Jason Young

Jason Young is a Senior Research Scientist at the UW Information School and Affiliate Instructor within the Jackson School of International Studies. His research focuses on the social and cultural implications of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for Indigenous communities, with an emphasis on how communities use emerging technologies to support Indigenous knowledge systems. In particular, Young’s research explores how Inuit utilize ICTs to engage in discussions of climate change, environmental management, and community resilience in the Canadian Arctic. Other projects examine the role of libraries in providing Internet access to rural communities in the Global South, and the development of community network infrastructure for supporting Indigenous access to cellular and Internet connectivity. Young also teaches Arctic 200: Indigenous Diplomacies and International Relations in the Arctic for the Arctic minor. Recent publications include ‘The New Knowledge Politics of Digital Colonialism’ (Environment and Planning A), ‘Canadian Inuit, Digital Qanuqtuurunnarniq, and Emerging Geographic Imaginations’ (Geoforum), and ‘Polar Bear Management in a Digital Arctic’ (The Canadian Geographer). Young received his PhD from the UW Department of Geography in 2017. Jason was a five-time FLAS Fellow in the Inuktitut language, has travelled to Igoolik, Nunavut twice to study the language, and continues to support the Inuktitut program at UW.