Digital policies, infrastructure development and youth participation in Saint-Louis and Ziguinchor (Sénégal)
What is the impact of youth digital participation in local governance? Computers and smartphones are symbols of the broadening use of digital technologies in all countries and continents, where young adults use it for involvement in social, economic, political and cultural life. Yet, the uneven development of information technologies across continents and countries has an impact in their appropriation by young people. Geographic, social and gender differences strongly influence the uses of digital technology, shaping access as much as creative ideas the youth deploy to get involved in urban life.
This research integrates knowledge from the field of engineering with social science to depict the relation between access to digital technologies and their various uses by the youth in Senegal. The results will include an updated picture of digital access and practices in the cities of Saint-Louis and Ziguinchor, and will be presented to the youth using social media platforms and exhibitions. The research team includes experts from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland, and the École Supérieure Polytechnique (ESP) and the Université Gaston Berger (UGB) in Senegal, to develop methodologies that combine quantitative and qualitative analyses based on spatial data.
General information
Team: Pablo de Roulet, Cheikh Samba Wade, Mamadou Lamine Ndiaye, Jérôme Chenal
Contact: Pablo de Roulet
Funding: Fondation Botnar