Research

I am broadly interested in information and communication technologies (ICTs) – in particular, the internet and mobile phones – in low-income and low-infrastructure countries and contexts. This field is sometimes referred to as ICTD (information and communication technologies for/and development).

I am always on the look-out for new and exciting research prospects and partners! Some of the broad areas that I focus on are:

ICTS For Democracy, Peace and Reconciliation

Exploring the ways that ICTs can facilitate democratic processes and ideals, including elections. Responses and resilience to disinformation and hate speech online. Inventing new information and communication systems and examining the role of existing systems in peacebuilding, peacekeeping, and post-conflict peace and reconciliation. Some research questions: Can rich media and the internet help to create dialogue and ultimately heal a nation? How do ICT policy, institutions, and infrastructure rebuild and respond in post-conflict nations? How do ICTs affect the democratic and political sphere?

Public Policies, Assessments and Evaluations

Examining public policy and regulatory approaches and evaluating these policies along with specific ICT interventions. In particular providing consulting and research inputs to governments, civil society, multi-laterals, and donors on specific policies and interventions. Some research questions: Can we move beyond anecdotes and success stories towards a robust understanding of global best practices for ICTD interventions? What makes for ethical Artificial Intelligence and just data?

Sustainability

Examining the broad range of sustainability factors relating to ICT interventions in low-income countries. Some research questions: How do we make an ICT intervention sustainable along social, financial, political, institutional, technological and environmental dimensions? What are the critical success and failure factors? When is failure an evolutionary step versus an end-state?

HCI For Development

Examining interaction design to address the needs, desires, and aspirations of people in diverse settings. Some research questions: How (or why) do we design the personal out of personal computers, the desk out of the desktop, and English from the QWERTY keyboard? Should we create a community computer based on agricultural or family metaphors, for instance? What is a user or community centered design for low-income countries?

Last Mile Initiatives

Examining how systems, policies, and people can bring ICT connectivity to everyone, everywhere. Considering innovations that support some of the most infrastructure-challenging environments. Some research questions: What network technologies are most effective, innovative and, sustainable? When do we not what to be networked? What are the appliances and applications most empowering?