Andrea Pollio
@andretwp.bsky.social
Whatever works in life and pronouns. Author of Silicon Elsewhere (University of California Press, 2026). https://www.ucpress.edu/books/silicon-elsewhere/paper
Pinned
Andrea Pollio
@andretwp.bsky.social
· Apr 8
Black, magenta and an edge data center on the cover of my book about Nairobi, smartphones, platforms, standards, venture capital and digital China. Out in the boreal fall this year 🪩 with U California Press (and OA)
Reposted by Andrea Pollio
Matthew Wakhungu of #KDI interactive session on projects of repair and corrective approaches to unjust urban life. Participants discussed what urban peripheries they interact with in their work #UTADo2026 @acc-uct.bsky.social
February 14, 2026 at 5:33 AM
Matthew Wakhungu of #KDI interactive session on projects of repair and corrective approaches to unjust urban life. Participants discussed what urban peripheries they interact with in their work #UTADo2026 @acc-uct.bsky.social
Reposted by Andrea Pollio
Sylvia Croese’s keynote on Gradualism as it manifests in political governance and development projects across Angola. Chaired by Biruk Terrefe #UTADo2026 @acc-uct.bsky.social
February 14, 2026 at 5:52 AM
Sylvia Croese’s keynote on Gradualism as it manifests in political governance and development projects across Angola. Chaired by Biruk Terrefe #UTADo2026 @acc-uct.bsky.social
Reposted by Andrea Pollio
#UTADo2026 writing track participants closed off the wee by discussing the peer review process: how to receive, analyse, work with and respond to reviews. They also developed the plan towards developing the papers they have been working on this week. @acc-uct.bsky.social @urbanstudiesfoundation.org
February 14, 2026 at 5:55 AM
#UTADo2026 writing track participants closed off the wee by discussing the peer review process: how to receive, analyse, work with and respond to reviews. They also developed the plan towards developing the papers they have been working on this week. @acc-uct.bsky.social @urbanstudiesfoundation.org
Reposted by Andrea Pollio
A lively discussion on Energy, Finance and Technology in African Cities between Biniyam Bekele of FCDO and Henol Assefa of Precise Ethiopia moderat d by Liza Rose Cirolia #UTADo2026 @acc-uct.bsky.social
February 14, 2026 at 6:09 AM
A lively discussion on Energy, Finance and Technology in African Cities between Biniyam Bekele of FCDO and Henol Assefa of Precise Ethiopia moderat d by Liza Rose Cirolia #UTADo2026 @acc-uct.bsky.social
Honored to have an excerpt of my book featured in @restofworld.org
In the new book “Silicon Elsewhere: Nairobi, Global China, and the Promise of Techno-Capital,” writer @andretwp.bsky.social charts the growth of Chinese investment and companies in the Kenyan capital.
Read an excerpt about the spread of cheap Chinese phones:
restofworld.org/2026/china-k...
Read an excerpt about the spread of cheap Chinese phones:
restofworld.org/2026/china-k...
How cheap Chinese phones catapulted Kenya into the global digital economy
In his new book “Silicon Elsewhere: Nairobi, Global China, and the Promise of Techno-Capital,” writer Andrea Pollio charts the growth of Chinese investment and companies in the Kenyan capital.
restofworld.org
February 12, 2026 at 4:09 PM
Honored to have an excerpt of my book featured in @restofworld.org
Wonderful to be featured in the best newsletter ever! Thank you @the-syllabus.bsky.social
Nairobi has become a test-site for China’s techno-capital. Our book of the week maps how the city's new digital ecosystem challenges both the West-centric script of technological “catch-up” and alarmist tales of neocolonialism.
By @andretwp.bsky.social on @ucpress.bsky.social
buff.ly/Jo6qN6X
By @andretwp.bsky.social on @ucpress.bsky.social
buff.ly/Jo6qN6X
January 27, 2026 at 2:07 PM
Wonderful to be featured in the best newsletter ever! Thank you @the-syllabus.bsky.social
Join us !
🌍 Applications are open for our Masters in Urban and Political Geography in #Turin. Scholarships are also available. Read more in the file below and here www.geography.unito.it/do/home.pl
@andretwp.bsky.social @maraferreri.bsky.social @michelelancione.bsky.social
@andretwp.bsky.social @maraferreri.bsky.social @michelelancione.bsky.social
www.geography.unito.it
December 9, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Join us !
Awesome piece hot off the press!
Super excited to announce a new piece out in the world: States and platform capitalisms: A conversation. This is a collaboration with some amazing thinkers and friends- led by @sayshatim.bsky.social Joe Khalil @linzhang.bsky.social & @rahmuk.bsky.social
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
journals.sagepub.com
November 11, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Awesome piece hot off the press!
