Nada Alwadi

Virginia Tech, School of Public and International Affairs, Graduate Student

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AI policy researcher and award-winning communicator with 15+ years of experience bridging technology, policy, and global governance. Specializing in Digital governance, ethical AI, and digital rights, with a proven record of turning complex research into actionable policy. Fluent in English and Arabic with deep cross-cultural and cross-sector engagement.
Supervisors: Ariel Ahram and Fernanda Rosa

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Papers by Nada Alwadi

Case Study: Big Tech's Dominance and Transnational Infrastructure 1

Tech4Humanity/ Virginia Tech, 2023

GAFA is a term that refers to the four dominant digital platforms: Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazo... more

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The Race for Global AI Dominance: U.S. vs. China . A Case study for the Tech for Humanity Pathways Minor

Tech4Humanity/ Virginia Tech, 2025

The race for global Artificial Intelligence (AI) dominance has intensified, with the United State... more The race for global Artificial Intelligence (AI) dominance has intensified, with the United States and China emerging as the primary rivals. The outcome of this race is critical, as leading AI powers will shape the norms governing its use—and the broader role of technology in society —which will have an important influence on other states and the future of the international order.
We live in an era of great power competition, where powerful nations are battling for political influence and economic supremacy. International relations scholars have long recognized that major technological advances often precede economic power transitions, with implications for global military and political leadership.

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Making the case for Human-Centered AI : A Case Study for the Tech for Humanity Pathways Minor

Tech 4 Humanity/ Virginia Tech, 2025

The machine has got to be accepted, but it is probably better to accept it rather as one accepts ... more

Understanding The TikTok Problem: A Case Study for the Tech for Humanity Pathways Minor

Tech4Humanity / Virginia Tech, 2025

On January 19, 2025, the Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok went dark 2 just hours befor... more On January 19, 2025, the Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok went dark 2 just hours before a federal law banning the popular short-video app from the United States took effect 3 , leaving 170 million U.S. users unable to access videos. After approximately 12 hours 4 , TikTok returned but remained unavailable for download in app stores for weeks, before finally being reinstated on Google Play and the Apple App Store. Although the popular app is currently operational, the ban remains in effect, especially after the United States Supreme Court unanimously upheld the constitutionality of the "Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act" 5 on January 17, 2025. The app's future in the U.S. remains uncertain, as politicians and business leaders continue working toward an agreement to keep it operational. You've likely seen countless news reports and analysis about the TikTok ban, after all, it is at the center of political debate and partisan divisions in the United States today. However, rather than diving into the political showdown, this case will focus on the deeper, fundamental issues surrounding TikTok's presence in the United States.

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Case Study: AI and Algorithmic Journalism in Newsroom

Tech 4 Humanity / Virginia Tech, 2023

While the disputes over profit and journalism ethics between big tech and the media outlets are s... more While the disputes over profit and journalism ethics between big tech and the media outlets are still ongoing, AI comes to add more complexity to it. Tech companies have defended that the automated production of news can become a viable element in digital journalism.
However, AI adds multiple ethical dilemmas to the journalism industry. If AI is viewed as complementary to human journalists, then where does the work of the AI stop and the work of a human journalist or editor begins? Will algorithmic journalism undermine the quality of news and
compromise the industry’s ethical standards? This article explores these questions.

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Cyberactivism and Ongoing Political Transformation

by Nada Alwadi and Sahar Khamis

Springer / The Whole World is Texting, 2015

The ongoing political resistance and civic engagement movements that have been sweeping the Arab ... more The ongoing political resistance and civic engagement movements that have been sweeping the Arab world since 2011, and came to be widely referred to as the “Arab Spring” or “Arab Awakening,” have empowered large segments of the region’s populations across different countries. We argue that the assumption that the Gulf region, unlike other Arab spring countries, is going to remain politically stagnant and largely immune from this sweeping tide of socio-political change, due to factors such as economic affluence, oil revenues, small and homogeneous populations, robust security forces, and support from foreign superpowers, is inaccurate and faulty.

