Public Interest Tech: Senegal

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

This course is co-led by Prof. Rajesh Veeraraghavan (SFS), Prof. Kate Chandler (SFS) and Prof. Sidy Ndou (President, Senegal's Dakar American University of Science and Technology). Students from both institutions delve into the role of public interest technology in addressing global challenges from an interdisciplinary perspective. The course aims to address the impact of technology on policy and how we can design policies that reimagine technology designs to foster alternate futures. To understand and innovate technologies that respond to a public interest we will develop projects that use technology as community bridges, linking communities from the Global North and South. Technology is a driving force in transforming production, commerce, creating new industries, and shaping work dynamics. However, the perception of technology as either a utopian vision or a source of alienation that amplifies inequalities remains prevalent in the public imagination. Recent years have witnessed several technologies, such as video conferencing, artificial intelligence, drones, blockchains, mobile money, and gig work apps, fundamentally disrupting social and international relations. Engagement in the course will primarily occur through online interactions throughout the semester, as well as a lab, complemented by in-person exchanges. Notably, SFS students will have the unique opportunity to spend their spring break in Senegal, providing first hand exposure to diverse work contexts and cultures. In a departure from other programs, we will also have Senegal students spend their spring break in Washington DC. Georgetown students are expected to fully support the Senegal students on their visit and spend as much time as they can during the week they are here. A central focus of the course will involve developing alternate imaginations of technology infrastructures to foster community interactions. We will likely be working on a developmental project in Senegal as part of the course. Through design exercises, simulations, policy papers, site visits, and speculative fiction, students will explore creative solutions and policy frameworks to mitigate challenges while embracing the potential for new opportunities that emerging technologies bring. The class is part of the Georgetown Dialogues Initiative and aims to include students from diverse backgrounds and viewpoints. By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, this course explores innovative ways to shape public interest technologies aiming for a more equitable and inclusive society where technology supports rather than undermines the livelihoods of marginalized communities.