Reposted by Andrea Pollio
Heartfelt thanks to Yifan Cai, Gulinigaer Yishake, @sandeepmertia.bsky.social , @andretwp.bsky.social for their brilliant & generous engagements！
November 7, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Heartfelt thanks to Yifan Cai, Gulinigaer Yishake, @sandeepmertia.bsky.social , @andretwp.bsky.social for their brilliant & generous engagements！
Such a wonderful book to think with 👇👇👇
Heartfelt thanks to Yifan Cai, Gulinigaer Yishake, @sandeepmertia.bsky.social , @andretwp.bsky.social for their brilliant & generous engagements！
November 7, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Such a wonderful book to think with 👇👇👇
Awesome themed issue - on value and platform economies
A longish thread to announce that the Themed Issue "Digital Platform Economies: Value from Data?" is now fully available online
"https://journals.sagepub.com/topic/collections-pns/pns-1-digital_platform_economies_value_from_data/pns
"https://journals.sagepub.com/topic/collections-pns/pns-1-digital_platform_economies_value_from_data/pns
September 22, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Awesome themed issue - on value and platform economies
Reposted by Andrea Pollio
Hot off the press: Chris J Young, Daniel J Joseph and @nieborg.bsky.social trace a platform historiography of #Unity to discuss how workflows create dexterous corporate lockins in cultural production journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/... enjoy!
September 16, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Hot off the press: Chris J Young, Daniel J Joseph and @nieborg.bsky.social trace a platform historiography of #Unity to discuss how workflows create dexterous corporate lockins in cultural production journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/... enjoy!
Reposted by Andrea Pollio
A belated catch-up with the papers that came out this (boreal) summer: we start with @alexturvy.bsky.social with a comparative analysis of how TikTok and Instagram shape the conditions for cultural production through their platform configurations. Read more here journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
September 12, 2025 at 8:18 AM
A belated catch-up with the papers that came out this (boreal) summer: we start with @alexturvy.bsky.social with a comparative analysis of how TikTok and Instagram shape the conditions for cultural production through their platform configurations. Read more here journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Andrea Pollio
And another gem from the summer: Nicholas Proferes @kelleyhas2es.bsky.social @kthorson.bsky.social @ankolika.bsky.social Chia-Fang Chang and Ava Francesca Battocchio write about the rhetoric of localism in platform content moderation. Read more here journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
September 12, 2025 at 8:24 AM
And another gem from the summer: Nicholas Proferes @kelleyhas2es.bsky.social @kthorson.bsky.social @ankolika.bsky.social Chia-Fang Chang and Ava Francesca Battocchio write about the rhetoric of localism in platform content moderation. Read more here journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Andrea Pollio
And another piece for our readers: Margherita Di Cicco & Davide Beraldo explore how sex workers engage in cross-platform promotion more than in the production of sexual content itself, arguing that precarious success on OF depends on cross-platform dependency journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
September 12, 2025 at 8:29 AM
And another piece for our readers: Margherita Di Cicco & Davide Beraldo explore how sex workers engage in cross-platform promotion more than in the production of sexual content itself, arguing that precarious success on OF depends on cross-platform dependency journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
Ever wondered what the geography of disruption looks like from aboard an Internet cable ship? Between sea monsters and pirates, robots and colonial magnates, we tell this story here www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... @acc-uct.bsky.social
September 1, 2025 at 10:32 AM
Ever wondered what the geography of disruption looks like from aboard an Internet cable ship? Between sea monsters and pirates, robots and colonial magnates, we tell this story here www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... @acc-uct.bsky.social
Reposted by Andrea Pollio
Apply for the UTA-Do 2026 workshop happening in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from February 9-13. This time round, we have 10 full scholarships available through the Wagon2Africa project. Read more here: sites.google.com/view/uta-do/...
Apply by 30 September 2025!
Apply by 30 September 2025!
August 19, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Apply for the UTA-Do 2026 workshop happening in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from February 9-13. This time round, we have 10 full scholarships available through the Wagon2Africa project. Read more here: sites.google.com/view/uta-do/...
Apply by 30 September 2025!
Apply by 30 September 2025!
Reposted by Andrea Pollio
Calling all scholars in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, and other eligible countries! 🎓 The UTA-Do African Cities Summer School 2026 has 10 full scholarships available through the Wagon2Africa project. Apply! Deadline: Sept 30, 2025. @andretwp.bsky.social sites.google.com/view/uta-do/...
August 11, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Calling all scholars in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, and other eligible countries! 🎓 The UTA-Do African Cities Summer School 2026 has 10 full scholarships available through the Wagon2Africa project. Apply! Deadline: Sept 30, 2025. @andretwp.bsky.social sites.google.com/view/uta-do/...
Reposted by Andrea Pollio
I'm officially a Dr. now!!
Passed my PhD defence cum laude with my thesis on gender, caste & street vending in Mumbai.
Thanks to my examiners Tatiana Thieme @snehakrishnan.bsky.social @andretwp.bsky.social Giulia Torino Francesco Chiodelli + my amazing supervisor @michelelancione.bsky.social
Passed my PhD defence cum laude with my thesis on gender, caste & street vending in Mumbai.
