Length Length

10 modules, accessible at any time

Effort Effort

3-5 hours per module

PRICE PRICE

FREE

Languages Languages

English

Video Transcripts Video Transcripts

English, Español, Português, Pусский

Prerequisites Prerequisites

None

Requirements Requirements

An internet connection to access course materials

INNOVATION
How technological advances enable new

DEVELOPMENT SOLUTIONS

INNOVATION
KNOWLEDGE SOCIETIES
How our digitally-connected world promotes the

PRODUCTION OF KNOWLEDGE

KNOWLEDGE SOCIETIES
DATA & MEASUREMENT
How ICT is both an indicator of progress and a tool for

GATHERING DATA

DATA & MEASUREMENT
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
How do we ensure that this technology is used

ETHICALLY AND EFFECTIVELY?

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Overview

This course is self-paced – you can enroll immediately and complete the course materials at any time before August 31, 2025.

Tech for Good was developed by UNESCO and Cetic.br/NIC.br, the Brazilian Network Information Center’s Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society. It brings together thought leaders and changemakers in the fields of information and communication technologies (ICT) and sustainable development to show how digital technologies are empowering billions of people around the world by providing access to education, healthcare, banking, and government services; and how “big data” is being used to inform smarter, evidence-based policies to improve people’s lives in fundamental ways.

It also addresses the new challenges that technology can introduce, such as privacy, data management, risks to cybersecurity, e-waste, and the widening of social divides. Ultimately, Tech for Good looks at the ways in which stakeholders are coming together to answer big questions about what our future will look like in a hyper-digitized world.

structure

  • Pre-recorded lectures
  • Readings
  • Quizzes
  • Discussion forum

Lead Faculty

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    Dorothy Gordon

    UNESCO Information for All Programme

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    Guilherme Canela Godoi

    UNESCO

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    José Clastornik

    Office of the President of Uruguay

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    Doreen Bogdan-Martin

    International Telecommunication Union

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    Chief Nathaniel Ebo Nsarko

    Millennium Promise Alliance

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    Eduardo Diniz

    Fundação Getulio Vargas

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    Luiz Gonzalez Morales

    UN Statistics Division

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    Jessica Espey

    Sustainable Development Solutions Network

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    Sara Rendtorff-Smith

    MIT

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    Katina Michael

    University of Wollongong

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    Jeffrey Sachs

    Columbia University

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    Nandan Nilekani

    EkStep

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    Alison Kennedy

    UNESCO

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    Alexandre Barbosa

    Cetic.br

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    Guy Berger

    UNESCO

This course is for

Technology specialists who want to understand more about how ICT is being used to improve people’s lives around the world

Sustainable development practitioners who need to understand the opportunities and limitations of technology in a development context

Advanced undergraduates and graduate students interested in the key concepts and practices of this exciting and ever-changing field

Questions?

Course logistics and requirements

This course is self-paced. All course components are available now and can be completed at any time that is convenient for the students. Please note that this course is not facilitated by a course team. We encourage students to engage with one another via the discussion forum. Any specific questions can be sent to the SDG Academy team at courses@sdgacademy.org.

Certificates

Learners who successfully complete the course will be eligible to purchase a Verified Certificate signed by the course instructors.

syllabus

Module 1: Welcome to the Digital Age

1.1

Introduction to the Course

1.2

Bridging the Digital Divide

1.3

Three Approaches to ICT for the SDGs

Module 2: Technology for Governments and Citizens

2.1

Equity and Access to Services

2.2

User-Driven Public Administration

2.3

It's All About the Data

2.4

The Open Government Approach

2.5

Case Study: Aadhaar in India

2.6

The Challenges of Digital Government

Module 3: ICT Infrastructure

3.1

Enabling ICT: The Role of Infrastructure

3.2

Promoting Digital Inclusivity

3.3

Innovations in Infrastructure

3.4

Building Smart Sustainable Cities

3.5

ICT as Infrastructure: A Look at Societal Platforms

Module 4: ICT Innovations in Health

4.1

Achieving Universal Health Coverage

4.2

Improving Healthcare Delivery

4.3

Involving the Community

4.4

Evidence in Action: Success Stories of ICT and Health

4.5

Emerging Challenges and Opportunities

Module 5: Learning in Knowledge Societies

5.1

The Ecosystem of ICT for Education

5.2

Education for a Connected World

5.3

Sharing Knowledge: ICT, Openness, and Inclusion

5.4

Measuring ICT and Education: Frameworks

5.5

Measuring ICT and Education: Data and Indicators

5.6

Rethinking ICT for Education Policies

Module 6: Promoting Financial Inclusion

6.1

An Introduction to Financial Services

6.2

The Potential of Digital Platforms

6.3

Mobile Payments for Marginalized Communities

6.4

ICT for Enabling Access to Credit

6.5

Replacing the Cash Economy

6.6

The Challenges of ICT-enabled Financial Inclusion

Module 7: Measurement and Metrics for ICT and the SDGs

7.1

Managing Data for the SDGs

7.2

ICT Innovation for Statistical Development

7.3

Engaging with Data: Communications and Citizen Empowerment

7.4

Case Study: Brazil’s Cetic.br

7.5

Measuring ICT

7.6

ICT for Monitoring the SDGs

7.7

Limitations of ICT for Monitoring the SDGs

Module 8: Artificial Intelligence for Development

8.1

An Introduction to Artificial Intelligence

8.2

Who Drives the Agenda on “AI for Good”?

8.3

Implications for Discrimination and Exclusion

8.4

The Human Side of AI: Risks and Ethics

Module 9: Concerns for our Digital Future

9.1

Privacy and the Importance of Trust

9.2

Knowing your Data Rights

9.3

Cybersecurity

9.4

Combatting Disinformation

9.5

The Downsides of Digital

Module 10: The Way Forward

10.1

The New Workforce: Six Points about the Future of Work

10.2

The Meaning of Work in the Digital Era

10.3

The Open Movement

10.4

Closing Thoughts on ICT for the SDGs