Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center program in Science, Technology and Public Policy (STPP) recently convened a research seminar titled "ICT and Public Policy: The Next Wave." Led by STPP Faculty Chair and Director Venkatesh Narayanamurti, the seminar came together under the umbrella of STPP's Project in Information and Communications Technology and Public Policy. Over the period September 27–29, participants, faculty, and fellows sought insight to the promise and prospects for ICT-enabled innovation, change, and reform in critical domains. They focused policy arenas from education to public health, from energy to global economic development. They examined application domains such as mobile, web, and geospatial technologies. They took stock of the play and state of cyber security, citizen engagement, and net suppression—all issues where information and communication technologies have major roles.
In addition to Prof. Narayanamurti, Harvard faculty who participated and who are now formally affiliated with the project in ICT and Public Policy include Prof. Archon Fung of the HKS Ash Center; Prof. Peter Bols of the Harvard Center for Geographic Analysis; Prof. Calestous Juma of the HKS Belfer Center Science, Technology, and Globalization Project; Prof. Christopher Dede of Harvard Graduate School of Education; Prof. Ashish Jha of Harvard School of Public Health; and Prof Nicco Mele, of the HKS Shorenstein Center. Participating staff included Tommy Vallely, director of the HKS Ash Center's Vietnam Project; Ashley Brown, director of the HKS Center for Business and Government's Electricity Policy Group; Wendy Guan, director of the Center for Geographic Analysis. External faculty included Prof. Nazli Choucri of MIT; Prof. Tom Davenport of Babson College; and Mr. Ethan Zuckerman, of MITs Center for Civic Media. HKS STPP Fellows Tolu Odumosu and Aadya Shukla led discussions. STPP's Zachary Tumin moderated the two days of seminar.
