Digitalization and New Frontiers of Service Delivery:
Opportunities and Challenges
Conference Agenda
09.45 −11.20 Session 1 | Inaugural Session
Digitalization for Inclusive Development: Opportunities and Challenges 09.45 − 09.55 Welcome and Introduction to the Conference
Imran Matin | Executive Director, BIGD, BRAC University 09.55 −10.05 Opening Remarks
Vincent Chang | Vice Chancellor, BRAC University
10.05 −10.30 Keynote 1 | Digitalization for Inclusive Development: Lessons From Global Experiences
Stefan Dercon | Professor of Economic Policy, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford
10.30 −10.55 Keynote 2 | Digital Initiatives in Bangladesh: Challenges and Opportunities Anir Chowdhury | Policy Advisor, a2i, Government of Bangladesh 10.55 −11.20 Vote of Thanks | Imran Matin
11.20 −11.40
Tea Break
11.40 −13.15 Session 2 | Power, Institutions, and Economics: Framing Perspectives on Digitalization of Service Delivery
11.40 −11.45 Chair
Asif Mohammad Shahan | Associate Professor of Development Studies, University of Dhaka
11.45 −12.15 Asymmetries of Information, Power and Digitalization Outcomes
Mushtaq H. Khan | Professor of Economics, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
12.15 −12.45 Digital Transformation in a Developing Country: A Framework to Assess Challenges and Opportunities to Go Beyond Digitization
Sajjad Zohir | Executive Director, Economic Research Group (ERG) and Senior Advisor at BIGD, BRAC University
12.45 −13.15 Q&A
13.15 −14.00 Lunch Break
FRAMING, CONCEPTS AND EMPIRICS
DAY ONE 20 JUNE 2022
|
MONDAY14.00 −15.30 Session 3 | Digital Literacy, Divide, and Usage: Concepts and Empirics 14.00 −14.10 Chair
Shahriar Hoque | Director, Technology, BRAC
14.10 −14.40 Usage of e-government Services: Relevance of Service-specific Skills and Non-skill Variables
Mehnaz Rabbani | Head, Operations and Strategic Engagement and Partnership, BIGD, BRAC University
Semab Rahman | Research Associate, BIGD, BRAC University Avinno Faruk | Research Associate, BIGD, BRAC University 14.40 −14.55 Understanding the First and Second Digital Divide in Rural Bangladesh
M. Shahadat Hossain Siddiquee | Professor, University of Dhaka 14.55 −15.10 A Digital Literacy Initiative for the South Pacific
Pritika Reddy | Academic Researcher, Fiji National University 15.10 −15.30 Q&A
15.30 −16.00
Tea Break
16.00 −17.45 Session 4 | Panel Discussion on Birth Registration and Unique Identification
16.00 −16.05 Chair
Md. Nazrul Islam | Former Secretary, Cabinet Division and Former Member, National Human Rights Commission
16.05 −16.15 Birth Registration: A Summary
Nutan Farah Haq | Senior Research Associate, BIGD, BRAC University 16.15 −16.25 Malabika Sarker | Professor and Acting Dean, BRAC James P. Grant
School of Public Health, BRAC University
16.25 −16.35 Ali Akbar Ashrafi | Chief HIU, MIS, DGHS, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
16.35 −16.45 Palash Kanti Bala | Registrar General, Office of Registrar General, Birth and Death Registration (ORGBDR)
16.45 −16.55 AK Sabbir Mahbub | Co-founder and Chairman, Devnet Limited
16.55 −17.20 Q&A
09.00 − 09.05 Day One Reflections | Imran Matin
09.05 −10.20 Session 5 | Digitalization, Women Empowerment, and Social Transformation
09.05 − 09.15 Chair
Sajeda Amin | Senior Associate, Poverty, Gender, and Youth Program, Population Council
09.15 − 09.30 Online Freelancing and Women’s Economic Empowerment: Evidence From a Randomized Control Trial (RCT) in Bangladesh
Md. Raied Arman | Senior Research Associate, BIGD, BRAC University 09.30 − 09.45 Virtually Left Out? Recognizing and Realizing Transformative Potential of
Adolescents in Bangladesh
Lopita Huq | Research Fellow, BIGD, BRAC University
Pragyna Mahpara | Senior Research Associate, BIGD, BRAC University 09.45 −10.00 Designing Socially Acceptable Interventions to Enhance Women’s Access to
Technology
Nova Ahmed | Associate Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, North South University
10.00 −10.20 Q&A 10.20 −10.30 Tea Break
10.30 −11.45 Session 6 | Use of NLP in New Research Methods 10.30 −10.40 Chair
Sajjad Zohir | Executive Director, Economic Research Group (ERG) and Senior Advisor at BIGD, BRAC University
10.40 −10.55 Emergence of Foundational NLP Models and Challenges for Bangladesh Nabeel Mohammed | Associate Professor, North South University 10.55 −11.10 Potential of Tech-based Research Methods in Early Warning Signals
Daryl Collins | CEO and Founder, Decodis, USA
