Development Informatics in a Changing World: Reflections from ICTD2010/2012
Geoff Walsham · Information Technologies and International Development · 2013
In my keynote speech to ICTD2010 in London on which this Forum piece is based, I presented four future challenges for development informatics in a changing world: an explicit focus on the D for development; interdisciplinary research; working at the strategic policy level; and recognizing the importance of new ICT-enabled models. I also attended ICTD2012 in Atlanta, and I reoected during that event on whether and to what extent the ICTD aeld, as represented at the conference, was addressing my earlier challenges. One of the editors of ITID suggested that I might write something for the journal along those lines. This short article is the outcome. In what follows I take each of the four challenges referred to above and I attempt to answer the following questions. What needs to be done? Why is this important? What are the major hurdles in achieving it? How well did we seem to be addressing the challenge at ICTD2012? I want to end this brief introduction with two disclaimers. First, these are huge topics, and I do not have the “right” answers. I am merely raising some issues that I consider important and am expressing my views on them. Second, my reoections on ICTD2012 are biased by the fact that I was unable to attend some of the sessions, particularly those taking place in parallel streams, so I have a limited view of what was on offer at the conference.