2018
Public lecture: Understanding the paradox of digital inequality as more Africans come on line
New demand-side research undertaken in 16 countries in the Global South, shows vast variances in Internet penetration between and within regions, with the majority of people in many countries having not heard of the Internet or do not know how to use it. In South Africa, more women own mobile phones than men and there are no significant differences between men and women in relation to Internet take up, whereas in the less developed economies such as Rwanda, which has the lowest Internet penetration of the African countries surveyed, the disparity between men and women is greatest. Like mobile phone ownership did for voice, mobile broadband is driving Internet take-up across Africa. Driven by social networking, access to the Internet remains very limited across most of the African countries with only 30.2 percent of Nigerians, the biggest economy in Africa, online. Urban users are also found to far outstrip rural users in all three regions. Even if there is mobile broadband coverage, people are not necessarily coming online.
“Addressing digital inequality will require completely new ways of thinking about licensing, regulating, assigning spectrum and universal service obligations that have done so little to bring the poor online and devise new enabling, innovative, complementary and adaptive systems of governance and business that are able not only to deal with the complexity of the dynamic information ecosystem, but harness it for the citizens in developing countries,” Dr Alison Gillwald.
CPRsouth 2018: Young Scholars
The CPRsouth Young Scholar Academy introduces young researchers in the global south to communication policy and the research to policy process.
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
Young Scholars Academy
Communication Policy Research south Conference
1-5 September 2018
Polana Serena Hotel, Maputo, Mozambique
The program includes participation in 2.5 days of tutorials and the 2.5 days of the Communication Policy Research south (CPRsouth) conference that follows. This is the 15th iteration of a program that began in 2007.
If you are selected to participate AND you are a citizen/permanent resident of a low- or middle-income country in Africa or Asia, we will cover:
your economy-class airfare to Maputo
accommodation, and
most meals
Send us your completed application by:
Tuesday, 15 May 2018
The objective of the program is to prepare Asia-Pacific or Africa based experts capable of contributing to ICT related policy and regulatory reform in the region. The tutorials will cover the topics of communication policy research, research to policy process, and policy research methods with the participants applying the concepts to their own research proposals throughout. A fully developed research proposal is expected from each participant at the end of the program. Participation in the conference which follows is compulsory since it will expose young scholars to a range of topics in communication policy.
Those who have attended CPRsouth young scholar programs in the past or presented at the conference are not eligible. Preference will be given to those under the age of 35. Selection will take into account gender and geographical representation.
WHO SHOULD APPLY
Masters/Ph.D. students in ICT, Engineering, Economics, Public Policy, Communication, Journalism and other related fields
Officers of government/regulatory agencies undertaking ICT policy research, developing/gathering indicators (monitoring and evaluation)
Staff of private ICT companies working in corporate & regulatory affairs
Staff of NGOs/INGOs working in ICT policy and regulation
Researchers from think tanks, university research centers
Journalists covering ICT policy and regulation
HOW TO APPLY
Applications should be submitted by Tuesday, 15th May 2018, and must contain the following:
One-page curriculum vitae (please include the name and contact information for your research mentor/advisor, if any)
One-page write-up outlining your research interests and how you see yourself contributing to ICT related policy and regulatory reform in the region (if you have any evidence of policy engagement, please include)
Applicants’ write-ups and CVs should be in a single word document named: CPRsouth2018_YS_ApplicantLastName.
Submit your application here:
CPRsouth2018: Young Scholar Academy Application
Applications will be reviewed taking into account
Quality of writing
Evidence of interest in, and commitment to, policy-relevant research in Africa or the Asia- Pacific; and
Gender and country representation
The selection committee may contact your supervisor or mentor before making the final selections. Candidates selected to participate in the Academy must:
Provide a one-page research proposal
Participate in all tutorial sessions
Participate in the entire CPRsouth2018 conference
Letters of invitation will be provided for purposes of visa applications after participant selections have been made. Participants are responsible for securing their own visas to enter Mozambique and are strongly advised to initiate visa approval procedures immediately upon receipt of confirmation of their participation. Arrangements will be made for countries which do not have Mozambican consulates.
FUNDING
Selected Young Scholars who are passport holders of, and traveling from, low and middle-income countries other than Mozambique, within the Asia Pacific and Africa (as classified here, by the World Bank) will be provided with:
Lowest-cost economy airfare to conference destination;
Twin sharing accommodation on bed and breakfast basis, all lunches and two dinners for the duration of the conference and tutorials (September 1-5, 2018).
Participants will be required to cover:
Transport to and from airports in their home countries;
Visa fees (if any);
Meals not provided; and
Any other incidental costs
CPRsouth 2018 – Call for papers
2018: Research Submission Guidelines
Call for Submission of Policy-Relevant Research
Communication Policy Research South (CPRsouth) Conference 2018
SEPTEMBER 3-5, 2018 (MONDAY-WEDNESDAY)
Polana Serena Hotel, Maputo, Mozambique
CPRsouth is a funded conference that seeks to enhance the abilities of scholars and reflective practitioners based in the Global South to produce and effectively communicate policy-relevant research in the broadly defined ICT space. It is an opportunity to join a community of like-minded researchers who want to see their knowledge make a real difference in the world.
If you are selected to participate AND you are a citizen/permanent resident of a low or middle-income country in Africa or Asia, we will cover your economy airfare to Maputo, accommodation and most meals.
The 2018 CPRsouth conference consists of eight curated sessions where ICT policy-relevant research from the Global South will be showcased. The 2018 conference format is a departure from the previous conferences in that the focus now will be on repurposing published or nearly completed research into substantive policy briefs.
Your research paper or report along with a cover page is due by April 30, 2018.
2017
Call for Demos The Ninth International Conference on ICTD 2017
The Ninth International Conference onInformation and Communication Technologies and Development (ICTD 2017), to be hosted at the Information Technology University in Lahore (Pakistan) from November 16 to 19, 2017, cordially invites you to Demo submission. ICTD 2017 will provide an international forum for scholarly researchers to explore the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in social, political, and economic development.
Demos
The demo session will provide students, researchers, and practitioners with an international audience for highlighting demonstrations of their work. The demo session will be given wide visibility and opportunities for interaction during the conference. Your demonstration may span novel hardware or software systems, or physical artifacts. Research projects, commercial tools, or government initiatives are all welcome. We particularly encourage engaging, interactive demos that demonstrate real world impact. While the topic for demonstrations may have been published previously, the demonstration itself should offer new insights and perspectives to the ICTD community.
Submissions
For consideration, an abstract of between 100-400 words describing the context, novelty, and significance of the demonstration must be submitted. Be as descriptive and precise as possible, detailing what exactly will be demonstrated. Also include the technical requirements for your demo (e.g., power, Internet access, space, and other setup requirements). Each proposal should also include a demo title, as well as names, affiliations, and contact information for all authors.
Demonstration proposals will be reviewed according to relevance to the conference. Accepted demonstration proposals will not be published in the conference proceedings, but will be listed as part of the conference program.
