Digital Innovations in Humanitarian Action: Opportunities and Challenges
Executive Short Course
Since the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit, the use of digital innovations and new technologies is increasing to provide humanitarian assistance. While it shows the prevalence of data revolution in the aid sector, the relation of humanitarian organisations to innovations is not unprecedented.
The growing involvement of tech companies in global philanthropy has only accelerated this ‘innovation turn’. From crowd-sourced data used in crisis mapping to the expansion of drones to facilitate relief distribution, humanitarian innovations capture a large diversity of digital devices meant to improve needs assessments, relief and protection during disasters, conflicts and migration.
Exploring the entanglements between innovation labs, start-ups and humanitarian governance, this course analyses opportunities and challenges of such innovations beyond tech utopia, to consider ethical as well as privacy and protection issues.
to understand the past and current relation of the aid sector with innovations;
to assess the main ideologies that inform the innovation turn in the aid sector and the entanglements with tech philanthropy;
to discuss cooperation and collaboration with the private sector and the humanitarian innovations labs where projects are conceived and implemented;
to differentiate potential uses and sectors for digital innovations, from health to information, management, cash assistance, disaster risk reduction, anticipatory action;
to question data extraction, management, and protection by humanitarian organisations;
to critically examine sociopolitical, ethical and technological challenges and the mitigation of digital risks.
Professionals in the humanitarian, development or social sector looking to develop their competencies in digital and new technologies;
Professionals from any other sectors (private, academic, etc) who wish to increase their understanding of the use of digital innovations in humanitarian contexts;
Graduate students with relevant volunteer or intern experience, looking to undertake a postgraduate course with a view to entering the humanitarian sector.
"It wasn’t just another training; it felt like a doorway into the next generation of humanitarian practice. Learning directly from practitioners and experts redefining the field, the course offered an honest, critical look at digital innovation, from biometrics and data collection to the deeper questions of data stewardship, surveillance, and responsibility to affected communities."
Gian Libot, 2024 course participant
Interested in applying? Learn more about the admission requirements and application process here.