11.10 −11.25 Use of NLP in Experimental Research: Impact Evaluation of Cash Transfers Munshi Sulaiman | Research Advisor, BIGD, BRAC University
11.25 −11.45 Q&A
OUTCOMES AND SERVICES
DAY TWO 21 JUNE 2022
|
TUESDAY11.45 −13.30 Session 7 | Digitalization, Platform Services, and their Implications for the Labour Market
11.45 −11.50 Chair
Sonia Bashir Kabir | Founder and Managing Director, SBK Ventures and Foundation
11.50 −12.15 Working Conditions and Structural Challenges in the Bangladesh Gig Economy
Ananya Raihan | Chief Imaginator, Data Sense, iSocial Raiyaan Mahbub | Research Associate, Data Sense, iSocial
12.15 −12.30 Exploring the Governance of the Labour Process and Workers’ Collective Action Dynamics in the Digital Platform Economy of Bangladesh
Mirza Hassan | Senior Research Fellow, BIGD, BRAC University Syeda Salina Aziz | Senior Program Manager, BIGD, BRAC University 12.30 −12.40 Digitalization in the Informal Sector: Through the Lens of Kormo
Tahmid Bin Mahmud | Research Associate, BIGD, BRAC University 12.40 −12.55 Working Without a Boss in Dhaka? Affective Labour, Ratings, and
Temporalities in Digital Platforms
Mohammad Tareq Hasan | Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Dhaka
12.55 −13.10 Discussant
A.K.M Fahim Mashroor | CEO, Bdjobs 13.10 −13.30 Q&A
13.30 −14.15 Lunch Break
14.15 −16.00 Session 8 | Digitalization, Local Governance, and Social Protection 14.15 −14.25 Chair
Mridul Chowdhury | CEO and Founder, mPower Social Enterprises 14.25 −14.40 Digitalization and Targeting of Social Protection: A Critical Survey of
Opportunities and Pitfalls of Policy During the Pandemic
Pallavi Roy | Senior Lecturer, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
14.40 −14.55 Digitalization of Social Protection Delivery in India: A Closer Look at Exclusion Errors
Aarushi Gupta | Senior Research Associate, Dvara Research, India Aishwarya Narayan | Research Associate, Dvara Research, India
14.55 −15.10 Cash Transfers Through MFS Under Social Security Programs: Realized Successes and Emerging New Challenges
Khondoker Shakhawat Ali | Founder, Knowledge Alliance, and Emeritus Fellow, Unnayan Sammanny.
15.10 −15.20 Local Digital Governance: Experiences, Challenges and Paths
Zhao Zheng | Professor, Institute of Public Administration and Human Resources of the Development Research Center of the State Council, China 15.20 −15.35 The Digitalization for Inclusive Social Protection Service Delivery in Egypt
2030: Benefits and Challenges
Shaymaa Zaghlool | Research Consultant, Egypt 15.35 −16.00 Q&A
16.00 − 16.15
Tea Break
16.15 −17.30 Session 9 | Digital Innovations in the Delivery of Health Services 16.15 −16.25 Chair
Atonu Rabbani | Mushtaque Chowdhury Chair in Health and Poverty, James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University
16.25 −16.40 Feasibility of Using Behavioural Activation Games for Improving Mental Health Munshi Sulaiman | Research Advisor, BIGD, BRAC University
16.40 −16.55 On the Path to Inclusive Digital Health Rights: Perspectives From Bangladesh and Colombia
Farzana A. Misha | Assistant Professor, BRAC James P. Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University
Javier Enrique Guerrero Castro | Post-Doctoral Researcher, Digital Health and Rights Project, Universidad de Los Andes
16.55 −17.10 A Longitudinal Study of a Biometric-enabled Community Health Program Asad-Ur-Rahman Nile | Country Director, Simprints
17.10 −17.30 Q&A
OUTCOMES AND SERVICES
DAY TWO 21 JUNE 2022
|
TUESDAY09.05 − 09.10 Day Two Reflections | Imran Matin
09.10 −13.45 Session 10 | Digitalization and Education
09.10 −10.45 Session 10A | Analytical Framework and Innovation 09.10 − 09.15 Chair
M. Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan | Former Cabinet Secretary, Government of Bangladesh and Senior Advisor, BIGD, BRAC University 09.15 − 09.45 Analytical Framework to Comprehend Changing Human Role Due to
Technology Affecting Return From Education, Training and R&D
M. Rokonuzzaman | Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, North South University
09.45 −10.00 Promoting Digital Education in Rural Bangladesh: Computer Literacy Program Experience
Mohammad Farrukh Mohsen | Computer Literacy Program for the Underprivileged (CLP), USA
10.00 −10.15 Lessons From Localizing the Khan Academy Model: Case Study of Agami B M Fazley Rabbi | Senior Program Manager, Agami Foundation 10.15 −10.45 Q&A
10.45 −11.00 Tea Break
11.00 −12.50 Session 10B | Innovation During COVID Times: What Have We Learned?
