Technological Globalization From Below
Interdisciplinary STS Seminar 2023-2024Our next online research seminar on « Technological Globalization from Below » is set for February 14th, 10:00-11:30 am (Paris time). We’re excited to host Prof. Nancy Odendaal from the University of Cape Town, presenting her recent book « Disrupted Urbanism: Situated Smart Initiatives in African Cities » (2023, Bristol University Press).
Book description : The ‘smart city’ is often promoted as a technology-driven solution to complex urban issues. While commentators are increasingly critical of techno-optimistic narratives, the political imagination is dominated by claims that technical solutions can be uniformly applied to intractable problems. This book provides a much-needed alternative view, exploring how ‘home-grown’ digital disruption, driven and initiated by local actors, upends the mainstream corporate narrative. Drawing on original research conducted in a range of urban African settings, Odendaal shows how these initiatives can lead to meaningful change. This is a valuable resource for scholars working in the intersection of science and technology studies, urban and economic geography and sociology.
The organizing team : Javed Mohammad ALAM, Henry CHAVEZ, Mahamat Nour Moussa ILYASS, Koichi KAMEDA, Cecilia PASSANTI, Jessica POURRAZ, Mathieu QUET, Yves-Marie RAULT-CHODANKAR, Aamod UTPAL
Join Zoom Meeting
https://u-paris.zoom.us/j/81425374167?pwd=a0Z4RkUzbzhwakJnakZpMUMzNUZDQT09
ID de réunion 814 2537 4167
Code secret 055399Seminar Program (Paris time)
17th January 2024, 10 am-11.30 am CET: Africa Charter on Transformative Research Collaborations – Puleng Segalo (University of South Africa)
14th February 2024, 10 am-11.30 am CET: Disrupted Urbanism : Situated Smart Initiatives in African Cities – Nancy Odendaal (University of Cape Town)
13th March 2024, 10 am-11.30 am CET: Technologies of migration control in Sahel – Kamal Donko, Laboratoire d’Etudes et de recherches sur les dynamiques sociales et le développement local (LASDEL, Benin)
17th April 2024, 10 am-11.30 am CET: Let There be Light: Engineering, Entrepreneurship and Electricity in Colonial Bengal, 1880-1945 – Suvobrata Sarkar (Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata)
15th May 2024, 3pm – 5pm CET: Genetically Modified Democracy – Aniket Aga (Ashoka University) and Seed banks and the future of plants and food – Xan Chacko (Brown University).
12th June 2024: to be announced
The seminar is hosted by the CEPED (University of Paris/IRD) as part of the Global Research Institute of Paris (GRIP) activity.