Press Release - IPIE Affiliate Network Surpasses 500 Researchers Globally

April 22, 2026 - Zurich, Switzerland - The International Panel on the Information Environment (IPIE) today announced that its affiliate network has reached 501 researchers. Since launching at the Nobel Summit in 2023, the IPIE has doubled its network in 18 months. The milestone reflects rapid growth since mid-2024 and growing international engagement with independent, evidence-based research on the global information environment.

This growth comes as policymakers, technology companies, and civil society are seeking stronger scientific evidence on issues including AI governance, online safety, and platform accountability. The IPIE's affiliate model is designed to meet that need by bringing together researchers from around the world to contribute to independent scientific assessments.

A Truly Global Community

The IPIE's affiliate network now includes researchers from 73 countries. Affiliates are currently based in 59 countries and affiliated with 154 universities and institutions across six continents. This international reach is a defining feature of the organization and support its ability to assess challenges in the information environment from multiple regional and institutional perspectives.

Women make up 45% of affiliates. In addition, 24% of affiliates self-report as belonging or identifying with an under-represented group. Together, these figures reflect the breadth of the research community the IPIE is building.

Professor Saiph Savage, Chair of the IPIE's Membership Committee said:

Reaching 501 affiliates is an important milestone for the IPIE, but what matters most is the community behind that number. We have worked intentionally to bring in leading researchers across the world, especially from the Global South, so that more voices, lived realities, and areas of expertise shape how we study the information environment. Building that kind of breadth has not been easy, but it is essential for stronger science.

This global footprint sets the IPIE apart as a genuinely international scientific body, with diverse experience from many regions and perspectives.

Deep Expertise Across Disciplines

The network spans 22 academic disciplines, including communication, computer science, law, political science, and sociology. More than half of the affiliates, 310 researchers, report expertise in more than one discipline. This interdisciplinary depth strengthens the IPIE's capacity to produce scientific assessments that are rigorous, policy-relevant, and informed by multiple research traditions.

The continued expansion of the network also points to the strong interest from researchers who want to contribute to internationally coordinated scientific work on the information environment.

Professor Sebastian Valenzuela, the IPIE's Chief Science Officer said:

The level of interest from researchers around the world has been striking. Over the past year, the IPIE has welcomed hundreds of new affiliates whose expertise strengthens our scientific work. This growth reflects confidence in the value of internationally coordinated, evidence-based assessment.

This growth strengthens the IPIE's capacity to provide independent scientific assessment on the health of the global information environment at a time when such evidence is increasingly needed. More broadly, this milestone strengthens the IPIE's ability to deliver independent, internationally grounded scientific assessment at a time when the health of the information environment is under growing pressure.

The IPIE continues to welcome applications from researchers worldwide.

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ENDS

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About the IPIE

The International Panel on the Information Environment (IPIE) is an independent and global science organization providing scientific knowledge about the health of the world's information environment. Based in Switzerland, the IPIE offers policymakers, industry, and civil society actionable scientific assessments about threats to the information environment. The IPIE is the only scientific body systematically organizing, evaluating, and elevating research with the broad aim of improving the global information environment. Hundreds of researchers worldwide contribute to the IPIE's reports.