Here is the link to the demo submission: goo.gl/cmYZmx
General Conference Chair
Umar Saif, Information Technology University
Program Committee Chairs
Richard Anderson, University of Washington
Carleen Maitland, Pennsylvania State University
Demo Chair
Amna Batool, Information Technology University
CPRsouth 2017: Call for paper proposals/abstracts
Paper proposal on policy relevant research on ICTs from the Asia Pacific and Africa may be submitted for review.
Paper proposals should be submitted electronically at: CPRsouth.org on or before: 08 March 2017
Submit abstract/paper proposal here
Communication Policy Research south (CPRsouth) builds policy intellectuals capable of informed and effective intervention in ICT policy and regulatory processes in specific country contexts.
Content
The conference will accommodate approximately 30 paper presenters from Africa and the Asia-Pacific over the two-and-a-half-day conference in Yangon (Rangoon, the capital of Myanmar) from 30th August to 1st September 2017. The conference includes sessions on cutting-edge developments on ICT policy and regulation in the South and discussion of the research-policy interface. Each of the paper sessions will be chaired by a senior scholar and include a discussant, who will provide substantive comments on the papers before and after presentation.
Submission Guidelines
Paper proposals should be submitted electronically at: CPRsouth.org on or before: 08 March 2017
Submissions consist of a 500-word paper proposal with references, and one-page curriculum vitae should be submitted together with the proposal.
The document should be in MS office Word and named according to the following format: CPRsouth2017_abstract&Bio_YourLastName.doc.
The template for paper proposals can be downloaded from here.
Paper proposals should be classifiable with at least three keywords from the list below:
Accessibility | Applications | Authorization and licensing | Big data | Broadband | Business models | Citizen | Civil society | Cloud computing Competition | Conflict | Connectivity | Consumer | Content | Convergence | Cooperation | Demand | Digital | Disaster | Disability | Domestic | Economy | Ecosystem | Education | Efficiency | Emerging markets | Environment | Governance | Growth | Financial Inclusion | Indicators | Information | Infrastructure | Innovation | International | Institutions | Internet | Judiciary | Knowledge | Legislation | Markets | Media | Micro, small and medium enterprises | Mobile money | Monopoly | Networks | Performance | Policy | Political economy | Poverty | Productivity | Property| Public goods | Privacy | Oligopoly | Reforms | Regional | Regulation | Rights | Services | Spectrum | Strategy | Surveillance | Telecom reforms | Transparency | Universal access | Universal service.
Notification
Authors of shortlisted paper proposals will be notified on or before the 23rd March 2017 and will be invited to submit full papers for final review by the 25th of May 2017.
Final papers selected for presentation at CPRsouth will be uploaded onto the Social Science Research Network (SSRN) database. Please note that the submission of the final paper implies consent to upload them onto the SSRN database. The slides of the presentations and the policy brief will also be uploaded onto CPRsouth.org
Letters of invitation will be provided for purposes of visa applications after participant selections have been made. Participants are responsible for securing their own visas to enter Myanmar, and are strongly advised to initiate visa approval procedures immediately on receipt of confirmation of their participation.
Funding (Contingent on grant being received from IDRC of Canada)
Selected paper presenters who are passport holders of, and travelling from, low and lower-middle income countries within the Asia Pacific and Africa (as classified by the World Bank ) will be provided with:
- Lowest-cost economy airfare to conference destination (less USD 200 registration fee);
- Ground transfers between the conference venue and airport; and
- Twin sharing accommodation on bed and breakfast basis, 3 lunches and 1 dinner for the duration of the conference and tutorials (30, 31 August and 1st September 2017).
- Transport to and from airports in their home countries;
- Visa fees (if any);
- Meals not provided; and
- Any other incidental costs
As the registration fee is low it should be met personally even if there is no institutional support for attending the course and conference. Please note that the organizers may consider a waiver of the conference registration fee only under special circumstances. Such waivers will be considered on a case-by-case basis and only where an author would otherwise be prevented from attending the conference.
Funding decisions will be notified in April 2017 as soon as grant is received.
Contact
Mail: CPRsouth, C/o LIRNEasia, 12 Balcombe Place, Colombo 00080, Sri Lanka
Telephone: +94 11 267 1160
Fax: +94 11 267 5212
Email: info@CPRsouth.org
CPRsouth 2017 – Extension of deadline
Paper proposal on policy relevant research on ICTs from the Asia Pacific and Africa may be submitted for review.
Submission guidelines may be found at this link.
TPRC 45: Call for papers
Pre-conference activities September 7, 2017
Antonin Scalia Law School George Mason University,
Arlington, VA
Submissions Accepted March 1-31
- Abstracts can be submitted from March 1, 2017 through March 31, 2017, here
- Abstracts for paper sessions and posters, and proposals for panels: March 31, 2017
- Applications to the Graduate Student Consortium: March 31, 2017
- Student Paper Contest submissions: April 30, 2017
- After a double-blind review process, notice of decisions will be provided to the submitting author by May 31, 2017
- Final full papers are due on August 15, 2017.
2016
Call for Applications for the 4th African School on Internet Governance
The Association for Progressive Communications (APC) and the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency are pleased to announce the call for applications for the fourth “African School on Internet Governance (AfriSIG)”:http://afrisig.org/. The 2016 School will be held in Durban, South Africa from 11 to 15 October 2016 in conjunction with the African Internet Governance Forum (IGF).
Have you ever thought about the massive and significant role that the internet plays in the world? In Africa, even though connectivity is still not nearly sufficient, the internet touches on multiple aspects of daily life, economic and social development, governance and government. This adds new dimensions and challenges to privacy, security, human rights, women’s rights, and business, to mention a few. These are issues that are not new to the realm of governance, but dealing with them in the context of a fast-changing, cross-border internet adds new dynamics and complexity.
The goal of AfriSIG is to give Africans from multiple sectors and stakeholder groups the opportunity to gain knowledge and confidence to enable them to participate effectively in internet governance processes and debates at the national, regional and global levels. AfriSIG also builds the capacity of people with existing expertise as the School facilitates peer learning and many participants are already established experts in internet policy and regulation. In addition to a five-day intensive learning event, AfriSIG provides all the participants with the opportunity to participate in the African IGF.
Building on the model of the European and Latin American Internet Governance Schools, APC and the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency launched the first AfriSIG in July 2013 in Durban, South Africa. The second AfriSIG took place in November 2014 in Mauritius and the third in Addis Ababa at the African Union from 1 to 5 September 2015.
We believe that AfriSIG can increase the diversity, extent, quality and effectiveness of African participation in internet governance at the national, regional and global levels. AfriSIG’s broader goals are to strengthen African perspectives and voices in global internet governance and to achieve more inclusive and transparent internet governance on the continent.
Through learning and knowledge sharing, AfriSIG aims to build a multidisciplinary cadre of African expertise in internet governance. The School will bring together a diverse group of professionals from government, business, academia and civil society who are interested and involved in internet policy and development. The School prides itself in offering a world-class learning environment, with a faculty that has the experience and expertise to convey both practical and theoretical knowledge. AfriSIG graduates will better understand internet governance from a public interest perspective, have a grasp of internet policy processes and institutions, and be able to engage more effectively in national, regional and international processes and networks.
