Alemshet Addisalem (Alex) is pursuing his Ph.D. graduate study program at the Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa. Under supervision of Professor Chidi Oguamanam and Professor Jeremy de Beer, Alex’s Ph.D. research thesis explores the intersection of big data governance, privacy rights and law in Africa, which mainly focuses on the case of the African Union. Alex holds a Master of Law (LLM) specializing in Law & Technology at the University of Ottawa (2021), where his thesis research examined the democratic legitimacy of the State-like power of social media platforms to regulate free speech rights. Alex received another Master of Law (LLM) specializing in Human Rights Law obtained in 2015 and a Bachelor of Law (LLB) in 2013 at the University of Gondar, Ethiopia respectively.
Alex Addisalem has been involved in both academic and professional careers. From August 2015 – May 2017, he was a full-time law lecturer at Mizan-Tepi University in Ethiopia, where he taught undergraduate law students several courses, including human rights law, public international law, and land law. Also, from July 2016 – May 2017, he served as a Dean of the Law School of the same academic institution. Further, Alex has practiced law and appeared in various levels of courts, including the Supreme Court of the Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia.
Alex’s research interests include international human rights law, African human rights law, African Union, and law and technology ( big data governance, regulating Artificial Intelligence (AI), data protection, and privacy rights). Alex is a member of New Emerging Research Group (NERG) of OpenAIR – African Innovation Research, and serves as a students’ representative and member of the University of Ottawa Human Rights Research and Education Center (HRREC). Also, under the mentorship of Professor Chidi Oguamanam and Professor Jeremy de Beer, currently, Alex works as a Research Assistant at the University of Ottawa OpenAIR – African Innovation Research.