Thanks to my examiners Tatiana Thieme @snehakrishnan.bsky.social @andretwp.bsky.social Giulia Torino Francesco Chiodelli + my amazing supervisor @michelelancione.bsky.social
July 25, 2025 at 10:12 AM
I'm officially a Dr. now!!
Passed my PhD defence cum laude with my thesis on gender, caste & street vending in Mumbai.
Thanks to my examiners Tatiana Thieme @snehakrishnan.bsky.social @andretwp.bsky.social Giulia Torino Francesco Chiodelli + my amazing supervisor @michelelancione.bsky.social
Passed my PhD defence cum laude with my thesis on gender, caste & street vending in Mumbai.
Thanks to my examiners Tatiana Thieme @snehakrishnan.bsky.social @andretwp.bsky.social Giulia Torino Francesco Chiodelli + my amazing supervisor @michelelancione.bsky.social
Reposted by Andrea Pollio
Who's the new Dr in town!?
Our wonderful @saanchi.bsky.social passed her PhD examination with flying colours (& laude!) with a poignant work on gender, caste & street vending in Mumbai
👍 amazing rev @snehakrishnan.bsky.social & Tatiana Thieme + panel @andretwp.bsky.social, G Torino, F Chiodelli
Our wonderful @saanchi.bsky.social passed her PhD examination with flying colours (& laude!) with a poignant work on gender, caste & street vending in Mumbai
👍 amazing rev @snehakrishnan.bsky.social & Tatiana Thieme + panel @andretwp.bsky.social, G Torino, F Chiodelli
July 17, 2025 at 10:27 AM
Who's the new Dr in town!?
Our wonderful @saanchi.bsky.social passed her PhD examination with flying colours (& laude!) with a poignant work on gender, caste & street vending in Mumbai
👍 amazing rev @snehakrishnan.bsky.social & Tatiana Thieme + panel @andretwp.bsky.social, G Torino, F Chiodelli
Our wonderful @saanchi.bsky.social passed her PhD examination with flying colours (& laude!) with a poignant work on gender, caste & street vending in Mumbai
👍 amazing rev @snehakrishnan.bsky.social & Tatiana Thieme + panel @andretwp.bsky.social, G Torino, F Chiodelli
It was such a wonderful dissertation to read and viva to attend
Who's the new Dr in town!?
Our wonderful @saanchi.bsky.social passed her PhD examination with flying colours (& laude!) with a poignant work on gender, caste & street vending in Mumbai
👍 amazing rev @snehakrishnan.bsky.social & Tatiana Thieme + panel @andretwp.bsky.social, G Torino, F Chiodelli
Our wonderful @saanchi.bsky.social passed her PhD examination with flying colours (& laude!) with a poignant work on gender, caste & street vending in Mumbai
👍 amazing rev @snehakrishnan.bsky.social & Tatiana Thieme + panel @andretwp.bsky.social, G Torino, F Chiodelli
July 17, 2025 at 12:07 PM
It was such a wonderful dissertation to read and viva to attend
Reposted by Andrea Pollio
it's here!
Money, Value, and the State: Sovereignty and Citizenship in East Africa
my book has arrived.
a brief 🧵
Money, Value, and the State: Sovereignty and Citizenship in East Africa
my book has arrived.
a brief 🧵
February 6, 2025 at 2:43 PM
it's here!
Money, Value, and the State: Sovereignty and Citizenship in East Africa
my book has arrived.
a brief 🧵
Money, Value, and the State: Sovereignty and Citizenship in East Africa
my book has arrived.
a brief 🧵
Reposted by Andrea Pollio
Black, magenta and an edge data center on the cover of my book about Nairobi, smartphones, platforms, standards, venture capital and digital China. Out in the boreal fall this year 🪩 with U California Press (and OA)
April 8, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Black, magenta and an edge data center on the cover of my book about Nairobi, smartphones, platforms, standards, venture capital and digital China. Out in the boreal fall this year 🪩 with U California Press (and OA)
Reposted by Andrea Pollio
Yesss!
Next week: ASCA Global Africa book salon with @tommytse.bsky.social @mariarepnikova.bsky.social Carywn Morris and me uva-live.zoom.us/j/85202106220 join online or in Amsterdam
June 11, 2025 at 9:46 PM
Yesss!
Reposted by Andrea Pollio
#Somalia
After 1 week of clashes , Al-Shabaab takes control of Ceel Hareeri.
Many local militias are seen dead in the published photos by Al-Shabaab.
After 1 week of clashes , Al-Shabaab takes control of Ceel Hareeri.
Many local militias are seen dead in the published photos by Al-Shabaab.
June 11, 2025 at 6:17 PM
#Somalia
After 1 week of clashes , Al-Shabaab takes control of Ceel Hareeri.
Many local militias are seen dead in the published photos by Al-Shabaab.
After 1 week of clashes , Al-Shabaab takes control of Ceel Hareeri.
Many local militias are seen dead in the published photos by Al-Shabaab.