Who should apply?
- Government ministries and departments, national and regional communications regulatory authorities, and public sector information and communications services such as public libraries.
- Parliamentary portfolio committees that deal with communications issues.
- Network operators, service providers and other businesses who form part of the internet industry.
- Civil society and non-governmental organisations who interact with or operate in the internet-related information and communications sector.
- Human rights institutions dealing with internet issues, such as national or regional human rights commissions.
- Community-based information and communications services and the broader community informatics sector.
- The judiciary and other members of the legal community working with internet and communications law.
- Members of law enforcement agencies who deal with internet issues.
- The internet technical community.
- Academic and research institutions that deal with internet issues.
- Media organisations and outlets that focus on the internet.
- History and overview of internet governance
- The World Summit in the Information Society (WSIS) and the internet in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Internet and communications policy and development
- Human rights-related issues
- Internet standards and protocols
- The domain name and numbering system
- Multistakeholder approaches to internet governance
- Regional, national and international institutions involved in internet policy and regulation
- Topical issues such as the so-called “right to forget”, internet shutdowns, women’s rights and the internet, net neutrality, online “hate speech” and human rights on the internet.
Successful applicants will be provided with a return economy class ticket, accommodation, meals and course materials. Participants or their employers will have to cover the costs of visas and local transport (to their nearest airport). There are limited spaces for full sponsorship and we encourage self-funding or co-funding for eligible participants who are not awarded full sponsorship.
To apply please complete the form “here”:https://www.apc.org/limesurvey/index.php/762717/lang-en by Friday, 26 August 2016. For more information visit the AfriSIG website www.afrisig.org or contact the AfriSIG team: Dr. Towela Nyirenda Jere at towelan@nepad.org and Anriette Esterhuysen or Emilar Vushe at afrisig@apc.org.
World Development Report 2016: Digital Dividends. Cape Town Launch
Hosted by Research ICT Africa and World Bank Group
World Development Report 2016: Digital Dividends (WDR 2016) is a World Bank annual flagship report. Although the topic of the Report is technology, it is looked upon through the lens of development economics. The Report documents many compelling examples where the internet, mobile phones and other digital technologies have delivered digital dividends by boosting growth, expanding opportunities and improving services. But it also finds that the broader benefits have fallen short and have gone disproportionately to the wealthy, skilled and powerful — those best equipped to take advantage of the digital revolution.
The official launch of WDR 2016 in Cape Town, South Africa, launched 12 February 2016, was part of a series of regional and country-level dissemination activities following the global launch in Washington DC on January 14, 2016. A presentation by the World Bank team that authored WDR 2016 provided an overview of the Report’s main findings and discussed how countries can gain greater economic and social benefits from digital technologies and access to the internet.
Following a presentation of the report by the World Bank team (Indhira Santos and Tim Kelly), there was a panel discussion and Q&A. Panelists included Alison Gillwald, Steve Vosloo and Marlon Parker.
Providing internet access is the precondition for bringing the benefits of digital technologies to everyone and everywhere. But greater digital adoption will not be enough. The WDR 2016 argues that to get the most out of the digital revolution, countries also need to work on the “analog complements” — by strengthening regulations that ensure competition among businesses, by adapting workers’ skills to the demands of the new economy, and by ensuring that institutions are accountable.
To download the report, please visit: www.worldbank.org/wdr2016
2016 ITS Biennial Conference – Call for papers
The deadline for abstract submissions for the 2016 ITS Biennial Conference to be held in Taipei, Taiwan, June 26-29, 2016, has been extended to February 1.
Detailed guidelines for abstract submission are available on the main Conference web site at http://www.its2016taiwan.com. Outstanding papers will be considered for publication in an edited book or special issue of Telecommunications Policy.
The 10th ITS Ph.D. Seminar will be held on June 29, 2016 immediately following the close of the ITS Biennial Conference in Taipei. Access to the Biennial Conference will be free of charge for Ph.D. Seminar participants. Also, mentors will be assigned to help the students improve their papers. Please encourage your Ph.D. students to submit their papers as well. The Ph.D. students can send their full papers together with a CV by April 10 to Erik Bohlin at erik.bohlin@chalmers.se and to Yu-Li Liu at yuliliu2009@gmail.com .
The conference will be held at the Regent Taipei Hotel, located in the heart of the city’s most vital financial, shopping, entertainment and cultural districts. The local organizer will provide free pre- and post-conference tours to a number of special tourist attractions. Lunches and dinners will also be provided at attractive hotels.
Enquiries about the conference, including the Call for Papers, should be directed to Dr. David Yeh, at its2016taiwan@gmail.com.
2015
CPRsouth 2015: Extension of deadline for abstracts – 05 January 2015
THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF ICT GOVERNANCE AND PRACTICE –
CONVERGENCE AND BIG DATA
(Hosted by the Innovation Center for Big Data and Digital Convergence,
Yuan Ze University, Taiwan: 26 – 28 August 2015)
Abstracts/paper proposals on ICT policy and regulation research carried out in the Asia Pacific and Africa, or relevant to the Asia-Pacific and Africa, may be submitted for review and acceptance.
Absracts should be submitted electronically at www.cprsouth.org
on or before 05 January 2015
Communication Policy Research: south (CPRsouth) intends to build human capacity in the South by reinforcing and developing the knowledge, skills, and commitment of ICT policy and regulation scholars in the region or with substantial interest in the region. The overall objective is to create policy intellectuals capable of informed and effective intervention in ICT policy and regulatory processes in specific country contexts.
Content
The conference will accommodate approximately 30 paper presenters from Africa and the Asia-Pacific over the two-and-a-half-day conference in Taipei, Taiwan from 26 – 28 August 2015. The conference includes sessions on cutting-edge developments on policy and regulation in the South and discussion of the research-policy interface. Each of the paper sessions will be chaired by a senior scholar and include a discussant, who will provide substantive comments on the papers.
Submission Guidelines
Paper proposals should be submitted electronically at: http://www.cprsouth.org on or before the revised deadline of 05 January 2015.
Submissions consist of a 500-word paper proposal with references, and a one-page curriculum vitae should be submitted together with the proposal.
The document should be in MS office word format and named according to the following format: CPRsouth2014_abstract&Bio_YourLastName.doc
The template for paper proposals can be downloaded from www.cprsouth.org/review-criteria-and-template
Abstracts/ paper proposals should be classifiable with at least three keywords from the list below:
Access | Applications | Authorization and licensing | Broadband | Business models | Citizen | Civil society | Cloud computing | Competition | Conflict | Connectivity | Consumer | Content | Convergence | Cooperation | Demand | Disaster | Disability | Domestic | Economy | Ecosystem | Education | Efficiency | Emerging markets | Environment | Governance | Growth | Inclusion | Indicators | Information | Infrastructure | Innovation | International | Institutions | Judiciary | Knowledge | Legislation | Markets | Media | Micro, small and medium enterprises | Mobile money | Monopoly | Networks | Performance | Policy | Political economy | Poverty | Productivity | Property| Public goods | Oligopoly | Reforms | Regional | Regulation | Services | Spectrum | Strategy | Telecom reforms | Transparency | Universal access | Universal services.
