Dr. Sangeeta Mahapatra is a Research Fellow at the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), Hamburg. Her work focuses on digital authoritarianism, disinformation, artificial intelligence, internet governance, and building cyber resilience, with a particular emphasis on South and Southeast Asia in relation to the European Union.

She examines how governments, technology companies, and civic actors shape the rules and practices of digital governance, and what this means for democracy and security. Working closely with civic partners on the ground, she integrates practical challenges into her research and translates findings into actionable insights.

With two decades of academic and journalistic experience, Dr. Mahapatra has also led and co-led projects on digital authoritarianism, lawfare, countering disinformation, and civic countermeasures to hybrid threats. These projects have produced databases, handbooks, policy briefs, and multi-stakeholder networks that strengthen democratic resilience. Her work bridges academic expertise with policymaking and practice, supporting evidence-based strategies to safeguard open societies.