Engaging Academia: Strengthening the Link Between Community and Technology

Abstract

This paper explores ways in which academia could change to be more socially relevant in relation to communities ICT. It is intended to advance ideas and further discussion. Socially relevant means encouraging the creation of information and communication systems that support human development, social learning, collaborative problem-solving, self-governance — and civic intelligence generally. Because the build-out of these systems has such profound implications of surveillance and control that the early warning function is particularly critical.  This paper is primarily addressed to the academic community that focuses on the use of ICT in the social lives of "ordinary" citizens.