Authors of shortlisted abstracts will be notified on or before the 30th of January 2015 and will be invited to submit full papers for final review by the 30th of March 2015.
Final papers selected for presentation at CPRsouth will be uploaded onto the Social Science Research Network (SSRN) database. Please note that the submission of the final paper implies consent to upload them onto the SSRN database. The slides of the presentations and the policy brief will also be uploaded onto http://www.cprsouth.org
Funding
Selected paper presenters who are passport holders of, and travelling from, low, lower-middle and upper middle income countries within the Asia Pacific and Africa – as classified by the World Bank at http://data.worldbank.org/about/country-classifications/country-and-lending-groups#Low_income – will be provided with:
· lowest-cost economy airfare to conference destination (less USD 200 registration fee);
· ground transfers between the conference venue and airport; and
· twin sharing accommodation on bed and breakfast basis, 3 lunches and 1 dinner for the duration of the conference (26 – 28 August 2015).
· Not all meals are covered.
The registration fee for the conference is USD 200, and airfares will be reimbursed less this registration fee.
Participants will be required to cover:
· transport to and from airports in their home countries;
· visa fees (if any);
· meals not provided; and
· any other incidental costs
Kindly note that under exceptional circumstances conference organisers may consider a waiver of the conference registration fee. Such waivers will be considered on a case-by-case basis and only where an author would otherwise be prevented from presenting his or her paper at the conference.)
Visas
Letters of invitation will be provided for purposes of visa applications after participant selections have been made. Participants are responsible for securing heir own visas to enter Taiwan, and are strongly advised to initiate visa approval procedures immediately on receipt of confirmation of their participation.
Kindly direct all enquiries to Ondine Bello: admin@researchictafrica.net or info@CPRsouth.org
Bringing affordable communications to communities in South Africa: Zenzeleni Networks
23 September 2015 @ University of Western Cape
Zenzeleni Networks Mankosi is the result of a partnership between the Mankosi community, in one of the most disadvantaged areas of the Eastern Cape, and the University of the Western Cape (UWC). The partnership aims to create a model for the sustainable implementation of bottom-up local telcos in rural communities in South Africa to reduce the cost of communications for its dwellers. A proof of concept is running in Mankosi since 2012.
During the event, the results from the multidisciplinary research team from UWC working on the project will be discussed. In addition, the steps taken to translate them and make them available to a larger audience, and the process initiated to replicate them elsewhere will be presented by partner organizations.
Date: 23rd September 2015
Venue: Library Auditorium, University of the Western Cape
12:15 – Multidisciplinary insights from UWC researchers
13:45 – Tea Break
14:15 – Present and future of Zenzeleni Networks outside academia
15:45 – Snacks and refreshments
The detailed program is accessible here.
Join us and help us disseminate the event. Every community should know they can provide themselves with affordable communications!
Call for abstracts/Paper proposals – CPRsouth 2015, Taipei, Taiwan
The changing landscape of ICT governance practice – convergence and big data.
Call for abstracts/Paper proposals.
Deadline for submissions: 15 December 2014.
Abstracts/paper proposals on ICT policy and regulation research carried out in the Asia Pacific and Africa, or relevant to the Asia-Pacific and Africa, may be submitted for review and acceptance.
Paper proposals should be submitted electronically at:
on or before 15 December 2014
Download the Call for Abstracts/Paper proposals.
2014
CPRsouth 2014 – Call for abstracts/paper proposals
What works, why and how do we know?
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS/PAPER PROPOSALS
Communication Policy Research: south (CPRsouth) intends to build human capacity in the South by reinforcing and developing the knowledge, skills, and commitment of ICT policy and regulation scholars in the region or with substantial interest in the region. The overall objective is to create policy intellectuals capable of informed and effective intervention in ICT policy and regulatory processes in specific country contexts.
Abstracts/paper proposals on ICT policy and regulation research carried out in Africa and the Asia-Pacific region, or relevant to Africa and the Asia-Pacific region, may be submitted for review and acceptance. The paper proposals must be classifiable with at least three keywords from the list.
Conference dates: 10 – 12 September 2014
Content
The conference will accommodate about 30 paper presenters from Africa and the Asia-Pacific over the course of three days. The conference includes sessions on cutting-edge developments on policy and regulation in the South and discussion of the research-policy interface. Each of the paper sessions will be chaired by a senior scholar and include a discussant, who will provide substantive comments on the papers.
Special sessions
Three of the conference sessions will focus on the following topics:
• impact of mobile money on the poor
• impact of ICT on education in Developing countries
• access to ICTs and micro, small and medium enterprises
• efficacy of Telecom Reform in Low and Middle Income Countries
Submission Guidelines
Proposals should be submitted electronically at www.cprsouth.org on or before 14 March 2014
• Submission should be a 500-word paper proposal with references and one page curriculum vitae
• The template for the paper proposals submission can be downloaded from
www.cprsouth.org/review-criteria-and-template
• The document must be named CPRsouth2014_paperproposal&Bio_YourLastName.doc.
• It should be in MS office word format
• In addition to the keywords we encourage you to submit papers for special sessions as well
Keywords
Access | Applications | Authorization and licensing | Broadband | Business models | Citizen | Civil society | Cloud computing | Competition | Conflict | Connectivity | Consumer | Content | Convergence | Cooperation | Demand | Disaster | Disability | Domestic | Economy | Ecosystem | Education | Efficiency | Emerging markets | Environment | Governance | Growth | Inclusion | Indicators | Information | Infrastructure | Innovation | International | Institutions | Judiciary Knowledge | Legislation | Markets | Media | Micro, small and medium enterprises | Mobile money | Monopoly | Networks performance | Policy | Political economy | Poverty | Productivity | Property| Public goods | Oligopoly | Reforms | Regional | Regulation | Services | Spectrum | Strategy | Telecom reforms | Transparency | Universal access | Universal services
Notification of shortlisting of paper proposals will be emailed on or before 03 April 2014, and full papers have to be submitted for final review by 05 May 2014.
The papers selected for presentation at the CPRsouth Conference will be uploaded onto the Social Science Research Network (SSRN) database. Please note that the submission of the final paper implies consent to upload them onto the SSRN database. The slides of the presentations and the policy brief will be uploaded onto www.cprsouth.org
Funding
Selected paper givers who are passport holders of, and travelling from, low, lower-middle and upper middle income countries within the Asia Pacific and Africa (as classified by the World Bank http://data.worldbank.org/about/country-classifications/country-and-lending-groups#Low_income) will be provided with:
• Lowest-cost economy airfare to conference destination (less USD 200 registration fee).
• Twin sharing accommodation on bed and breakfast basis, 3 lunches and 1 dinner for the duration of the
conference (10-12 September 2014). Not all meals are covered.
The airfare will be reimbursed less USD 200, the registration fee for the conference. The cost of transportation to and from airports in home countries, visa fees (if any), meals not provided and incidental costs have to borne by the participants.
