The Evolution of ICT4D: Content, Context, and Process

In this chapter, we interview Shirin Madon, Professor of Information Communication Technologies and Socioeconomic Development at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). With her long-term position as a key figure in ICT4D research, Shirin engages us in a conversation that details the journey of ICT4D as a research field, starting from the distinctive features of the early days and observing, through the conversation, how these have been increasingly discussed and problematised. The conversation traverses the ways in which the development discourse has evolved over the years, the routes through which it has been translated into practice, and the role of international funding institutions in shaping the course of the ICT4D field. We conclude with a focus on the future, looking at how, among other aspects, non-ICT interventions have become active participants in the landscape of digital development, inspiring new paths of engagement for ICT4D researchers.