Janja Komljenovic
@jkom.bsky.social
Senior Lecturer | University of Edinburgh | higher education markets, assetization, EdTech | econ sociology, STS, political economy
Web: https://www.ed.ac.uk/profile/janja-komljenovic
Web: https://www.ed.ac.uk/profile/janja-komljenovic
Reposted by Janja Komljenovic
"Assetization of academic content (and assetization in HE more broadly) constructs students and staff as a new kind of economic actor – an ‘assetizen’...with diminished educational and social rights as assetization becomes a governance principle in higher education.”
Assetizing academic content and the emergence of the ‘assetizen’: education platforms, publisher databases, and AI model training - Higher Education
Higher Education - Academic content, such as teaching materials and academic publications, has become an economic resource. This has occurred through assetization as the key economic regime in...
link.springer.com
February 9, 2026 at 5:26 PM
"Assetization of academic content (and assetization in HE more broadly) constructs students and staff as a new kind of economic actor – an ‘assetizen’...with diminished educational and social rights as assetization becomes a governance principle in higher education.”
Reposted by Janja Komljenovic
New OA article just out on "assetizing academic content" led by @jkom.bsky.social with me, @keanbirch.bsky.social & Klaus Beiter, exploring how academic materials are turned into value-generating digital assets by HE institutions, edtech platforms, and AI companies link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Assetizing academic content and the emergence of the ‘assetizen’: education platforms, publisher databases, and AI model training - Higher Education
Higher Education - Academic content, such as teaching materials and academic publications, has become an economic resource. This has occurred through assetization as the key economic regime in...
link.springer.com
February 10, 2026 at 9:13 AM
New OA article just out on "assetizing academic content" led by @jkom.bsky.social with me, @keanbirch.bsky.social & Klaus Beiter, exploring how academic materials are turned into value-generating digital assets by HE institutions, edtech platforms, and AI companies link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Reposted by Janja Komljenovic
I'm co-chairing the Society for Social Studies of Science @4sweb.bsky.social Conference in Toronto, Oct 2026. #STS #scipol #innovation
Theme: "TechnoPower • Technoscientific Futures".
Open panel submissions portal is open! ls!
Deadline: 2nd February 2026
www.4sonline.org/about_the_co...
Theme: "TechnoPower • Technoscientific Futures".
Open panel submissions portal is open! ls!
Deadline: 2nd February 2026
www.4sonline.org/about_the_co...
About the Conference
www.4sonline.org
January 14, 2026 at 4:12 PM
I'm co-chairing the Society for Social Studies of Science @4sweb.bsky.social Conference in Toronto, Oct 2026. #STS #scipol #innovation
Theme: "TechnoPower • Technoscientific Futures".
Open panel submissions portal is open! ls!
Deadline: 2nd February 2026
www.4sonline.org/about_the_co...
Theme: "TechnoPower • Technoscientific Futures".
Open panel submissions portal is open! ls!
Deadline: 2nd February 2026
www.4sonline.org/about_the_co...
Reposted by Janja Komljenovic
The alarming aspect of this deliberate "anti-woke" algorithmic biasing of LLMs from an educational perspective is our institutions all bought in to an imaginary of innovation, then got locked in to enterprise contracts, and now the models are being recoded so they undermine educational values
Genuine question: for those enthusiastically pushing AI tools into every part of our education system—what checks/guardrails are there around algorithmic biases like this?
The administration “is currently pressuring OpenAI and other AI companies to make their models more conservative-friendly.”
October 11, 2025 at 5:38 PM
The alarming aspect of this deliberate "anti-woke" algorithmic biasing of LLMs from an educational perspective is our institutions all bought in to an imaginary of innovation, then got locked in to enterprise contracts, and now the models are being recoded so they undermine educational values
Another brilliant piece by @keanbirch.bsky.social
I have a new article out: "Do artifacts have political economy?" It's a riff on an old argument by Langdon Winner about the embedding of politics in technology
#STS #sociology #technoscience #technology #innovation
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
#STS #sociology #technoscience #technology #innovation
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Do Artifacts Have Political Economy? - Kean Birch, 2025
Harking back to Langdon Winner's now classic essay “Do artifacts have politics?,” my aim in this article is to ask a very similar question—namely, do artif...
journals.sagepub.com
August 7, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Another brilliant piece by @keanbirch.bsky.social
Reposted by Janja Komljenovic
Platforms, data, and AI are impacting higher education systems and universities internationally. @jkom.bsky.social and I have a short piece on the political economy of digital transformation in HE just out ihe.bc.edu/pub/499eknm0...
