AfSAI recognises Diretnan Dikwal-Bot in celebration of Black History Month
In celebration of Black History month, the African Scholars Association Ireland (AfSAI) is recognising the achievements of Diretnan Dikwal-Bot. Dr Dikwal-Bot is an Assistant Professor and Ad Astra Fellow in the UCD School of English, Drama & Film. She is a media scholar, whose work bridges digital media studies, political communication, digital sociology, and cultural discourse analysis. Her work advances understanding of how digital platforms shape power, inequality, and resistance, particularly in relation to gender, identity, and policymaking in Global South contexts.
Her published outputs, including an authored book with Palgrave Macmillan, and articles in Critical Discourse Studiesand theJournal of Media and Cultural Politicshave pioneered the use of material-discursive and socio-affective frameworks to examine online gender activism, intra-group discrimination, algorithmic bias and visibility hierarchies in African digital spaces. These studies not only deepen theoretical debates on digital inequality but also translate into policy-relevant insights.
Diretnan also leads the UCD Global-funded programme: Bridging Generations, Empowering Futures,which connects UCD’s African students with African alumni professionals. This initiative addresses key career development challenges for African students, who often face limited access to vital knowledge, expertise, and networks essential for career advancement.
Taking an EDI-centred approach, Diretnan co-organised the African Scholars in Irelandconference, hosted in November 2024 at UCD. The event engaged over 200 African researchers through 12 virtual viewing centers across various African countries, enabling a valuable transnational exchange of knowledge and dialogue between African and Irish scholars, bridging a significant gap
Previously, Diretnan served as the lead qualitative researcher on the Talent 25 program, funded by De Montfort University and Arts Council England, from January 2020 to May 2022. This research explored the role of the arts and mediated communication in enhancing children’s well-being. In April 2020, she designed and conducted a qualitative sub-study to investigate the arts as a coping mechanism for families and minority groups in Leicester during the COVID-19 lockdown.
AfSAI are celebrating Dr Dikwal-Bot's scholarship, mentorship, and community-building—work that reimagines more equitable digital and educational futures. Congratulations to Diretnan!