This blog is part of a series highlighting the experiences of academics and academic professionals who engage with ICANN's work and community. Through its Global Academic Engagement Outreach program, ICANN works with universities and research institutions. In this installment, Lily Edinam Botsyoe reflects on her journey from first discovering ICANN as a student in Ghana to becoming an active community contributor. Contact [email protected] to explore opportunities to get involved.
Discovering ICANN
My name is Lily Edinam Botsyoe. I am a Ph.D. candidate in Information Technology at the University of Cincinnati and a member of its Presidential Fellowship Program. I am also a former adjunct instructor, and I currently serve on the Advisory Council of the American Registry for Internet Numbers, a role I began in 2025.
I first encountered ICANN sometime between 2015 and 2016 while I was an undergraduate and part of the local chapter of the Internet Society at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana. At the time, ICANN was mentioned only in passing as one of many stakeholders in the Internet governance ecosystem.
Around 2019, ICANN became a much more common topic in Ghana and across Africa's Internet governance spaces. That was largely due to increased visibility around ICANN's online training modules and the growing number of people in our local community selected for ICANN fellowships.
A Different View from Inside the Community
Before joining the ICANN community, it looked highly technical from the outside, and I assumed you needed to be a network engineer to participate. For a long time, I hesitated to apply for the Fellowship Program. That changed when I saw colleagues participate in the NextGen@ICANN program and began exploring online sessions and training modules myself.
My first major engagement with ICANN came through the ICANN77 NextGen@ICANN program in 2023. Through mentorship, online learning, and participating in the Policy Forum in Washington, D.C., I had the opportunity to explore the intersection of ICANN and cybersecurity. It gave me a much clearer understanding of ICANN's role and how its work connects with broader Internet infrastructure and security issues.
One of the most surprising parts of that experience was how welcoming the community was and how eager community members were to learn about my background and interests while helping me find meaningful ways to contribute. My early assumptions quickly gave way to a stronger appreciation for ICANN's multistakeholder model and the range of perspectives that shape its work. The discussions within the At-Large Advisory Committee, in particular, stood out because of their focus on end users and the broader community.
Growth Through Participation
After ICANN77, I joined the Non-Commercial Stakeholders Group and the Non-Commercial Users Constituency (NCUC). That experience reinforced for me that Internet infrastructure policy is shaped by more than commercial interests alone.
As my Ph.D. research continued, I became increasingly interested in privacy within the technical policy space and applied to the Fellowship Program. I was selected as an ICANN81 Fellow, and at ICANN81, I focused on privacy through engagement with the Security and Stability Advisory Committee. Those sessions offered valuable insights into Domain Name System (DNS) security threats, mitigating abuse, and best practices such as DNS Security Extensions. After returning home, I joined the North American Regional At-Large Organization to stay engaged and continue learning through the At-Large community.
Today, much of my work is focused on helping to strengthen participation: encouraging people to join conversations, clarifying complex processes, and helping both new and experienced participants feel equipped to contribute. I have also contributed to the NCUC Operating Procedures Review Task Force and participated in conversations around regional engagement planning.
Contributing to the Multistakeholder Model
Looking back, the biggest shift from newcomer to active contributor came through encouragement and mentorship. Within our community, we often say "once a fellow, always a fellow" – a beautiful reminder of our lifelong connection. However, a seasoned community member recently offered an important caution: we shouldn't wear the "fellow" tag as a permanent newcomer mentality. The fellowship is a launching pad. No matter how small or specialized you think your skills are, they are needed in broader Internet governance roles today, and you don't have to wait to start contributing.
That stayed with me. It changed how I saw my place in the community. For anyone considering getting involved with ICANN, my advice is simple: come with curiosity and patience. ICANN can feel complex at first, but over time it begins to make sense.
Build relationships early, ask questions, and do not wait until you feel like an expert before speaking up. Your perspective matters, and the multistakeholder model is stronger because of the voices that continue to join and shape it.