Advances in information and communication technologies (ICTs) have energized governments, global agencies and non-profit organizations to seek applications of these technologies to social and economic development. Researchers and other scholars have followed suit with a slew of research and intervention projects to explore, understand or measure the potential and actual impacts of ICTs. The results so far are, at best, mixed. I will share observations from several years of organizing research on ICTs and development around the world. Research findings and fieldwork experiences provide insights on what not to expect from ICTD research and interventions.
Reflections on the talk: Medium
Araba Sey is a Principal Researcher with Research ICT Africa. She studies the relationship between information and communication technologies (ICTs) and society with a focus on socio-economically marginalized groups. She has led several research projects on the impacts of computers, mobile phones and internet access in a variety of international contexts. Her research seeks to understand the factors that underlie different types of digital inequality and explore ways to foster diversity and inclusion. Her most recent work focused on gender equality in digital access, digital skills and leadership in the technology industry.