Visas
Letters will be provided for this purpose after participant selections have been made. Participants are strongly advised to initiate visa approval procedures immediately thereafter.
Kindly direct all enquiries to Ondine Bello: admin@researchictafrica.net
42nd Research Conference on Communication, Information and Internet Policy
September 12-14, 2014
George Mason University School of Law, Arlington, VA
TPRC is an annual conference on communication, information, and Internet policy that convenes international and interdisciplinary researchers and policymakers from academia, industry, government, and nonprofit organizations. Its purpose is to present original research relevant to policy making, share information about areas where research is needed, and engage in discussion on current policy issues.
Further information on the conference are available at the following link.
Revised Dates for CPRsouth 2014: 10 – 12 September 2014
CPRsouth 2014 in Maropeng, South Africa, clashes with IGF 2014 in Istanbul. Internet governance has assumed increased importance to the CPRsouth community in the aftermath of the controversial WCIT conference in 2012 and the Snowden revelations.
In recent years, IGF has been held in October-November and did not clash with CPRsouth, but unfortunately the dates have been advanced for 2014. The CPRsouth call for proposals was published prior to the IGF call for proposed sessions, and the conflict was therefore not known at the time. Now, as the IGF programme is taking shape, the cost of the conflicting schedule is becoming evident. The need for some to be present at IGF will affect our ability to ensure attendance of all the planned moderators, discussants and young scholars’ programme instructors.
Given the fact that the conference venue had already been booked and the post-IGF availability was uncertain, we had to make a quick decision to change the reservation. This decision was not taken lightly, but we believe that as a research-to-policy organisation, it is important to avoid clashing with one of the most important Internet policy events of 2014.
CPRsouth 2014 dates will therefore be:
Conference: 10th – 12th September 2014 (not 4-6 September as previously announced); and
Young Scholars programme: 7th – 9th September 2014 (not 2-3 September as previously announced).
We have taken advantage of this opportunity to add half a day (7th of September) to the Young Scholars programme to accommodate more of the traditional tutorial content in addition to the planned Systematic Review training.
The IGF will be held in Istanbul September 2-5 and the new CPRsouth dates will allow those who wish to participate in both activities to conveniently combine them in one trip.
We apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused by having to revise the conference dates.
2014 Young Scholars Programme (7-9 September 2014)
What works, why and how do we know?
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: YOUNG SCHOLAR AWARDS 2014
Following two highly successful joint Afro-Asian CPR conferences – hosted by CPRafrica in Port Louis, Mauritius in 2012, and CPRsouth in Mysore, India in 2013 – the conferences will formally merge in 2014 under the banner of CPRsouth.
CPRsouth 2014 (10-12 September 2014) will be hosted at Maropeng, in the Cradle of Humankind, South Africa.
15 Young Scholars from Africa and 15 from the Asia-Pacific region will be selected to participate in a tutorial programme taught by recognised scholars and practitioners. Tutorials are scheduled to be held prior to CPRsouth 2014 on 7,8 & 9 September 2014.
Who will qualify?
• Entry level officers of government/regulatory agencies
• Entry/mid-level officers of private companies in the communication industries
• Masters/PhD students in Economics, Public policy, Communications and Journalism
• Entry/mid-level officers in NGOs/INGOs.
• Researchers from think tanks
• Journalists interested in regulation and public policy, with an emphasis on communication
Tutorials
The tutorials cover topics such as
• policy analysis using supply-side or demand-side data
• ICT impact analysis
• sector and competition regulation
• research to policy interventions
• introductory topics to systematic review
Previous tutorial presentations can be accessed at http://www.cprsouth.org/
Application deadline: 02 May 2014
Application guidelines
Applications should be submitted to admin@researchictafrica.net on or before 02 May 2014 and must contain the following:
a. curriculum vitae (one page)
b. a one-page write-up outlining why you wish to become an African or Asia-Pacific based expert capable of contributing to ICT related policy and regulatory reform in the region
The document should be named CPRsouth2014_YoungScholar_YourLastName. Please note that your write up and bio should be in a single document.
Review Criteria
Applications will be reviewed according to the following criteria:
1. Content of application
2. Evidence of interest in, and commitment to, policy-relevant research for Africa or the Asia-Pacific region
3. Quality of writing
4. Gender and country representation
The selection committee may contact your supervisor or mentor before making the final selections.
Candidates selected to participate in the tutorial programme must:
• Provide a one-page research proposal
• Participate in all tutorial sessions
• Participate in the entire CPRsouth 2014 conference
Funding
Selected young scholars who are passport holders and travelling from low, lower-middle and upper-middle income countries within Africa (as classified by the World Bank http://data.worldbank.org/about/country-classifications/country-and-lending-groups#Low_income) will be provided with:
• Lowest-cost economy airfare to conference destination (less USD150 registration fee)
• Twin sharing accommodation on bed and breakfast basis, 6 lunches and 1 dinner for the duration of the tutorials and conference (7-12 September 2014).
The airfare will be reimbursed less USD150, the registration fee for the conference.
All other incidental costs including, but not limited to, transportation to and from airports in home countries, visa fees (if any), and meals not provided for, must be borne by the participants.
SPECIAL NOTE: Candidates who would be prevented from participating in the tutorial programme due to their inability to raise the required registration fee may apply for a waiver. Waiver of registration fees will only be considered where a participant provides the secretariat with a factual letter detailing the difficulties in bearing this cost, and where the request is submitted immediately upon notification of your successful application.
Visas
Letters will be provided for this purpose after participant selections have been made. Participants are strongly advised to initiate visa approval procedures immediately thereafter.
Kindly direct all queries to admin@researchictafrica.net
See www.researchICTafrica.net for updates.
2013
CPRsouth 8 / CPRafrica 2013 – Mysore, India (5-7 Sept 2013)
- the title of the paper
- your name and contact information (email address and mobile no.)
- an abstract of the paper (no more than 750 words including a minimum of three, and a maximum of five, keywords from the list above. Abstracts should include at least three, but preferably more, references to prior work. (References and keywords are outside the 750-word limit)
- a curriculum vitae of no more than one page
- the document must be named: CPRafrica2013_abstract&Bio_YourLastName.doc
Please note that the paper proposal and bio must be in a single document.
TEMPLATE FOR PAPER PROPOSALS (ABSTRACTS)
Notification of acceptance of proposed papers on the basis of the abstract will be emailed on or before 1 March 2013. Full papers must be submitted for review by 1 May 2013. Only full papers of acceptable quality that are received by this deadline will be considered for partial travel and accommodation support.
