Employee

dr

Joanna Kulesza

POSITION:

assistant professor / director,

Department of Public International Law and International Relations, Faculty of Law and Administration

e-mail: joanna_kulesza@wpia.uni.lodz.pl

www: https://www.uni.lodz.pl/pracownicy/joanna-kulesza

FUNCTION:

Executive Director, Lodz Cyber Hub research center

Lodz Cyber Hub , Faculty of Law and Administration

Biogram

Joanna Kulesza is an Assistant Professor of International Law and Director of the Lodz Cyber Hub at the University of Lodz, where she leads research on the application of international law in cyberspace. She is also a liaison to the Governmental Advisory Committee of ICANN and a former Vice-Chair of the At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC).

Joanna served on the Scientific Committee of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (2018-2023) and is a faculty member at Vilnius University and Oslo University. She held postdoctoral positions at the University of Cambridge and Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. Delivered guest lectures at prestigeous academic institutions including Stanford University, the University of Oxford, Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and the University of Münster.

Participant in the "Oxford Process on International Law Protections in Cyberspace" and co-author of its declarations. Additionally, Joanna contributed to the United Nations (UN) Commission on developing an international convention to counter the misuse of information and communication technologies for criminal purposes (2021-2024).

Reviewer for esteemed peer reviewed journals including Telecommunications Policy, Data & Policy (CUP), International Data Privacy Law (Oxford Academic), European Journal of Law and Technology (University of Exeter), Law, Innovation and Technology (T&F), and Internet Policy Review (Humboldt University of Berlin). An expert in human rights, technology, and international law, Kulesza has authored numerous publications and actively engages in global policy initiatives on digital governance and cybersecurity.

Zainteresowania

Dr. Kulesza is the author of numerous scientific publications in the fields of international law and new technologies law, including five monographs dedicated to international law and internet law.

Research Interests:

The application of public international law in cyberspace, international relations, due diligence in international law, state responsibility, including self-defense, sanctions, reprisals, cyber diplomacy;
Media law, human rights law in cyberspace, freedom of speech on the internet, regulation of online platforms and digital services, intermediary liability, algorithmization and automation in law enforcement, data governance, privacy, and personal data protection on the internet;
Cybersecurity, cybercrime, cyberwarfare, sanctions for activities carried out using information and communication technologies, liability for the actions of algorithms, including autonomous weapon systems (Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems; LAWS);
Internet governance, including regulations related to international telecommunication infrastructure, with a particular focus on low Earth orbit satellites.

Dr. Kulesza is actively involved in human rights volunteering, particularly advocating against gender-based discrimination and promoting feminist principles, as well as being an ally of the LGBTQIA+ community. She is committed to lifelong learning, mentoring young researchers. She balances her scientific passions with personal well-being through practices such as yoga, mindfulness, and meditation. Her interests also include the philosophy of C.G. Jung's collective unconscious, travel, and Japanese culture. On a personal level, she is dedicated to the practices of mindful parenting and has a deep love for animals.

Osiągnięcia

h-index: 3		Source: Web of Science
h-index: 11		Source: Google Scholar

Σ IF*

13,407 (2024)

Czym się zajmuję - opis stanowiska

assistant professor / director

Department of Public International Law and International Relations

Current Positions:

