Partnership for Progress on the Digital Divide
2017 International Conference
24-26 May 2017
San Diego, California
http://www.ppdd.org/conferences/ppdd2017/
(PPDD) is the only academic professional organization in the world focused solely on the digital divide and on connecting research to policymaking and practice to strategize actions and catalyze solutions to this pressing societal concern. The academic research and practitioner community represented by PPDD stands ready to advance the agenda on broadband and the digital divide, to address the many challenges and opportunities presented by the digital world, and to further evidence-based policymaking and practice so that all citizens can participate fully in the digital, networked age.
The interdisciplinary 2017 International Conference brings together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners for an extended, in-depth dialogue about key issues that inform information and communication technologies and the digital divide around the world. The Conference works to identify new areas of necessary, productive focus, foster greater understanding, advance research, and enlighten policy and practice going forward. As a major outcome of PPDD 2017, we plan to produce an edited volume of the top papers as well as special issues of our Publishing Partners’ journals on specific themes within the digital divide area.
During each of the three days of PPDD 2017, there will be luncheon Plenary/Keynote speeches by prominent research, policy, and practice thought-leaders. The first two days of PPDD 2017 will include 75-minute breakout time periods with multiple simultaneous sessions featuring presentations of research and practitioner and policy work, experiences, ideas, challenges, and opportunities. The PPDD 2017 reception and banquet dinner follows Conference programming on the evening of 24 May.
The third day of PPDD 2017 (26 May) will be devoted to a full-day all-Conference workshop discussing potential models for research agendas on broadband and the digital divide around the world, exploring gaps in understanding of crucial issues, and identifying the most effective ways to fill those gaps. This will be a highly interactive, lively brainstorming and collaborative thinking dialogue among all presenters and other attendees to build partnerships and formulate action plans to advance the digital divide agenda and connect research, policy, and practice globally. All participants in PPDD 2017 will have the opportunity to provide in advance position papers for this workshop day addressing a few noteworthy questions and the discussion of those issues will energize and guide the workshop. Our hope is that at the end of this day there will be firm plans for partnerships and action that will motivate and make significant progress in digital divide research, policy, and practice. The short position papers will be made available prior to the Conference and permanently archived via an e-book on the PPDD website.
PPDD 2017 also offers an optional 4-hour field trip to learn about digital divide work in action at digital inclusion program sites on the afternoon of 23 May followed by an optional early-bird group dinner, as well as an optional group dinner at a Polynesian restaurant overlooking San Diego Bay on the evening of 25 May.