Faculty & Staff
-
Sam Nunn School of International Affairs
781 Marietta Street, NW
Room 305
Atlanta, GA 30332 Phone: 404-894-0298
E-mail: mikeb@cc.gatech.edu
Office Hours: By Appointment
Michael L. Best
Assistant Professor
Editor-in-Chief, Information Technologies and International Development
Joint appointment with College of Computing
Education
Ph.D., Media Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
M.S., Media Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
B.S., Computer Science and Engineering, University of California-Los Angeles
Research Focus
The role of computers and communication in social, economic, and political development. Dr. Best's research focuses on information and communication technologies (ICTs) for social, economic, and political development. In particular, he studies mobile and Internet-enabled services and their design, impact, and importance within low-income countries of Africa and Asia. He researches engineering, public policy, and business issues as well as methods to assess and evaluate development outcomes. His interests also comprise the impact of ICTs on the development-security nexus and on post-conflict reconstruction and reconciliation. He holds a joint appointment with Tech's School of Interactive Computing and is a Fellow of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University. He is co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of Information Technologies and International Development published by the MIT Press. Dr. Best is a frequent consultant to the World Bank, ITU, and USAID and has served as Director of Media Lab Asia in India and head of the eDevelopment group at the MIT Media Lab.
Courses Taught
INTA 2040: Science, Technology & International Affairs
INTA 8803 A:Computers, Communication & International Development
INTA 4050: International Affairs & Technology Policy