Digital Agricultural Technologies (DATs) are innovations that enable farmers and agribusiness entrepreneurs to leapfrog to increase their productivity, efficiency, and competitiveness, facilitate access to markets, improve nutritional outcomes and enhance resilience to climate change. These technologies range from mobile apps to digital identities for farmers to solar applications for agriculture to portable agriculture devices. DATs are increasingly becoming indispensable in the global food and agriculture sector, from fast and convenient information delivery to providing virtual marketplaces. Considering the fact that digital technologies can accelerate agro-food outcomes is juxtaposed with low adoption rates of the same, the World Bank’s operations are increasingly incorporating digital agriculture as a critical element in its operations. Thus, it is important to study digital agriculture technologies in further detail. This five-week course will provide a high-level overview of DAT concepts, potential impact, range of technologies available, used cases as well as forward-looking technologies. The course will introduce the participants to different agriculture data platforms already available and will encourage them to discover the scope and utility of the open data platforms for analytics and intelligence in agriculture. Participants will be required to engage in discussion forums with their peers and complete quizzes throughout the course.

This self-paced online course on inclusive digital communication during crises and emergencies was developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This health crisis has revealed the importance of ensuring that everyone can access and utilise digital information provided through digital platforms, which, in such situations, can be vital. The world is facing an unprecedented experience in which Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are, in certain circumstances, almost the only possibility for people to communicate with one another.

Frontier ICTs such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain, and the Internet of Things (IoT) are expected to have a greater impact on sustainable development and are also recognized as an important source of concerns for socio-economic development (especially policymaking) in developing countries. Therefore, this module provides fundamental information, challenges/risks, best practices, policy recommendations, and international cooperation agendas related to frontier ICTs that digital leaders, in particular policymakers in developing countries, should consider when developing and applying the frontier ICTs to enable sustainable development through innovation in their public sector and society.

This course seeks to outline AI applications of particular relevance to peace and conflict settings from a gender perspective.