Contribution:

An understanding of the role being played by the digital technologies and innovation in the attainment of equitable, just, and sustainable futures in sub-Saharan Africa especially in Zimbabwe.

Why would you like to speak in this workshop?:

Digital technology development is critical for the development and inclusive growth in the contemporary world. This is even more important for the global south region particularly sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where there are vast problems that are constantly reported. Digital technology has been identified as vital cog in the development equation. In the SSA region digital technologies particularly in the mobile category have revolutionized the landscape and transcended many facets of life from health, mobile money, tourism, and smallholder agriculture. Digital technologies facilitated virtual teaching and learning, digital financial movement and inclusivity, digital health, as well as assisted in providing continuity of life in many areas enabling societies to deal with social distance.

Accessibility gaps can exacerbate inequality and exclusion, and research has shown that technology can only improve an element if it is completely embraced and used properly. Access to digital tools is generally limited in poor countries. Digital technologies expanded faster than any other invention in memory, influencing more than half of the developing world's population in a short time and fundamentally transforming society. Through improved connectivity, financial inclusiveness, trade accessibility, and access to essential services, digital technology has the potential to be a big equalizer. As the area expands access to the digital services, we would want to draw your attention to the importance of these technologies in ensuring a more sustainable future in the context of Zimbabwe, including increased efficiency, and new growth models, as well as the need to guarantee that everyone benefits including the marginalised.

Contribution:

Our contribution centres on digital social protection systems in the new normal, with a focus on the urban dimension. We bring a data justice perspective to the debate on the new urban normal.

Why would you like to speak in this workshop?:

Digital social protection systems rely on digital identification technologies that, while endowed with the power to assist people, are often used for their ability to police and profile. During the COVID-19 pandemic, social protection systems globally have encountered new pressures and challenges, which digital identification technologies have been deemed appropriate to face. Using a data justice framework derived from Taylor et al. (2020), our proposed contribution engages the changes experienced by digital social protection systems during the pandemic: first, digital identification has been used to cross-check data into systems that determined, in more or less opaque ways, assignation of subsidies to households. Second, the same technologies have been used in tracing systems that exposed populations at risk (e.g. undocumented migrants), inducing such populations to refrain from seeking assistance during the emergency. More at large, the pressures imposed by the pandemic have enhanced the surveillance powers of digital identification technology, altering the balance of assistance and policing in favour of the latter. Implications of these points will be drawn for the literature on the new urban normal, as it unfolds in this crucial moment of the history of digital identity.

References:

Taylor, L., Sharma, G., Martin, A., and Jameson, S. (2020). What does the COVID-19 response mean for data justice? In Taylor, L., Sharma, G., Martin, A., and Jameson, S. (Eds.), Data Justice and COVID-19: Global Perspectives (pp.8-18), London: Meatspace Press.

Contribution:

We would like to discuss the Innovative Digital tools used for continuing the Education in Urbanized world during the Covid-19 Pandemic. focusing innovation, namely AI, IoT, IoB, Big Data, ML and Blockchain on the urban development through continuing education during the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Why would you like to speak in this workshop?:

The Covid-19 pandemic halted the Education in almost every part of the World affecting the students and Educational Institutions. The Role of Innovative Technologies in the New Urbanized world are necessary to continue the education system in several countries. The digital technologies are exploited to bridge the gap between the academic communities and students and learners. The potential impact of technological innovation for continuing education systems, namely AI, IoT, IoB, Big Data, ML and Blockchain for building sustainable future of urban development were assessed through mutual experiences in India and Europe and America. The presentation deals with the overlay of the three thematic pillars of exploration “Urbanization - Society - Technology” which allow for multi- and cross-disciplinary academic and practical exchanges of lessons learned in relation to the creation of adaptive, resilient, sustainable, inclusive, just and equitable urban environments. The presentation aims to discus the issues at engaging in a discourse on the topics of emerging technologies such as AI, ML, IoT and Satellite Technologies in the urban setting post COVID-19 and (1) environmental management, protection and climate change, (2) renewable-green energy, waste management, (3) smart mobility infrastructure, (4) food and water security, (5) healthcare and human well-being, (6) education for the future of work and decent jobs, (7) socially responsible business productivity and profitability maximization, and (8) research and knowledge generation for practical policy-oriented capitalization, etc. The presentation focusses on international networking for continuing education through application of Digital Technologies and Innovations to mitigate Covid-19 Pandemic in urbanized World.

Contribution:

The purpose of this session is to discuss the current state of digital education technologies in Africa and how they can be leveraged to provide our urban youth population with quality education, prepare them for decent employment and the future of work.

Why would you like to speak in this workshop?:

Seven weeks into 2022, African start-ups raised 1 billion dollars in funding through more than 130 deals. Fintech represented almost half (47%) of the deals, followed closely by retail-tech, health-tech, logistics and transport-tech. Ed-tech start-ups accounted for less than 1% of total funds raised so far in 2022. Similarly, in 2020 funding raised by Ed-tech start-ups dropped off the map. Why does it matter that the Ed-tech sector in Africa is growing at a meagre rate and what is the significance of urbanization in this context?

Africa has the fastest urban growth in the world with a projected urbanization rate of nearly 44 per cent in 2021. While this offers great opportunities in terms of access to better health care services, rapid urbanization also poses enormous social, environmental, infrastructural, and economic challenges. These challenges are particularly significant in African countries evidently lacking access to basic services and infrastructure. One of such areas where lack of access and inequity is prevalent in Africa is the education sector.

Goal 4 of the sustainable development goals are focused on achieving inclusive and quality education for all thus reaffirming the belief that education is one of the most powerful and proven vehicles for sustainable development. However, progress has been slow and insufficient to achieve the education targets in the Goals. According to the United Nations, progress has particularly faced tough challenges in developing and African countries where educational systems struggle to keep up with population growth.