The landscape of ICT4D and the potential for the 9.4 group – a discussion

Sunday 22^nd May: 17.00 to 19.00

Discussants:

Rahul De', Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, India.

Renata Lèbre La Rovere, Instituto de Economia/Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

Sundeep Sahay, University of Oslo, Norway

Chair: Chris Westrup, University of Manchester, UK.

Two questions have brought us together and form the focus of this pre-conference discussion.  We all share a sense that the landscape of ICT4D is changing, perhaps quite rapidly, and that the question of what ICT4D is, and its thematic priorities and contribution(s), needs continuing discussion and debate.  Out of this debate may arise answers to the second question, how the potential of the 9.4 group can be best realized in the short and medium term?  For this discussion we have three experienced practitioners and academics in the field who have prepared short position papers which you might like to read in advance of the debate.  To add some extra facets to this event, three well known contributors to ICT4D were also asked to write short position papers even though they are unable to attend the conference.  The position papers can be accessed on the conference website and I hope they will provide you with food for thought and perhaps have you agree and disagree in equal measure.  We look forward to meeting you in Kathmandu.

The position papers are:

Rahul De' ‘Position Paper IFIP9.4 Nepal Conference’

Renata Lèbre La Rovere, ‘Challenges and Opportunities of Research on Information and Communication Technologies and Development in Latin America’

Sundeep Sahay, ‘What Role for IFIP9.4 in the Current ICTD Field?’

Leiser Silva, University of Houston, USA, ‘Position Paper for Nepal Conference’

Roger Harris, Hong Kong, ‘The Landscape of ICT4D and the Potential for the 9.4 Group.’

Shirin Madon, LSE, UK, ‘What Role for IFIP9.4 in the Current ICTD Field?’