The Political Economy of Datafication and Platformization: Digital Transformation in Higher Education
Platforms, data, and artificial intelligence are impacting higher education systems and universities internationally. Future research is required to examine their concrete effects, and to understand t...
ihe.bc.edu
June 20, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Platforms, data, and AI are impacting higher education systems and universities internationally. @jkom.bsky.social and I have a short piece on the political economy of digital transformation in HE just out ihe.bc.edu/pub/499eknm0...
I’m looking forward to speak at the @work2025fi.bsky.social conference! I’ll be discussing academic labour and HE in the age of digital rentiership.
On the second day of the WORK2025 conference, we will hear an interesting keynote speech from Janja Komljenovic @jkom.bsky.social! Join us and register now at work2025.fi/registration/! Early bird registration deadline is June 10th.
May 28, 2025 at 2:05 PM
I’m looking forward to speak at the @work2025fi.bsky.social conference! I’ll be discussing academic labour and HE in the age of digital rentiership.
Thanks very much for organising this excellent panel and for having me @rachelbrooks.bsky.social! So great to discuss the current matters in HE with @unsocialtheory.bsky.social, @alinecourtois.bsky.social and everyone there!
Lovely few days in Manchester for @britsoci.bsky.social annual conference. #britsoc25
Enjoyed presenting prizes to Claire Alexander & Billy Holzberg 🏆
Many thanks to @unsocialtheory.bsky.social, @jkom.bsky.social & @alinecourtois.bsky.social for taking part in my symposium on the future of HE
Enjoyed presenting prizes to Claire Alexander & Billy Holzberg 🏆
Many thanks to @unsocialtheory.bsky.social, @jkom.bsky.social & @alinecourtois.bsky.social for taking part in my symposium on the future of HE
April 26, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Thanks very much for organising this excellent panel and for having me @rachelbrooks.bsky.social! So great to discuss the current matters in HE with @unsocialtheory.bsky.social, @alinecourtois.bsky.social and everyone there!
Reposted by Janja Komljenovic
if you're at the @britsoci.bsky.social annual conference next week, do come along to the session on The Future of Higher Education, with contributions from @unsocialtheory.bsky.social @jkom.bsky.social & @alinecourtois.bsky.social
April 16, 2025 at 7:39 AM
if you're at the @britsoci.bsky.social annual conference next week, do come along to the session on The Future of Higher Education, with contributions from @unsocialtheory.bsky.social @jkom.bsky.social & @alinecourtois.bsky.social
Reposted by Janja Komljenovic
If you happen to be at the @britsoci.bsky.social's annual conference and if you want to hear something beyond the moan about how "they" are destroying "our" higher education, I'll be speaking (alongside @jkom.bsky.social and @alinecourtois.bsky.social) at the Presidential event on the Future of HE:
April 4, 2025 at 6:48 PM
If you happen to be at the @britsoci.bsky.social's annual conference and if you want to hear something beyond the moan about how "they" are destroying "our" higher education, I'll be speaking (alongside @jkom.bsky.social and @alinecourtois.bsky.social) at the Presidential event on the Future of HE:
Such a great pleasure to work with @keanbirch.bsky.social on this paper. I’m really pleased with it and think it brings important new insights. Check it out!
Just out! Article on "Architectures of #assetization: Legacy infrastructures and the configuration of #datafication in UK #highereducation" w/ @jkom.bsky.social & Sam Sellar in New Media & Society #platforms #edtech #digital #bigtech
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
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journals.sagepub.com
April 3, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Such a great pleasure to work with @keanbirch.bsky.social on this paper. I’m really pleased with it and think it brings important new insights. Check it out!