Voices Shouting for Reform: The Remaining Battles for Bahraini Women

by Nada Alwadi and Sahar Khamis

Arab Women's Activism and Socio-Political Transformation, 2018

Following the euphoria that swept through the Arab region in the wake of the Arab Spring movement... more Following the euphoria that swept through the Arab region in the wake of the Arab Spring movements of 2011, the brave people of Bahrain revolted against the Bahraini monarchy but were met with harsh repression. The monarchy successfully portrayed the revolt as a religious conflict pitting the Shiite population against the Sunni power, and appealed to other Sunni monarchies in the Gulf for help in crushing the revolt by force. Whereas in Tunisia women and Tunisian women’s organizations played an important public role in the revolt, thanks to the decades-long presence of women’s organizations in the public domain, Bahraini women were severely restricted by old sociocultural traditions. This chapter discusses how Bahraini women used social media to make up for their limited access to public space; to continue fighting their battles; and to ensure that their voices shouting for reform could still heard loud and clear, despite the regime’s repression and the international media blackout,...

The Big Question: What should governments keep secret?

World Policy Journal, 2013

"Challenging Secrecy" The increasing public demand for information is challenging long-... more "Challenging Secrecy" The increasing public demand for information is challenging long-held government insistence on secrecy throughout East and Southeast Asia. This applies as much to societies with open political systems, like Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, as those with more government control, such as China and Vietnam. Citizens are demanding access to official information on everything from environmental impact assessments to development zoning and food safety. In Singapore, perceived lack of transparency over population policy brought thousands out in an unprecedented protest in early 2013. Similarly, a desire for openness in the treatment of military personnel and the military justice system prompted approximately 250,000 people to demonstrate before Taiwan’s presidential office in August 2013. The opacity of the Chinese political system makes it difficult for China’s neighbors to understand the motivation behind Beijing’s toughening position on maritime disputes, fueling regional apprehensions. Chinese officials admit not knowing the full extent of local government indebtedness, raising concerns about China’s economy. The fact that member governments appear less forthcoming about ASEAN activities encourages skepticism about the organization’s ability to deal with regional issues from maritime disputes to human trafficking. Too much government secrecy can hinder cooperation in a world where information of varying levels of quality is increasingly abundant. Persistent official reticence promotes a distrust of governments worldwide. Citizens, businesses, and other governments may fear the worst under such conditions. Governments do need confidentiality to function, yet need to develop procedures for responding effectively to shifting demands of openness and secrecy. Developments in this direction benefit citizens, businesses, governance, and foreign policy. This is an area where Asian governments can do more.

Social Media As an Opportunity to Bahraini Women

CyberOrient

“Cyberactivism” and Ongoing Political Transformation: The Case of Bahrain

by Nada Alwadi and Sahar Khamis

The ongoing political resistance and civic engagement movements which have been sweeping the Arab... more The ongoing political resistance and civic engagement movements which have been sweeping the Arab world since 2011 and which came to be widely referred to as the “Arab Spring” or “Arab Awakening” movements, have empowered large segments of the region’s populations across different countries. We argue that the assumption that the Gulf region, unlike other Arab spring countries, is going to remain politically stagnant and largely immune from this sweeping tide of socio-political change, due to factors such as economic affluence, oil revenues, small and homogeneous populations, robust security forces, and support from foreign superpowers, is inaccurate and faulty.

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It’s All about the Strategy: Civil Resistance in Bahrain and Challenges Facing Nonviolent Activism in the Gulf

Influenced by the waves of the Arab Awakening, the Gulf region has been witnessing some major tre... more Influenced by the waves of the Arab Awakening, the Gulf region has been witnessing some major tremors since the year 2011. The claims for more democratic systems in Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, UAE, and even Qatar have been increasingly raised not only by activists and democracy fighters, but even by intellectuals and officials who are known for their loyalty to existing regimes. The idea of having a more democratic Gulf is becoming more popular in the region; however, democratic transition seems to remain a remote possibility. Challenges for the transition to democracy arise from the concentration of absolute monarchies and wide range of entrenched, interest-based networks in the region. Nonetheless, the emerging Gulf youth movements, especially the one which began in Bahrain in early 2011, are starting to break the rules in this region which has been politically stuck for decades. The most surprising result of the Bahraini movement for many in the West was the unforeseen activism of its Gulf neighbors, above all Saudi Arabia. Many believed that the Arab awakening movements had somehow bypassed the Gulf, but the sustained movement in Bahrain, as well as other organized efforts across the region proved the Gulf is not immune to change. In fact, democratic transition in the Gulf region is an old goal; people in the Gulf have been demanding more rights from the state and organizing themselves since the beginning of the last century. What they have always been lacking is a long-term strategy which takes into account the challenging factors in their environment and provides a new vision for the future in this part of the world.

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