Blog & News

Blog

Open Algorithms: A New Paradigm for Using Private Data for Social Good

The term “datafication” was coined to describe the consequences of the digital revolution: the growing generation, collection and storage of digital information concerning all aspects of the physical world (including earth activity, weather, climate, and biosphere), human lives and activities (including DNA, vital signs, consumption, and credit scores), and societal patterns (including communications, economic activity, and mobility).

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El Laboratorio Urbano abre sus puertas en Bogotá. Un proyecto de la Secretaría de Desarrollo Económico, la Cámara de Comercio de Bogotá y Data-Pop Alliance

Data-Pop Alliance, junto con la Alcaldía de Bogotá (en cabeza de la Secretaría de Desarrollo Económico) y la Cámara de Comercio de Bogotá han estado trabajando a lo largo de este año, en la creación de un Laboratorio Urbano para Bogotá. El pasado 27 de mayo, las tres partes firmaron un acuerdo oficial de colaboración.

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News
Launching our Global Professional Training Program on Big Data and Development

Data-Pop Alliance is excited to launch its Global Professional Training Program on Big Data and Sustainable Development, with funding from the Hewlett Foundation and in partnership with the United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC). This professional training Program is implemented through 4-day capacity and community building workshops dedicated to development professionals—including policymakers and civil servants, civil society representatives, researchers, private sector employees working on social good projects as well as staff of non-governmental and international organizations.

The program will be rolled out in up to 8 countries in 2016-17, including Colombia, Senegal, Rwanda, Kenya, Thailand, Ethiopia, and the US, leveraging the resources of our extended network of partners, Research Affiliates, team members and leadership at MIT and Harvard, as well as bringing in local experts from academia and other sectors.

Following an inaugural pilot held at MIT Media Lab in June, the first of these global workshops will be held in Bogotá, Colombia from November 29 – December 2, 2016. For more information and registration for the course, please visit: https://www.unssc.org/home/activities/leveraging-big-data-sustainable-development.

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Announcement of UN World Data Forum Program Committee

The first-ever United Nations World Data Forum will take place in Cape Town, South Africa on January 15-18, 2017, hosted by Statistics South Africa, with support from the Statistics Division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, under the guidance of the United Nations Statistical Commission and the High-level Group for Partnership, Coordination and Capacity-Building for Statistics. The Forum recently announced the composition of its Program Committee, tasked with guiding and overseeing the development of the various sessions, panels, data labs and interactive platforms, with representatives from governments, the private sector, civil society, the UN system, and the scientific and academic communities. Data-Pop Alliance Director and Co-Founder Emmanuel Letouzé was nominated as member of the Program Committee, to especially provide inputs on Big Data and data literacy.

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UN Side Event on Disability and Digital Societies

This is an update for our series of blog posts on our ongoing work exploring the applications and implications of Big Data and disability. As part of our investigation of how new data sources can contribute to various research areas related to disability, Data-Pop Alliance is pleased to announce their involvement in the UN Working Group on Disability and Digital Societies.

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