The Federation Internationale de l’Automobile is working to stamp out online abuse and hate speech through its United Against Online Abuse campaign, with its latest intervention being the launch of six research scholarships which will provide a platform for researchers to collaborate against hate speech in sport.
Motorsport has become besmirched by incidents of hate speech in recent years, and has now reached what FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem calls a “crisis point”. The association has responded by offering a Masters by Research degree through the FIA University, in partnership with Dublin City University (DCU) Business School and backed by the FIA Foundation. DCU is already active in this space, as a key partner in Tackling Online Hate in Football.
The two-year distance learning programme, which commences in January 2024, bolsters the United Against Online Abuse campaign by building a greater understanding of the psychological effects of online abuse. This, in turn, will inform the association’s strategic approach to tackling the problem.
The scholarship is open to students of all FIA Member Clubs and their academic partners and covers all academic fees and costs.
Applications for the scholarships will open on July 1 and close on September 30, 2023. For further information click here, and for an e-brochure click here or contact the FIA University at scholarship@fia.com.