Isabella Rega

Isabella Rega is a Professor in Digital Media for Social Change at Bournemouth University's Faculty of Media and Communication. She holds a Ph.D. in Communication Sciences (Università della Svizzera Italiana) and an Executive Master in Intercultural Communication. Her research focuses on leveraging digital technologies to empower marginalized communities in the Global South, including refugee education, media activism, and cultural heritage preservation. She co-chairs INEE's Distance Education Working Group and has led over 30 international projects funded by institutions like the UK Arts and Humanities Council and the European Commission, totaling over €4 million in grants.

Education: PhD in Communication Sciences (Università della Svizzera Italiana, 2010); Executive Master in Intercultural Communication (Università della Svizzera Italiana). Research emphasizes participatory methods to understand technological appropriation and social change. Current projects include digital storytelling for heritage reflection and education access in refugee contexts. She served as Global Research Director at Jesuit Worldwide Learning (2019–2023), focusing on higher education impact on marginalized groups.

Professional Roles: Advisory board member of the Journal of Media Literacy Education; Board member of IDIA and CIRN. Grants: Includes 'Digital Arts and Refugee Engagement' (AHRC), 'Local Heritage and Sustainability' (AHRC), and 'eVoices: Redressing Marginality' (AHRC). External roles include examiner positions at Cape Peninsula University of Technology, University of the Witwatersrand, and University of Cape Town.

Her work bridges academia and practice through collaborations with NGOs like Associazione seed (co-founded in 2006) and consultancies for UK government bodies. Key themes include ICT4Education, post-truth information literacy, and decolonial approaches to media activism. Her research spans 20+ years, resulting in over 70 publications and edited volumes, including South-to-South Communication: Media Activism and Artivism in the Global South (Routledge, 2023).

Labs/Teams: Leads research on digital media's role in social justice through Bournemouth University's Media School. Collaborates with international networks like the ICT4D Collective at Royal Holloway and IPID for graduate research.