Inclusions and Exclusions in the Data Age
Thursday 06 March 2025
Time: 17:00 - 18:30
Location: T S Eliot Theatre, Merton College
Dr Janaki Srinivasan, Associate Professor in Digital South Asian Studies of Oxford Internet Institute, and Sophie Bennani-Taylor, a DPhil student at the Oxford Internet Institute, will be the speakers at the 12th Merton Equality Conversation.
The event will be followed by a drinks reception in the foyer until 7pm.
About the Speakers
Dr Janaki Srinivasan
Janaki is an Associate Professor in Digital South Asian Studies at the Oxford Internet Institute and is also affiliated with the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies and St Antony’s College. Her research examines the political economy of information technology-based development initiatives, focusing on how gender, caste, and class shape the use of such technologies.
Her work has explored Indian digital inclusion initiatives involving community computer centers, mobile phones, identity systems, and open information systems, culminating in her recent monograph, The Political Lives of Information (MIT Press). Janaki’s current research addresses issues of privacy and algorithmic control in labour, and as a co-investigator on the Fairwork India team, she advocates for improving the precarious working conditions of gig workers.
Previously, she served on the faculty at the International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore, where she led the Centre for Information Technology and Public Policy. Janaki holds a PhD in Information Management and Systems from UC Berkeley and master’s degrees in Physics and Information Technology from IIT Delhi and IIIT Bangalore.