History
North American School of Internet Governance
A Brief History
NASIG, which stands for the North American School of Internet Governance, is the first and only school in North America designed to teach the development and application of principles, norms, rules, decision-making mechanisms, and programs that shape the evolution and use of the internet. These elements are what makeup Internet Governance (IG), and actors in the IG sphere include governments, the private sector, and civil society.
The idea for NASIG was sparked in 2016 during the Dynamic Coalition of Schools of Internet Governance session at IGF Guadalajara, Mexico. Eduardo Díaz and Alfredo Calderón, members of ISOC Puerto Rico, noticed that North America lacked its version of a school of Internet Governance. This realization led to the formation of a steering committee, and within 18 months, with the help of many collaborators and despite two hurricanes, the idea became a reality.
The first NASIG was launched in San Juan, PR, as a three-day event with the NASIG 2018 slogan: Many Challenges, One Internet: Your Role. On March 7, 8 & 9 March 2018, and followed by the celebration of the ICANN61 Public Forum meeting, 35 students from Canada, the United States, and Puerto Rico were lectured by 19 faculty members on Internet Governance concepts.
In 2019 NASIG Montreal took place with an English and French track prior to the ICANN66 Annual General Assembly. Glenn McKnight led them as the Chair of the English track, and Pierre Jean Darres as the chair of the French track.
NASIG Montreal pictures https://www.flickr.com/photos/glennmcknight/albums/72157710534507268
NASIG 2020
In 2020 the event was planned for Washington, DC, before the IGF USA 2020, but it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2022, the North American School of Internet Governance (NASIG) was hosted by EDP University in Puerto Rico for a three-day event. This year's theme, "Emerging Technologies and Cybersecurity: Impact on Internet Governance," highlighted the effects of emerging technologies on privacy, cybersecurity, and law enforcement, among other topics. You can view video recordings of the event by selecting either Day 1, Day 2, or Day 3. Additionally, check out the video recap for a summary of the proceedings.
