Events

One-day panel on 'Power, Politics and Digital Development'

13 Sept 2016

Workshop on 'Big and Open Data for International Development'

12 July 2016

The workshop developed a research agenda for "data-intensive development".

A second output was a network group, which researchers and practitioners working in data-intensive development are invited to join.

• Final running order and presentations
• Abstracts for the speakers' presentations

Presentations:

6 February 2016

CDD's Anita Greenhill ran a half-day family event on online citizen science at the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry. 

Citizen Social Science is where the public takes a role in conducting social science research. At the event participants were able to try their hand at categorizing science data using an online citizen science platform such as the Zooniverse’s recent pulsar project; as well as draw or find images using Google Earth about (i) their local area and (ii) about the wider world and also of something they were concerned about, which they wanted to draw policy makers attention to.

They then created postcards of the images and were encouraged to write about their concerns. These postcards were then used to raise the profile of the issues.

IT sourcing for development: international workshop

20 and 21 October 2014

The newly-formed Socially-Responsible Outsourcing Unit within CDD held an international workshop – 'IT Sourcing and Development: New Drivers, Models and Impacts' – on 20-21 October 2014 at The University of Manchester.

The workshop sought to reflect on the changing context for IT sourcing and socio-economic development: analysing the new forces driving and shaping IT sourcing; characterising the new models of IT sourcing these forces have created; and reassessing the impacts of IT sourcing in light of the new criteria based on inclusive and sustainable development models and on corporate social responsibility.

Further details can be found in the document below:

• IT sourcing and development: new drivers, models and impacts

International workshop on 'New Models of Innovation for Development'

4 and 5 July 2013

Innovation has been moving up the strategic agendas of business, government and international agencies working in developing countries.  New markets for innovative goods and services among those at the base of the pyramid, and new technologies – particularly information and communication technologies – are inducing and enabling new actors to become involved in innovation for development.  This is creating new contexts and new locations for innovation.  And, as a result, new models of innovation are emerging.

This two-day workshop shared and explored some of these new models for which a variety of labels have emerged:

• Pro-poor innovation;
• BoP innovation;
• Inclusive innovation;
• Below-the-radar innovation;
• Grassroots innovation;
• Frugal innovation;
• Jugaad innovation; and more.

In total, 16 papers (detailed below) were presented from 65 submitted abstracts. The programme schedule for the workshop can be found downloaded below:

• New Models of Innovation for Development – Workshop Schedule

If you have any questions about the workshop, please email innov4dev@gmail.com

The workshop was a joint initiative of the Centre for Digital Development, Institute for Development Policy and Management, and Manchester Institute of Innovation Research; and is supported by funding from the University of Manchester and the UK Development Studies Association.

• UK Development Studies Association

Richard Heeks (Global Development Institute, The University of Manchester, UK), Evgeny Klochikin and Yanuar Nugroho (MIoIR, University of Manchester, UK)

Presented papers

2011-12 seminar series

The seminars given by Richard Heeks and Cathy Urquhart are also available to view as videos: 

• CDD YouTube channel

Understanding Development Through Actor-Network Theory international workshop

Manchester's Centre for Digital Development and LSE's Department of International Development hosted an international workshop on 'Understanding Development Through Actor-Network Theory' on 30 June 2011.

This brought together new work applying actor-network theory in international development research.  Our aim was to explore the extent to which ANT can improve our understanding of development.

The presentations were developed into the CDD working paper series, 'Actor-Network Theory for Development':

• ANT4D working papers

ICT4D practitioner seminars

'Bridging Technology and Politics' (2.00-3.00pm) by Ben Taylor, Executive Director of Daraja, a governance-focused NGO based in rural Tanzania.  Ben discussed Tanzania’s technological and governance context, particularly within the water sector. 

He outlined the design and practice of Daraja’s MajiMatone programme which uses mobile phones to increase local government accountability around water supply; drawing conclusions about the addition of digital technologies to traditional institutions of governance.  This seminar was held in collaboration with the University's Herbert Simon Institute. 

• Ben's presentation

'Connecting Remote Rural Communities: Lessons from the eBario Project in Malaysia' (3.00-4.00pm) by Dr Alvin Yeo, Director of the Institute for Social Informatics and Technological Innovation at the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.  Alvin discussed the eBario project, which deployed ICTs in a very isolated rural community in Malaysian Borneo. 

By using a multi-disciplinary team spanning technical and social sciences, and by using a participatory, action research methodology, this project was able to make a direct contribution to improvement of rural livelihoods.  The project is winner of the CAPAM International Innovation Award.

Workshop on Social Media and International Development

Manchester's Centre for Digital Development and Institute of Innovation Research hosted a half-day workshop on "Social Media and International Development" on 31 March 2011.

• Manchester Institute of Innovation Research

Social media such as Twitter and Facebook has been much in the news recently, and this workshop explored some of the implications for developing countries and international environments.  Papers dealt with the use of social media by civil society organisations, for the organisation of protest movements, and within transnational corporations.

Presentations and some related papers are available online:

• Empowering Indonesian Civil Society through ICTs and Social Media: An Experience of Hivos Netherlands in Indonesia (Shita Laksmi: Hivos & MIOIR/MBS, University of Manchester)
• Citizens in Action: Mapping Contemporary Civic Activism and the Use of New Social Media in Indonesia (Yanuar Nugroho: CDI & MIOIR/MBS, University of Manchester)
• Citizens in @ction: Collaboration, Participatory Democracy and Freedom of Information (Full report)
• Conviviality of Internet Social Networks: An Exploratory Study of Internet Campaigns in Iran (Aghil Ameripour, Brian Nicholson & Michael Newman: CDI/MBS, University of Manchester)
• Internet Usage Under Authoritarian Regimes: Conviviality, Community, Blogging and Online Campaigning in Iran (Full report)
• Social Networking in International Corporate Environments: Innovation and Control (Heba El-Sayed & Chris Westrup: CDI/MBS, University of Manchester)

UK Launch of 2010 UN Information Economy Report: ICTs, Enterprises and Poverty Alleviation

Manchester's Centre for Digital Development and Brooks World Poverty Institute hosted the UK launch of the global Information Economy Report 2010 on the afternoon of Thursday 14 October 2010.