Reposted by Janja Komljenovic
🟨Volume 50, Issue 1 (2025) of LMT🟪
Let's introduce our new Special Issue! In their editorial
@jkom.bsky.social, @keanbirch.bsky.social & Sam Sellar intruduce the dynamics of #rentiership and #assetisation in the digitalisation of education.
Read all articles: tinyurl.com/a8bvzkxe
Let's introduce our new Special Issue! In their editorial
@jkom.bsky.social, @keanbirch.bsky.social & Sam Sellar intruduce the dynamics of #rentiership and #assetisation in the digitalisation of education.
Read all articles: tinyurl.com/a8bvzkxe
March 23, 2025 at 11:35 AM
🟨Volume 50, Issue 1 (2025) of LMT🟪
Let's introduce our new Special Issue! In their editorial
@jkom.bsky.social, @keanbirch.bsky.social & Sam Sellar intruduce the dynamics of #rentiership and #assetisation in the digitalisation of education.
Read all articles: tinyurl.com/a8bvzkxe
Let's introduce our new Special Issue! In their editorial
@jkom.bsky.social, @keanbirch.bsky.social & Sam Sellar intruduce the dynamics of #rentiership and #assetisation in the digitalisation of education.
Read all articles: tinyurl.com/a8bvzkxe
Reposted by Janja Komljenovic
The promise of AI in education is it will save educators time. That's rubbish. It's sapping all our time already in working groups, committees, workshops, and marking anxiety. It's the most time-sapping, exhausting and frankly boring thing I've ever encountered in HE - and it's in my research area.
March 21, 2025 at 11:51 PM
The promise of AI in education is it will save educators time. That's rubbish. It's sapping all our time already in working groups, committees, workshops, and marking anxiety. It's the most time-sapping, exhausting and frankly boring thing I've ever encountered in HE - and it's in my research area.
Our special issue ‘Rents, assets and governance in digitalised education’ is now published! Check it out: www.tandfonline.com/toc/cjem20/c...
Learning, Media and Technology
Rents, assets and governance in digitalised education. Guest Editor: Janja Komljenovic, Kean Birch and Sam Sellar.. Volume 50, Issue 1 of Learning, Media and Technology
www.tandfonline.com
March 21, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Our special issue ‘Rents, assets and governance in digitalised education’ is now published! Check it out: www.tandfonline.com/toc/cjem20/c...
Reposted by Janja Komljenovic
The whole thing is amazing and absolutely worth watching until the end.
But @meredithmeredith.bsky.social gave the best pitch for @signal.org answering if there are any downsides of using it: "No-none! It's free, classy and we're not shoving and weird #AI shit into it." 🤣 👏
But @meredithmeredith.bsky.social gave the best pitch for @signal.org answering if there are any downsides of using it: "No-none! It's free, classy and we're not shoving and weird #AI shit into it." 🤣 👏
Privacy isn’t about hiding—it’s about trust and control over our own information. In her #SXSW 2025 Keynote, Signal President, @meredithmeredith.bsky.social breaks down why our privacy matters.
March 8, 2025 at 10:38 PM
The whole thing is amazing and absolutely worth watching until the end.
But @meredithmeredith.bsky.social gave the best pitch for @signal.org answering if there are any downsides of using it: "No-none! It's free, classy and we're not shoving and weird #AI shit into it." 🤣 👏
But @meredithmeredith.bsky.social gave the best pitch for @signal.org answering if there are any downsides of using it: "No-none! It's free, classy and we're not shoving and weird #AI shit into it." 🤣 👏
Reposted by Janja Komljenovic
Funny thing about this 360 degree multimodal surveillance classroom is it's absolutely nothing new conceptually, so it's not really to do with "innovative" tech but continuing a much longer history of intensifying student monitoring and teacher automation, eg www.computer.org/csdl/magazin...
March 3, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Funny thing about this 360 degree multimodal surveillance classroom is it's absolutely nothing new conceptually, so it's not really to do with "innovative" tech but continuing a much longer history of intensifying student monitoring and teacher automation, eg www.computer.org/csdl/magazin...