11.00 - 11.05 Chair
M. Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan | Former Cabinet Secretary, Government of Bangladesh and Senior Advisor, BIGD, BRAC University 11.05 −11.20 Digitalized Distance Education in COVID-19: Adolescent Experiences in
Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Jordan
Silvia Guglielmi | Researcher, Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE)
Farhana Alam Bhuiyan | Assistant Director, Centre for Gender and Sexual
& Reproductive Health and Rights (CGSRHR)
11.20 −11.35 EdTech Evidence From COVID-19 Response: A Thematic Review of Primary Research From Bangladesh, Ghana, Kenya, Pakistan and Sierra Leone Susan Nicolai | Research Director, EdTech Hub and Senior Research Fellow, ODI
11.35 −12.00 Delivering Remote Learning Using Low-tech Solutions
Asadul Islam | Director, Centre for Development Economics and Sustainability (CDES)
12.00 −12.20 Education of Persons with Disabilities in the Digital Platform During COVID-19
Afsana Alam | Research Associate, BIGD, BRAC University 12.20 −12.50 Q&A
12.50 −13.55 Lunch Break
14.00 −15.00 Special Session | Introducing BIGD Research Program and Fund - Women’s Economic Empowerment & Digital Financial Services (WEE-DiFine)
14.00 −14.10 Introductory Presentation on WEE-DiFine
Kym Cole | Initiative Director, WEE-DiFine, BIGD, BRAC University 14.10 −14.20 Conceptualizing the Causal Mechanisms Between DFS and WEE
Munshi Sulaiman | Research Advisor, BIGD, BRAC University 14.20 −14.35 Deep Dive into BIGD’s WEE-DiFine Project
Khandker Wahedur Rahman | Visiting Research Fellow BIGD, BRAC University
Lopita Huq | Research Fellow, BIGD, BRAC University 14.35 −15.00 Q&A
15.00 − 15.15
Tea Break
15.15 −16.45 Session 11 | Algorithmic Governance, Data Protection, and Citizens’ Identity
15.15 −15.25 Chair
Anir Chowdhury | Policy Advisor, a2i, Government of Bangladesh 15.25 −15.40 Behavioural Experiment in Data Privacy
Pooja Haldea | Senior Advisor, Centre for Social and Behaviour Change, Ashoka University, India
15.40 −15.55 Digital Identity Changing Governance and Citizenship
Faheem Hussain | Associate Professor, School for the Future of Innovation in Society at Arizona State University, USA
16.10 −16.25 Q&A
GOVERNANCE AND RESEARCH: CHALLENGES AND INNOVATIONS
DAY THREE 22 JUNE 2022
|
WEDNESDAY16.35 −18.05 Session 12 | Closing Session - Summary and Panel Discussion:
Knowledge Agenda for Shaping a More Inclusive and Transformative Digitalization Future
16.35 −16.45 Conference Synopsis
Zeeshan Abedin | Program Manager, BIGD, BRAC University 16.55 −18.05 Moderator
Anir Chowdhury | Policy Advisor, a2i, Government of Bangladesh Stefan Dercon | Professor of Economic Policy, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford
Mushtaq H. Khan | Professor of Economics, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
Mohammad Humayun Kabir | Joint Secretary, Cabinet Division, Government of Bangladesh
Khandoker Azizul Islam | Additional Secretary, Planning and Development Wing, ICT Division, Government of Bangladesh
Asif Saleh | Executive Director, BRAC Bangladesh
Sonia Bashir Kabir | Founder and Managing Director, SBK Ventures and Foundation
Imran Matin | Executive Director, BIGD, BRAC University