This year's IER, produced by the UN Conference on Trade and Development with significant contributions from CDD members, focused on ICTs, enterprise and poverty.

It showed how mobile phones are creating millions of new jobs in developing countries, supporting micro-enterprises that innovate to reach "bottom of the pyramid" markets in ways large firms cannot.  Outsourcing is starting to bring new income to Africa, and new business models such as "social outsourcing" are pushing benefits into poor communities.  Further growth requires greater ICT diffusion, but policy must move from a supply- to a demand-driven approach that recognises and scales up the innovations already occurring within micro-enterprise.

Speakers

• Torbjörn Fredriksson, Chief, ICT Analysis Section, UNCTAD.
• Andrew Zerzan, Regulatory Projects Director, GSM Association.
• Andrew Scott, Policy and Programmes Director, Practical Action.
• Dr George Manu, Director, Creative Squares.
• Prof. Richard Heeks, Director, Centre for Digital Development.
• Chair:  Prof. Armando Barrientos, Global Development Institute

Links

• Presentation: IER Report Overview [PPT; 1.2MB]
• Photos: Scott & Zerzan; Manu; Heeks, Manu & Barrientos; Heeks & Manu; All Speakers

Urban Slums and ICT-Based Entrepreneurship seminar

Friday, 11 June 2010

Nimmi Rangaswamy, from Microsoft Research (India), discussed the role played by a variety of ICT-based micro-enterprises like cyber cafés, mobile phone stores, computer skill training institutes, mobile phone repair and servicing units, and PC assembling and servicing units in the context of urban slums in India. Subjects of focus in the talk included: types of local demand for ICT consumption; non-formal business routes to servicing demand; and localization and impacts of ICT business adoption.

ICT-aided entrepreneurship was identified as a harbinger driving local technology immersion in resource-poor environments, extending access to marginalized populations. The talk also covered the nature and function of informal business practices in emerging markets and challenged notions of them as illegitimate piracy.

• Presentation: The PC-Aided Enterprise and Re-Cycling ICT: An ICT for D Story? [PPT; 7MB]
• Paper: The PC-Aided Enterprise and Re-Cycling ICT: An ICT for D Story? [DOC; 200KB]
• Photo: Introduction to Seminar [JPEG; 1.8MB]

ICT Policy in Developing Countries workshop

Thursday, 25 March 2010

Starting some 15 years ago, information and communication technologies (ICTs) began to rise up the development agenda, as their potential contribution to achievement of development goals was recognised.  In order to give strategic direction to that contribution, developing countries – some with the encouragement of donor agencies – started to formulate national ICT policies, and also sub-policies around specific application areas, sectors and technologies. This workshop reviewed those policies, and produced an overall summary guide on coherent ICT policy for development.

• Delivering Coherent ICT Policies in Developing Countries (Workshop report)

Presentations

This workshop was a meeting of the UK Development Studies Association's 'Information, Technology and Development' study group.

UK Launch of UN Information Economy Report 2009

Manchester's Centre for Digital Development hosted the UK launch of the global Information Economy Report 2009 on Friday 23 October.

This year's IER, produced by the UN Conference on Trade and Development, gives special attention to the impact of the global financial crisis on ICTs. It includes up-to-date findings on the use of ICT in business, including SMEs in developing countries; on the impact of the financial crisis on global ICT trade; and on the changing digital divide between global North and global South. Statistical data is provided on changing patterns in offshoring, ICT trade and ICT diffusion.

The launch was presented by Torbjörn Fredriksson from UNCTAD.

• Presentation: Information Economy Report 2009 [PPT; 3.3MB]
• See also: Online copy of IER 2009

Gold Farming: Real-World Production in Developing Countries for the Virtual Economies of Online Games

Thursday, 4 June 2009, The University of Manchester

Employing up to 1,000,000 people in East Asia and with an annual trade worth up to US$5bn, gold farming is big business yet virtually unknown outside computer gaming circles. This presentation provides the first academic analysis of this major new industry through which Asian 'playbourers' produce virtual currency and high-level avatars for online gamers.

It provides best estimates of the industry's size, describes the global value chain and trade processes, and analyses its developmental implications. It will outline a future research agenda given gold farming reflects growing trends in developing countries towards cybersourcing and towards 'liminal' ICT work (which lies on or just below the threshold of what is socially-acceptable and formally-legal).

• Online copy of report on gold farming
• PowerPoint presentation: 'Gold Farming' [PPT; 4.5MB]

Launch event - Professor Subhash Bhatnagar

On 14 May 2009, the Centre for Digital Development held its launch event at which Prof. Subhash Bhatnagar, from the Indian Institute of Management - Ahmedabad, presented on "ICTs and Development: Where Have We Been, Where Are We Going?".

• Prof. Bhatnagar presentation: "ICTs and Development" [PPT; 4.8MB]

Speed presentations

• Aumnat Tongkaw
• Carolyne Stanforth
• Noemi Pezderka
• Yanuar Nugroho
• Brian Nicholson
• Sharon Morgan
• Richard Heeks
• Victor Gonzalez
• Richard Duncombe
• Fredrick Agboma