- PRINCIPAL RESEARCH QUESTION(15%): Captures the essence of the proposal in no more than 50 words
- POLICY RELEVANCE (15%): The relevance of the proposal to identified decision-makers in the ICT space is explicated
- COMPONENT RESEARCH QUESTIONS (15%): Breaks down the research question further and is linked to the research plan
- RESEARCH PLAN (45%): Includes a literature search, method and data sources sections
- LIST OF REFERENCES/SOURCES (5%): Identifies the key documents. APA style is used
- TITLE (5%): Is clear and communicates no more and no less than the content given in the proposal
- lowest cost route economy airfare, to and from India
- accommodation, including bed and breakfast, for the duration of the conference (Organisers will provide 3 lunches and 1 dinner from 5-7 September 2013, but not all meals are covered)
- Call for Abstracts published: 15 January 2013
- Abstracts due: 15 February 2013
- Notification of acceptance of abstract: 01 March 2013
- Submission of papers for review: 07 May 2013
- Notification of selected paper presenters: 03 June 2013
- Final submission of revised papers/policy briefs: 03 July 2013
ICTD2013 – Call for Papers and Notes
Sixth International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development (ICTD2013) Cape Town, South Africa
Conference dates: December 7-10, 2013
Paper submission deadline: May 1, 2013 (11:59pm UTC)
Conference website: http://www.ictd2013.info
Contact us at: program@ictd2013.info
Follow or visit at: Twitter @ICTD2013
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ICTD2013
Note – new for 2013, there will be two kinds of manuscripts accepted into the ICTD program track: Full Papers and Notes.
Conference and Program Overview
Held in cooperation with ACM SIGCHI and ACM SIGCAS, ICTD2013 will provide an international forum for scholarly researchers exploring the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in social, political, and economic development.
Hosted by the University of Cape Town and the University of the Western Cape in Cape Town, South Africa, ICTD2013 is the sixth of an ongoing series of conferences occurring every one-and-a-half years; previous conferences have taken place in: Berkeley, CA (USA) ICTD 2006; Bangalore (India) ICTD 2007; Doha (Qatar) ICTD 2009; London (United Kingdom) ICTD 2010, and Atlanta, GA (USA) ICTD 2012.
Over decades, as radio and television have been joined by computers, the internet, and mobile devices, information and communication technologies (ICTs) have become more pervasive, more accessible, and more relevant in the lives of people around the world. Virtually no sphere of human activity remains apart from ICTs, from markets to health care, education to governance, family life to artistic expression. Diverse groups across the world interact with, are affected by, and can shape the design of these technologies. The ICTD conference is a place to understand these interactions, and to examine, critique, and refine the persistent, pervasive hope that ICTs can be enlisted by individuals and communities in the service of human development. There are multidisciplinary challenges associated with the engineering, application and adoption of ICTs in developing regions and/or for development, with implications for design, policy, and practice.
For the purposes of this conference, the term “ICT” comprises electronic technologies for information processing and communication, as well as systems, interventions, and platforms that are built on such technologies. “Development” includes, but is not restricted to, poverty alleviation, education, agriculture, healthcare, general communication, gender equality, governance, infrastructure, environment and sustainable livelihoods. The conference program will reflect the multidisciplinary nature of ICTD research, with anticipated contributions from fields including anthropology, computer science, communication, design, economics, electrical engineering, geography, human-computer interaction, information science, information systems, political science, public health, and sociology.
In addition to inviting the Full Papers and Notes detailed here, the conference will offer a variety of opportunities for participation, including open sessions, pre-workshops, and demos. Check our website for further calls.
Download the Call for Papers and the Call for Notes
2012
CPRafrica 2012 /CPRsouth7 2012
Connecting Africa & Asia: ICT Policy research and practice for the Global South
The third CPRafrica will take place from 5 – 7 September 2012 together with CPRsouth in Mauritius.
Download the Conference programme.
Introduction
Communication Policy Research Africa (CPRafrica) encourages intellectual endeavour and research in the area of ICT policy and regulation in Africa through the creation of a forum in which African academics and researchers can engage on and profile their research and contribute to global debates from an African perspective. The overall objective is to nurture policy intellectuals capable of informed and effective intervention in ICT policy and regulatory processes in specific country contexts. This is an initiative of Research ICT Africa and draws on similar initiative by LIRNEasia – CPRsouth. For the first time in 2012 these two partners will hold their conferences jointly in Mauritius. There is no more appropriate setting for this conference. Mauritius, itself an amalgam of Africa and Asia, is one of the most dynamic ICT markets on the African continent.
The conference will again provide a forum for senior, junior and mid-career change scholars to meet face-to-face and exchange ideas, network and improve the quality of their scholarly work for publication. The long-term objective is to foster the next generation of active scholars and local experts capable of contributing to good ICT policy and regulation in their regions.
The structure of the conference will offer researchers the opportunity to discuss their research on ICT regulation and policy in Africa, Asia and the South more generally, with a policy-oriented, international panel of senior academic referees and their peers from the regions.
Participants
The conference is designed to accommodate 35 papers presenters over the course of two and a half days, and the audience will be made up of 50 scholars involved in the field of ICT policy and regulation, broadly defined, including 20 Young Scholars from both regions.
Call for Abstracts
Abstracts for papers on ICT policy and regulation research carried out in Africa or relevant to Africa may be submitted for review and acceptance. Abstracts are due on 30 January 2012.
The list below provides some guidance to the subject matter of the conference but is not exhaustive.
• Convergence and broadband
• Telecom/broadcasting policy
• Extension of access and services – m- and e-gov, social networking, mobile money
• Data and methods for research on ICTs
• Governance of ICT and ICT for governance
• Intellectual property rights
• Internet governance
• ICT markets and competition
• National and regional innovation systems
• Indicators and evidence
• Regulation: Spectrum allocation, interconnection, licensing
• Policy: institutional arrangements, market structure, infrastructure extension
• Market innovation, competition and disruption
• Telecom operator strategies in emerging economies
• Content, rights and regulation
The actual program will depend on the papers received. The organisers reserve the right to combine topics and to not offer sessions for which sufficient high-quality submissions are not received.
Submission Guidelines
Abstracts should be submitted to info info@researchICTafrica.net by or before 30 January 2012 and must contain the following:
• the title of the paper
• your name and contact information,
• an abstract of the paper (no more than 1500 words)
• a curriculum vitae of no more than a page.
• The document must be named CPRafrica_Abstract&Bio_YourLastName.
Notification of acceptance of the proposed paper on the basis of the abstract will be e-mailed on or before 15 February 2012. Authors must submit their papers for review by 15 May 2012. No papers will be accepted after this date. The conference organisers reserve the right to reject the paper if it does not conform to the abstract or accepted academic standards.They will receive the reviewer’s comments by 30 May 2012, and will be required to complete any revisions for acceptance by 30 June 2012 for confirmation of acceptance by 30 July 2012.
Review Criteria
Abstracts will be reviewed according to the following criteria:
– Clarity of the thesis or the research finding
– Policy and regulatory relevance
– Novelty, significance, and importance to the CPRafrica community
– Adequacy of methods and analysis
– Quality of writing
Please note: Only the authors whose final papers that are delivered by the 30 June 2012 deadline AND who meet the quality standard will be allowed to present their papers at the conference and have their travel funded. Others may attend the event at their own expense or if they have applied for and satisfied the criteria for selection as Young Scholars.
Funding
Selected presenters will be provided with least-cost travel to and from Mauritius, accommodation and a per diem for the duration of the conference. All incidental costs will have to be borne by the participants. Those who are able to receive institutional support to attend are requested to do so, to enable others who do not to be able to attend.
