Research and Reports

IT for Development: Leveraging Knowledge & the Power of e-Networking

GSSD Workshop
GSSD-MIT
Technology and Development Program
MIT Faculty Club
October 30-31, 2003

What can the next generation of e-Readiness bring? In what specific ways can (or does) the deployment of information technology facilitate development initiatives? What are some specific examples? How can the ‘power of knowledge’ be strengthened by leveraging IT-related capabilities? Could IT applications strengthen decision systems and if so, how? if not, why not? What is the added value of international collaboration in IT-strategies to facilitate developmental objectives? What are ‘best examples’ and ‘best potentials?’ What needs to be done next?

Workshop Background

Overview
N. Choucri - MIT

[Leveraging knowledge and the power of eNetworking (NC).pdf]

· Goals of Workshop
· Introduction of Participants
· World Summit for Information Society (WSIS) and beyond
· Key Focal Issues – Process & Expectations

1. Global Context & New Challenges

  • Global Agenda: UN ICT Task Force & WSIS Update
      S. Kambalov - UN-Secretariat & ICT Taskforce
  • Workshop Discussion – questions – clarifications

2. Value-Added of Knowledge Assets

  • Knowledge for Empowerment
      K. Millet - World Bank Institute
  • Global e-Knowledge Mission
      C. Hahn - UNESCO
  • Potentials of “Best Practices”
      V. Maugis - MIT

[Potentials of Best Practices (VM).pdf]

3. Collaborative e-Initiatives in Place

  • Multilingual CyberPartnerships – GSSD to date
      N. Choucri - MIT
  • Deploying IT Capabilities for Arab Development
      T. Mezher - American University Beirut – GSSD Arabic
    [ICT Readiness in Lebanon (TM).pdf]
  • e-Courses on Knowledge for Development
      MUST – Malaysian University of Science & Technology
      F. Moavenzadeh & N. Choucri - MIT

4. Persistent IT Challenges for Decision & Policy

  • Networks for eLearning
      R. Larson – MIT
  • Observations on Private-Public Partnership & UNESCO
      W. Baker - Baker& McKenzie
  • IT Tools for Environment & Development Analysis
      B. Allenby - AT&T

5. Practical Applications & Implications

  • Deploying IT Advances for Development
      K. Cavanaugh – Lotus- IBM
  • LIGHTS – Laboratory for Information Globalization & Harmonization Technologies & Studies
      S. Madnick - MIT
  • Electronic Government Procurement
      A. Raghavan – MIT
  • Contributions of MIT Academic Computing
      V.J. Kumar - MIT

6. Review - Workshop Roundtable

  • Observations by Participants
  • What Next?