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About

I am a social scientist and technologist based in Cochabamba, Bolivia. I studied Sociology and Law and Political Science at UMSS, completed master’s degrees in social research and a PhD in Social Studies of Technology, with a thesis on societal digitalization, and later an MSc in Software Engineering at UNIR. My research revolves around one question: how technology becomes society, from networked citizen movements and disinformation to the digitalization of Bolivia and, now, artificial intelligence. Between techno-optimism and techno-pessimism I prefer a third position: look at how each technology is built, used and contested.

Since 2018 I have directed Lab TecnoSocial, a citizen lab where research, software and public participation share one team. I have worked as a consultant for organizations such as UN Women, PAHO/WHO, Oxfam, Hivos and Helvetas, and I teach undergraduate and graduate courses at UMSS, UCB, UMSA, USFX and UPB. The awards we have received, from Kamay and InnovaTIC to Bolivia’s National Digital Journalism Award, always have a team behind them.

Technology is my medium: I build platforms, packages and AI features for the problems I study, and publish the code when I can. Outside work I make electronic music, video games and code-driven animation; that lives under Creation. I am open to collaborations and proposals, remote or hybrid: applied research, leadership of social technology projects, graduate teaching, talks and roles that combine research and technology.

Alex Ojeda Copa recording an explainer video

Open to collaborations and proposals, remote or hybrid

Career

  1. Director

    Laboratorio de Tecnologías Sociales (Lab TecnoSocial)

    2018 - present

  2. Researcher

    Centro de Estudios de la Realidad Económica y Social (CERES)

    2024

  3. Associate Researcher

    Centro de Estudios Superiores Universitarios (CESU-UMSS)

    2019-2021

  4. Affiliated Researcher

    Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Sociales (CICS), UCB

    2021

  5. Research Assistant, “Social Media and Public Opinion in Bolivia” project

    Centro de Estudios de la Realidad Económica y Social (CERES)

    2017-2019

  6. Associate Researcher, Chequea Bolivia fact-checking project

    Centro de Estudios de la Realidad Económica y Social (CERES)

    2019

  7. Academic Events Organizer

    Centro de Investigaciones Sociales de la Vicepresidencia (CIS)

    Marzo a mayo de 2019

  8. Affiliated Researcher

    Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Sociales (INCISO – UMSS)

    2016-2018

  9. Coordinator, postgraduate course “Social Networks and Politics” (2nd edition)

    CESU UMSS

    Marzo y abril de 2018

  10. Co-organizer, Postgraduate Diploma in New Technologies for Social Research

    CESU UMSS

    Junio 2017 a enero de 2018

  11. Electoral Notary

    Servicio Intercultural de Fortalecimiento Democrático (SIFDE) – Tribunal Electoral Departamental (TED)

    Enero de 2016 a Febrero de 2016

  12. Blog and Social Media Manager

    Revista Impulso

    Enero de 2015 a Enero de 2016

  13. Electoral Process Trainer

    Servicio Intercultural de Fortalecimiento Democrático (SIFDE) – Tribunal Electoral Departamental (TED)

    Agosto y septiembre de 2015

  14. Information Technology Lab Assistant

    Unidad de Tecnologías de Información (UTI) – Facultad de Ciencias Sociales

    Abril de 2013 a Abril de 2014

  15. Lead for the systematization of citizen proposals for the Departmental Autonomy Statute

    Gobierno Autónomo Departamental de Cochabamba - Asamblea Legislativa Departamental

    Abril de 2012 a Abril de 2012

  16. Analyst of citizen proposals for the Autonomy Statute

    Gobierno Autónomo Departamental de Cochabamba

    Abril de 2012

  17. Fieldwork in quantitative and qualitative data collection for the study “Professional Performance of Sociologists 2011-2012”

    UMSS - Facultad de Ciencias Sociales - Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Sociales (INCISO)

    Septiembre de 2011 a Marzo de 2012

  18. Research Assistant, Socio-Legal Area

    Fundación Jatun Ñawi

    Julio de 2010 a Diciembre de 2010

  19. Human Rights Outreach Officer

    Defensoría del Pueblo

    Febrero 2010 a Diciembre de 2010

  20. Co-researcher, project “Meanings of democracy in Twitter's digital communities after Bolivia's 20/O crisis”, Social Communication program, UCB Cochabamba

    Universidad Católica Boliviana "San Pablo"

Education

  • MSc in Software Engineering and Computer Systems

    Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR), 2025

  • PhD in Social Studies of Technology

    Centro de Estudios Superiores Universitarios (CESU), UMSS, 2024

  • Postgraduate Diploma in New Technologies for Social Research

    Centro de Estudios Superiores Universitarios (CESU) – UMSS, 2018

  • Research Master's in Social Sciences, specialization in Sociopolitical Processes and Dynamics

    Escuela Universitaria de Posgrado, UMSS, 2018

  • Postgraduate Diploma in Tools for Political Analysis

    Universidad Mayor de San Simón, 2017

  • Master's in Qualitative Research Applied to the Social Sciences

    Posgrado de la Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, UMSS, 2017

  • Postgraduate Diploma in Anthropological Research

    Universidad Católica Bolivia, 2015

  • Postgraduate Diploma in University Teaching

    Posgrado de la Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación – UMSS, 2014

  • Bachelor's degree in Sociology (Licenciatura)

    Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, UMSS, 2014

  • Bachelor's degree in Law and Political Science (Licenciatura)

    Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas y Políticas, UMSS, 2011

Awards and recognition

  • “Libertad del Tunari” Honorary Distinction, Scientific Merit category

    Gobierno Autónomo Departamental de Cochabamba - Asamblea Legislativa Departamental, 2026

  • NovaGob Mexico 2026 Award, “Innovation in Latin American Public Management” category (PAP Sacaba)

    NovaGob, 2026

  • Young Researcher Recognition, 15th anniversary of INCISO

    Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Sociales (INCISO – UMSS), 2026

  • National Digital Journalism Award 2024, for the report “Bolivia, el país de la tierra envenenada”

    ANPB, 2024

  • First place, InnovaTIC Awards 2024, E-Social category (PAP Sacaba)

    InnovaTIC Bolivia, 2024

  • First place, Kamay Awards 2024, Technology-Based Innovation

    Federación de Entidades Empresariales Privadas de Cochabamba (FEPC), 2024

  • First place, Juventud Startup Awards 2023, Environmental Startup (Arbu)

    Juventud Startup Bolivia, 2023

Languages

  • Spanish, Lengua materna
  • English, Intermedio
  • Quechua, Básico

Memberships

  • Asociación de Estudios Bolivianos (Association of Bolivian Studies)
  • Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR)
  • Internet Society, Bolivia Chapter

I have worked with