Smartphones and other mobile platforms are proliferating throughout the developing world, especially as device costs rapidly decrease. Cellular voice and data increasingly reaches towards all corners of the world. These technology and economic trends have spurred research, field trials and deployments of mobile Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in support of humanitarian goals such as emergency response, and meaningful civic engagement.

This roundtable discussion will focus on the present and future uses of mobile ICTs in both the developing world and the U.S., as well as the necessary supporting infrastructure in the healthcare and civic engagement domains. Bringing together experts in communication infrastructure, civic engagement, and health, we will discuss key lessons learned from past successes and failures to provide a snapshot of current deployment and practice, and to identify challenges moving forward.

Participants include:

• Ralph Ankri, Program Manager, Orange Labs’ SA4LCI Program

• Dr. Michael Best, Georgia Tech’s Technologies and International

  Development Lab

• Dr. Cyrus Shahpar, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• Dr. Ellen Zegura, Georgia Tech College of Computing

Moderator:

• Dr. Pinar Keskinocak, Center for Health & Humanitarian Systems at Georgia Tech

This event is free and open to the public. To register, visit: http://www.france-atlanta.org/?p=96 .

For more information visit www.france-atlanta.org.