The annual World Summit on the Information Society Forum (WSIS) represents the world's largest annual gathering of the ‘ICT for development’ community. The 2018 WSIS Forum is being held this week (March 19-23) in Geneva, Switzerland, at the International Telecommunication Union's (ITU) Centre International des Conférences Genève. Dr Derrick Cogburn, Faculty Co-Director of the Internet Governance Lab (IGL) and Executive Director of the IDPP, will be speaking at the Forum, where he will promote the IGL's mission of policy-engaged research on digital infrastructure and governance in support of a free and open Internet.
On Monday, Dr Cogburn will host an Open Space Talk presenting findings from the IGL and IDPP's research on the role information and communications technologies (ICTs) can play in enhancing remote participation in global governance for persons with disabilities. The research compares the use of webconferencing technologies to mobile remote presence devices (MRPs). Titled Beyond Being There, for 'All of Us': Exploring Webconferencing and Mobile Remote Presence Devices (MRPs) for Accessible Global Governance in Disaster Risk Reduction, the event will focus on the team's work with the DIDRN during GP2017 and during the historic 10th Conference of States Parties (COSP) to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Please use the following link to watch Dr Cogburn's Talk live on Monday, March 19, at 12:00PM EDT/5:00PM CET: www.tinyurl.com/DID-Collaboratory.
On Tuesday, Dr Cogburn will serve on the panel at the first WSIS 2018 High-Level Policy Session. Moderated by G. Anthony Giannoumis of Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences in Norway, the Session will address WSIS action lines and the 2030 agenda. Dr Cogburn will be presenting a statement on the ways in which big data analytics can contribute to the monitoring and evaluation of the WSIS action lines and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as investigate what role there is for text within the same context. To learn more about the WSIS action lines and their links to the SDGs, please click here. Please use the following links to watch the Session live on Tuesday, March 20, at 9:30AM EDT/2:30PM CET: Adobe Connect or Webcast.
Dr Cogburn will also be hosting an Exhibition at WSIS Forum 2018. His stall will showcase IDPP's Telepresence Robot, A11y. Dr Cogburn will be highlighting the opportunities for Double Robots supporting inclusive remote participation.