Prof. Dr. Jia Hui Lee received his doctorate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Before that, he studied at Cambridge and Harvard. The native Malaysian heard about the University of Bayreuth at a symposium in Kenya. "The Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence is so unique in the world," Lee says. "That's why I immediately thought I would apply to Bayreuth if the opportunity arose." He has been attracted by the good network of researchers within the cluster.
And that opportunity arose when a search was launched for a junior professor in Science and Technology Studies of the Global South. Lee started at the University of Bayreuth in early July 2023. He will start teaching in the winter semester and then offer various courses for bachelor's and master's students in social and cultural anthropology and African studies. Among other things, there will be a course on “Technologies” in which the effects of technological developments on politics and society will be considered. “For example, we’re going to look at how facial recognition programs for governments rely on the data practices of problematic racial science.”
In his research, Prof. Lee focuses on people's behavior towards new technologies. His geographical research focus is on Tanzania and East Africa.