Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

What is the envisioned weekly time commitment for the Sprint?

We expect that you will commit up to 10 hours per week on the Sprint. This commitment also accounts for your participation in the weekly two-hour anchor session.

What does compensation for the Sprint look like?

Upon completing the Sprint, you will receive a $1,000 stipend.

How can I share the fact that I participate in the research Sprint, for instance in my CV or on my social media profile?

Great question. For the purposes of clarity and proper attribution, feel free incorporate this language into your own materials (e.g. LinkedIn profile, your CV, or the like):

"Participant in the Spring 2021 Research Sprint on "Digital Self-Determination: Towards Autonomy and Agency in the Digital Age,” hosted by the Digital Asia Hub and Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University in collaboration with the Global Network of Internet & Society Centers".

Please make sure that you don't use any logos or describe your affiliation with the DAH or BKC in ways that could be misleading -- thank you! If you have questions please check in with Lance Eaton (leaton@law.harvard.edu).

What will some of the more informal, social aspects of the Sprint be?

We will be hosting some social events during the sprint. These sessions will be largely opportunities for participants to interact and get to know one another beyond the work of the Sprint. We welcome ideas about how these sessions can be held, what activities you might include and the like. For suggestions and recommendations, please contact Sidharth Chauhan (schauhan@llm21.law.harvard.edu) and Lance Eaton (leaton@law.harvard.edu).

Community Norms

What are the community norms of the Sprint?

The Sessions will operate under the Chatham House rule. This is often explained as: “When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed.” In terms of Social meetings, these should largely be private without explicit permission.

As an administrative unit of Harvard Law School, the Berkman Klein Center is committed to fairness, respect for the rule of law, and free inquiry require an environment of trust and mutual respect, free expression and inquiry, and a commitment to truth, excellence, and lifelong learning. Students, program participants, faculty, staff, and alumni accept these principles when they join our community and thereby agree to respect the rights, dignity, and differences of others, pursue honesty and integrity in dealing with all members of the community in person and online, and accept personal responsibility in these efforts.

The Research Sprint team is committed to create a learning environment in which we can share our questions, perspectives, and thoughts in an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust. To that end, we ask everyone to strive to adhere to the following principles:

First and foremost, please treat other participants in these sessions with respect.
Avoid ad hominem attacks. It is entirely legitimate to criticize a view expressed by another participant, but criticism of the person who expresses a view is inappropriate.
When engaged in an argument, address the best interpretation of the stance taken by one’s counterpart.
Listen especially carefully to persons with expertise or experience relevant to the topic being discussed, but do not treat expertise or experience as trumps.
Finally, please keep in mind that everyone makes missteps and mistakes.

Content Sessions

What is the general structure of sessions?

Most anchor sessions will be divided into three key components:

Introduction: An opportunity to connect with the previous session and frame the current session.
Speakers: Input statements on the topic of the week by experts in the field, followed by a moderated Q&A.
Small-group breakouts: Breaking out into smaller groups – where you will work closely with a domain expert mentor – to discuss ideas, consider the weekly output, and/or share any other insights/questions

What level of participation is expected during the anchor sessions?

We expect you to be fully present and engaged for the entire session. All of our sessions are designed to be interactive and we encourage you to ask questions, respond to prompts, and share your own relevant expertise and practices where helpful. If possible, please also turn on your video, unless bandwidth or privacy concerns prevent you from doing so. Although our sessions will be recorded and available for those who have scheduling conflicts or Internet access issues, we ask all students who are able to participate in the anchor sessions in real time.

We also anticipate that there are likely to be issues that arise that are beyond your control and may require your attention. In such instances, please contact us (reach out to Sidharth Chauhan, Sidharth Chauhan (schauhan@llm21.law.harvard.edu) immediately and let us know. This helps us to know what’s going on but also to be able to inform your colleagues if you are unable to be present for some things.

What elements of the Sprint’s sessions are recorded?

The entire session in the main room will be recorded and shared with other participants. This means that anything in break-out rooms will not be captured. Additionally, we will be sharing out the Speakers’ talks as part of a Newsletter we will be running in conjunction with the Research Sprint. After each session, the recorded portion of the session will be shared with all participants via email.

Can I opt out of being recorded?

If you have concerns about being recorded, please reach out to Lance Eaton, at leaton@law.harvard.edu.

Additional Questions

Do you have any questions that you would like to be addressed? Please send them along to Sidharth Chauhan (schauhan@llm21.law.harvard.edu) and Lance Eaton (leaton@law.harvard.edu) and we will respond and add them there.