New publication: we discuss different ways to think through and map assetization in education. i, we look at the variety of assets in education; ii, the production and monetization of assets; iii, the embeddedness of assets in everyday, mundane practices; and iv, the politics of assetization.
March 3, 2025 at 10:18 PM
New publication: we discuss different ways to think through and map assetization in education. i, we look at the variety of assets in education; ii, the production and monetization of assets; iii, the embeddedness of assets in everyday, mundane practices; and iv, the politics of assetization.
Reposted by Janja Komljenovic
Chuffed our paper on edtech market forecasting - we called it "algorithmic futuring" - made it into this special issue on digital assetization in education doi.org/10.1080/1743...
Our Introduction article with @keanbirch.bsky.social and Sam Sellar, “Mapping rentiership and assetization in the digitalisation of education” is now published and freely available. It explains how assetization manifests in education, its consequences and how to analyse this dynamic. Check it out
February 27, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Chuffed our paper on edtech market forecasting - we called it "algorithmic futuring" - made it into this special issue on digital assetization in education doi.org/10.1080/1743...
Reposted by Janja Komljenovic
Just in case you thought everything was hunky dory in UK universities ...
Full article: Mapping rentiership and assetisation in the digitalisation of education www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Mapping rentiership and assetisation in the digitalisation of education
Published in Learning, Media and Technology (Ahead of Print, 2025)
www.tandfonline.com
February 27, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Just in case you thought everything was hunky dory in UK universities ...
Reposted by Janja Komljenovic
🔥Superb agenda-setting editorial on assetization and rentiership in education ⏬️
Full article: Mapping rentiership and assetisation in the digitalisation of education www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Mapping rentiership and assetisation in the digitalisation of education
Published in Learning, Media and Technology (Ahead of Print, 2025)
www.tandfonline.com
February 27, 2025 at 6:23 PM
🔥Superb agenda-setting editorial on assetization and rentiership in education ⏬️
Our Introduction article with @keanbirch.bsky.social and Sam Sellar, “Mapping rentiership and assetization in the digitalisation of education” is now published and freely available. It explains how assetization manifests in education, its consequences and how to analyse this dynamic. Check it out
February 27, 2025 at 11:42 AM
Our Introduction article with @keanbirch.bsky.social and Sam Sellar, “Mapping rentiership and assetization in the digitalisation of education” is now published and freely available. It explains how assetization manifests in education, its consequences and how to analyse this dynamic. Check it out
Reposted by Janja Komljenovic
But edtech trade shows - sometimes - invite people like @jkom.bsky.social and me to offer a different, more "sociotechnical" perspective on why edtech, data, and AI are *not* going to inevitably or straightforwardly "transform" education. Hopefully at least a small dent in the industry bandwagon.
January 24, 2025 at 11:34 PM
But edtech trade shows - sometimes - invite people like @jkom.bsky.social and me to offer a different, more "sociotechnical" perspective on why edtech, data, and AI are *not* going to inevitably or straightforwardly "transform" education. Hopefully at least a small dent in the industry bandwagon.
Reposted by Janja Komljenovic
And, as expected, the official AI Plan document just makes a couple of refs to "AI assistants" reducing teachers' time spent planning and marking - but quite a lot on educating AI "talent" and wider AI skills training www.gov.uk/government/p...
January 13, 2025 at 11:02 AM
And, as expected, the official AI Plan document just makes a couple of refs to "AI assistants" reducing teachers' time spent planning and marking - but quite a lot on educating AI "talent" and wider AI skills training www.gov.uk/government/p...
Reposted by Janja Komljenovic
And if you want to know more about the economic reality behind running high availability, actually innovative tech… signal.org/blog/signal-...
Privacy is Priceless, but Signal is Expensive
Signal is the world’s most widely used truly private messaging app, and our cryptographic technologies provide extra layers of privacy beyond the Signal app itself. Since launching in 2013, the Signal...
signal.org
December 11, 2024 at 6:37 PM
And if you want to know more about the economic reality behind running high availability, actually innovative tech… signal.org/blog/signal-...