Royal Holloway, University of London, is working in collaboration with Newcastle University, the University of Sussex and Swansea University on a three year social justice project, Not-Equal – Social Justice through the Digital Economy.

The project will bring together academics, businesses, public sector organisations, professional and voluntary community groups to look for ways that technology can be better designed and implemented to support social justices and fairness in people’s everyday lives.

Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the £1.2m NetworkPlus project will explore issues such as how to ensure protection for the vulnerable when they go online and how digital platforms can be designed to deliver ethical business models.

NetworkPlus Director, Dr Clara Crivellaro, from the School of Computing at Newcastle University said “We live in times of exceptional digital innovation that can really enhance our problem-solving capacities. But technology can either reinforce inequality or help mitigate it. With this NetworkPlus, we want to create the conditions for technology to support social justice.”

Professor Lizzie Coles-Kemp, from the Information Security Group at Royal Holloway, University of London, will lead Not-Equal’s Digital Security for All theme. She explained: “Digital technology is such a fundamental part of our lives, and can be utilised in positive ways to improve life. However, for people to realise this benefit, the security of those technologies have to be equally accessible and relevant to all. We’re hopeful that Not-Equal can bring about change in this area.”

To support the project, the team are holding two one-day launch events in both London and Newcastle in January. These open events are an opportunity to meet Network+ partners, share ideas, and hear about the funding criteria, process and support available.

The first will take place at Digital Catapult in London on Tuesday 29 January, and the second at The Core in Newcastle Helix, on Thursday 31st January. Admission is free for both events, and tickets can be reserved through Eventbrite.

The Royal Holloway, University of London, Information Security Group is a world-leading interdisciplinary research group dedicated to research and education in the area of information security. See here to find out more.