With more than 5 billion users worldwide, the Internet is the most important infrastructure in the information age. It influences politics, the economy and culture at both the global and the local level. Internet-related topics such as security and stability, freedom of expression, data protection, e-commerce, new market opportunities, protection of intellectual property, infrastructure development, digital divide, net neutrality, Internet of Things, etc. are finding their way onto the national and international political agenda. For some experts, Internet governance will become as important as climate change or energy supply is today. In this respect, there is no doubt that the way in which the Internet is governed, and by whom, is a highly controversial topic in 21st century diplomacy.
In its final report, the UN Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG) noted a lack of academic research and teaching on the subject of Internet governance. There was no international academic organisation dealing with Internet governance and no established universities offered comprehensive courses at the master’s level.
The academic members of the WGIG, who were also involved in developing the definition of Internet governance, took this as a challenge. They set up a small ad-hoc working group and, together with the International Association of Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) and the International Communication Association (ICA), which were also supported by UNESCO, prepared an expert meeting in June 2006 in Rathen, Germany. At the meeting in Rathen, several recommendations were discussed, including the establishment of a Global Internet Governance Academic Network (GIGANET) and the introduction of Schools on Internet Governance (SIG).
In July 2007, Medienstadt Leipzig e.V., a German non-profit organisation and an ‘At Large Structure’ (ALS) recognised under the ICANN bylaws, organised the first European Summer School on Internet Governance (EuroSSIG) in Meißen, Germany. But other than the name suggests it was always a global school with fellows from across the world.
Since then, many regional schools for Internet governance (SIGs) have been created and the concept established worldwide. An IGF Dynamic Coalition was created to cooperate and connect with all SIGs worldwide (see: https://www.igschools.net/sig/).
Watch the interview with the Founder of the first Summer School on Internet Governance Prof. Emeritus Wolfgang Kleinwächter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cJChKExrCk