Technological Globalization From Below

 Technological Globalization From Below

Interdisciplinary STS Seminar 2023-2024

Dear colleagues,

Our 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.

Hoping to see you there,

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 055399

Seminar 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.