Organization

The MIT Media Lab is uniquely positioned to undertake the Digital Nations initiative. Since opening its doors in 1985, the Media Lab has established itself as an international leader in the design and study of innovative digital technologies, helping to create now-familiar areas such as digital video and multimedia. In recent years, the Lab has focused increasingly on the integration of bits and atoms: merging electronic information with the everyday physical world. The Laboratory has been a pioneer in the collaboration between academia and industry, and provides a unique environment to explore basic research and applications, without regard to traditional divisions among disciplines.

The Media Lab has a long tradition of developing technologies for learning and community development. Media Lab researchers have developed educational technologies used by millions of people (especially children) around the world, and have implemented pilot projects in diverse geographical, economic, and cultural settings. In Thailand and Costa Rica, for example, Media Lab researchers have worked with remote villages, helping people learn to use new technologies to address local needs and support community development.

The Harvard Center for International Development, headed by Jeffrey Sachs, is a global leader in the field of international development, and has fostered positive change throughout the developing world. The CID’s research and policy expertise include economics, health, governance, and the environment, with a major focus on the role of information technologies in economic and social development.