The relationship between technology and sustainability has become increasingly paradoxical in our century. While technological development has brought great advances in quality of life and productivity in many regions of the world, its omnipresence in all spheres of human life and different levels of penetration in different areas has also been a source of tension and criticism. Recent research into ICT - information and communication technologies - points to the positive contribution of these technologies to sustainable development, in particular their necessary alignment with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in various areas of action, such as combating poverty and inequalities, improving health, education, employment and many other topics. The positive effect is mainly through increased access to information and reduced communication costs. The Internet and cell phones have great potential to improve health and education systems and combat regional and social inequalities, as well as protecting the environment. However, these benefits are not being fully realized for a number of reasons, which can be analyzed from different perspectives. In this interdisciplinary course, we discuss the different roles ICT can play for sustainable development. The focus is on the Brazilian scenario, but during the course examples from other cultures and territories will be widely discussed. This topic, which has already been known internationally as ICT for Good (aligning Information and Communication Technologies with the Sustainable Development Goals), has produced an extensive bibliography that will be widely used during the course.
Eduardo Henrique Diniz
30h
