Researcher

Dr Monika Zalnieriute

My Expertise

Intersections between international law, Information Policy and Internet Governance, human rights in the digital age, international data privacy law, and EU data protection law, data-driven discrimination, automation of government decision-making, LGBTI rights and feminist theory. 

Fields of Research (FoR)

Law and society and socio-legal research, Technology, crime and surveillance, Public international law, Feminist theory, Social theory, International humanitarian and human rights law, Public law, Critical theory

Biography

Dr. Monika Zalnieriute is a Senior Lecturer and Australian Research Council DECRA Fellow at UNSW Sydney. Monika’s research explores the interplay between law, technology, and politics, and focuses on automated decision-making, Internet policy, data privacy and discrimination law, and human rights in the digital age. Her work also addresses intersections among feminist and decolonial theories and LGBTI rights.

Monika holds a PhD in Law from...view more

Dr. Monika Zalnieriute is a Senior Lecturer and Australian Research Council DECRA Fellow at UNSW Sydney. Monika’s research explores the interplay between law, technology, and politics, and focuses on automated decision-making, Internet policy, data privacy and discrimination law, and human rights in the digital age. Her work also addresses intersections among feminist and decolonial theories and LGBTI rights.

Monika holds a PhD in Law from European University Institute in Florence, Italy. Previously, Monika led a research stream on ‘Technologies and Rule of Law’ at the Allens Hub for Technology, Law and Innovation at UNSW Law Sydney, and held a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Melbourne, where she worked on the digital rights and discrimination of marginalized groups online. Monika believes that research only matters if it has a strong and tangible impact well beyond academia; and is actively engaged both within academic, civil society and policy-making circles. She is a founding Director of a researched-based advocacy organization ‘ZEPHIRO: Progressive Platform for Human Rights’ in Vilnius, Lithuania, and a Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Media, Data and Society and Central European University in Hungary. Monika’s work has influenced policy at the National Transport Commission in Australia, Council of Europe, ICANN, Privacy International, European Parliament and the WHO. Her work also appear in international media outlets, such as BBC and The Guardian.

Monika has published widely in leading outlets, such as the Modern Law Review, Harvard International Law Journal, American Journal of International Law, Yale Journal of Law & Technology, Stanford Journal of International Law, and Harvard Business Law Review, among others. 

  


My Grants

 

  • Australian Research Council, DECRA, ‘AI Decision-Making, Data Privacy and Discrimination Laws’ (M. Zalnieriute) (2021-2024) (AUD 426,530)
  • Allens Hub for Technology, Law and Innovation, UNSW Sydney ‘AI and Law’ (M. Zalnieriute, 2021-2023) (AUD 50,000)
  • Lithuanian Research Council,Government Use of Facial Recognition Technologies: Legal Challenges and Solutions’ (R. Matulionyte, M. Zalnieriute, A. Limante, E. Kvortuniene, 2021 – 2023) (AUD 250,000; EUR 150,000)

  • Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration, ‘AI Decision-Making and the Courts’ (L. Bennett Moses, M. Zalnieriute, M. Legg, F. Bell) (2021 – 2022) AUD 12,074
  • UNSW Law, ‘Technologies and Rule of Law’ (2019-2020) (25,000)
  • UNSW Law seed project funding for ARC Linkage ‘The Automated State’ (2019) (AUD 7,500)
  • Australian National Transport Commission ‘Privacy and Data Protection Regulatory framework for C-ITS and AV Systems’ (D. Vaile, M. Zalnieriute, L. Bennett Moses) (2018) (AUD 36,000)
  • Melbourne Law School Postdoctoral Fellowship ‘Digital Rights of Marginalized Groups: LGBTI & Big Data’ (M. Zalnieriute, 2016 – 2018) (AUD 375,000)
  • Melbourne Law School Major Collaborative Grant ‘Internet Transformations’, M. Richardson, et al) (2016 – 2018) (AUD 40,000)
  • Melbourne Law School International Collaboration Grant ‘Internet Architecture and Human Rights’ (M. Zalnieriute and A. Kenyon) (2016 – 2017)
  • ILGA Europe ‘Identity-based Bullying at Schools in Lithuania’ (M. Zalnieriute, S. Amankaviciute, 2015) (EUR 7,500)
  • European University Institute PhD Scholarship ‘Towards International Cooperation in Data Privacy’ (M. Zalnieriute, 2013-2014)  (EUR 23,600)
  • Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture & Science and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NUFFIC PhD Scholarship (M. Zalnieriute, 2010-2013) (EUR 68,400)

My Awards

 

  • Australian Research Council DECRA Fellowship Award (2021 – 2024)
  • ‘Emerging Thought Leader’ UNSW Law Nomination (2019)
  • ‘Emerging Scholar of Note’ Fellowship, 5th Biennial Crime, Justice and Social Democracy International Conference, 15-17th July 2019, Surfers Paradise, Australia (2019)
  • RightsCon Fellowship, 9-12th June 2019, Tunis, Tunisia (2019)
  • Asia-Pacific Internet Governance Forum Fellowship, APrIGF (2018)
  • Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne (2016 – 2018)
  • Visiting Fellowship, Centre for Media, Data and Society, Central European University (2016)
  • Fellowship, International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, (2016)
  • Asia-Pacific Internet Governance Forum Fellowship (2016)
  • Next Generation Award, Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (2015)
  • Conference Scholarship; International Association for the Study of Sexuality, Culture and Society (2015);
  • PhD Scholarship, European University Institute, Florence (2013-2014)
  • PhD Scholarship, the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture & Science and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NUFFIC (2010-2013)
  • Huygens Scholarship, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Leiden University (2009-2010)
  • Soros International House Best Essay Prize (2006)

 


My Teaching

LAWS 8037 / JURD 7437 Surveillance, Security & Democracy

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Location

The Law Building (F8) Room 349
University of New South Wales
UNSW Kensington Campus
Sydney NSW 2052
Australia
(Access via Gate 2 off High Street)