Key dates
Call for Abstracts out: 1 December 2011
Abstracts due: 30 January 2012
Notification of acceptance of abstract: 15 February 2012
First drafts due: 15 May 2012
Reviewer feedback due: 30 May 2012
Final drafts due: 30 June 2012
Post to website: 30 July 2012
Organising Committee
Prof Alison Gillwald (RIA , University of Cape Town); Prof Rohan Samarjiva (LIRNEasia), Dr. Taruna Ramessur (University of Mauritius).
See www.researchICTafrica.net for updates.
Young Scholars Tutorials 2012
Young Scholars Seminar
3-4 September 2012 – Mauritius
Thirty Young Scholars from Africa and Asia have been selected to participate in the conference without having to fulfill the paper acceptance qualifications and to attend an ICT policy research seminar prior to the conference to allow them to participate more effectively.
Download the Young Scholar programmeYoung Scholar programme.
Application Guidelines
Applications should be submitted to info [at] researchICTafrica [dot] net by or before 30 January 2012 and must contain the following:
• a one-page curriculum vitae that includes your contact information and the name and contact information of current supervisor or mentor, and
• a one-page write-up outlining why you wish to be an African or Asian based expert capable of contributing to ICT policy and regulatory reform in the region.
The document should be named CPRafrica2012_YoungScholar_YourLastName.
Notification of acceptance will be e-mailed on or before 30 February 2012 with instructions on travel arrangements.
Review Criteria
Applications will be reviewed according to the following criteria:
• Content of application
• Evidence of interest in policy-relevant research for the Africa or Asia
• Quality of writing
• Gender and country representation
Please provide the contact details of your supervisor or mentor as the selection committee may contact them before making the final selections.
Funding
Selected applicants will be provided with least-cost travel to and from Mauritius, twin-sharing accommodation and meals for the nights of the conference only. All incidental costs will have to borne by the participants. Costs are being tightly controlled to accommodate as many participants as possible.
Key dates
Applications due: 30 January 2012
Notification of acceptance to Young Scholars: 30 February 2012
See www.researchICTafrica.net for updates.
Broadband as a platform for Video in Africa
The Columbia Institute for Tele-Information is pleased to announce that its first conference on the topic of broadband as a platform for Video in Africa will take place May 22nd & 23rd in Lusaka, Zambia.
For further information about the Conference, click here.
AMMREC2012 Conference
AMMREC2012 Conference
April 2 and 3, 2012
Nairobi, Kenya
Mobile money is an emerging area of research, AMMREC expects to build a Conference Community that will ensure an exciting and high quality networking environment, providing an opportunity for scholars and practitioners to share knowledge and experience with potential research or practitioner partners. By mobile money we include mobile money transfer, mobile banking, agency banking, other financial services through a mobile platform.
For further information about the conference, click here.
2011
The International Institute of Communications Annual Conference
The International Institute of Communications is a leading independent policy forum focused primarily on telecommunications, media and digital media policy and regulation, and their impact on business and society. Its 42nd Annual Conference, ‘Trends in Global Communications: Making digital society a universal reality’ on 3-4 October in Sandton, Johannesburg, was designed to meet the policy and strategic needs of senior industry executives, regulators and public policymakers in the telecommunications and media industries and has a strong African focus.
Click here for the full two-day programme.
G I G A N E T – Sixth Annual Symposium
UNON complex, Nairobi, Kenya, Room 4 September 26, 2011
The Global Internet Governance Academic Network (GigaNet) held its Sixth Annual Symposium on 26 September 2011, one day before the United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Nairobi, Kenya.
Since 2006, GigaNet has organized an Annual Symposium to showcase research about Internet Governance, focusing on an interdisciplinary approach. Prior successful symposia took place in Greece (2006), Brazil (2007), India (2008), Egypt (2009) and Lithuania (2010). In 2011, the Internet Governance Forum has entered its second phase, after having reached the end of its first 5-years mandate. The 2011 event provided room to discuss the challenges encountered and results achieved during the first five years of IGF. As in previous years the GigaNet Symposium further discussed current and future questions of Global Internet Governance.
GigaNet is a scholarly community that promotes the development of Internet Governance as a recognized, interdisciplinary field of study and facilitates informed dialogue on policy issues and related matters between scholars and governments, international organizations, the private sector and civil society. http://giga-net.org/
The symposium was organized in co-operation with Research ICT Africa (RIA). RIA is a network of researchers in 20 African countries conducting research on ICT policy and regulation and facilitating evidence-based and informed policy making for improved access, use and application of ICT for social development and economic growth.
Preliminary program
Please check http://giga-net.org/page/2011-annual-symposium for program updates
9.00-9.15: Introduction & Welcome
9.15-11.00 Panel 1: Internet Governance Processes and Institutions
• Jeremy Malcolm (Consumers International): Arresting the decline of multi-stakeholderism in Internet governance
• Shawn Gunnarson (Kirton & McConkie): Theorizing fact-based policy development at ICANN
• Gitte Stald (IT University of Copenhagen): EU Kids online. Informing evidence-based policy for children’s online opportunities and risks
11.00-11.15: Coffee
11.15-12.15: Roundtable on the state of Internet Governance Research and Practice in Africa
Participants to be confirmed later.
12.15-13.45: Lunch
13.45-15.15: Panel 2: Theories of Internet Governance
• Biel Perez (Open University of Catalonia): Constitutionalism, global administrative law and the global internet governance
• Caroline Agguerre (Universidad de San Andres): Internet communities in Argentina and Brazil. Origins, networks and institutional development
• John Gathegi (University of South Florida): Internet anonymity, reputation and freedom of speech. The US legal landscape.
15.15-15.30: Coffee
15.30- 17.00: Panel 3: Internet Rights and Repression
• Matthias C. Ketteman (University of Graz): The legality of internet blackouts in times of crisis. An assessment at the intersection of human rights law, humanitarian law and internet governance principles
• Sanja Kelly & Sarah Cook (Freedom House): New technologies, Innovative repression. Growing threats to Internet freedom
• Robert Bodle (College of Mount St. Joseph): Upholding online anonymity in Internet governance. Affordances, ethical frameworks, and regulatory practices
17.15-18.15: Roundtable on the state of Internet Rights
Roundtable jointly organized by GigaNet and APC. Participants to be confirmed later.
GigaNet 2011 Program Committee
• Leo Van Audenhove – PC Chair, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
• Roy Balleste – St. Thomas University, Miami, USA
• William Drake – University of Zurich, Switzerland
• Dmitry Epstein – Cornell University, USA
• Marianne Franklin – Goldsmiths University London, UK
• Raquel Gatto – Catholic University of São Paulo, Brazil
• Alison Gillwald – Executive Director Research ICT Africa
• Nanette Levinson – American University, USA
• Milton Mueller – Syracuse University, USA
• Rolf H. Weber – University of Zurich, Switzerland
Contact
If you have any question related to the symposium, please e-mail the Program Committee Chair: leo.van.audenhove@vub.ac.be
Making Mobile Broadband Accessible for All
Research ICT Africa and the Management Infrastructure Reform and Regulation Programme at the Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town, in partnership with Vodacom convened a public seminar on
Making Mobile Broadband Access Accessible for All.
