lead research on Internet governance, cybersecurity, and information controls with a regional focus on Southeast Asia. Additionally, I participate in various Internet-related fora and plan and coordinate activities related to The Citizen Lab’s thematic research areas. Read more about my research.
I have completed my PhD in Political Science at the University of Toronto. My dissertation examined how Southeast Asian governments shape, regulate, and impose controls on the online flow of information. I have also taught courses in the Department of Political Science and the Munk School at the University of Toronto. Read more about my courses.
I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and Master’s degree in Political Science and Asia Pacific Studies (now called the Contemporary East and Southeast Asian Studies program) from the University of Toronto. My Master’s thesis examined the impact of autonomy arrangements on secessionist conflicts in Indonesia, specifically the regions of Aceh and Papua.
Previously, I worked for the Human Security Report Project at Simon Fraser University, the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), and UBC’s Centre for Southeast Asia Research. I was also an intern for the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) – Southeast Asia Regional Office in Bangkok, Thailand.
I was born and raised in Jakarta, Indonesia, and currently reside in Toronto, Canada. I am a native speaker of Bahasa Indonesia and fluent in English.