Assistant Professor, Department of International Law and International Relations, University of Lodz Law School
Director, Lodz Cyber Hub Research Center, an ICANN At-Large Structure (ALS), where she oversees cooperation with the European Security and Defense College (ESDC), organizing expert courses on "Cybersecurity and International Law."
Faculty Member at the University of Oslo, University of Vilnius, and Indiana University.
Polish Rapporteur in the World Intermediary Liability Map (WILMap) project implemented by Stanford University.
At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) Liaison to ICANN's Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC), having previously served two terms as ALAC vice-chair.
Expert for the European-Chinese working group on the application of international law in cyberspace (EEC-IL) and the Sino-European Cyber Dialogue (SECD), co-hosted by the Geneva Center for Security Policy and the EU Institute for Security Studies.
Evaluator for the European Commission, including Marie Curie Fellowships and Horizon 2020 (H2020) projects, European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST), Digital Freedom Fund (DFF), Foundation for Polish Science (FNP), Foundation for the Development of the Education System (FRSE), and National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA).
Member of the Internet Society, Diplo Internet Governance Community, RIPE Cooperation WG, and Global Internet Governance Academic Network (GigaNet).
Research Fellow of the Casimir Pulaski Foundation.
Reviewer for Data & Policy (CUP), Telecommunications Policy, and Internet Policy Review.

Past Positions:

Member of the Scientific Committee for the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (2018-2023).
Chair of the Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO) Panel G&M1: Sciences of Law and Criminology (2018-2024).
Chair of the Advisory Board of the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (GFCE) (2019-2022).
Chair of the Membership Committee and member of the Steering Committee of the Global Academic Network for Internet Governance (GigaNet) (2010-2018).
Vice Chair of the At-Large Advisory Committee, Internet Corporation of Assigned names and Numbers (ICANN) (2019-2023).
Research Advisor for the Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace (GCSC) hosted by the Hague Center for Strategic Studies, leading the dedicated research project on Global Public Goods in international law (2018).
Commissioned Expert for the European Commission and the Council of Europe, conducting training projects in the field of judicial protection of human rights on the Internet in Ukraine (2014-2015), Moldova (2016), Serbia (2019), andRomania (2020).

Funkcje na Uczelni

Executive Director, Lodz Cyber Hub research center

Lodz Cyber Hub

Research Activity:

Selected Recent Publications:

Kulesza, J., "Settlement of Inter-State Data Disputes" in The Peaceful Settlement of Inter-State Cyber Disputes, N. Tsagourias, R. Buchan, R., D. Franchini (Eds.), Bloomsbury 2024, pp. 175-190
Akçalı Gür, B. & Kulesza, J., "Equitable access to satellite broadband services: Challenges and opportunities for developing countries", Telecommunications Policy, 2024.
Kulesza, J., & Burdiak, P., "Countering Disinformation on Social Media Platforms: Developments in the EU and Poland," Mediaforum: Analytics, Forecasts, Information Management, 2024.
Kulesza, J., "Human Rights and Social Media: Challenges and Opportunities for Human Rights Education" in Polarization, Shifting Borders and Liquid Governance, A. Mihr, Ch. Pierobon (Eds.), Springer 2023.

Selected Publications in Print:

Kulesza, J., "Cybersquatting" in Elgar Encyclopedia of Intellectual Property Law P. Torremans, I. Stamatoudi, P. K. Yu, & B. J. Jütte (Eds.), Edward Elgar Publishing 2025
Kulesza, J., "Domain Names" in Elgar Encyclopedia of Intellectual Property Law P. Torremans, I. Stamatoudi, P. K. Yu, & B. J. Jütte (Eds.), Edward Elgar Publishing 2025
Kulesza, J., "Blocking Orders" in Elgar Encyclopedia of Intellectual Property Law P. Torremans, I. Stamatoudi, P. K. Yu, & B. J. Jütte (Eds.), Edward Elgar Publishing 2025

Full list of publications available here.

