Dan Mercea

Professor Dan Mercea is a leading academic in political sociology and communication studies, currently based at the Department of Sociology and Criminology, City, University of London. He holds a PhD from the University of York and has held research and teaching positions across Europe, including in the Netherlands, Romania, France, and Italy. He is Editor-in-Chief of the journal Information, Communication & Society and leads major research projects such as INTERFACED (Horizon Europe) and TakePart (NextGenerationEU).

• PhD, University of York, United Kingdom
• MA, Babeș-Bolyai University, Romania
• MA, Central European University, Hungary
• BA, Babeș-Bolyai University, Romania
• BA (Hons), Nottingham Trent University, United Kingdom

His research centers on digital activism, social movements, and civic participation, with a focus on how social media technologies shape collective action, political engagement, and democratic processes. He explores topics such as networked protest, movement parties, disinformation, and the emotional and behavioral dynamics of online mobilization. His theoretical interests span political behavior, social psychology, science and technology studies, and democratic theory.

The 15 most recent articles reflect a strong trend toward mixed-methods research combining network analysis, digital ethnography, and experimental design. They examine the structural roles of individuals in protest networks, the influence of policy versus protest on political support, and the geographical and gendered dimensions of urban activism. The work is deeply interdisciplinary, bridging sociology, political science, media studies, and data science.

• Best Paper Award, Activism, Communication and Social Justice Interest Group, International Communication Association (2019)

Dan Mercea actively supervises PhD students and has secured significant funding from the European Union, Volkswagen Stiftung, and the European Climate Foundation. He collaborates with institutions across Europe and regularly presents at international conferences and policy forums. He is a member of the European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA), the International Communication Association, and the European Sociological Association.

He is involved in multiple research teams and projects, including ProDem, READJUST Climate, and INTERFACED, which bring together scholars from political science, sociology, and data science to study the evolving relationship between digital communication and democratic participation.