In August 2026, Joan Barata, MEDEA Founding Member and Visiting Professor at Católica Porto Law School, delivered a Course and Mentorship Programme on Digital Rights for young researchers and legal professionals in Uzbekistan.
Organised by UNESCO and Tashkent State University of Law, the six-session programme addressed key issues at the intersection of human rights, technology and online regulation. The sessions covered human rights in the digital environment and access to the internet, the role of intermediaries, platforms and regulators, as well as data protection, reputation and disinformation.
The programme also included an applied case study on the EU Digital Services Act (DSA), offering participants an opportunity to explore how emerging regulatory frameworks address challenges in the digital environment.
For Joan Barata, the programme provided an opportunity to engage directly with young researchers and legal professionals interested in developing a sound, human rights-based understanding of digital rights and online regulation in Uzbekistan.