CGHR Practitioner Series 2026 Talk with Matt Mahmoudi

On 25 February 2026, CHGR welcomed Dr Matt Mahmoudi to the third iteration of our 2026 Practitioner Series. A member of CGHR, Matt is a scholar-practitioner whose work centres on red-lining and resistance in digital cities, and the “smart”-urban reproduction of racial capitalism. He also leads Amnesty International’s research and advocacy work on AI-driven surveillance, tackling issues ranging from the NYPD’s surveillance machine to Automated Apartheid in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. 

During the talk, Matt spoke about his work on the digital periphery and how refugees and migrant communities face the brunt of digital surveillance technologies; the growing force of tech corporations and their allegiance to the military-industrial complex; and about the possibilities and practical strategies made possible in working between academic and human-rights contexts. 

Led by the Student Group, this session was moderated by Ed Parker, Student Group co-coordinator and MPhil Candidate in International Studies.