Panel members:
- Pieter Uys, Vodacom Group CEO
- Alison Gillwald, Adjunct Professor of the GSB UCT – MIRR programme and Executive Director of the Research ICT Africa
- Mandla Msimang, Managing Director Pygma Consulting
- Dr Windfred Mfuh, Associate fellow of the University of Warwick Business School
- Dr Martin Cave, BP Centennial Professor at the LSE
- Eric Skhumbuzo Kholwane, Chairperson, Portfolio committee on communications
Date: 22 August 2011
Time: 17h30 for 18h00
Venue: Exhibition All at the UCT Graduate School of Business Portswood Road, Cape Town.
In order to assist with numbers for refreshments kindly RSVP to:
Lauren Klein (lklein [at] researchictafrica [dot] net)
Downloads
Download the policy paper Making Broadband Accessible For All
Download the policy paper New Thinking on Next Generation Networks
CPRafrica 2011 : Convergence
The second CPRafrica took place on 15 – 19 April 2011 in association with the University of Nairobi, Kenya.
CPRafrica 2011 presentations available on the publications page.
Introduction
Communication Policy Research Africa (CPRafrica) intends to encourage intellectual endeavour and research in the area of ICT policy and regulation in Africa through the creation of a forum in which African academics and researchers can engage on and profile their research and contribute to global debates from an African perspective. The overall objective is to nurture policy intellectuals capable of informed and effective intervention in ICT policy and regulatory processes in specific country contexts. The conference provides a forum for senior, junior and mid-career change scholars to meet face-to-face and exchange ideas, network and improve the quality of their scholarly work for publication. The long-term objective is to foster the next generation of active scholars and local experts capable of contributing to good ICT policy and regulation in the region. The structure of the conference will offer researchers the opportunity to discuss their research on ICT regulation and policy in Africa and the South more generally, with a policy-oriented, international audience and obtain useful feedback.
Organising and Selection Committee
Dr Lishan Adam, Dr.Tracy Cohen, Dr. Kammy Naidoo, Prof Arsene Kouadio and Prof. Tim Waema and Prof. Alison Gillwald, Prof. Rohan Samarajiva (LIRNEasia) Prof. Roxanna Barrantez (DIRSI) Prof Leo van Audenhove (EuroCPR) and Dr. Martha Garcia-Murillo (TPRC).
Participants
The conference is designed to accommodate 21 paper presenters over the course of two and a half days, and the audience will be made up of 50 scholars involved in the field of ICT policy and regulation, broadly defined, including 15 Young Scholars.
Call for Abstracts
Abstracts for papers on ICT policy and regulation research carried out in Africa or relevant to Africa may be submitted for review and acceptance. Abstracts are due on 19 November 2010.
Proposed sessions include:
- Convergence
- Content
- Comparative studies of ICT readiness
- Data and methods for research on ICTs
- Governance of ICT and ICT for governance
- Telecom/broadcasting policy
- Intellectual property rights
- Internet governance
- ICT markets and competition
- National and regional innovation systems
- Participation in ICTs: demand side studies
- Regulation: Spectrum allocation, interconnection, licensing
- Policy: institutional arrangements, market structure, infrastructure extension
- Market innovation, competition and disruption
- Telecom operator strategies in emerging economies
The actual program will depend on the papers received. The organisers reserve the right to combine topics and to not offer sessions for which sufficient high-quality submissions are not received.
Submission Guidelines
Abstracts should be submitted to aallem@researchICTafrica.net by or before 19 November 2010 and must contain the following:
- the title of the paper,
- your name and contact information,
- an abstract of the paper (no more than 1500 words)
- a curriculum vita of no more than a page.
The document must be named CPRafrica_Abstract&Bio_YourLastName.
Notification of acceptance of the proposed paper on the basis of the abstract will be e-mailed on or before 8 November 2010. Authors must submit their papers for review by 21 January 2011. No papers will be accepted after this date. The conference organiser reserve the right to reject the paper if it does not conform to the abstract or academic standards.
They will received the reviewer’s comments by 18 February 2011, and will be required to complete their revisions by 18 March 2011. The papers will be accepted after this date.
Review Criteria
Abstracts will be reviewed according to the following criteria:
- Clarity of the thesis or the research finding
- Policy and regulatory relevance
- Novelty, significance, and importance to the CPRafrica community
- Adequacy of methods and analysis
- Quality of writing
Please note: Only the authors whose papers that are delivered by the 21 January 2011 deadline AND who meet the quality standard will be allowed to present their papers at the conference and have their travel funded. Others may attend the event at their own expense or if they have applied for and satisfied the criteria for selection as Young Scholars.
Funding
Selected presenters will be provided with least-cost travel to and from Nairobi, Kenya, accommodation and a per diem for the duration of the conference. All incidental costs will have to be borne by the participants. Those who are able to receive institutional support to attend are requested to do so.
Downloads
CPRafrica Authors Guidelines
Policy Brief Template
Delegates Information Pack
Opening speech
Conference Programme
Dinner Programme
Key dates
Call for Abstracts out: | Friday 8 October 2010 |
Abstracts due: | Friday 19 November 2010 |
Review of abstracts w/c: | 22 November 2010 |
Final selection: | 26 November 2010 |
Notification of acceptance: | Monday 29 November 2010 |
First drafts due: | Friday 21 January 2011 |
Reviewer feedback due: | Friday 18 February 2011 |
Final drafts due: | Friday 18 March 2011 |
Post to website: | Monday 21 March 2011 |
Young Scholars Tutorials: | 15 and 16 April 2011 |
Opening Dinner: | 17 April 2011 |
Conference: | 18 and 19 April 2011 |
Young Scholars Tutorials 2011
Fifteen Young Scholars from Africa were selected to participate in the conference.
Application Guidelines
Applications should be submitted to aallem@researchICTafrica.net by or before 19 November 2010 and must contain the following:
- a one-page curriculum vita that includes your contact information and the name and contact information of current supervisor or mentor, and
- a one-page write-up outlining why you wish to be an African based expert capable of contributing to ICT policy and regulatory reform in the region.
The document should be named CPRafrica_YoungScholar_YourLastName.
Notification of acceptance will be e-mailed on or before 29 November 2010 with instructions on travel arrangements.
Review Criteria
Applications will be reviewed according to the following criteria:
- Content of application
- Evidence of interest in policy-relevant research for the Africa
- Quality of writing
- Gender and country representation
The selection committee may contact your supervisor or mentor before making the final selections.
Download
Young Scholars Seminar – Programme
Funding
Selected applicants will be provided with least-cost travel to and from Nairobi, Kenya, twin-sharing accommodation and meals for the nights of the conference only. All incidental costs will have to borne by the participants. Costs are being tightly controlled to accommodate as many participants as possible.
Key dates
Applications due: | 19 November 2010 |
Notification of acceptance to Young Scholars: | 29 November 2010 |
Young Scholars Tutorials: | 15 and 16 April 2011 |