Participation in Research Projects (Selection):

2022-Present: Principal Investigator of the University of Lodz (UŁ) cooperation with the European Security and Defence College (ESDC), leading specialized training for diplomatic staff from member and third countries on "Cybersecurity and International Law" in collaboration with the European External Action Service (EEAS), the European Commission, ENISA, EDA, and the EU Institute for Security Studies (EUISS).
2021-2024: Principal Investigator of the IDUB Lodz Cyber Hub project.
2022-2024: Principal Investigator of the 'Enhancing Security Cooperation in and with Asia' (ESIWA) project, in collaboration with Expertise France.
2023-2024: Principal Investigator for the Poland-Germany Science Foundation (DPWS) project 'Cybersecurity Data in Polish' (EuRepoC), in cooperation with the University of Heidelberg’s Political Science Institute, the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), the University of Innsbruck, and the Estonian Cyber Policy Institute.
2023-2024: Supervisor of the Visegrad Fund fellowship for young researchers.
2020-2024: Principal Investigator in the Global Digital Human Rights Network (COST CA19143).
2023-2026: Project Participant in 'Tailored CBRNe protection measures for hotels and conference centres' (HOTHREAT) coordinated by the CBRN Department at UniLodz.
2022-2024: Project Participant in 'Free Belarus University – Fostering Leaders and Reformers for a New Belarus' coordinated by the Business Development Center, Faculty of Management, UniLodz.
2021-2024: Project Participant in 'An interoperable multidomain CBRN system' (NEST) coordinated by the CBRN Department, Faculty of Biology, UniLodz.
2021-2024: Project Participant in 'Integrated large sport facilities protection system supporting the CBRN security of mass events' (SAFE STADIUM) coordinated by the CBRN Department, Faculty of Biology, UniLodz.
2021-2023: Project Participant in 'Protection System for large gatherings of People in Religious Sites' (ProSPeReS) coordinated by the CBRN Department, Faculty of Biology, UniLodz.
2017-2018: Principal Investigator in GCSC Project 1 - The Public Core: Lot 1A (2017) focused on defining the public core of the internet, addressing its role in global governance, digital infrastructure, and the protection of fundamental rights in cyberspace.

Consulting for the European Commission and Council of Europe on judicial protection of human rights on the Internet in Ukraine (2014/2015), Moldova (2016), Serbia (2019), and Romania (2020).

Educational Activity:

At the University of Lodz (UŁ), Joanna Kulesza teaches English-language seminars for advanced students, focusing on Cyberspace and International Law and Entertainment Law. She also instructs students in journalism and computer science, integrating topics into the Cyber-European Cyber Education, Training, Exercise and Evaluation (ETEE) Platform. Kulesza runs workshops on cybersecurity and data protection as part of the 'Digital Competencies for Managers' module within UŁ's Mini MBA and Global Mini MBA programs. Additionally, she lectures on Digital Communication and Social Media for Management in UŁ's new English-language undergraduate program.

Kulesza is also a Professor at Vilnius University, Visiting Professor at the University of Oslo, and St. Thomas University in Florida.

Organizational Activities:

Founder and organizer of the Summer School on International Law and Internet Governance (SSIGIL).
Organizer and co-organizer of numerous international conferences, including collaborations with the EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA), the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the University of Padua (Gig-Arts).
Organizes events promoting the application of international law in cyberspace in cooperation with ICANN and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Since 2023, as Director of the Lodz Cyber Hub, the first Polish entity accepted as an ICANN's At-Large Structure, Kulesza collaborates with international technical representatives responsible for cybersecurity and the domain name system (DNS).
2021-2024: Disciplinary Spokesperson for Students at UŁ.
Since 2018, Supervisor of the Student Research Group for New Technologies Law.

Dyżury

Executive Director, Lodz Cyber Hub research center

Kopcińskiego 8/12 room: 3.61 90-232 Łódź

assistant professor / director

Department of Public International Law and International Relations

monday: 09:00-17:00 I am available for speaking hours upon prior arrangement via email.
tuesday: 09:00-17:00 I am available for speaking hours upon prior arrangement via email.
wednesday: 09:00-17:00 I am available for speaking hours upon prior arrangement via email.
thursday: 09:00-17:00 I am available for speaking hours upon prior arrangement via email.
friday: 09:00-17:00 I am available for speaking hours upon prior arrangement via email.

Kopcińskiego 8/12 room: 3.61 90-232 Łódź