Richard Duncombe

Biography

After 5 years experience in the private sector, Richard completed a B.Sc (hons) in Society and Technology at Middlesex Polytechnic. He then undertook an ESRC sponsored M.Sc at the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) at the University of Sussex and spent a further 18 months working as a Research Officer contributing to the official evaluation of the UK Alvey Programme. After returning to the private sector for 3 years (working in Italy), he obtained a Post Graduate Teaching Qualification from the University of the West of England (UWE), and spent the next 5 years as a secondary school teacher and Head of Department for technology attached to the Government Teaching Service Management (TSM) in Botswana. During this time he commenced a DFID-sponsored PhD with the University of Manchester, and upon obtaining his doctorate, joined IDPM where he has since carried out teaching, research and consultancy concerning the relationship between information and communication technologies (ICTs) and international development.

Research Interest

Richard researches the growing field of ICT4D information and communication technologies for development. This seeks to understand the relationships between information technologies (the Internet, computing, mobile telephony, etc) and key socio-economic development processes such as poverty alleviation, economic growth, social equality, and environmental sustainability. Richard is part of the Development Informatics Group, the largest academic group dedicated to ICT4D work in the UK.