J. (Jonida) Milaj-Weishaar, PhD

Jonida Milaj-Weishaar is Assistant Professor in Technology Law and Human Rights. Her research is hosted by the Security, Technology and e-Privacy (STeP) interdisciplinary research group. She always links her research to pressing societal needs and actively presents her work in different academic international conferences and professional fora. Jonida has published (alone or in collaboration with others) in renowned peer reviewed international journals and edited volumes, and she also contributes as a reviewer to various international journals.

Jonida is involved in various H2020 projects and has contributed in drafting various successful joint research projects to which the STeP is part. Because of her field of studies and the projects she is involved in, Jonida has first-hand experience in collaborating with researchers from various disciplines and countries.

She teaches and coordinates various courses in the area of Technology Law. She has designed new courses and supervises PhD, master and bachelor dissertations in her field. She has also co-designed the MOOC on ‘Understanding the GDPR’ that was evaluated in 2019 as the most successful course of all times of the ‘Future Learn’ platform. As of 2019, Jonida is a visiting lecturer at the China University of Political Science and Law in Beijing and during the period May 2022 – July 2023 she was a research fellow at the University of Milan, Information Society Law Center.

Jonida completed her legal education at the University of Padua (Italy) and obtained an advanced LLM degree in European, International and Comparative Law from Maastricht University (the Netherlands). She defended her PhD thesis at the University of Groningen with a focus on everyday surveillance with non-purpose built technology, and the challenges created for the protection of the right to privacy.

Before starting her academic career, Jonida gained practical experience both at national institutions (Parliament of the Republic of Albania) and at international organisations (Council of Europe). Her work in non-academic institutions was composed of legal advice as well as of administrative tasks, which gave her a very good understanding of policymaking and policymakers – the way they work and their needs. She has been exposed to national and international learning, teaching and working experiences that have made her sensitive to cultural differences and needs and enable her to bring her international experience and insights at any collaborative projects.