Digital Governance

Welcome to this open online course on Digital Governance, brought to you by the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence on Digital Governance. Centres of Excellence are awarded to outstanding research groups that have a visible societal impact and conduct cutting-edge research on an international scale. Digital Governance (DIGOV) is the name of the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence that has been awarded by the European Commission to Erasmus School of Law, in conjunction with the School of Law at the University of Leeds (UK) and the Law School of Bar-Ilan University (Israel). DIGOV organizes topical conferences and workshops, has a visiting scholar program established and will connect stakeholders from society, aiming at a better understanding of, amongst others, how to shape legal designs that integrate Big Data and Artificial Intelligence more solidly into society. An important part of the Centre's activities is the dissemination of its research, which manifests itself in this open online teaching module on Digital Governance. A central focus of the course is to learn about the basic challenges of digital governance related to legal disruption and European policy. The disruptive effect of digital technologies shall be discussed within the context of EU law and politics. Furthermore, the economic growth options for the European economy; the relation between big data and privacy; the opportunities and risks of Artificial Intelligence; product liability of digital products; application of competition law and regulation in digital markets; as well as the ethical and business aspects of digitalization will be discussed.

In this first module we will begin to explore the relationships between the digital age and law with Dr. Ittai Bar-Siman-Tov. We will discuss the role of law in the digital age, the influence of big data on law and the legal practice. And of course the effects of data science on legal studies and research. The module contains a few videos, some readings and a few discussion prompts. We encourage you to engage with your fellow learners by actively taking part in the discussion. Remember there is no 'right or wrong' answers, the discussion prompt is to share different insights and perspectives on the topics.

In this module we introduce the concept of e-democracy and see how the digital space opens new avenues for democratic deliberation, lowering barriers for participation, realizing the vision of transparency. We will also discuss some pitfalls and challenges related to e-democracy and look into the future. Our expert, professor Oren Perez, will offer some interesting insights and share some of his research outcomes. The module contains a few videos, some readings, a few discussion prompts and some quiz questions. We encourage you to engage with your fellow learners by actively taking part of the discussion in the discussion prompt. Remember there is no 'right or wrong' answers, the discussion prompt is to share different insights and perspectives on the topics. For the quizzes, pay attention to what is being said in the videos and read the papers in the module for in depth knowledge.

In this module you will gain knowledge of digitalization in the public domain and will develop insight into the governance risks, especially for the rule of law. Attention is given to decision-making systems, surveillance systems and to the shortcomings of the incumbent legal mechanisms to afford real protection against harm and malpractice by authorities. This leads to a further confrontation with the disruptive effects of new technologies on current legal frameworks.

This module contains three discussion prompts. In these prompts you are requested to share your insights and views on this complex topic. By replying to the prompts, you and peers will be able to learn from each other and exchange knowledge gained through the readings and videos. We are also welcoming your input regarding your national context, so we can truly broaden our horizon and paint a global picture on e-government