Dr Iulia Cioroianu has joined the University of Bath Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies (POLIS) as an Assistant Professor/Lecturer, after completing a two-year Prize Fellowship in the Institute for Policy Research (IPR).

Dr Cioroianu joined the IPR in 2018/19 as an IPR Prize Fellow, a Fellowship Scheme set up by the University to nurture Early Career Researchers and fast-track them to a permanent appointment at Bath. It’s offers Fellows the opportunity to pursue top-level research and reach their potential as a future academic leader.

Research

As a data scientist, Dr Cioroianu specialises in the effects of social media and online information exposure on political competition and polarisation, using natural language processing, quantitative text analysis, machine learning and survey experiments.

Over the two-year programme, Dr Cioroianu has led an exceptional Fellowship. She participated in multiple research projects, such as COVID-19 Mutual Aid Groups and WhoGetsMyVote UK, and received funding through the UKRI QR Strategic Priorities Fund. She authored four research articles and several blog posts and reports, presented her work at several international conferences, and her research projects received widespread local and regional coverage.

Engagement

Alongside her research, Dr Cioroianu engaged in teaching digital public policy and research methods modules across all IPR postgraduate programmes including the Professional Doctorate in Policy Research and Practice (DPRP), Masters in Public Policy (MPP), as well as the University’s UKRI CDT in Accountable, Responsible and Transparent AI.

Through the IPR Policy Fellowship Programme, Dr Cioroianu shared her academic expertise with more than 10 Fellows in government, industry and the third sector. During her Fellowship she also developed links to a number of government and industry organisations, such as the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA); the UK Statistics Authority; the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation; the School of International Futures; the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport; and the international research divisions of Amazon and Facebook.

Dr Cioroianu also participated in several University-led events, as well as several high-profile external events, including the IPR Civil Service Master Class on AI (London, 2019) and Foo Social Science Camp (Menlo Park, CA, 2020).

On her time as an IPR Prize Fellow, Dr Cioroianu says:

"I have greatly enjoyed my time as a Prize Fellow, and I am grateful for all the opportunities provided by my placement within the IPR. The highly interdisciplinary, dynamic nature of the IPR team allowed me to form links and work on research projects with colleagues from multiple departments, advancing my research agenda within the broader University of Bath community."

"Following my involvement in IPR programmes I had the chance to engage with several government, industry and third sector organisations, which provided remarkable learning, network building and professional development prospects. I would like to thank my IPR colleagues, as well as Professor Nick Pearce, for all the guidance and support provided during my time in the Institute, and I look forward to working closely with the team in the future.”

Director of the IPR, Professor Nick Pearce, adds:

"It has been a pleasure working with Iulia. Her collaborative spirit and research have been a true asset to the IPR, and through her work we have engaged in critical, timely areas of data and public policymaking. We wish her the very best and hope to collaborate again in the future."

Acting Head of POLIS, Dr Maria Garcia, adds:

“We are very excited to welcome Iulia as a Lecturer. She's already been revitalising our research methods teaching during her prize fellowship and contributing to PhD supervisions. Her outstanding and timely research on digital governance and on the impact of social media on political competition is not only an exciting addition to our research in comparative politics, but also adds dynamism to our teaching portfolio.”