Albert Sharra
Albert is based in the Institute for the Advanced Studies in Humanities (IASH) and the Centre of African Studies (CAS), School of Social and Political Science.
Albert is a Joint-postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh and University of the Witwatersrand and an Honorary Fellow in the Centre of African Studies (CAS) at the University of Edinburgh. He is a recipient of the University of the Witwatersrand’s Centennial Sandwich, Edinburgh’s Institute for the Advanced Studies in Humanities (IASH) and CAS postdoctoral research fellowships in support of the publication of his monograph with Oxford University Press.
Albert completed his split-site PhD while at CAS in 2023 under the Commonwealth Scholarship from University of the Witwatersrand. He worked as a journalist for a decade before moving to the University of the Witwatersrand where he has taught for four years. Since transitioning to academics in 2019, he has published several peer reviewed papers, and this includes recently published edited volumes, Technologies and Media Production Cultures and The BBC’s Legacy in Africa.
His research work falls within two main research areas. The first is 'Digital culture, society and the state', examining how technologies are transforming forms of political activism and campaigning and the ways the state responds through policing and state surveillance. Second is 'Journalism/media culture and practice', which builds up on his 10 years of newsroom experience as a journalist. It examines the ways technologies are transforming journalism/media culture and practice in Africa. His ongoing work cover state power, history of state repression, digital surveillance, Artificial Intelligence, digital content and monetisation, social media analytics, and Tech companies and compensation for traditional media. Albert is also serving as a Digital Media Mentor for International Press Institute (IPI).