In order to utilize full potential of information and communications technologies (ICTs) for promoting economic growth and addressing various social issues, we need to take various steps such as expansion of infrastructure and building capacity of human and society to be ready to use ICTs, in addition to research and development of technologies. Policy intervention is necessary as these goals are hard to accomplish, if solely relying on market competition. Understanding such policies required to support technology will be helpful to predict and take advantage of social dynamics related to new digital products and services that are emerging now and will emerge in the coming future.
In the first stage of this course, explanation will be provided on importance of social expansion of ICTs, mainly focusing on network technologies such as the Internet. Basic knowledge required to understand relevant policies will be also introduced.
Then the course will pick up specific case studies for each sort of ICT policy practices, to discuss how that policy making was triggered and what impacts the policy brought about, with viewpoints of international comparison. In addition, students will be invited to participate in more active discussion on certain topic on future policy direction, which will be shown later in the course.