ACIST 2018 - CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA, 9th – 10th July 2018
African Conference On Information Systems & Technology (ACIST)
African Conference On Information Systems & Technology (ACIST)
The 2018 (4th) edition of ACIST focuses on how digital information technology (DIT) can improve the livelihoods of African people. African livelihoods encompass sensitive issues such as health, education, incomes, environments, occupations, trades, access, business and government. These issues have physical, psychological, social, and financial dimensions that affect individuals, groups, communities, countries, and regions in Africa. DITs are increasingly becoming integral to and interdependent with the African society.
ACIST 2018 will explore such issues as to whether, how, why, when and where DITs contributes to improving the lives of people in the African society. One of the focal areas of discussions are what it takes to achieve a coordinated and sustained effort in the use of DITs to address grand challenges of improving the African Society. For instance, it is important to ask, if our purpose as information systems and technology researchers is to ensure better African lives, then what should individuals, groups, organizations, nations and regions do differently with DIT?
The recent wave of digital innovations in the domains of mobile IT platforms, applications, devices, and infrastructure holds considerable promise for a positive impact on livelihood improvement in Africa. Against the backdrop of problems such as social exclusion, underemployment, deprivation, poverty, poor hygiene, malnutrition, and poor housing, what role, for instance, can constant connectivity play towards livelihood improvement in Africa? What other technological solutions can be used to support and relieve people who are experiencing these problems? ACIST 2018 seeks to showcase and discuss research works that tackle these issues.
As we prepare for ACIST 2018 in Cape Town, South Africa, it is hoped that IST researchers in Africa and elsewhere will think creatively, broadly, and provocatively about Improving African Livelihoods with Digital Information & Technology from many different theoretical, philosophical and practical perspectives.