Dr Shirin Madon

This course is available on the MSc in Development Management (Political Economy), MSc in Development Management (Political Economy) (LSE and Sciences Po), MSc in Development Studies, MSc in Economic Policy for International Development, MSc in Environment and Development, MSc in Health and International Development, MSc in International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies, MSc in Media, Communication and Development and MSc in Political Economy of Late Development. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit. This course uses controlled access as part of the course selection process. For information on controlled access courses, including eligibility, application processes, deadlines, and departmental contact details, please refer to the Controlled Access Courses webpage.

How to apply: Places will be allocated with priority to ID and Management students. If there are more ID and Management students than can be accommodated, these places will be allocated randomly. Other students will be allocated to spare places by random selection with the preference given first to those degrees where the regulations permit this option.

Students do not need to write a statement to apply for this course.

Deadline for application: You should make your request to take ID courses by 12 noon Friday 25 September 2026.

You will be informed of the outcome by 12 noon Monday 28 September 2026.

For queries contact: intdev.enquiries@lse.ac.uk

Students will be allocated places to courses with priority to ID and joint-degree students.  If there are more ID and joint-degree students than the course can accommodate, these spots will be allocated randomly.  

Non-ID/Joint Degree students will be allocated to spare places by random selection with the preference given first to those degrees where the regulations permit this option.

This is an interdisciplinary course about understanding the role played by Digital Technologies in promoting development focusing on underserved sections of the population in low-and-middle income countries (LMICs).  We interrogate the rationale found in much of the policy discourse about how ICT can solve complex historical developmental challenges based on empirical evidence..  Throughout the course, we consider a range of digital technologies that are currently prevalent in LMICs countries from basic computers/mobile phones to digital identity platforms and artificial intelligence whilst considering alternative policy options. 
We begin by reviewing dominant theoretical perspectives on information and communication technologies for development and key ideas they embody regarding the role of information, knowledge accumulation and communication.  Using this as our critical frame of reference, we study the extent to which ICT applications have promoted economic, social and political development.   The topics we cover include global software outsourcing, e-commerce/m-commerce, digital technologies and smallholder agriculture, ICT and education, e-governance, health informatics, social media and collective action, ICT and humanitarianism.

This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Winter Term.

This course is delivered through a combination of lectures and seminars in the WT. Lectures and seminars will be 1.5 hours in duration  

Student on this course will have a reading week in Week 6.

Students will be invited to submit an abstract of their summative essay for written comments.

Taylor, L. and Schroeder, R. (2015) Is Bigger Better? The emergence of big data as a tool for international development policy, GeoJournal, 80, pp. 503-518.

Course participation (15%).

Essay (85%, 3000 words).

Class participation 10% (evaluated based on a combination of seminar attendance, active participation in discussions, and presentation)