The International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development (ICTD) is a program that brings together over 500 leading scholars and practitioners from all over the world, working at the intersections of information technologies and global development. The conference aims at examining the role of computers and communications in social, economic and political development.
This year, Ashesi Computer Science senior, Diana Dayaka Osei traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, with two Computer Science (CS) faculty members, Dr. Astrid Larssen and Dr. Ayorkor Korsah, to participate in ICTD activities at the Georgia Technology Center. Diana was competitively selected from among the Management Information Systems students (MIS), CS students and faculty interns at Ashesi to participate in the conference. Her essay, Enabling Technology from “Within”, showed her interest and understanding of many of the key topics to be discussed at the conference.
In addition to attending several workshops and conferences at ICTD, Diana also had an opportunity to present to an interactive panel about her experiences being educated as a technologist in Africa. She shared her senior year computer science research work, and her experience being involved in WorldReaders’ work to get people to read more using e-readers, and also spoke about “educating technologists for development in Africa.” Her voice brought a unique perspective and made a valuable contribution to the conference. She was the only undergraduate at the conference and received several commendations for her presentation.
About her experience, Diana commented, “I had always read about other Ashesi students’ international experiences but this time I got the chance to experience for myself the quality, standard and power of Ashesi’s education. The proceedings at the conference sessions, I found, were quite similar to discussion-like style of Ashesi lectures and presentations. This fact opened my eyes to the value of an Ashesi education because I was able to blend in and participate.”
Diana was especially excited to visit the Georgia Institute of Technology campus because they have done significant research on the use of American Sign Language, which she has been using in her undergraduate thesis project. Diana is working on ways through which technology can be used to improve instruction in Ghanaian sign language (GhSL).
Besides attending the conference, Diana also took the opportunity to visit the Martin Luther King (MLK) Center to see for herself the history of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. She said her visit to the center was enlightening. “I learned that Mr. and Mrs. King visited Ghana in 1957 on her independence day to interact with Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and to share ideas about how the entire Black race could be liberated. MLK fought for Black people’s freedom, but there is a new fight now and it has to do with ethics (in Africa). I look forward to the day when Ashesi can say: Ethical at last, ethical at last; thank God, we are ethical at last. I feel like I am a part of this dream.”
Diana’s trip was made possible by the generous donations of the following individuals and companies: Mrs. Carlian T. Flormann, Ashfoam Ghana, Mr. Todd Lichtenwalter, Dr. Akosua Darkwah, Mr. & Mrs. Lomotey, Mr. Isaac Igoma, Mr. & Mrs. Ofei and Prof. Nana Apt.
