Payal Arora Keynote Speaker

Prof. Dr. Payal Arora is a digital anthropologist, author, senior professor and executive director with over two decades of experience in social and digital science with a particular interest in digital economies of the Global South. She is a sought-after speaker on the future of the internet, digital activism and inclusive user experience among low-income populations.

In 2019, Erasmus University Rotterdam appointed Payal as a Chair and Senior Professor in Technology, Values, and Global Media Cultures in the School of Philosophy department.

Since 2020, she has also held the position of Academic Director at UX and Inclusive Design in the Erasmus Centre for Data Analytics at the Rotterdam School of Management.

Payal began her teaching career at Erasmus University’s School of History, Culture and Communication as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Media and Communication in 2009, before she was promoted to Associate Professor in 2015.

Payal is the founder and Director of Catalyst Lab, an innovative organisation that pioneers public debate on social issues through creative social media strategies. She also founded FemLab.Co in 2020 with the intention of using digital media to broaden the networks and self-representation of marginalised women groups in the Global South.

An accomplished writer, she has authored and published several books related to internet usage, digital life, and online media’s future. Payal’s most recent book, The Next Billion Users (2019), is a critically acclaimed exploration of online security and privacy issues and the influx of new consumers from developing countries. Payal’s 2014 and 2010 books Leisure Commons and Dot com Mantra offer further digital transformation analysis with deep dives into how digital media supports our daily lives and how social computing in the central Himalayas can lead to greater social mobility for digitally disadvantaged communities. She is the co-author of the 2015 book Crossroads in New Media, Identity and Law, which explores the shifting relationship and harmony between cultural identity, communication technology, and legal and political institutions.

Payal is an experienced columnist who has authored and co-authored numerous journal papers and media articles, including the popular Good Girls Don’t Go Online and Open Science, Closed Doors?. These published works have been featured in various publications and media, including TechCrunch, The Economist, The Boston Globe and the BBC.

Erasmus University Rotterdam awarded Payal the Education Prize in 2017 for her teaching. She is a distinguished member of several boards and advisory committees, including The World Women Global Council in New York, Facebook Social Science One, Technology Knowledge & Society Association, Makeosity, Soteryx and Columbia University Earth Institute’s Connect to Learn. 

She holds doctoral and master’s degrees from Harvard and Columbia University in Language, Literacy & Technology, and International Development Policy.

As a celebrated speaker, Payal has made keynote appearances in over 62 countries and presented to various global audiences, including TEDx, the World Public Forum and Berkeley Law. She is a revered pioneer in data governance in the Global South, digital cultures and global inequality.