Accomplished career demonstrating 15 years of consistent success as a researcher, professional, educator, and activist.
As a political economist, Raed’s research focuses open data, information and knowledge for social change, innovation, and sustainable development.
Other areas of interest include:
- Data-driven innovation and digital entrepreneurship
- Open governance, participation, and inclusion Open knowledge environmentsSocial and economic value of Public Sector Information (PSI) International development and collaborationICTs for Development.
Raed is also a seasoned professional in public policy and international development, with special focus on information, science and technology public policies and their impact on scientific and socioeconomic development, locally and internationally. He has extensive experience in developing, implementing and evaluating activities in the areas of open data, information and knowledge for social change and development, open governance, open participation, open culture, open ICT4D, and open collaboration and innovation.
In his 15 years of professional experience, Raed has worked on projects in different regions including the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean and Central America, China and North America; and collaborated with national and international organizations such as UNESCO, UNDP, the OECD, IDRC, the US Academy of Sciences, the Caribbean Academy of Science, and the Development Bank of Southern Africa.
Research
I locate my current research within the political economy and public policy areas, with focus on information, science and technology public policies and special emphasis on the concepts of openness (e.g., open data, open governance, open participation, open access to information and knowledge, and open ICT4D), collaboration, innovation and reform, and their impact on scientific and socioeconomic development. For my dissertation, I focused my research on access to and reuse of Public Sector Information (PSI) and its impact on scientific and socioeconomic development, especially in the developing world.
Dissertation Title: Use and Value of Public Sector Information for Knowledge Development: the case of South Africa.
Teaching
My teaching interests are heavily influenced by my academic research and professional activities, especially by the international dimension of it. Whenever possible and relevant, I link discussion topics in my courses to international issues and try to show how most of the problems and opportunities that the citizens of the world are dealing with are linked in some interesting ways. Main areas of teaching interest include: government information/telecommunication policies, international development/collaboration, economics of science and technology, knowledge economy/society, digital/knowledge divide, ICTs for development, strategic planning and organization behavior in information-based organizations.
Courses I regularly teach:
Information Policy (Graduate Level): This course discusses public policy issues of the digital environment, including freedom of expression, intellectual property rights, economic regulations, privacy, security, access, standards, and dissemination of public information. The course applies economic, legal, and political science concepts to policy formulation, analysis, and evaluation.
Strategic Management of Information Resources. Seminar (Graduate Level):Integration of previous learning on the various components of management, user needs, and technologies. In-depth review and use of case studies on a range of critical information resources management areas.